Digital Commons Network^™

Molecular Mechanism Of Neurodegeneration Induced By 4-Nonylphenol, Michelle Alejandra Aranda

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Neurodegeneration, a progressive loss of nerve cells, occurs in many neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's diseases (PD), as well as in dementia. The pathogenesis of these diseases is unknown, and recent evidence suggests that environmental factors, which act as endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) could play a significant role in developing the disease process. 4-Nonylphenol (4-NP), an EDC, and a ubiquitous environmental toxin has been shown to affect brain development and may cause neurodegeneration. 4-NP is produced in large quantities in the U.S. and used as raw materials for making detergents, pesticides, plastics, paints, cosmetics, rubber, and other industrial/household …

Gpcr-Pendb: A Database Of Protein Sequences And Derived Features To Facilitate Prediction And Classification Of G Protein-Coupled Receptors, Khodeza Begum

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute the largest group of membrane receptor proteins in eukaryotes. Due to their significant roles in various physiological processes such as vision, smell, and inflammation, GPCRs are the targets of many prescription drugs. However, the functional and sequence diversity of GPCRs has kept their prediction and classification based on amino acid sequence data as a challenging bioinformatics problem. There are existing computational approaches, mainly using machine learning and statistical methods, to predict and classify GPCRs based on amino acid sequence and sequence derived features. In this project, we have constructed a searchable MySQL database, named GPCR-PEnDB …

Hspg2 Mediates Mandibular Jaw Joint Development, Barbara Samantha Castellanos

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

We present a patient diagnosed with a multiple congenital anomaly syndrome characterized by scoliosis, intellectual disabilities, and craniofacial defects. Trio-based whole exome sequencing identified compound heterozygous variants in the HSPG2 gene: a maternally inherited c.5998-7A>G variant in the promoter region and a paternally inherited c.4916C>T variant in the coding sequence. HSPG2 encodes for perlecan, a large proteoglycan that plays an important role in cartilage formation, cell adhesion, and basement membrane stability. Mutations in HSPG2 have been associated with Schwartz-Jampel syndrome and Dyssegmental Dysplasia Silverman-Handmaker Type, two disorders characterized by skeletal abnormalities (1). These data indicate a function for …

Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Resilience And Mental Health Among College Students In The El Paso Texas Border Region, Maribel G. Dominguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), mental health and resilience among adults living in the United States - Mexico Border region. Background: Numerous studies have investigated the negative impact of ACEs on adult mental health, but the concept of resilience as a protective factor for mental health has limited consideration in ACE treatment interventions. The proposed study addresses this gap in knowledge by investigating relations between ACEs, resilience, and mental health in the understudied U.S - Mexico Border population. Method: An online survey was administered to 221 university students to …

Combination Of Resampling Based Lasso Feature Selection And Ensembles Of Regularized Regression Models, Abhijeet R. Patil

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In high-dimensional data, the performance of various classiers is largely dependent on the selection of important features. Most of the individual classiers using existing feature selection (FS) methods do not perform well for highly correlated data. Obtaining important

features using the FS method and selecting the best performing classier is a challenging task in high throughput data. In this research, we propose a combination of resampling based least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) feature selection (RLFS)

and ensembles of regularized regression models (ERRM) capable of handling data with the high correlation structures. The ERRM boosts the prediction accuracy with …

Differences In The M1 And M2 Macrophage Subtypes Between The Sexes Determine Susceptibility To Francisella Tularensis Infection, Michelle Arlene Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Francisella tularensis is the causative agent of the human disease tularemia. It is highly infectious with as few as 10 microorganisms via inhalation causing a lethal infection. F. tularensis infects a variety of cell types, including macrophages and neutrophils, since it needs to enter, survive and proliferate in order to cause pathogenicity. Disease is the result of over activating the host's own inflammatory response initiated by the macrophage's response to infection.

Known differences exist in the intensity of the inflammatory response between the sexes which leads to differences in sensitivity to autoimmune and infectious disease. Males tend to be more …

Indigenous Masculinities And The Tarascan Borderlands In Sixteenth-Century Michoacán, Daniel Santana

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation studies the hypermasculine narratives related to the expansion of the Tarascan state and its borderlands in early colonial Michoacán. Colonial texts such as the Relación de Michoacán and the relaciones geográficas depict the ascendance of the powerful Uacúsecha dynasty whose solar deity and male rulers oversaw the conquest of the Lake Pátzcuaro Basin and succeeded in holding back the Mexica (Aztecs) from penetrating their territories. The Dissertation pays particular attention to how contemporary political events, namely the Spanish conquest of Michoacán, endemic warfare in center-west Mexico, and political rivalries amongst Indigenous elites, influenced these accounts. Consequently, these narratives …

Artificial Intelligence In The Assessment Of Transmission And Distribution Systems Under Natural Disasters Using Machine Learning And Deep Learning Techniques In A Knowledge Discovery Framework, Rossana Villegas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Warming trends and increasing temperatures have been observed and reported by federal agencies, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Extreme-weather events, especially hurricanes, tornadoes and winter storms, are among the highly devastating natural disasters responsible for massive and prolonged power outages in Electrical Transmission and Distribution Systems (ETDS). Moreover, the failure rate probability of any system component under extreme-weather tends to increase in the impacted geographic area. This Dissertation proposes an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Decision Support System that can predict damage in the ETDS and allow operators to mitigate disastrous extreme weather events. The document reports the …

Towards Analytical Techniques For Systems Engineering Applications, Griselda Valdepeñas Acosta

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

One of the main objectives of systems engineering is to design, maintain, and analyze systems that help the users. To design an appropriate system for an application domain, we need to know: what are the users' desires and preferences (so that we know in what direction we should aim to change this domain), what is the current state and what is the dynamics of this application domain, and how to use all this information to select the best alternatives for the system design and maintenance. Designing a system includes selecting numerical values for many of the parameters describing the corresponding …

Building A Diverse Curriculum: The Role Of Diversity Across Communication Coursework, Martin Jason, Deborah Sellnow-Richmond, Michael Strawser

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

The present study utilizes student essays about diversity to examine ways in which students are exposed to diversity as communication majors throughout their coursework. Four themes emerged from this analysis. First, students became more aware and open-minded. Second, their understanding of different viewpoints and cultural differences increased. Third, they learned about diversity in an array of courses. Finally, their communication curriculum became more connected and relevant to their use and evaluation of media, journalism, and film.

Designing Biomimetic Implant Surfaces To Promote Osseointegration Under Osteoporotic Conditions By Revitalizing Mechanisms Coupling Bone Resorption To Formation, Ethan M. Lotz

Theses and Dissertations

In cases of compromised bone remodeling like osteoporosis, insufficient osseointegration occurs and results in implant failure. Implant retention relies on proper secondary fixation, which is developed during bone remodeling. This process is disrupted in metastatic bone diseases like osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is characterized low bone mass and bone strength resulting from either accelerated osteoclast-mediated bone resorption or impaired osteoblast-mediated bone formation. These two processes are not independent phenomena. In fact, osteoporosis can be viewed as a breakdown of the cellular communication connecting bone resorption to bone formation. Because bone remodeling occurs at temporally generated specific anatomical sites and at different times, …

Geology Of Southeastern Nebraska, Robert Matthew Joeckel, Dana Divine, Leslie M. Howard, Kathleen Cameron, Michele M. Waszgis

Conservation and Survey Division: Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Copyright And The Progress Of Science: Why Text And Data Mining Is Lawful, Michael Carroll

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

This Article argues that U.S. copyright law provides a competitive advantage in the global race for innovation policy because it permits researchers to conduct computational analysis — text and data mining — on any materials to which they have access. Amendments to copyright law in Japan, and the European Union’s recent addition of limitations on copyright to legalize some TDM research, implicitly acknowledge the competitive benefits provided by the fair use provision of U.S. copyright law. Focusing only on U.S. law, this Article makes two general contributions to the literature on fair use: (1) in cases involving archiving, the user’s …

The Relationship Between Seasonal Breeding And Deiodinase Expression In The Green Anole Lizard, Hyejoo Kang

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Reproductive physiology and behavior is mainly regulated by the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad (HPG) axis. Interestingly, abnormal levels of thyroid hormone (TH) results in the delayed onset of puberty and affects gonadal function of adults by altering HPG axis activity. Seasonally breeding animals undergo drastic hormonal and behavioral changes between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Green anole lizards (Anolis carolinensis), similar to other seasonally breeding animals, have increased sex steroid hormones, larger gonads, upregulated gonadal steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) mRNA and increased reproductive behavior during the breeding compared to non-breeding seasons. Relatively less is known regarding the regulation of gonadal TH in seasonal …

Function Of Piwi-Interacting Rnas In Prostate Cancer, Shunjia Zhang

Public Health Theses

Abstract

Background: As the most common cancer in male, prostate cancer makes up 9.5% of new cancer cases and 4.8% of all cancer death in US in 2018. Though the 5-year survival of prostate cancer is high and multiple treatments are available, the death rate of prostate cancer was still more than 19.5 per 100,000 men per year. With more and more evidence suggested that piRNA may play a more important role in tumorigenesis, we want to find out if piRNAs can be a potential treatment for prostate cancer.

Method: Two Prostate cancer cell lines (PC3, LNCap) and a normal …

Seed Mix Design And First-Year Management Influences Ecological Outcomes In Prairie Reconstruction, Alec Glidden

Mary Ann Bolton Undergraduate Research Award

Agricultural growth continues to diminish ecosystem services in the North American Corn Belt. To address these concerns, organizations, such as United States Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), have initiated targeted conservation practices (CPs) to address specific challenges (e.g., CP2 to establish native grasses on highly-erodible lands and CP42 to establish pollinator habitat); however, these programs may be able to achieve greater impact with limited resources by attempting to balance multiple ecological benefits. To better understand factors that influence multifunctionality, we examined the effects of seed mix design and first year management (mowing) on ecological outcomes in a prairie …

University Of Northern Iowa Strategic Plan, 2019 Mid Plan Report, University Of Northern Iowa. Office Of Institutional Research & Effectiveness.

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

A report detailing the progress on the strategic goals within the University of Northern Iowa's strategic plan.

Is Cesarean Section Delivery Associated With Autism Spectrum Disorder?, Abdulmohsen H. Al-Zalabani, Amani H. Al-Jabree, Zeidan A. Zeidan

Neurosciences

Objectives: To investigate a correlation between birth by caesarean section and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: A case-control study with a case to control ratio of 1:2 was performed in Al-Madina Al-Munawarah city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the year 2016. The cases were selected according to the eligibility criteria and children attending a well-baby clinic in the same hospital, were chosen as the control group subjects. Data was collected from the medical records and an interview-based questionnaire was administered to the mothers. The chi-square test was used for bivariate analysis and logistic regression to estimate the crude and adjusted …

Clinical Characteristics Of Antidepressant Use And Related Manic Switch In Bipolar Disorder, Tonguc D. Berkol, Yasin H. Balcioglu, Simge S. Kirlioglu, Zengibar Ozarslan, Serkan Islam, Ilker Ozyildirim

Neurosciences

Objectives: To examine the association between clinical and treatment characteristics and antidepressants (AD)-induced manic switch in bipolar disorder (BD). Methods: Total of 238 euthymic BD patients, who had been followed-up for at least 6 months at the outpatient clinic of Haseki Training and Research Hospital in istanbul, Turkey, were enrolled in this cross-sectional study in 2016. Semi-structured data form, the mood chart, and the mirror-designated assessment were applied to all subjects. The files of the patients were retrospectively reviewed and the patients using ADs were compared as AD-monotherapy (AD-m) and AD-combination (AD-c) groups, then divided into 2 subgroups according to …

Utilizing Large Scale Datasets To Evaluate Aspects Of A Sustainable Bioeconomy, Gwanseon Kim

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

This dissertation combines large scale datasets to evaluate crop prediction, land values, and consumption of a crop being considered to advance a sustainable bioeconomy. In chapter 2, we propose a novel application of the multinomial logit (MNL) model to estimate the conditional transition probabilities of crop choice for the state of Kentucky. Utilizing the recovered transition probabilities the forecast distributions of total acreages for alfalfa, corn, soybeans, tobacco, and wheat produced in the state from 2010 to 2015 can be recovered. The Cropland Data Layer is merged with the Common Land Unit dataset to allow for the identification of crop …

Global Networks And The Legal Profession, Laurel S. Terry

Faculty Scholarly Works

The importance of networks and the power of exponential growth within networks have become much more apparent to the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This Article addresses the topic of global legal profession networks. The introductory section provides information about our global economy and society that helps explain why global legal profession networks are valuable. It argues that global networks are beneficial for clients, lawyers, and other legal services stakeholders.

After introducing some of the scientific literature about networks in general and legal profession networks specifically, Section II identifies ways in which lawyers participate in global legal …

Volumetric And Voxel-Wise Analysis Of Dominant Intraprostatic Lesions On Multiparametric Mri, James Lee, Eric Carver, Aharon Feldman, Milan Pantelic, Mohamed A. Elshaikh, Ning Wen

Cardiology Articles

Introduction: Multiparametric MR imaging (mpMRI) has shown promising results in the diagnosis and localization of prostate cancer. Furthermore, mpMRI may play an important role in identifying the dominant intraprostatic lesion (DIL) for radiotherapy boost. We sought to investigate the level of correlation between dominant tumor foci contoured on various mpMRI sequences. Methods: mpMRI data from 90 patients with MR-guided biopsy-proven prostate cancer were obtained from the SPIE-AAPM-NCI Prostate MR Classification Challenge. Each case consisted of T2-weighted (T2W), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and K(trans) images computed from dynamic contrast-enhanced sequences. All image sets were rigidly co-registered, and the dominant tumor foci …

Environmental Enrichment And Drug Value: A Behavioral Economic Analysis In Male Rats, Justin R. Yates, Michael T. Bardo, Joshua S. Beckmann

Psychology Faculty Publications

Rats raised in an enriched condition (EC) show decreased stimulant self-administration relative to rats reared in an isolated condition (IC). However, few studies have examined the behavioral mechanisms underlying this environment-induced difference in self-administration. Because economic demand for drugs of abuse predicts addiction-like behavior in both humans and animals, we applied a behavioral economic analysis to cocaine self-administration data in EC and IC rats. During cocaine self-administration, the dose decreased across blocks of trials (0.75–0.003 mg/kg/inf), which allowed for a determination of demand intensity and demand elasticity. Demand intensity did not differ between EC and IC rats; however, cocaine was …

Nebraska Summary: S1178 Fendt 933, Nebraska Tractor Test Lab

Nebraska Tractor Tests

ABOUT THE TEST REPORT AND USE OF THE DATA The test data contained in this report are a tabulation of the results of a series of tests. Due to the restricted format of these pages, only a limited amount of data and not all of the tractor specifications are included. The full OECD report contains usually about 30 pages of data and specifications. The test data were obtained for each tractor under similar conditions and therefore, provide a means of comparison of performance based on a limited set of reported data. EXPLANATION OF THE TEST PROCEDURES Purpose The purpose of …

Low Prevalence Of Patellar Tendon Abnormality And Low Incidence Of Patellar Tendinopathy In Female Collegiate Volleyball Players, Marcey Keefer Hutchison, Christopher Patterson, Tyler Cuddeford, Robert Dudley, Eric Sorenson, Jason Brumitt

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

The prevalence of patellar tendinopathy has been reported to be as high as 50% in elite male volleyball (VB) players; however, the rate of injury in female collegiate VB athletes is unknown. The purpose of this study was to 1) identify the prevalence of ultrasonographic evidence of patellar tendon abnormality at the start of the preseason in female collegiate VB players; 2) report the incidence of tendinopathy during the season; and 3) determine if the preseason presence of tendon abnormality is associated with onset of disease. One hundred and six female collegiate VB players had both patellar tendons imaged. Incidence …

Integrating Snow Science And Wildlife Ecology In Arctic-Boreal North America, Natalie T. Boelman, Glen E. Liston, Eliezer Gurarie, Arjan J.H. Meddens, Peter J. Mahoney, Peter B. Kirchner, Gil Bohrer, Todd J. Brinkman, Chris L. Cosgrove, Jan U. H. Eitel, Mark Hebblewhite, John S. Kimball, Scott Lapoint, Anne W. Nolin, Deana Pedersen, Stine Højlund Pedersen, Laura R. Prugh, Adele K. Reinking, Lee A. Vierling

Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group Publications

Snow covers Arctic and boreal regions (ABRs) for approximately 9 months of the year, thus snowscapes dominate the form and function of tundra and boreal ecosystems. In recent decades, Arctic warming has changed the snowcover's spatial extent and distribution, as well as its seasonal timing and duration, while also altering the physical characteristics of the snowpack. Understanding the little studied effects of changing snowscapes on its wildlife communities is critical. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate the urgent need for, and suggest an approach for developing, an improved suite of temporally evolving, spatially distributed snow products to help …

Performance Validation Of A Multi-Channel Lidar Sensor: Assessing The Effects Of Target Height And Sensor Velocity On Measurement Error, Surya S. Dasika, Michael P. Sama, L. Felipe Pampolini, Christopher B. Good

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of sensor velocity and target height above ground level on height measurement error when using a multi-channel LiDAR sensor. A linear motion system was developed to precisely control the dynamics of the LiDAR sensor in an effort to remove uncertainty in the LiDAR position and velocity while under motion. The linear motion system allowed the LiDAR to translate forward and backward in one direction parallel to the ground. A user control interface was developed to operate the system under different velocity profiles and to log LiDAR data synchronous to the …

Anjola Onadipe Honors Portfolio, Anjola Babajide Onadipe

Honors Capstone Portfolios

Anjola Onadipe's honors portfolio captured in May 2019.

Biogeographical Patterns Of Tunicates Utilizing Eelgrass As Substrate In The Western North Atlantic Between 39° And 47° North Latitude (New Jersey To Newfoundland), Mary R. Carman, Philip D. Colarusso, Hilary A. Neckles, Paul Bologna, Scott Caines, John D.P. Davidson, N. Tay Evans, Sophia E. Fox, David W. Grunden, Sarah Hoffman, Kevin C.K. Ma, Kyle Matheson, Cynthia H. Mckenzie, Eric P. Nelson, Holly Plaisted, Emily Reddington, Stephen Schott, Melisa C. Wong

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Colonization of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) by tunicates can lead to reduced plant growth and survival. Several of the tunicate species that are found on eelgrass in the northwest Atlantic are highly aggressive colonizers, and range expansions are predicted in association with climate-change induced increases in seawater temperature. In 2017, we surveyed tunicates within eelgrass meadows at 33 sites from New Jersey to Newfoundland. Eight tunicate species were identified colonizing eelgrass, of which four were non-native and one was cryptogenic. The most common species (Botrylloides violaceus and Botryllus schlosseri) occurred from New York to Atlantic Canada. Tunicate faunas attached to …

African Americans And The Honors College Experience At The University Of Mississippi, Jennifer Lynn Parsons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological qualitative study examines a problem of practice and its context within equity, ethics, and social justice. Nationwide, African American students represent a small percentage of all students enrolled in an honors program or college. This study explores the experiences of African American students who are members of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi. Understanding the significance of numerical critical mass, shared identity, and resiliency will yield ways of enhancing the honors college experience for its African American students as well as staff being more knowledgeable regarding more productive recruiting practices thereby enriching the …