Digital Commons Network^™

Machine Learning Methods For Kidney Disease Screening, Rathna Ramesh

Master's Theses

The number of people diagnosed with advanced stages of kidney disease has been rising every year. Early detection and constant monitoring are the only way to prevent severe kidney damage or kidney failure. Current test procedures require expensive consumables or several visits to the doctor, which results in many people foregoing regular testing. To address this problem, we propose a cost-effective teststrip-based testing system that can facilitate kidney health checks from the comfort of one’s home by using mobile phones. The specially designed teststrip facilitates a colorimetric reaction between alkaline picric acid and creatinine in a blood sample that has …

Racializing Sexuality: Voicing The Forced Silence Of Young Black Queers On Tv, Cece Heard

Dean James E. McLeod Freshman Writing Prize

Having grown up in the age of New Media, I was practically raised by TV. It provided me with comfort and guidance, while also helping me improve my reading and use of different social cues. Some may argue that TV has become obsolete in the past few years. However, thanks to streaming capabilities and network subscriptions, TV shows are more readily available to be consumed on a regular basis. Therefore, they continue to hold influence over our daily lives and perceptions of reality despite the growth of other forms of media. For example, the relatively recent increase in gay representation …

2018-2019 Law School Catalog, Southern Methodist University, Dedman School Of Law

Law School Catalogs/Bulletins, 1926-present

No abstract provided.

Tsai Today (2018), Southern Methodist University, Dedman School Of Law, Tsai Center For Law, Science And Innovation

Tsai Today

No abstract provided.

Role Of Hepcidin In The Diagnosis Of Sepsis And Septic Shock In Children, Osman Yeşi̇lbaş, Esra Şevketoğlu, Burcu Bursal Duramaz, Hasan Serdar Kihtir, Asuman Gedi̇kbaşi, Mey Tali̇p Petmezci̇, Canan Baydemi̇r

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The purpose of this study is to compare the diagnostic value of hepcidin level with the white blood cell (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in pediatric sepsis and septic shock. Materials and methods: A cohort of 89 individuals were divided into four groups: a healthy control group (HCG, n = 28), pediatric intensive care unit control group (PICUCG, n = 17), sepsis group (SG, n = 23), and septic shock group (SSG, n = 21). WBC, CRP, PCT, IL-6, and hepcidin levels were studied in the PICUCG, SG, and SSG, while hepcidin and IL-6 …

Investigation Of The Effect Of Ss-Lactam Antibiotics And Serum On Growth And Gene Expression In Escherichiacoli Strain Jj1886, Eli̇f Bozçal Dağdevi̇ren

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: ß-Lactamase-producing Escherichia coli strain JJ1886 is an epidemic clone with high virulence properties. Because this strain can survive in the bloodstream, we aimed here to understand how ß-lactam antibiotics and human serum affect the growth and gene expression of this bacterium. Materials and methods: We report the time-dependent growth effect of normal human serum and heat-inactivated serum, together with ß-lactam antibiotics (including cefotaxime, ceftazidime, and carbenicillin), for E. coli strain JJ1886. Relative gene expression of ß-lactamase-related genes (encoding the ß-lactamase regulator, CTX-M-15, and peptidoglycan glycosyltransferase) and serum survival- associated genes (encoding lipoprotein NlpI, murein lipoprotein, lipopolysaccharide core heptose (I) …

Exploring Inhibition Of Chemiluminescence Mechanisms With Fluorescence Quenching Studies And Interaction Energy Calculations, Zhenbo Liu, Tangmi Yuan, Yongming Liu, Wenzuo Li, Qingzhong Li, Bo Xiao, Jianbo Cheng

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Carbamates weaken the luminol-H$_{2}$O$_{2}$ chemiluminescence (CL) catalyzed by sodium copper chlorophyll (SCC). The capacity to inhibit the CL of three carbamates is in the order of carbaryl (CBL) \textgreater carbofuran (CBF) \textgreater metolcarb (MTC). Mechanisms of carbamates inhibiting SCC-luminol-H$_{2}$O$_{2}$ CL are investigated using fluorescence quenching and quantum chemistry simulations for the first time in this work. Carbamate-SCC interactions studied using fluorescence spectroscopy show that with the increasing concentration of the SCC, the fluorescence of carbamate is quenched regularly, and the quenching mechanism is a static quenching process. Binding constants ($K_{B})$ of the three carbamates with SCC are CBL (4.39 x …

Factors Associated With Prolonged Length Of Stay For Elective Hepatobiliary And Neurosurgery Patients: A Retrospective Medical Record Review, Siu Yin Lee, Soo-Hoon Lee, Jenny H.H. Tan, Howard S.L. Foo, Phillip H. Phan, Alfred W.C. Kow, Sein Lwin, Penelope M.Y. Seah, Siti Zubaidah Mordiffi

Management Faculty Publications

Background: Patients with prolonged length of hospital stay (LOS) not only increase their risks of nosocomial infections but also deny other patients access to inpatient care. Hepatobiliary (HPB) malignancies have some of highest incidences in East and Southeast Asia and the management of patients undergoing HPB surgeries have yet to be standardized. With improved neurosurgery techniques for intracranial aneurysms and tumors, neurosurgeries (NS) can be expected to increase. Elective surgeries account for far more operations than emergencies surgeries. Thus, with potentially increased numbers of elective HPB and NS, this study seeks to explore perioperative factors associated with prolonged LOS for …

Gender Discrimination In Online Markets, Christopher Anthony Cotropia, Jonathan S. Masur, David L. Schwartz

Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers

We study whether a seller’s gender impacts the bargained-for price in a product market, specifically baseball cards, as well whether any discrimination that might be present is tastebased or statistically-based. We accomplish this by isolating the seller’s gender using an online transaction on eBay where the buyer is exposed to the seller’s gender by only the seller’s hand and name. We test for differential treatment in two environments: a field experiment, in which we actually sell cards on eBay, and a laboratory experiment, in which we conduct surveys via Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk). We find that there is consistent differential …

Design Of Dna Strand Displacement Based Circuits, Aby Konampurath George

Wayne State University Dissertations

DNA is the basic building block of any living organism. DNA is considered a popular candidate for future biological devices and circuits for solving genetic disorders and several other medical problems. With this objective in mind, this research aims at developing novel approaches for the design of DNA based circuits. There are many recent developments in the medical field such as the development of biological nanorobots, SMART drugs, and CRISPR-Cas9 technologies. There is a strong need for circuits that can work with these technologies and devices. DNA is considered a suitable candidate for designing such circuits because of the programmability …

Chemical And Physical Studies Of Charge Transfer Excited States Of Ruthenium Complexes With Aromatic Ligands, Marim Khalifa Alnaed

Wayne State University Dissertations

The 3MLCT excited states generated from tris-bipyridineruthenium(II), [Ru(bpy)3]2+ and related complexes was ionized by 405 nm irradiation in ambient, acidic aqueous solutions. The photoionization product was Ru(bpy)3]3+ and an electron with a quantum yield of about 0.040.02 in 0.5 M acid. However, 532 nm radiation does not induce photoionization, and it generates the 3MLCT excited state that can be photoionized by 405 nm irradiation. The proton is a very good electron scavenger, and the rate of phoionization of the 3MLCT excited state was determined to be acid dependent and it increased about ten-fold for acid concentrations beween 0.001 and 4 …

Methionine Sulfoximine: A Novel Anti Inflammatory Agent, Tyler Peters

Wayne State University Dissertations

ABSTRACT

METHIONINE SULFOXIMINE: A NOVEL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AGENT

by

TYLER J. PETERS

October 2018

Advisor: William Brusilow

Major: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

The glutamine synthetase inhibitor methionine sulfoximine (MSO), shown previously to prevent death caused by an inflammatory liver response in mice, was tested on in vitro production of cytokines by mouse peritoneal macrophages triggered with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). MSO significantly reduced the production of Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNFα) at 4 and 6 hours after LPS-treatment. This reduction did not result from decreased transcription of IL-6 and TNFα genes, and therefore appeared to …

Non-Invasive Mitochondrial Modulation With Near-Infrared Light Reduces Brain Injury After Stroke, Christos Dionisos Strubakos

Wayne State University Dissertations

Acute ischemic stroke is a debilitating disease that causes significant brain injury.

While rapid restoration of blood flow is critical to salvage the ischemic brain, reperfusion

of tissue can further drive brain damage by inducing generation of mitochondrial reactive

oxygen species (Chouchani et al., 2014a). Recent studies by our group found that noninvasive

mitochondrial modulation (NIMM) with near-infrared (NIR) light can limit the

production of reactive oxygen species following global brain ischemia (T. H. Sanderson

et al., 2018). NIR interacts with the rate limiting step of the mitochondrial electron

transport chain (ETC), cytochrome c oxidase (COX), and modulates mitochondrial

respiration. …

Harnessing Radical Reactivity For The Construction Of Natural Product Frameworks And Transition Metal Catalyst Stability In A Modified Kochi Coupling Reaction, Mathes Hewage Hansamali Sakuntala Sirinimal

Wayne State University Dissertations

Polycyclic N-containing heterocycles play an important role in therapeutic

applications and as molecular tools in studying biological processes, making them

important synthetic targets. Current synthetic approaches are too lengthy, use toxic

reagents or are limited to accessing a particular framework and hence, their synthesis

warrant further study. We have recently developed conditions to avoid both reduction and

slow addition in aminyl radical cyclizations in our venture to access the constrained ABC

core of calyciphilline A, a Daphniphyllum alkaloid. An electron deficient enone with a

pendent internal alkyne as the neutral aminyl radical precursor was used for radical

cyclization. Based on …

Trailer Park Kids: An Ethnographic Study Of Identity Formation In An Affluent Suburban Middle School, Jeanne Marie Vanlaan

Wayne State University Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was determining influences behind identity formation, social reproduction, and resistance of students residing in a local manufactured home community and attending a suburban majority White, middle-and upper-middle class middle school. Narratives from participants were included to assist in disseminating intersecting lives of students (the trailer park kids) with their parents and teachers. The lives of the trailer park kids at home and at school were portrayed. Research before this study focused on similar themes, but unique was examination of effects on students attending school as a minority by social class standing and their place of …

The Impact Of Machine Learning Algorithms On Benchmarking Process In Healthcare Service Delivery, Egbe-Etu Emmanuel Etu

Wayne State University Theses

Currently, organizations have adopted and implemented a variety of innovative quality management philosophies, approaches, and techniques to stay competitive in an ever-changing global economy. Benchmarking is one of such techniques deployed by organizations to stay competitive. The motivation for this research stems from a real-world problem being faced by hospitals in the healthcare industry who have amassed a ton of data and want to embark on benchmarking project to assess the performance of the emergency departments due to challenges faced with poor management of operations which has led to high patient boarding rates, high patient wait-times, poor quality service, low …

Collaboration Between Health Sciences Librarians And Faculty As Reflected By Articles Published In The Journal Of The Medical Library Association, Katherine G. Akers, Molly Higgins, Jennifer A. Devito, Sally Stieglitz, Robert Tolliver, Clara Y. Tran

Library Scholarly Publications

A recent study by Higgins and colleagues reports that the Journal of the Medical Library Association (JMLA) had the highest percentage of articles with both librarian and faculty co-authors out of 13 peer-reviewed journals in STEM librarianship and education between 2005 and 2014. A deeper and updated analysis of JMLA research articles and case studies published between 2008 and 2017 revealed that 29% of articles had both librarian and faculty co-authors. The main topics of librarian-faculty collaboration as described in these articles were related to patient and consumer health information and clinical information-seeking and decision-making by healthcare providers. …

The Quixotic Quest For Gender Equality In The Workplace, Kingsley R. Browne

Law Faculty Research Publications

No abstract provided.

The Contributions Of United Nations Security Council Resolutions To The Law Of Non-International Armed Conflict: New Evidence Of Customary International Law, Gregory H. Fox, Kristen Boon

Law Faculty Research Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of A Cognitive Training Program For Older Adults With Mild To Moderate Cognitive Decline, Kelly Bergstrom

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Older adults often experience varying levels of cognitive decline. Several interventions intended to help slow the effects of cognitive decline have been studied, including cognitive training. Cognitive training involves engaging individuals, typically in a group setting, in exercises that target specific cognitive domains, such as attention, perceptual speed, memory, language, and executive functioning. Literature on cognitive training provides mixed support for its efficacy. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether a manualized, in-person cognitive training program for individuals with mild to moderate cognitive decline would lead to an improvement in cognitive performance. The program targeted six cognitive …

Wildlife Services Coyote Management Project: Owl Pellet Dissection, Grace Riggs

Center for Urban Resilience Research Posters

The “Wildlife Services Coyote Management Project” aims to advance the understanding of the urban coyote population in the Long Beach area. In addition to using pre-existing data already gathered by local wildlife services, the team is working to assemble more information on the behavior and distribution of urban coyotes by means of scat analysis. Now in its second year, the project will augment its data through gene=c analysis of scat and building up the repertoire of animal skeletons through means of owl pellets to further study coyote diet. Owl pellets have been proven to be an effective means of finding …

A Temporal Analysis Of Urban Coyote (Canis Latrans) Activity In Long Beach, Ca, Stephen Gloudeman

Center for Urban Resilience Research Posters

The coyote (Canis latrans) is found across the United States in both rural and urban ecosystems. They have always filled a niche in the ecosystem in the wild as both scavengers and hunters, but in urban environments they have adapted to anthropogenic food sources and pose a threat to communities. In communities such as Long Beach, CA, the presence of a coyote can be dangerous to pets and humans, which is a concern of residents. This arm of the ongoing study includes the implementation of game cameras to understand daily coyote activity and movement throughout the community. The data give …

Religious Arguments, Religious Purposes, And The Gay And Lesbian Rights Cases, Steve Sanders

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.

Predicting Graduation From An Associate Degree Nursing Program Using Performance In Biology Coursework, Stefanie Gadson Brown

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

This retrospective quantitative study focused on two cohorts of associate degree nursing (ADN) students who started coursework in 2014 and 2015. Data consisted of demographics, high school grade point average (HSGPA), grades in biology courses, graduation status, and whether biology courses were completed prior to the start of the nursing program. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was performed to determine which, if any, of the demographic and academic variables were predictors of on-time graduation. Of the variables, minority race, grades in BIO 210, HSGPA, and completing biology courses prior to starting the ADN program were predictors of on-time graduation. The results …

Dual Inhibitors Of Kdm1a And Spermine Oxidase: A Novel Approach To Antitumor Therapy, Steven Lee Holshouser

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

The polyamine oxidase family of enzymes has been extensively studied and plays a critical role in cell development. These enzymes catalyze the oxidation of many different polyamines, and catalyze transformations on DNA-associated histones in order to alter the epigenetic code to modulate gene expression. Polyamines are known to be essential in all forms of living organisms at multiple sites, and they have been identified in animals, plants and fungi. Polyamine oxidases (PAOs), including enzymes such as lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1, KDM1A), spermine oxidase (SMOX) and acetylpolyamine oxidase (APAO) oxidize a variety of polyamines and other amine-containing substrates. Each one of …

Implications For The 8p12-11 Genomic Locus In Breast Cancer Diagnostics And Therapy: Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4e-Binding Protein, Eif4ebp1, As An Oncogene, Alexandria Colett Rutkovsky

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to elucidate the individual and cooperative role of oncogenes within the frequently amplified 8p12-11 genomic locus which is known to predict poor prognosis and resistance to endocrine therapy in breast cancer. The role of specific oncogenes from the 8p11-12 amplicon in breast tumors is highlighted and the construction of expression constructs for future studies is described. Further exploration of the oncogenic role of Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 4E-Binding Protein (4EBP1, EIF4EBP1) showed 4EBP1 is often highly overexpressed in malignant tumors and is predicted as an essential driving gene in many cancer cell lines in vitro, …

Personal And Family History Of Skin Cancer: A Possible Marker For Increased Internal Cancer Risk And Mortality, James Small

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

A growing body of evidence supports an association between a personal history of skin cancer and increased risk for adverse health outcomes. However, limitations in this evidence remain, such as incomplete control for confounding factors. Further, family history of skin cancer is likely to provide important etiologic clues but has yet to be thoroughly integrated in research to date. To address this gap, this dissertation investigates in a nationally representative cohort both personal and family history of skin cancer in relation to the risk of 1) developing an internal cancer and 2) mortality. Further, we investigate the translational potential of …

Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Hepatocyte-Like Cells To Study Liver Development And Diseases, Ran Jing

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Studies on liver development and disease traditionally relied on using animal models. However, the difference in liver biology between human and animals prevented the animal models from fully recapitulating human liver dieases. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) reprogramed from human somatic cells can self-renew and are capable of being differentiated into various cell types that originate from endoderm, mesoderm or ectoderm. Our lab previously developed a procedure to differentiate iPSCs into cells that resemble mature human hepatocytes. Here we aim to explore the application of iPSC-derived hepatocyte-like cells for the study of basic developmental biology, the generation of new …

The Role Of Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase Signaling In Mitochondrial Biogenesis And Renal Injury, Pallavi Bhargava

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Soluble Guanylyl Cyclase (sGC) is responsible for converting GTP to cyclic GMP (cGMP). sGC function and regulation is complex and cell-type dependent. An increase in cGMP production can target phosphodiesterases (PDEs), cGMP gated ion channels, and protein kinase G (PKG). Increasing sGC activity and inhibiting the degradation of cGMP by targeting PDEs are two approaches to maintaining cGMP levels in a given system. Interestingly, cGMP can also regulate mitochondrial biogenesis (MB), the generation of new and functional mitochondria. Previously in our laboratory, we have shown that MB is suppressed after ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury and certain mitochondrial biogenic compounds …

Elucidation Of Erk1/2 Signaling Pathways Leading To Mitochondrial Biogenesis, Justin Brandon Collier

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a rapid loss of normal kidney function and is accompanied by a dysregulation of cellular and mitochondrial metabolism, which can be observed before organ dysfunction. A hallmark of AKI is the early and persistent disruption of mitochondrial homeostasis. Mitochondrial biogenesis (MB), the process by which new mitochondria are generated, has been shown to prevent injury and increase the rate of recovery of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI)-induced renal dysfunction. However, the molecular mechanisms mediating MB and dysfunction following IRI remain unclear. We elucidated that extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) regulates two key mitochondrial and cellular metabolism pathways …