Digital Commons Network^™

Biologically Interpretable, Integrative Deep Learning For Cancer Survival Analysis, Jie Hao

Doctor of Data Science and Analytics Dissertations

Identifying complex biological processes associated to patients' survival time at the cellular and molecular level is critical not only for developing new treatments for patients but also for accurate survival prediction. However, highly nonlinear and high-dimension, low-sample size (HDLSS) data cause computational challenges in survival analysis. We developed a novel family of pathway-based, sparse deep neural networks (PASNet) for cancer survival analysis. PASNet family is a biologically interpretable neural network model where nodes in the network correspond to specific genes and pathways, while capturing nonlinear and hierarchical effects of biological pathways associated with certain clinical outcomes. Furthermore, integration of heterogeneous …

Spatial And Temporal Trends In The Xestospongia Muta (Giant Barrel Sponge) Population On The Southeast Florida Reef Tract, Alanna D. Waldman

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Xestospongia muta, the giant barrel sponge, is a key component of coral reef benthic communities in Southeast Florida and the Caribbean. Xestospongia muta increases habitat complexity and stability, and filters large volumes of water, enhancing water quality and facilitating nutrient cycling. Therefore, it is important to investigate trends in the X. muta population on Southeast Florida reefs in response to anthropogenic stressors, changing environmental conditions and acute disturbances and how these events affect its ecological role in the benthic community. This study identified trends in X. muta population density, volume, and size class distribution over time and across reef …

Uab Interns Are Performing Real Work With Real-World Results, Matt Windsor

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Dating, Dining, And Ducks: Monitoring The Recovery Of Campus Lakes After Dredging, Emily A. Kane, Christian Cox

Sustainability Showcase (2014-2022)

Dr. Emily Kane, Assistant Professor, Department of Biology ($30,000.00)

Monitored pond recovery after recent dredging by involving students to survey these ponds each month for 1 year. Results were shared in hopes of promoting an understanding of campus biodiversity, the ecology of these ponds, and the importance of sustainable activities.

A Comprehensive Assessment Of The Low-Temperature Thermal Properties And Thermodynamic Functions Of Ceo2, Tyler D. Morrison, Elizabeth Sooby Wood, Phillippe F. Weck, Eunja Kim, Sung Oh Woo, Andrew T. Nelson, Donald G. Naugle

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Research

Reported is an experimental and computational investigation of the low temperature heat capacity, thermodynamic functions, and thermal conductivity of stoichiometric, polycrystalline CeO2. The experimentally measured heat capacity at T... (See full abstract in article).

Factors That Explain The Contraceptive Behavior Of The Couple, Luisa Flores-Arias, Vianney Montserrat Vital-Ornelas

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The aim is to understand the factors that intervene in the decision of the couple about the use or not of family planning methods, in order to reduce preventable maternal deaths. We wish to share our results in order to reorient current health strategies focused on this serious problem.

Relationships Among Personality, Coping, And Health Related Quality Of Life In Women With Breast Cancer, Chiung-Yu Huang, Hui-Ling Lai, Chu-Yun Lu, Yuchun Yao

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

A high prevalence of sleep disorders for patients with breast cancer have occurred and sleep disorders were negatively associated with PQOL and MQOL. Additionally, neuroticism was positively related to sleep disorders and could be relevant to psycho-educational interventions.

Social Determinants Of Health And Sexual Dysfunction In Women With Breast Cancer, Ana Fatima Carvalho Fernandes, Iarlla Silva Sr. Ferreira

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The sexual well-being of breast cancer patients is essential for their quality of life. However, the sexuality of these patients is neglected by health professionals in general. Thus, it is essential to understand the relation of social factors with the alteration in the sexual function of these patients.

Relationship Between Mindful Eating And Mental Well-Being Among Clinical Nurses, Haeyoung Lee, Seung-Hye Choi

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The results of this study will provide clinical managers and nursing researchers with an inspiration to develop intervention programs to help nurses have healthy dietary habits and maintain mental well-being.

Socio-Demographic And Health Determinants As Predictors Of Risk Of Polypharmacy In Mexican Older Adults, Daniela Monzerrat Izquierdo-Valdez, Sandra Cecilia Esparza-Gonzalez, Maria De Los Angeles Villarreal-Reyna, Daniel Sifuentes-Leura

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

This work seeks the improvement of clinical practice in the field of gerontogeriatric nursing, in addition it is intended with the results to generate the knowledge base for the prevention of polypharmacy in elderly Mexicans.

Bio-Psycho-Social And Situational Factors Related To The Sexuality Of Mexican Elderlies, Julio Cesar Hernandez-Soberon, Reyna Torres Obregon, Sandra Cecilia Esparza-Gonzalez, Ana Laura Sr. Carrillo-Cervantes

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The present investigation has as a purpose to describe the relationship of the bio-psycho-social and situational factors and the sexuality of elderlies in Saltillo Coahuila, Mexico, to identifying implications for the improvement of gerontic-geriatric nursing practice in the sexuality area.

Eelgrass Pathogen Labyrinthula Zosterae Synthesizes Essential Fatty Acids, R. M. Yoshioka, Julie B. Schram, Aaron W. Galloway

Faculty, Staff, and Students

Negative consequences of parasites and disease on hosts are usually better understood than their multifaceted ecosystem effects. The pathogen Labyrinthula zosterae (Lz) causes eelgrass wasting disease but has relatives that produce large quantities of nutritionally valuable long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Here we quantify the fatty acids (FA) of Lz cultured on artificial media, eelgrass-based media, and eelgrass segments to investigate whether Lz may similarly produce LCPUFA. We also assess whether fieldcollected lesions show similar FA patterns to laboratory-inoculated eelgrass. We find that Lz produces DHA as its dominant FA along with other essential FA …

Emergence Of Oxacillin Resistance In Stealth Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Due To Meca Sequence Instability, Richard V. Goering, Erin A. Swartzendriber, Anne E. Obradovich, Isabella A. Tickler, Fred C. Tenover

Biology Faculty Publications

Staphylococcus aureus strains that possess a mecA gene but are phenotypically susceptible to oxacillin and cefoxitin (OS-MRSA) have been recognized for over a decade and are a challenge for diagnostic laboratories. The mechanisms underlying the discrepancy vary from isolate to isolate. We characterized seven OS-MRSA clinical isolates of six different spa types from six different states by whole-genome sequencing to identify the nucleotide sequence changes leading to the OS-MRSA phenotype. The results demonstrated that oxacillin susceptibility was associated with mutations in regions of nucleotide repeats within mecA. Subinhibitory antibiotic exposure selected for secondary mecA mutations that restored oxacillin resistance. …

Targeting Pathogenic Lafora Bodies In Lafora Disease Using An Antibody-Enzyme Fusion, M. Kathryn Brewer, Annette M. Uittenbogaard, Grant L. Austin, Dyann M. Segvich, Anna Depaoli-Roach, Peter J. Roach, John J. Mccarthy, Zoe R. Simmons, Jason A. Brandon, Zhengqiu Zhou, Jill Zeller, Lyndsay E. A. Young, Ramon C. Sun, James R. Pauly, Nadine M. Aziz, Bradley L. Hodges, Tracy R. Mcknight, Dustin D. Armstrong, Matthew S. Gentry

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Lafora disease (LD) is a fatal childhood epilepsy caused by recessive mutations in either the EPM2A or EPM2B gene. A hallmark of LD is the intracellular accumulation of insoluble polysaccharide deposits known as Lafora bodies (LBs) in the brain and other tissues. In LD mouse models, genetic reduction of glycogen synthesis eliminates LB formation and rescues the neurological phenotype. Therefore, LBs have become a therapeutic target for ameliorating LD. Herein, we demonstrate that human pancreatic α-amylase degrades LBs. We fused this amylase to a cell-penetrating antibody fragment, and this antibody-enzyme fusion (VAL-0417) degrades LBs in vitro and dramatically reduces LB …

Ecology Of Upland Snake Communities In Managed Montane Longleaf Pine Habitats Of Georgia, Miranda Gulsby

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Longleaf pine ecosystem decline in the Southeast United States has led to intensive land management implementation with the goal to benefit both the ecosystem and at-risk species. Addressing at-risk snake populations in these longleaf pine ecosystems, for instance, requires understanding both community and species level ecology of snakes in these managed forests. Data for snakes in the montane (mountain) longleaf pine habitats remains unclear since management practice implementation. Currently, intensive restoration of montane longleaf pine habitats is taking place within two Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) in the Raccoon Creek Watershed of Northwest Georgia, Sheffield and Paulding Forest. These areas differ …

Small Angle X-Ray Scattering Study Of Conformational Changes In Steroid Responsive Activator (Sra) Rna Upon Binding With Suppressor Protein Sharp, Diane Diatta

Master of Science in Chemical Sciences Theses

ABSTRACT

Differentiation and proliferation are known to be influenced by steroid stimulation. The steroid receptor activator (SRA) RNA is a large RNA transcript indicated to be an epigenetic regulatory component in the steroid receptor coactivator-1 (SRC-1) acetyltransferase complex. It is needed for a response to steroid hormones by tumor cells. However, this activity is hindered by suppressive RNA binding proteins like the SMRT/HDAC1-associated repressor protein (SHARP), which binds the STR7 domain of SRA RNA through its four RNA recognition motifs (RRMs); it is not fully understood how SHARP executes this role as there are no SRA RNA-SHARP structures available for …

Depaul University Changes And Grows: 1950–1990, Albert Erlebacher Ph.D.

Vincentian Studies

Albert Erlebacher explores the main issues, changes, and growth that DePaul University experienced between 1950, when it almost lost its accreditation, and 1990, when it emerged as a major American Catholic university. DePaul’s expansion of its campus, the reforms and innovations made to its curricula, and the development of new programs and schools are discussed in detail. Changes in university leadership and governance are also described. DePaul’s experiences are placed within the broader context of changes and challenges occurring in American Catholic higher education during this time, especially as they relate to the Second Vatican Council. Additionally, DePaul needed to …

Short '09 Identifies New Species Of Rhinoceros, Samira Kassem

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Biocompatible Polymeric Nanoparticles With Innovative Structural Design For Oral Delivery Of Lipophilic Bioactives, Qiaobin Hu

Doctoral Dissertations

Archival abstract submitted

The Impact Of Hpv Diagnosis On Taiwanese Women's Quality Of Life And Sexual Health, Chia-Chun Li

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The learner will be able to: 1. Discuss prevalence of quality of life (QoL) and sexual functioning on women who experienced a HPV DNA test; 2. Understand the differences in sexual functioning and QoL among women who had a negative HPV result and those who had a positive HPV result.

Functionalization Of Cd36 Cardiovascular Disease And Expression Associated Variants By Interdisciplinary High Throughput Analysis., Namrata Madan, Andrew R. Ghazi, Xianguo Kong, Edward S. Chen, Chad A. Shaw, Leonard C. Edelstein

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

CD36 is a platelet membrane glycoprotein whose engagement with oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) results in platelet activation. The CD36 gene has been associated with platelet count, platelet volume, as well as lipid levels and CVD risk by genome-wide association studies. Platelet CD36 expression levels have been shown to be associated with both the platelet oxLDL response and an elevated risk of thrombo-embolism. Several genomic variants have been identified as associated with platelet CD36 levels, however none have been conclusively demonstrated to be causative. We screened 81 expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with platelet CD36 expression …

An Early Modern Human Outside Africa, Eric Delson

Publications and Research

Analysis of two fossils from a Greek cave has shed light on early hominins in Eurasia. One fossil is the earliest known specimen of Homo sapiens found outside Africa; the other is a Neanderthal who lived 40,000 years later.

The Deepmip Contribution To Pmip4: Methodologies For Selection, Compilation And Analysis Of Latest Paleocene And Early Eocene Climate Proxy Data, Incorporating Version 0.1 Of The Deepmip Database, Christopher J. Hollis, Tom Dunkley Jones, Eleni Anagnostou, Peter K. Bijl, Margot J. Cramwinckel, Ying Cui, Gerald R. Dickens, Kirsty M. Edgar, Yvette Eley, David Evans, Gavin L. Foster, Joost Frieling, Gordon N. Inglis, Elizabeth M. Kennedy, Reinhard Kozdon, Vittoria Lauretano, Caroline H. Lear, Kate Littler, Lucas Lourens, A. Nele Meckler, B. David A. Naafs, Heiko Pälike, Richard D. Pancost, Paul N. Pearson, Ursula Röhl, Dana L. Royer, Ulrich Salzmann, Brian A. Schubert, Hannu Seebeck, Appy Sluijs, Robert P. Speijer, Peter Stassen

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The early Eocene (56 to 48 million years ago) is inferred to have been the most recent time that Earth's atmospheric CO2 concentrations exceeded 1000 ppm. Global mean temperatures were also substantially warmer than those of the present day. As such, the study of early Eocene climate provides insight into how a super-warm Earth system behaves and offers an opportunity to evaluate climate models under conditions of high greenhouse gas forcing. The Deep Time Model Intercomparison Project (DeepMIP) is a systematic model-model and model-data intercomparison of three early Paleogene time slices: latest Paleocene, Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) and early Eocene …

Developing Civically Engaged Citizens In An Introductory Criminal Justice Course, Tamara J. Lynn

eJournal of Public Affairs

Criminal justice programs are often considered a training ground for students’ future careers; however, that training often lacks a focus on civic engagement. This article highlights an experiential learning project in an introductory criminal justice course that was designed to develop the skills of civically engaged professionals. The project, combining research with service-learning, was implemented in an undergraduate criminology course to demonstrate the ways in which research and theory are necessary for implementing social and political change. Student participants achieved the desired learning outcomes and gained a deeper understanding of their role as change agents. The success of this project …

A Novel Mobile Biobehavioral Regulation System For Personalized Trauma Recovery Support, Holly Matto, Padmanabhan Seshaiyer, Anna Newcomb, Shira Rothberg, Adriana Lopez-Piper

Patient Experience Journal

Even years after experiencing a physical trauma, individuals describe trauma-specific distress, as trauma triggers present as sensory reminders that initiate physiological reactions at time of exposure. Mobile technologies offer tremendous potential in helping individuals who have experienced trauma manage symptoms as they transition out of hospital care and move back into their communities where they are at risk of trauma trigger exposure. A personalized wearable device, tailored to a patient-specific diagnosis (e.g., PTSD) with programmable neurophysiological behavioral risk set-points, could be a useful tool in helping individuals monitor symptomology. When this type of monitoring device is also connected to a …

Students With Visual Impairments' Access And Participation In The Science Curriculum: Views Of Teachers Of Students With Visual Impairments, Karen E. Koehler, Tiffany A. Wild

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Science is a core curricular area of instruction for all students and the federal mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004) and No Child Left Behind (2001) require that students with disabilities are educated in the least restrictive environment and have access to general education science content, based upon rigorous standards. While, most students with visual impairments are educated in the general science classroom, few studies have been done to determine whether appropriate accommodations and modifications are being made in those classrooms to meet the specialized needs of these students. A 35 question survey instrument was disseminated to …

Offensive Uses Of Language: Slurring And Synecdochical Utterances, Amanda Mcmullen

Open Access Dissertations

Be advised that some offensive language is mentioned in the following abstract. ‘That woman’s a dyke’. ‘She’s a piece of ass’. The former utterance is an example of a slurring utterance, and the latter is an instance of an utterance that I call a Synecdochical Utterance Targeting Women (SUTW). A synecdochical utterance targeting women is one in which an anatomical part term is predicated of a woman. What these utterances have in common is that, in many contexts in which either is uttered, the speaker does something at least alienating, if not disrespectful or worse. I argue, in this dissertation, …

Taxonomy, Species Limits, And Phylogenetic Relationships Of Anoura Gray 1838 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae), Camilo Andres Calderon Acevedo

Dissertations

This dissertation addresses several aspects of the diversity and species limits in the nectarivorous bat genus Anoura Gray 1838(Chiroptera: Glossophaginae). Based on morphometric approaches, the current taxonomic arrangement for Anoura includes 8 to 10 species; however, previous taxonomic revisions did not include all closely related species in the genus. In Chapter 1, I investigate the identity of Anoura carishina and its position in the morphospace of the large-bodied Anoura using craniodental and external variables. I analyze traits thought to be diagnostic for these species, including 1) an elliptical Fourier transformation analysis of the shape of the third upper premolar …

We Are...Marshall, July 24, 2019, Office Of Marshall University Communications

We Are ... Marshall: the Newsletter for Marshall University 1999-2023

No abstract provided.

Short-Lived Radioisotope (Slrad) Data Collected Aboard R/V Weatherbird Ii Cruise Wb-0517 In The Gulf Of Mexico From 2017-05-11 To 2017-05-23, Gregg R. Brooks, Rebekka A. Larson, Patrick Schwing

C-IMAGE data

This dataset contains short-lived radioisotope (SLRad) data collected aboard R/V Weatherbird II cruise WB-0517 in the Gulf of Mexico from 2017-05-11 to 2017-05-23. SLRad data are generated for selected core sub-samples at 2mm sampling intervals for “surficial unit” and 5mm sampling resolution intervals to the base of cores. SLRad data generated include sample activity as disintegrations per minute per gram(dpm/g) of 1) Excess Thorium-234 (234Thxs) activity, which is calculated by measuring the total Thorium-234 (234ThTot) activity and the subtraction of the measured or estimated “Supported” Thorium-234 (234ThSup) activity, 2) Excess Lead-210 (210Pbxs) activity, which is calculated by measuring the total …