Digital Commons Network^™

The Identification And Segmentation Of Astrocytoma Prior To Critical Mass, By Means Of A Volumetric/Subregion Regression Analysis Of Normal And Neoplastic Brain Tissue, Lyn Higgins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the underlying cause of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is presently unclear, this research implements a new approach to identifying and segmenting plausible instances of GBM prior to critical mass. Grade-IV Astrocytoma, or GBM, is an aggressive and malignant cancer arising from star-shaped glial cells, or astrocytes, where the astrocytes, functionally, assist in the support and protection of neurons within the central nervous system and spinal cord. Subsequently, our motivation for researching the ability to recognize GBM is that the underlying cause of the mutation is presently unclear, leading to the operative that GBM is only detectable through a combination of …

Functional Study Of Smyd2 Glutathionylation In Cardiomyocytes, Dhanushka Nalin Perera Munkanatta Godage

Wayne State University Dissertations

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important signaling molecules that contribute to the etiology of multiple muscle-related diseases, including cardiomyopathy and heart failure. There is emerging evidence that cellular stress can lead to destabilization of sarcomeres, the contractile unit of muscle. However, it is not completely understood how cellular stress or ROS induce structural destabilization of sarcomeres or myofibrils. Protein glutathionylation is one of the major protein cysteine oxidative modifications that play an important role in redox signaling and oxidative stress. In this report, we used a clickable glutathione approach in a cardiomyocyte cell line, and found that SET and MYND …

Switching Diffusion Systems With Past-Dependent Switching Having A Countable State Space, Hai Dang Nguyen

Wayne State University Dissertations

Emerging and existing applications in wireless communications, queueing networks, biological models, financial engineering, and social networks demand the

mathematical modeling and analysis of hybrid models in which continuous dynamics and discrete events coexist.

Assuming that the systems are in continuous times,

stemming from stochastic-differential-equation-based models and random discrete events,

switching diffusions come into being. In such systems, continuous states and discrete events

(discrete states)

coexist and interact.

A switching diffusion is a two-component process $(X(t),\alpha(t))$, a continuous component and a discrete component taking values in a discrete set (a set consisting of isolated points).

When the discrete component takes a …

Integrated Strategies For Sustainable Wastewater-Based Algal Biofuel Production And Environmental Mitigation In The Us, Javad Roostaei

Wayne State University Dissertations

Integration of algae cultivation with wastewater treatment has received increasing interest as a cost-effective strategy for biofuel production. However, there has been no full assessment of algal biofuel production with wastewater on macro-scale by taking into account wastewater resources, land availability, CO2 emission resources, and geographic variation. This research addressed and evaluated the use of wastewater for algae cultivation, in terms of modeling and laboratory experiments. The first goal of this research was to develop a spatially explicit lifecycle model, by integrating life cycle assessment (LCA), and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analysis, for the evaluation of the environmental and economic …

The Relationship Between Knowledge, Attitudes, And Behaviors Regarding Eco-Justice Issues Among Middle And High School Students In Eco-Schools In Puerto Rico, Elsie Aquino

Wayne State University Dissertations

The conservation, preservation, and protection of the environment are responsibilities that must be globally shared by human beings to “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED, 1987, p. 43). When citizens acquire the knowledge and skills needed to become agents of change, the lack of interconnectedness – a relationship to nature as one of dominion and control – that presently exists between humans and nature might subside (Winograd, 2016). Through the re-orientation of the present educational system and the development of curricula …

The Exploration Of Characteristics Of Akkermansia Muciniphila, And Evaluation Of Its Probiotic Effects On Diabetes By Using C57bl/6 Mouse Model, Jiangqi Tang

Wayne State University Dissertations

THE EXPLORATION OF CHARACTERISTICS OF AKKERMANSIA MUCINIPHILA, AND EVALUATION OF ITS PROBIOTIC EFFECTS ON DIABETES BY USING C57BL/6 MOUSE MODEL

by

JIANGQI TANG

December 2018

Advisor: Dr. Kai-Lin Catherine Jen

Major: Nutrition and food science

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing continuously worldwide. The incidence of T2D is highly correlated with poor diet, physical inactivity and occurrence of obesity. Recent studies reported possible interaction between T2D and gut microbiome, which revealed different composition of gut microbiome. A specific strain Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) was reported with significantly lower abundance even prior to the …

Modification Of 4,5- Aminoglycosides To Overcome Drug Resistance Bacteria And Toxic Side Effect, Guanyu Yang

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

MODIFICATION OF 4,5- AMINOGLYCOSIDES TO OVERCOME DRUG RESISTANCE BACTERIA AND TOXIC SIDE EFFECT

by

Guanyu Yang

September 2018

Advisor: Professor David Crich

Major: Chemistry

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Infectious diseases causing by antibiotic resistant pathogen are one of the major threat to human health and society today. Many researchers tried to develop next generation of antibiotics by reinvesting the existing antibacterial drugs. Aminoglycosides have long been used as highly potent and broad-spectrum antibiotics for treating bacterial infections. But their side effect, especially the irreversible ototoxicity, and the fast-growing resistant problem limit their application. The goal of this research was …

Me And My Homeboys: An Autoethnography On A Sense Of Belonging As A Detroit Latino Student, Juan Jose Martinez

Wayne State University Dissertations

ME AND MY HOMEBOYS: AN AUTOETHNOGRAPHY ON A SENSE OF BELONGING AS A DETROIT LATINO STUDENT

by

JUAN JOSE MARTINEZ

MARCH 2018

Advisor: Dr. Sandra Gonzales

Major: Curriculum and Instruction, Bilingual Bicultural Education

Degree: Doctor of Education

Using autoethnographic research for this study, I intimately explore my experiences in school as a Detroit Latino male and the relationship with my family, community, and school and how they intersected and helped me achieve academic success. I excavate the indigenous roots that characterizes my family’s way of knowing and explore how that foundation laid the ground work for the values that have …

Class Certification Through 23(B)(3) Discrimination Class Actions - The Fine Line Between Class-Wide Racial Discrimination And Isolated Incidents Of Racial Discrimination - Brown V. Nucor Corp., 785 F.3d 895 (4th Cir. 2015), William Grigas

Suffolk Journal of Trial and Appellate Advocacy

No abstract provided.

Pre-Albumin As A Marker For Predicting Weight Loss In Hospitalised Children, Del-Rossi Sean Quadros, Rose Kamenwa, Samuel Akech, William Macharia

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Objectives: This study sought to determine the diagnostic utility of serum pre-albumin in predicting weight loss in hospitalised children.

Design: A hospital-based longitudinal survey was carried out between December 2013 and February 2014.

Setting: Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya, a tertiary care hospital.

Subjects: A total of 170 children aged 29 days to 15 years who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study.

Outcome measures: Serum pre-albumin levels and weight were measured at admission and repeated after 48–96 h. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated to determine the diagnostic utility of serum pre-albumin …

Punishing Passion: A Comparative Analysis Of Adultery Laws In The United States Of America And Taiwan And Their Effects On Women, Alyssa Miller

Fordham International Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Expert Report Of Catherine Smith, J.D.: Juliana V. United States, Catherine Smith

Scholarly Articles

The Founders created the architecture for the rights of children to self-determination and protection from the sins of their forebears. A central tenet of our democracy is that government, including these federal defendants, should not deprive children (the next generation) of the foundational elements of their lives, liberties or property and should not impose hardships on them for matters of which they have no control. This historical tradition and intent of the Founders of our nation has not always been realized, but has evolved over time as our society gains new insights and understandings of children and our notions of …

2018 Otterbein Football Game Day Program, Otterbein University

Football Programs

Welcome to another season of Cardinal Football! As you know, Otterbein is a member of the NCAA Division III where we have true student-athletes. Rather than watching athletes for whom academics is an afterthought, you are here to see students who understand the importance of their total educational experience — inside and outside the formal classroom. These students play because they love the game, learn valuable lessons from the experience, and get to represent their University. I am awed by their commitment — spending countless hours to achieve excellence on the field, in the classroom, and in life. Thank you …

Preparing For A Northwest Passage: A Workshop On The Role Of New England In Navigating The New Arctic, Katharine A. Duderstadt, Catherine M. Ashcraft, Jennifer F. Brewer, Elizabeth Burakowski, Jaed M. Coffin, Jack E. Dibb, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Nancy E. Kinner, Larry A. Mayer, Jennifer L. Miksis-Olds, Joseph Salisbury, Kerri D. Seger, Ruth K. Varner, Cameron P. Wake

All Materials

Preparing for a Northwest Passage: A Workshop on the Role of New England in Navigating the New Arctic (March 25 - 27, 2018 -- The University of New Hampshire) paired two of NSF's 10 Big Ideas: Navigating the New Arctic and Growing Convergence Research at NSF. During this event, participants assessed economic, environmental, and social impacts of Arctic change on New England and established convergence research initiatives to prepare for, adapt to, and respond to these effects. Shipping routes through an ice-free Northwest Passage in combination with modifications to ocean circulation and regional climate patterns linked to Arctic ice melt …

The Cosm Corner, Georgia Southern University

COSM Newsletter

• News from the Biology Department
• News from Chemistry & Biochemistry
• News from Geology & Geography
• News from the Mathematical Sciences Department
• News from the Physics & Astronomy Department
• Get to Know Your Dean- Featuring Dr. Delana Gajdosik- Nivens
• News You Can Use

Physical Chemistry Of Gas-Liquid Interfaces: Foreword, Jennifer Faust

All Faculty Articles

Physical Chemistry of Gas-Liquid Interfaces, the first volume in the Developments in Physical & Theoretical Chemistry series, addresses the physical chemistry of gas transport and reactions across liquid surfaces. Gas-liquid interfaces are all around us, especially within atmospheric systems such as sea spray aerosols, cloud droplets, and the surface of the ocean. Because the reaction environment at liquid surfaces is completely unlike bulk gas or bulk liquid, chemists must readjust their conceptual framework when entering this field. This book provides the necessary background in thermodynamics and computational and experimental techniques for scientists to obtain a thorough understanding of the …

Phosphorus Limitation Of Aboveground Production In Northern Hardwood Forests, Shinjini Goswami, Melany C. Fisk, Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur, Mariann Garrison-Johnston, Ruth D. Yanai, Timothy J. Fahey

All Materials

Forest productivity on glacially derived soils with weatherable phosphorus (P) is expected to be limited by nitrogen (N), according to theories of long-term ecosystem development. However, recent studies and model simulations based on resource optimization theory indicate that productivity can be co-limited by N and P. We conducted a full factorial N × P fertilization experiment in 13 northern hardwood forest stands of three age classes in central New Hampshire, USA, to test the hypothesis that forest productivity is co-limited by N and P. We also asked whether the response of productivity to N and P addition differs among species …

Carbon Fluxes And Interannual Drivers In A Temperate Forest Ecosystem Assessed Through Comparison Of Top-Down And Bottom-Up Approaches, Andrew P. Ouimette, Scott V. Ollinger, Andrew D. Richardson, David Y. Hollinger, Trevor F. Keenan, Lucie C. Lepine, Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur

All Materials

Despite decades of research, gaining a comprehensive understanding of carbon (C) cycling in forests remains a considerable challenge. Uncertainties stem from persistent methodological limitations and the difficulty of resolving top-down estimates of ecosystem C exchange with bottom-up measurements of individual pools and fluxes. To address this, we derived estimates and associated uncertainties of ecosystem C fluxes for a 100-125 year old mixed temperate forest stand at the Bartlett Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA, using three different approaches: (1) tower-based eddy covariance, (2) a biometric approach involving C flux measurements of individual ecosystem subcomponents, and (3) an inventory approach involving changes …

Hydrological Niche Segregation Defines Forest Structure And Drought Tolerance Strategies In A Seasonal Amazon Forest, Mauro Brum, Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur, Valeriy Ivanov, Heidi Asbjornsen, Scott Saleska, Luciana F. Alves, Deliane Pinha, Jadson D. Dias, Luiz E O C Aragão, Fernanda Barros, Paulo Bittencourt, Luciano Pereira, Rafael S. Oliveira

All Materials

1. The relationship between rooting depth and above‐ground hydraulic traits can potentially define drought resistance strategies that are important in determining species distribution and coexistence in seasonal tropical forests, and understanding this is important for predicting the effects of future climate change in these ecosystems.
2. We assessed the rooting depth of 12 dominant tree species (representing c. 42% of the forest basal area) in a seasonal Amazon forest using the stable isotope ratios (δ¹⁸O and δ²H) of water collected from tree xylem and soils from a range of depths. We took advantage of a major ENSO‐related …

What We Mean When We Talk About Reading: Rethinking The Purposes And Contexts Of College Reading, Rachel Ihara, Ann Del Principe

Publications and Research

This study illuminates faculty beliefs about reading by closely examining their attitudes toward assigned readings and faculty professional reading practice. Drawing upon interview data from instructors teaching in a range of disciplines at a two-year college, we suggest that conversations about reading would benefit from greater awareness of the various contexts and purposes for reading. Rather than talk about reading as something students either "do" or "don’t do", or do well or poorly, we draw attention to the ways that different purposes for reading shape reading behaviors for students and faculty alike.

Biosynthetic Mechanism Of The Antibiotic Capuramycin, Erfu Yan

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

A-102395 is a member of the capuramycin family of antibiotics which was isolated from the culture broth of Amycolatopsis sp. SANK 60206. A-102339 is structurally classified as a nucleoside antibiotic, which like all members of the capuramycin family, inhibits bacterial MraY (translocase I) with IC₅₀ of 11 nM which is the lowest among the capuramycin family. A semisynthetic derivative of capuramycin is currently in clinical trials as an antituberculosis antibiotic, suggesting high potential for using A-102395 as a starting point for new antibiotic discovery. In contrast to other capuramycins, A-102395 has a unique arylamine-containing polyamide side chain. The biosynthetic …

The Family History Of Mallory A. Riley, Mallory Riley

Your Family in History: HIST 550/700

No abstract provided.

Resource Map Of Expenditures For Tennessee Children, Annual Report - April 2018, Tennessee Commission On Children And Youth

Resource Mapping Reports

This report compiles the federal and state expenditures for services across all departments and agencies for Tennessee children from the previous fiscal year.

The Coastal Monitor: Fall 2017/ Spring 2018, John T. Tanacredi Ph.D.

The Coastal Monitor

As I sat there in the Members Lounge at the Explorers Club; the world center for exploration, getting ready for our first Spring Saturday Science for Students @the EC lecture, I was putting together some notes on the accomplishments of our science students and CERCOM over the last few months since our last newsletter. Our visit to the Galapagos, a spectacular academic experience for our Molloy College students was at the top of my list! This was certainly not an epiphany but as I accumulated the items on this list, I was impressed not only with what we have conducted …

Great South Bay, Long Island, New York Summer Water Quality Monitoring Program, Cercom, Molloy University, John Tanacredi Ph.D., Kyle F. Maurelli

CERCOM Reports

CERCOM visits 11 locations in Great South Bay to monitor dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, salinity, clarity, and temperature. This monitoring program has been conducted for the past 20 years. These parameters are critical in determining long-term water quality conditions in Long Island estuaries.

Organic Versus Conventional Cropping Sustainability: A Comparative System Analysis, Tiffany L. Fess, Vagner Benedito

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

We are at a pivotal time in human history, as the agricultural sector undergoes consolidation coupled with increasing energy costs in the context of declining resource availability. Although organic systems are often thought of as more sustainable than conventional operations, the lack of concise and widely accepted means to measure sustainability makes coming to an agreement on this issue quite challenging. However, an accurate assessment of sustainability can be reached by dissecting the scientific underpinnings of opposing production practices and crop output between cropping systems. The purpose of this review is to provide an in-depth and comprehensive evaluation of modern …

Who's Vaping Now? Relationship Between Ever And Current E-Cigarette Use And Demographic, Social, Economic, Health Characteristic And Behavior Indicators, Tacheka M. Bailey

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Scientific information about e-cigarettes is limited; thus, insufficient safety and efficacy research on e-cigarettes is one reason that the products have attracted controversy. Although the scientific, regulatory, and lay communities have been passionate in their responses to e-cigarettes, they are divided, with some advocating their use based on the harm reduction approach and others arguing against use based on the precautionary principle. The purpose of this cross-sectional research study was to examine the relationship between e-cigarette use (ever/past and current) and social, economic, and health behavior indicators. Flay and Petraitis’ Theory of Triadic Influence served as the theoretical foundation of …

Protective Role Of Kallistatin In Vascular Injury, Senescence And Aging, Youming Guo

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Kallistatin, a plasma protein, consists of two essential structural elements, an active site and a heparin-binding domain. Kallistatin exerts pleiotropic effects on angiogenesis, inflammation, fibrosis and tumor growth. This study aims to decipher the role and mechanism of kallistatin in vascular injury, senescence and aging. First, we determined the effect of kallistatin on endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT), a process mediating vascular injury, organ fibrosis and cancer progression. Recombinant human kallistatin via its heparin-binding site blocked TGF-β-induced EndMT, associated with downregulated microRNA (miR)-21-Akt signaling and oxidative stress in human endothelial cells. Kallistatin’s active site is essential for stimulating antioxidant genes, endothelial nitric …

Measuring The Impact Of Gun Violence On South Carolina Emergency Departments, Roxanne Renee Johnson

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Gun violence is a significant problem across the United States, and the economic impact of gun violence in South Carolina is not well understood. There has been a historical policy- driven trend to limit research on gun violence. Therefore, few empirical studies have been done to examine this problem. In order to determine the impact of gun violence on the healthcare utilization and cost resulting from gunshot wounds and injuries, ICD codes for state-level billing data were used to enable an estimation of county specific cost associated with gun violence. Federal laws exist on background check requirements although, state laws …

Ripk1 And Myosin Iia-Dependent Ceramidosomes Form Plasma Membrane Pores To Mediate Blebbing And Necroptosis, Rose N. Nganga

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Sphingolipids have over the years, been explored as cancer therapy targets. FTY720 (Fingolimod, Gilenya) is a sphingosine analogue drug used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. FTY720 is phosphorylated by sphingosine kinase 2, to generate P- FTY720 to exert its immunosuppressive properties through binding to sphingosine -1 phosphate receptors (S1PRs). FTY720 also exhibits anti-cancer properties. Our previous studies indicated that FTY720’s anti-cancer property is through induction of necroptosis. FTY720 directly binds to I2PP2A/SET (Inhibitor 2 of PP2A), consequently activating the tumor suppressor protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). The activated PP2A then induces cell death by activating Receptor-Interacting Protein kinase-1 (RIPK1), involved …