Digital Commons Network^™

Evolution And Distribution Of Phenotypic Diversity In The Venom Of Mojave Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Scutulatus), Jason Strickland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Intraspecific phenotype diversity allows for local adaption and the ability for species to respond to changing environmental conditions, enhancing survivability. Phenotypic variation could be stochastic, genetically based, and/or the result of different environmental conditions. Mojave Rattlesnakes, Crotalus scutulatus, are known to have high intraspecific venom variation, but the geographic extent of the variation and factors influencing venom evolution are poorly understood. Three primary venom types have been described in this species based on the presence (Type A) or absence (Type B) of a neurotoxic phospholipase A2 called Mojave toxin and an inverse relationship with the presence of snake venom metalloproteinases …

A Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual And Transgender + Student Support Group Within A Central Florida State College: A Qualitative Study, Remy Ansiello

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For decades, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) + students attending institutions of higher education have been marginalized and have experienced hostility and outright discrimination, causing the need for student support groups for this population on college campuses. Recent laws passed at a national level have brought a greater level of equality to this minority group; however, feelings of marginalization, homophobia, heterosexism, and heteronormative culture persist. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to ask how students participating in an LGBT + support group within a Central Florida public state college perceive their experiences in college. The researcher also asked …

A Landscape Of Death: A Comparison Of Non-Adult To Adult Burials At The Late Bronze Age Site Of Tell El-Far'ah (South), Rebecca Reeves

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to determine whether there are any differences in the burial practices for non-adults and adults at the Late Bronze Age site of Tell el-Far'ah (South) in modern day Israel. The archaeology of childhood together with various methods of analyses, including geospatial and statistical techniques, were utilized to address the main research question focused on the spatial differences and relationships between non-adult and adult burials. There are missing children in the archeological record. Tell el-Far'ah (South) is an example of this phenomenon. Reasons vary from taphonomy to potential infanticide. Based on the currently available data, it seems that …

Development Of A Tabletop Coherent Soft X-Ray Source, Hanfu Kong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis is to design a tabletop coherent soft X-ray source for attosecond high resolution imaging. We collect signals from gas cells with different length and lens with different focal length. A spectrometer with a grating and a CCD camera is applied to observe and measure the spectrum of the X-ray attosecond pulses. This thesis first introduces the theory background of ultrafast lasers, then mainly explains high harmonic generation, which is the key method for attosecond pulses generation, subsequently presents the experiment system and analyzes the results from the experiment, also compares different combinations of parameters of …

In Situ Treatment Systems For Remediation Of Polychlorinated Biphenyl-Contaminated Building Materials, Adibah Almutairi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are a family of synthetic organohalides comprising 209 congeners which were used historically as additives in paint and caulking materials over a span of many years. Even though the production of PCBs in the USA has been banned since the late 1970s, their former prevalence and widespread use means many structures are still coated with PCB-laden paints. In addition, the presence of PCBs in elastic sealants has resulted in transport of PCBs into concrete structures and has caused soil contamination around buildings. PCB-contaminated building materials have become a significant concern for the environment and building occupants due …

Light Scattering Property Of Gold Nanoparticles With Applications To Biomolecule Detection And Analysis, Tianyu Zheng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have unique optical and chemical properties. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) is an analytical tool used routinely for nanoparticle size measurement. The combined use of AuNPs and DLS has led to a novel analytical assay technology called D2Dx (from diameter to diagnostics). Herein, my dissertation highlights the extended use of D2Dx for biomolecule detection and analysis. Under this general theme, Chapter 1 provides some background information of AuNPs, DLS, the principle of D2Dx technique and its potential applications. Chapter 2 summarizes a study on the effect of AuNP concentrations and laser power on the hydrodynamic size measurement of …

Influence Of Chitosan-Alginate Scaffold Stiffness On Bone Marrow Stromal Cell Differentiation, Isabel Arias Ponce

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tissue grafts are the gold standard for replacing large volume tissue defects. Yet, they present several risks, including infection, low functional outcomes, and reduced graft integrity. Tissue engineering (TE) combines cells and biomaterial scaffolds to foster tissue growth and remodeling. Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) have been shown to respond to the stiffness of their microenvironment, resulting in differentiation into different lineages. 3D porous chitosan-alginate (CA) scaffolds have been previously demonstrated for bone TE with osteoblasts and BMSCs; however, only a single scaffold composition (4 wt%) was studied. Three CA scaffold compositions (2, 4, 6 wt% CA) were produced. Scanning …

Cell Printing: An Effective Advancement For The Creation Of Um Size Patterns For Integration Into Microfluidic Biomems Devices, Megan Aubin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Body-on-a-Chip (BoaC) is a microfluidic BioMEMs project that aims to replicate major organs of the human body on a chip, providing an in vitro drug testing platform without the need to resort to animal model testing. Using a human model also provides significantly more accurate drug response data, and may even open the door to personalized drug treatments. Microelectrode arrays integrated with human neuronal or human cardiac cells that are positioned on the electrodes are essential components for BoaC systems. Fabricating these substrates relies heavily on chemically patterned surfaces to control the orientation and growth of the cells. Currently, …

Help Me Be Healthy: Perceptions Of Social Support In An Online Weight Loss Program, Brittany Davies

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As technology changes, so do the ways in which we receive information, provide information and interact with one another. The exchange of social support is increasingly mediated by technology in the realm of health, nutrition, and fitness (Dahl, et al 2015; Wright et al 2011). Commercial weight loss and healthy lifestyle initiatives such as the Beachbody programs incorporate social media and web applications to reach a broader consumer base with individualized programming options. The present study, guided by optimal matching theory and the helper theory principle, employed online participant-observation and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Beachbody coaches and participants to investigate …

Impact Of Teat Order On Feed Consumption In Swine From Birth To Nursery, Callan A. Lichtenwalter, Jason K. Apple, Beth Kegley, Tsung C. Tsai

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

A relationship between teat order and feed consumption has been assumed in pigs, but no study has looked at this exact relationship. Pigs were observed shortly after birth to be in either a cranial, middle, or caudal teat positon. Growth performance data and active and total plasma ghrelin concentrations were analyzed at birth, weaning, and at the end of the nursery stage of production to see if a relationship with teat order was present. Overall, no effect of teat order was found on average daily gain, average daily feed intake, gain-to-feed ratio, or body weight among pigs from each section …

Nutraceutical Snack Prepared From Sprouted Rough Rice And Green Gram And Its Physicochemical Properties And In Vitro Glycemic Index, Rachel Browder, Navam Hettiarachchy, Ronny Horax

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Snacks make up a large portion of the U.S. daily meals, but unhealthy snacks are a concern that can lead to being overweight or obese. Healthy alternatives can be germinated cereals and legumes, which undergo chemical compositional changes producing smaller size molecules for easier digestion and generate bioactives that can have health benefits. The objective of this research was to develop a healthy and nutritional snack chip from germinated rough rice and germinated green gram that will be easier for the body to digest, provide much higher protein than conventional chips or crackers with low glycemic index. Rough rice and …

Implementation Of Donor Human Milk In A Newborn Nursery: A Quality Improvement Initiative To Increase Exclusive Breast Milk Feeding, Emily Bombard

DNP Scholarly Projects

Background: At the site of this quality improvement project, exclusive breast milk feeding rates before discharge from a newborn nursery were behind benchmark goals. The aim of this project was to improve exclusive breast milk feeding rates by implementing a Pasteurized Donor Human Milk (PDHM) Program for breastfeeding newborns requiring medically indicated supplementation. The study site was a Level I newborn nursery of a 20-bed, labor, delivery, recovery, and postpartum unit within a 100-bed community hospital (i.e., the agency).

Methods: This retrospective pre-post cohort study used the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) framework for rapid cycle change to assess the …

Applying Lean Methodology To Improve The Response And Management Of Postpartum Hemorrhage, Caroline Siefken

DNP Scholarly Projects

Postpartum Hemorrhage is an obstetric emergency that can lead to substantial maternal morbidity and mortality. Lean methodology is an improvement framework that addresses processes and identifies opportunities to eliminate waste and introduce efficiencies. The North Shore Medical Center uses an improvement framework modeled after the Toyota Production System that uses lean methodology to assess processes. This framework is called the North Shore Production System. This quality improvement project used the lean methodology tools from the North Shore Production System and applied them to interdisciplinary, simulated drills at the North Shore Medical Center Birthplace. After analysis of the tools, a postpartum …

Applying Lean Methodology To Improve The Response And Management Of Postpartum Hemorrhage, Caroline Siefken

DNP Scholarly Projects

Postpartum Hemorrhage is an obstetric emergency that can lead to substantial maternal morbidity and mortality. Lean methodology is an improvement framework that addresses processes and identifies opportunities to eliminate waste and introduce efficiencies. The North Shore Medical Center uses an improvement framework modeled after the Toyota Production System that uses lean methodology to assess processes. This framework is called the North Shore Production System. This quality improvement project used the lean methodology tools from the North Shore Production System and applied them to interdisciplinary, simulated drills at the North Shore Medical Center Birthplace. After analysis of the tools, a postpartum …

Development Of Fluorescent Sensors Based On Molecularly Imprinted Biomimetic Polymers, Rongfang Yang

Doctoral Dissertations

Molecular recognition can be thought as the process in which two or more molecules bind to one another in specific geometry through noncovalent bonding. Bioreceptors, such as antibodies, enzymes, and DNAs can specifically bind to its target with high binding affinity and selectivity. However, the bio receptors are suffering from low stability and tolerance to extreme pH, temperature and organic solvents.

To overcome the disadvantages of the bioreceptors, novel biomimetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were developed by Seitz group. Different from the conventional MIPs with high percentage of covalent crosslinking, the biomimetic MIPs contain less than 5% mole percent covalent …

H. Wayne Huizenga College Of Business And Entrepreneurship 2018-2019 Graduate Catalog, Nova Southeastern University

Huizenga Postgraduate Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

M.P.A. With A Concentration In Disaster And Emergency Management 2018-2019, Nova Southeastern University

Huizenga Postgraduate Course Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Pubertal Effects Of High Advanced Glycation End Product (Age) Consumption On Mammary Gland Development, Jamie F. Randise

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

The mammary gland continues to develop postnatally through puberty, pregnancy, lactation and involution. Evidence supports the notion that critical events in mammary development permanently alter developmentally regulated programs which influence the breast microenvironment to increase breast cancer risk. Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are highly reactive metabolites that irreversibly accumulate in tissues as we grow older. The pathogenic effects of AGEs include tissue degeneration, protein dysfunction, aberrant cell signaling and reduced genetic fidelity. AGE accumulation can contribute to pro-inflammatory and -oxidant phenotypes when signaling through the receptor for advanced glycation end-products. AGEs form during normal metabolism but critically, lifestyle factors such …

Quantifying The Offset Of Greenhouse Gas Emissions At The University Of North Alabama, Paul Dunn Graham

Theses

No abstract provided.

Shakespeare’S Zombies: The (Un)Dead, The Contagious, And The Resistant, Kelli Hyre

Undergraduate Research Awards

Shakespeare’s The Tempest is often classified as a castaway narrative, due in large part to Miranda’s status as an exile. Yet it is also a colonialist narrative, as Prospero has taken control of both the island and the island’s inhabitants (i.e. Caliban and Ariel). This is made clear when Prospero recalls that Sycorax had imprisoned Ariel within a cloven pine and “when I arrived and heard thee, that made gape / the pine and let thee out” (1.2 327-347). As a spirit confined to a tree, Ariel is representative of the spirit of nature or the spirit of the island …

Unmarked? Criminal Record Clearing And Employment Outcomes, Jeffrey Selbin, Justin Mccrary, Joshua Epstein

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

An estimated one in three American adults has a criminal record. While some records are for serious offenses, most are for arrests or relatively lowlevel misdemeanors. In an era of heightened security concerns, easily available data, and increased criminal background checks, these records act as a substantial barrier to gainful employment and other opportunities. Harvard sociologist Devah Pager describes people with criminal records as “marked” with a negative job credential. In response to this problem, lawyers have launched unmarking programs to help people take advantage of legal record clearing remedies. We studied a random sample of participants in one such …

Now You See Me: Problems And Strategies For Introducing Gender Self-Determination Into The Eighth Amendment For Gender Nonconforming Prisoners, Lizzie Bright

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

As the fight for transgender rights becomes more visible in the United States, the plight of incarcerated transgender individuals seeking medical care behind bars is likewise gaining attention—and some trans prisoners are gaining access to gender-affirming care. However, progress for incarcerated members of the trans community has been slow, piecemeal, and not without problems. As federal court opinions in Eighth Amendment access-to-care cases brought by trans prisoners show, how a court interprets the subjective intent requirements of the Eighth Amendment and how the imprisoned plaintiff pleads his/her/their case can make or break the claim. Further, courts and plaintiffs rely on …

A More Just System Of Juvenile Justice: Creating A New Standard Of Accountability For Juveniles In Illinois, Brooke Troutman

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

For over a century, America’s legal system has made substantial reforms to change its treatment of adolescents. Every day, we see that our legal system treats adolescents differently from their adult counterparts. With regards to driving privileges, voting rights, and the ability to drink, our laws recognize that adults and adolescents are different and therefore require a different set of standards. America extended this treatment to the realm of juvenile justice in 1899, when Cook County, Illinois, created the country’s first juvenile court. Originating in this court was the overarching purpose of America’s juvenile justice system—rehabilitation of juvenile offenders. Though …

Bulletin Of Yale University School Of Nursing 2018-2019, Yale School Of Nursing

Yale School of Nursing Bulletins and Catalogues

Series 114, Number 15

September 5, 2018

Essential Evidence-Based Introductory Bioterrorism Content For Practicing Nurses, Manu Sharma

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Bioterrorism content is too often absent from nursing education post-licensure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bioterrorism is defined as “the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs (agents) used to cause illness or death in people, animals, or plants.” A literature search and a review of available resources elucidated pertinent content items on bioterrorism and its associated precautions for nurses. Next, two rounds of expert panel consisting of five members rated the identified content and proffered comments to validate the curriculum. Finally, a four-hour in-person pilot educational session was implemented based on the results. …

The World Trade Organizations' Trade Related Aspects Of Intellectual Property Rights (Trips) Agreement: The Compelling Challenges For Developing And Less Developed Member Countries-Implementation And Enforcement, Alphonso B. Kassor

Cybaris®

No abstract provided.

The Fda's Priority Review Voucher Program's Role In Bringing Benznidazle To Chagas Disease Patients In The United States, Lisa Cline

Cybaris®

No abstract provided.

Sensory Memory For Grounded Representations In A Cognitive Architecture, P. Agrawal, S. Franklin, J. Snaider

CCRG Papers

No abstract provided.

Department Of English Newsletter, Winter 2017-2018, Illinois State University, Department Of English

Department of English Newsletter

Newsletter of the Illinois State University Department of English

Improved Sound Speed Control Through Remotely Detecting Strong Changes In The Thermocline, Jose Maria Cordero Ros

Master's Theses and Capstones

Internal waves are a common phenomenon associated with stratification developed in shallow tidal seas during summer time. From a hydrographic point of view, they result in very rapid undulations in the main velocline which, if not accounted for, will result in significant refraction errors in multibeam echo sounder data. Mechanical sound speed profiling, both static and mobile, cannot sample this structure adequately (Hughes Clarke, 2017). Thus, an alternate means of detecting and accounting for that variability is needed.

Within the oceanographic community, it has long been recognized that a distinct acoustic volume scattering layer is often associated within or close …