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Development Of Mussel Inspired Nanocomposite Adhesives For Biomedical Applications, Nikhil Pandey

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Popular bioadhesives, such as fibrin, cyanoacrylate and albumin–glutaraldehyde-based materials, have been applied for clinical applications in wound healing, drug delivery, and bone and soft tissue engineering; however, their performances are limited by weak adhesion strength and rapid degradation. The long-term goal of this research is to develop a strong tissue adhering nanocomposite for tissue interfacing and wound healing applications. We begin by developing a mussel-inspired, nanocomposite–based, biodegradable tissue adhesive by blending poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) or N-hydroxysuccinimide modified PLGA nanoparticles (PLGA-NHS) and polydopamine nanoparticles with mussel-inspired polymers. Adhesive strength measurement of the nanocomposites on porcine skin-muscle constructs revealed that the …

Nanoparticles For Gene Therapy And Protein Delivery To Induce Angiogenesis As An Alternative Treatment For Peripheral Arterial Disease, Linda Christellia Noukeu

Bioengineering Dissertations - Archive

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is defined as a slow, progressive disorder of the lower extremity arterial vessels characterized by chronic narrowing that often results in occlusion and is associated with loss of functional capacity. Although the PAD occurrence rate is increasing in the elderly population, outcomes with current treatment strategies are suboptimal. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop new technologies that overcome limitations of traditional modalities for PAD detection and therapy. In this research, nanoparticles have been developed and used as carriers for various therapeutic agents to treat PAD. In particular, via protein/gene delivery, we developed and formulated …

Characterizing Residence Patterns Of North Atlantic Right Whales In The Southeastern Usa With A Multistate Open Robust Design Model, A. M. Krzystan, T. A. Gowan, W. L. Kendall, J. Martin, J. G. Ortega-Ortiz, K. Jackson, A. R. Knowlton, P. Naessig, M. Zani, D. W. Schulte, C. R. Taylor

Marine Science Faculty Publications

Effective conservation of endangered North Atlantic right whales Eubalaena glacialis requires information about their spatio-temporal distribution. Understanding temporal distribution is particularly important, because a portion of the population migrates between high-latitude summer feeding grounds off the northeastern USA and Canadian Maritimes coasts and lower-latitude calving and wintering grounds off the southeastern US coast (SEUS). Here, we modeled SEUS residence patterns using photo-identification data from coastal South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida from 7 winter seasons (2004/2005-2010/2011). We used multistate open robust design models to evaluate effects of reproductive status, demographic group, and environmental conditions on SEUS residence. Model estimates accounted for …

Effects Of Carbon Nanotubes On Microbial Growth And Horizontal Gene Transfer, Ran Chen

Open Access Theses

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have widely studied in various fields since its discovery. The wide research and application of CNTs may result in the occurrence of CNTs in natural environment and their nanotoxicity has been widely recognized. Moreover, a less frequently studied effect of CNTs is the promotion of spread of antibiotic resistance. CNTs may function as a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and pose additional health risks associated with the spread of ARGs in natural environment, but no previous studies have been reported on the effects of CNTs on horizontal gene transfer. The objective of this study was to …

Environmental And Genetic Considerations For The Conservation Of An Arboreal Species: Phascolarctos Cinereus, Kendra C. Hodge

Open Access Theses

Many factors have been shown to affect mating behavior (e.g. day length, age, genotype). For instance, genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are known to influence mate choice in a wide variety of vertebrate species. The genetic management of captive populations can be confounded if intrinsic mate choice reduces or eliminates reproductive success between carefully chosen breeding pairs. For example, the San Diego Zoo (SDZ) koala colony only has a 45\% copulation rate for matched individuals. In order investigate if MHC had an effect on mating success in this population, we first had to characterize it in the koala, …

Improved Growth Estimates For Lethrinus Harak: Measuring Increments, Adjusting Ages, And Fitting Flexible Growth Models, Stephen Midway

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Fishing Pressure And Species Traits Affect Stream Fish Invasions Both Directly And Indirectly, Brandon K. Peoples, Stephen R. Midway, Brian Leung

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Potential For Cryptic Population Structure To Sustain A Heavily Exploited Marine Flatfish Stock, Stephen R. Midway, J. Wilson White, Frederick S. Scharf

Faculty Publications

Complex spatial structure is widely viewed as an attribute that can contribute to stability in fish populations. Depending on aspects of stock demography and productivity, the existence of complete or partial spatial refugia can enable population persistence when faced with high rates of exploitation. The Southern Flounder Paralichthys lethostigma has been harvested extensively by inshore fisheries in North Carolina for more than three decades, with estimates of fishing mortality (F) surpassing 2.0 year⁻¹ in several years and systems. Potential hypotheses to explain population persistence under heavy exploitation include high levels of recruitment at low stock sizes (high steepness) and/or …

Bm-Iaanat And Its Potential Role In Fatty Acid Amide Biosynthesis In Bombyx Mori, Ryan L. Anderson, Matthew R. Battistini, Dylan J. Wallis, Christopher Shoji, Brian G. O'Flynn, John E. Dillashaw, David J Merkler

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The purpose of this research is to unravel the substrate specificity and kinetic properties of an insect arylalkylamine N-acyltransferase from Bombyx mori (Bm-iAANAT) and to determine if this enzyme will catalyze the formation of long chain N-acylarylalkylamides in vitro. However, the determination of substrates and products for Bm-iAANAT in vitro is no guarantee that these same molecules are substrates and products for the enzyme in the organism. Therefore, RT-PCR was performed to detect the Bm-iAANAT transcripts and liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QToF-MS) analysis was performed on purified lipid extracts from B. …

Effect Of Controlled Burns On The Bacterial Communities Composition Over Time At Four Sites In The Yawkey Forest On Cat Island In Georgetown, S.C., Richard Thomas Pepple

All Theses

Fire is known to be capable of disturbing the composition of soil microbial communities due to changes in soil chemistry post-fire. These fire based disturbances leave behind higher levels of inorganic nutrients and toxic byproducts from incomplete combustion. Ecosystems are seen to recover from these disturbances given enough time. To determine if the controlled burns utilized on Cat Island in Georgetown South Carolina caused a disturbance, and if so to track the recovery from that disturbance, samples were collected from Cat Island over the course of 12 months from 03/07/2016 – 03/06/2017 from four separate locations. The pre-fire, post-fire and …

Modeling And Designing A Hydraulic Source Zone Isolation System, Yoel Gebrai

All Theses

Pump and Treat technology remains one of the most common approaches for groundwater remediation at contaminated sites. Despite its prevalence, the effectiveness of the Pump and Treat approach is limited by the chemical properties of the contaminant, heterogeneity, and cost (Mackay and Cherry, 1989; NRC, 1994). Pump and Treat systems are often in operation for long periods of time, at which point their environmental footprint, in addition to cost, needs to be considered. Greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation to power pumps and the disruption of ecosystems over time are undesirable environmental effects that can be a cause of concern …

Evaluation Of A Flexographically Applied Antimicrobial Coating For Ready-To-Eat Turkey Deli Meat Packaging, Emily Alexandra Ayers

All Theses

With an increase in demand for fresh, ready-to-eat meats, the use of antimicrobial food packaging could help reduce food waste by delaying and decreasing growth of spoilage bacteria, thereby extending the shelf-life and enhancing food quality and safety. Nisaplin® is a commercially available antimicrobial peptide that is approved by the FDA and is designated GRAS as a food additive. This additive has the potential to be commercially added into antimicrobial packaging applications, specifically, ready-to-eat meat packaging. This study was conducted to determine if a coating containing Nisaplin® could be commercially applied to a polymer film substrate using large scale production …

Aug2018, Robert Kelly

Robert Kelly Manuscripts

No abstract provided.

Universities Shaken By Earthquakes A Comparison Of Faculty And Student Experiences In Nepal And New Zealand, Rajendra Joshi, Jooyoung Kong, Heidi Nykamp, Herb Fynewever

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The authors compare the experiences of faculty and students at universities in Nepal and New Zealand following earthquakes in 2015 and 2011, respectively. Questionnaire data from students at Kathmandu University are analyzed and compared with previously published data from the University of Canterbury. Prominent themes are developed within the context of the cultural and socioeconomic differences between the two settings. Both similarities and contrasts are described, detailing scheduling changes, the role of students in their community’s response to natural disaster, flexibility of faculty, psychological trauma and treatment, and use of online-learning as a substitute for classroom learning. Lessons learned from …

Antibiotic Stewardship Among Primary Care Providers In Mississippi, Foley D. Graham, Hayden S. Kilgore, Kali D. Rogers, Sierra G. Cain, Brittany D. Dickerson, Kayla L. Warner

MSN Research Projects

The World Health Organization states antimicrobial resistance is the ability of a microorganism to stop an antimicrobial from working which results in ineffective treatment and persistent infections. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2017) reported that in the year 2015, 269.4 million antibiotic prescriptions were written in the outpatient setting, and approximately 30% of antibiotics written are unwarranted. Of those cases, most patients receive an antibiotic related to acute uncomplicated bronchitis, pharyngitis, or rhinosinusitis. The CDC reported that Americans spend nearly $11 billion yearly on antibiotics alone. However, up to 50% of all antibiotics prescribed are not indicated …

Quercetin Inhibits Glucose Transport By Binding To An Exofacial Site On Glut1, Kathryn E. Hamilton, Janelle F. Rekman, Leesha K. Gunnink, Brianna M. Busscher

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Quercetin, a common dietary flavone, is a competitive inhibitor of glucose uptake and is also thought to be transported into cells by GLUT1. In this study, we confirm that quercetin is a competitive inhibitor of GLUT1 and also demonstrate that newly synthesized compounds, WZB-117 and BAY-876 are robust inhibitors of GLUT1 in L929 cells. To measure quercetin interaction with L929 cells, we develop a new fluorescent assay using flow cytometry. The binding of quercetin and its inhibitory effects on 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) uptake showed nearly identical dose dependent effects, with both having maximum effects between 50 and 100 μM and similar …

Early Detection Of Mild Cognitive Impairment In Older Adults Through The Use Of Annual Screening In The Primary Care Setting, Jordan Fulcher, Donald Tisdale, Charles Knapp, Jessica Mann, Kayla Mcmorise

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to determine primary care providers’ adherence to USPSTF (2015), and the Alzheimer’s Association’s (2013) recommendations and guidelines advocating annual cognitive impairment screening on patients ages 65 years and older. The Alzheimer’s Association issued an algorithm for detecting cognitive impairment in older adults; this cognitive assessment algorithm was accepted and mandated by U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services during annual wellness visits of patients 65 years and older. In addition to the Alzheimer’s Association, USPSTF acknowledges the increasing prevalence of cognitive impairment and the benefits of early detection. However, USPSTF argues a lack o …

Confidence Level Of Primary Care Providers In Authorizing Athletic Return-To-Play, Cassie L. Austin, Laura H. Flippin, Cody R. Gullick, William J. Hodentott, Camille W. Lott, Hillary B. Lott

MSN Research Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify the level of confidence for primary care providers in authorizing athletic retum-to-play following sports-related injury. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (as cited in Patel, Yamasaki, & Brown, 2017) reported that 2.6 million children and teens ages 0-19 years are treated annually for sports-related injuries, and 7.2 million high school students participate in sports and suffer an estimated 2 million injuries that require 500,000 doctor visits and 30,000 hospitalizations annually. Although primary care providers are providing care for musculoskeletal and concussive injuries, Benham and Geier (2016) reported that they may …

A Non-Recoverable Hybridoma Limits The Production Of Monoclonal Antibodies Against Bovine Trophoblast Non-Classical Nc3*00101 Protein, Parveen Parasar, Amanda Wilhelm, William C. Davis, Kenneth L. White, Christopher J. Davies

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Faculty Publications

The non-classical MHC class I (MHC-Ib) proteins are important modulators of immune system during pregnancy favoring survival of the fetus. Contrary to ubiquitously expressed classical MHC-I proteins, MHC-Ib proteins are oligomorphic, and expressed in specific cell/tissue types thus minimizing maternal immune-mediated rejection of fetal-allograft and a successful pregnancy. A unique characteristic of MHC-Ib glycoproteins is expression of surface and soluble isoforms due to alternative splicing phenomenon. Bovine fetal trophoblast cells, during the third trimester of pregnancy, express non-classical bovine leukocyte antigen class Ib (BoLA-Ib) antigens. BoLA-NC3*00101, is a non-classical class I allele from cattle AH11 …

Using Mindset Pedagogy To Promote Growth And Increase Efficacy In Student Writers, Sara Hoeve

Dissertations

This dissertation offers four in-depth, vivid profiles of twelfth grade writers and the ways in which writing mindsets impact self-beliefs and inform the writing process. The multiple case study explores the impact of a mindset pedagogy, which is defined as an instructional paradigm that emphasizes the malleable nature of writing, as an ability that can be developed with effort, learning, and dedication over time. This belief contrasts the notion that writing ability is fixed trait that cannot be significantly developed over time.

Derived from Dweck's mindset theory, my dissertation argues for a discipline-specific construct of the "writing mindset,” which refers …

Training Pediatric Primary Care Providers In Behavior Management Strategies, Kate Burger

Dissertations

Childhood mental health disorders are a significant public health concern in the United States. It is estimated that every year 13 to 20% of children living in the United States experience a mental health disorder (National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, 2009). Despite the clear need for mental health care, less than half (45.6%) of children with one or more emotional, behavioral, or developmental conditions receive treatment from a mental health professional (The National Survey of Children's Health, 2007). There is growing evidence that integrating mental health services into pediatric primary care can result in increased treatment access as …

Counselor Educators’ Perceptions Of Nontraditional Master’S-Level Counseling Students And How Those Perceptions Shape Teaching Practices, Pamela J. Jordan

Dissertations

Graduate students age 40 and older, defined as “nontraditional” for this study, consistently represent approximately 20% of the graduate student population (United States Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics, 2015). Master’s degree programs in counseling may attract a higher percentage of these students, as some studies suggest that careers in fields such as counseling are sought out by adults changing careers at midlife and later (Bluestone & Melnik, 2010; Schaefers, 2012). These nontraditional students bring to the classroom their own characteristics of age, life stage, and experience, and they have distinct strengths and challenges that set them apart …

Electrochemical Glucose Sensors Enhanced By Methyl Viologen And Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Channels, Benjamin J. Brownlee, Meisam Bahari, John H. Harb, Jonathan C. Claussen, Brian D. Iverson

Faculty Publications

Free-standing, vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) were patterned into 16 μm diameter microchannel arrays for flow-through electrochemical glucose sensing. Non-enzymatic sensing of glucose was achieved by the chemical reaction of glucose with methyl viologen (MV) at an elevated temperature and pH (0.1 M NaOH), followed by the electrochemical reaction of reduced-MV with the VACNT surface. The MV sensor required no functionalization (including no metal) and was able to produce on average 3.4 electrons per glucose molecule. The current density of the MV sensor was linear with both flow rate and glucose concentration. Challenges with interference chemicals were mitigated by operating …

2018-2019 Faculty Senate Roster, Faculty Senate, East Tennessee State University

Faculty Senate Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

2018 Utah State University Student Orientation Guide, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

A special supplemental magazine provided by The Utah Statesman to take a closer look at some of the services and departments available at Utah State University.

Electrochemical Microsensors For In Situ Monitoring Of Chemical Compounds In Engineered And Natural Aquatic Systems, Jared Church

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The adaption of needle-type electrochemical microsensor (or microelectrode) techniques to environmental science and engineering systems has transformed how we understand mass transport in biotic and abiotic processes. Their small tip diameter (5-20μm) makes them a unique experimental tool for direct measurements of analytes with high spatial and temporal resolutions, providing a quantitative analysis of flux, diffusion, and reaction rate at a microscale that cannot be obtained using conventional analytical tools. However, their applications have been primarily limited to understanding mass transport dynamics and kinetics in biofilms. With the advancement of sensor fabrication and utilization techniques, their potential applications can surpass …

Manganese Oxide/Hemin-Functionalized Graphene As A Platform For Peroxynitrite Sensing, Haitham F. Kalil, Shaimaa Maher, Tiyash Bose, Mekki Bayachou

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Peroxynitrite (ONOO−, PON) is a powerful oxidizing agent generated in vivo by the diffusion-limited reaction of nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide (O₂˙⁻) radicals. Under oxidative stress, cumulated peroxynitrite levels are associated with chronic inflammatory disorders and other pathophysiological conditions. The accurate detection of peroxynitrite in biological systems is important, not only to understand the genesis and development of diseases, but also to explore and design potential therapeutics. Herein, a manganese oxide/hemin-modified graphene interface is explored as a platform for peroxynitrite amperometric detection. Hemin-functionalized reduced graphene oxide was further modified with manganese oxide nanoparticles to provide a …

Hyper-Optimized Machine Learning And Deep Learning Methods For Geo-Spatial And Temporal Function Estimation, Neelabh Pant

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Owing to a high degree of freedom in human mobility, accurate modelling/estimation of human mobility function remains a challenge. Numerous work in the literature have tried to address the challenge using various traditional machine learning methods on spatio-temporal attributes of data. We compare the use of Varied-K Means clustering, Hidden Markov Model techniques, feed forward neural networks, recurrent neural networks (RNN) and Long Short Term Recurrent Neural Networks (LSTM) to predict a user's future movement based on the user's past historical data. Although several techniques were proposed to predict a user's movement, not many have concentrated on a user's location …

Village In The City: Collective Efficacy And Neighborhood Stability On Chicago’S Far Southwest Side, Joy L. Kadowaki

Open Access Dissertations

The theory of collective efficacy highlights the importance of community members’ shared expectations for social control and their trust and cohesion with one another for predicting neighborhood variation in crime and other social outcomes. Researchers have found that neighborhood collective efficacy is largely stable over time and predicts future variation in crime and other social outcomes, independently of neighborhood social composition. An expansive body of quantitative research has made a very compelling case for the durability of collective efficacy as an important neighborhood process, but a number of questions remain regarding the social mechanisms by which it operates. This dissertation …

Tremblings, August 2018, Western Aspen Alliance

Tremblings

Beaver are coming for your aspen — are you ready?

Stephen Bennett

Regulations and management of riparian corridors has improved greatly over the last few decades, but there remains a deficit of structure such as beaver dams and woody debris (e.g., logjams). Beaver dams and accumulations of wood alter the stream flow and create more complex stream habitats. Beaver populations were decimated in the 1800’s as trappers and settlers spread across western North America. Continued settlement and development left many streams without beavers (and the dams they build) and greatly reduced wood in streams. As a result, the form of …