Digital Commons Network^™

Bivariate Markov Chain Model Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (Ibs) Subtypes And Abdominal Pain, Ricardo Reyna Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Researchers use stochastic models like continuous-time Markov chains (CTMC) to model progression of morbidities of public health impact, like HIV and Hepatitis C. Most of the research in that area is done for a single disease. In this research, we use a bivariate continuous-time Markov chain (CTMC) to model progression of co-morbidities. In particular, we use a bivariate CTMC to model the joint progression of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and abdominal pain. Symptoms of IBS are known to change throughout the duration of the disorder. Hence, patients are normally asked to make a journal of the stool type, symptoms, and …

Artificial Intelligence In A Main Warehouse In Panasonic: Los Indios, Texas, Edison Antonio Trejo Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

The Panasonic Company warehouse is located in Los Indios Texas. The warehouse presents the limitation of the great distances between its headquarters and the Main Warehouse for supplying the branches and main customers, which requires a considerable amount of time to maintain effective communication in the inventory area. In addition, during an online review, it can be confirmed that the website is disabled, contradicting its corporate policy.

The structure of the thesis proposal is arranged in four chapters from the Introduction, Statement of the Problem and Purposes; Previous Studies and Definition of the literature; the Research Methodology and the resources …

Role Of Glycolytic Metabolism In Glioblastoma Multiforme, Shreya Udawant

Theses and Dissertations

PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway is activated in 90% of all Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) tumors. We used a dual targeting approach to interfere with the phosphoinositide 3-kinase- mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K-mTOR) pathway by treating U87MG GBM cells with NVP-BEZ235 (PI3K and mTOR a dual inhibitor) and, their downstream effects on molecular regulation on glycolytic genes were investigated using RNA-sequencing and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). RNA-seq identified 7803 differentially regulated genes in response to NVP-BEZ235. GSEA identified two glycolysis-related gene sets had significant differences (P < 0.05) in gene expression between control and NVP-BEZ235 treated samples. The GSEA core enrichment reported 17 and 35 genes were significantly downregulated (P adj < 0.05) in response to NVP-BEZ235 treatment in two different glycolysis related gene sets. We validated the expression of genes using qRT-PCR in U87MG cells as well as other GBM cell lines. Our results suggest novel insights on hallmark metabolic reprogramming associated with the PI3K-mTOR inhibition and provides advances in developing molecular targeted therapies.

Field Of Dreams: Environmental Factors Contributing To The Academic And Professional Success Of Mexican-American Former Migrant Students From The Rio-Grande Valley Of South Texas, Jaime Villarreal

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify protective factors contributing to the college graduation of seven Mexican-American Hispanic former migrant students from the Rio-Grande Valley of South Texas, the southernmost part of the United States that borders Mexico. I used a case study methodology to examine the real life context of a phenomenon with the data collected from the seven participants using interviews. The findings indicated that interrelated cultural, school and home environmental protective factors enhanced the resiliency of the seven participants as they navigated through their academic endeavors and ultimate college graduation. This study is important to the …

Principal Instructional Leadership Behavior As Perceived By Middle School Principals In The Rio Grande Valley Of Texas, Joseph R. Villarreal

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to determine which of the 10 leadership functions contained in the PIMRS, as identified by Hallinger (1983), are demonstrated by principals in Rio Grande Valley middle schools that received Texas Education Agency distinctions for closing performing gaps, compared to those middle schools in the Rio Grande Valley that did not. The study aimed to determine if there was a significant difference been the principal instructional leadership behaviors at middle schools recognized for closing performance gaps compared to those that were not recognized. The results showed that there did not exist a significant difference between …

Pre-Entrance Factors And Student Success In An A.A.S. Nursing Program, Connie Marshall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of pre-entrance factors and the success of students in an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree nursing program at a community college in East Tennessee. The criterion variable was success in the nursing program. Success was defined as academic success in all nursing courses and completion of the nursing program to graduation. The predictor variables of pre-entrance factors were gender, age, Health Education Systems, Incorporated (HESI) A2 scores, Pell Grant eligibility, pre-nursing GPA, and prior licensure. The data for this non-experimental secondary analysis were derived from the electronic database in …

Positive Behavior Supports And Teacher Stress, Robin Street

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference between the implementation of positive behavior supports and teacher stress? Previous research conducted by Ross, Romer, and Horner (2011) reported that teachers who work in schools that effectively implement Positive Behavior Supports (PBIS) had lower levels of stress and higher levels of efficacy. The current study investigated the difference between the PBIS and teacher stress. Additionally, this study sought to determine if teachers age, years of teaching experience, and gender had an impact on teacher stress. Data collection strategies included two surveys, Effective Behavior Support and the …

Coaching Yourself Through: Exploring The Relationship Between Positive Self-Talk And Resilience, Ian T. Mosier

Theses

In this study, I investigated the relationship between positive self-talk, autonomy, and resilience in a sample of adults residing in America (n=177). Forty percent of American adults (n=1031) report daily stressors (Almeida, Wethington, & Kessler, 2002). Even comparatively minor life stressors can have a negative impact on one’s well-being over time (Almeida, 2005). Resilience, the ability to manage and recover from stress, may be an important factor in long-term health and well-being (Almeida, 2005). Positive self-talk has been identified as a possible target for resilience building interventions. However, positive self-talk appears to benefit some people more than others. One possible …

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease Treated With Homoeopathic Medicine Calcarea Carbonica: A Case Report, Swati Pandey, Raj Pandit

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Introduction: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is a polymicrobial infection of the upper genital tract characterised clinically by triad of symptoms and signs: pelvic pain, cervical motion with adnexal tenderness and fever. Conventional treatment is with broad-spectrum antibiotics. The alternative medicine, especially Homoeopathy, is the second choice of therapy as per the WHO. Case reports of PID in the medical literature are scant. We aim to report a case treated with homoeopathic constitutional medicine in a woman suffering from PID. Case Summary: A 29-year-old female presented with the symptoms of white discharge per vagina, constant dull pain in the lower abdomen, …

Design, Synthesis And Antibacterial Studies Of Some New Pyridopyrimidine Derivatives As Biotin Carboxylase Inhibitors, Vivek B. Panchabhai, Parag G. Ingole, S R. Butle

Bulletin of Faculty of Pharmacy Cairo University

Present study reports the development of novel pyridopyrimidine derivatives as biotin carboxylase inhibitors with potent antibacterial activity. These compounds were designed to avoid possibility of resistance development. Accordingly eighteen compounds were synthesised and characterized on the basis of spectral data. These compounds were tested for their antibacterial potential by the enzyme kinetic assay against the biotin carboxylase. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and single step resistance studies were also performed. Compound 2-((2-Phenylpyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidin-4-yl)amino)phenol (6o) showed promising activity in biotin carboxylase inhibition with low MIC. It showed molecular docking score of -7.96, this compound showed formation of hydrogen bonds with the active …

The Modular Expression Patterns Of Three Pigmentation Genes Prefigure Unique Abdominal Morphologies Seen Among Three Drosophila Species, William A. Dion, Mujeeb O. Shittu, Tessa Steenwinkel, Komal K.B. Raja, Prajakta P. Kokate, Thomas Werner

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

To understand how novel animal body colorations emerged, one needs to ask how the development of color patterns differs among closely related species. Here we examine three species of fruit flies – Drosophila guttifera (D. guttifera), D. palustris, and D. subpalustris – displaying a varying number of abdominal spot rows. Through in situ hybridization experiments, we examine the mRNA expression patterns for the pigmentation genes Dopa decarboxylase (Ddc), tan (t), and yellow (y) during pupal development. Our results show that Ddc, t, and y are co-expressed in modular, identical patterns, each foreshadowing the adult abdominal spots in D. guttifera, D. …

Longitudinal Optical Imaging Technique To Visualize Progressive Axonal Damage After Brain Injury In Mice Reveals Responses To Different Minocycline Treatments, Chelsea D. Pernici, Rachel K. Rowe, P. Timothy Doughty, Mahboubeh Madadi, Jonathan Lifshitz, Teresa A. Murray

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

A high-resolution, three-dimensional, optical imaging technique for the murine brain was developed to identify the effects of different therapeutic windows for preclinical brain research. This technique tracks the same cells over several weeks. We conducted a pilot study of a promising drug to treat diffuse axonal injury (DAI) caused by traumatic brain injury, using two different therapeutic windows, as a means to demonstrate the utility of this novel longitudinal imaging technique. DAI causes immediate, sporadic axon damage followed by progressive secondary axon damage. We administered minocycline for three days commencing one hour after injury in one treatment group and beginning …

Pledging Intellectual Property For Covid-19, Jorge L. Contreras

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

COVID-19 differs from other recent public health crises with respect to its sudden onset, its rapid spread, the lack of any known vaccine or cure and resulting shortages of critical medical equipment. The convergence of these factors has prompted both governments and IPR holders around the world to seek ways to increase the availability of IPR necessary to combat the pandemic. Governmental compulsory licensing, IPR pools and voluntary IPR pledges have all been used in the past, though in situations that differ in important respects from the COVID-19 pandemic. Each is designed to result, to a greater or lesser degree, …

Financial Terms In License Agreements, Jorge L. Contreras

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

This chapter in the forthcoming casebook Intellectual Property Licensing and Transactions: Theory and Practice (2020, forthcoming), discusses the financial terms of IP licensing agreements including fixed payments, running royalties, sublicensing income, milestone payments, equity compensation and cost reimbursement, as well as most-favored and audit clauses. Numerous areas of recent controversy are addressed including the establishment of royalty rates through the entire market value rule (EMVR) versus the smallest salable patent practicing unit (SSPPU) rule, royalties for bundled rights, rules of thumb discredited by the courts, royalty escalation clauses and more. Examples are drawn primarily from biotechnology, high-tech and copyright licensing …

U.S. Federal Genomic Data Release And Access Policies, Jorge L. Contreras

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

Researchers today have access to a vast aggregation of human and nonhuman genomic data, largely on an open access basis. According to the Joint Genome Institute’s Genomes OnLine Database (GOLD), data from more than 40,000 sequencing projects around the world, representing more than 375,000 different organisms, were publicly available to researchers as of July 2020. The availability of this tremendous public resource is due, in large part, to the data release policies developed a quarter century ago, toward the beginning of the Human Genome Project (HGP), which have been carried forward, in modified form, to the present. These policies impose …

Nepa At 50: An Empirical Analysis Of Nepa In The Courts, John C. Ruple, Heather Tanana

Utah Law Faculty Scholarship

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the groundbreaking 1970 statute that requires federal agencies to take a “hard look” at the environmental impacts of their actions, turned 50 this year. In this anniversary year, and with NEPA revision efforts a hot topic in environmental law, we begin by quantifying the burden imposed by NEPA compliance. We then look back on approximately 1,500 court decisions to quantify the rate at which NEPA decisions are challenged, assess how those cases are resolved, and compare NEPA cases to other environmental litigation. We then discuss efforts to “streamline” NEPA and why we believe those …

The Language Of Parental Involvement: A Document Analysis Of Parent Involvement Plans (Pip’S) Of Title I Elementary Schools, Jacqueleen M. Bido

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Research indicates that parent involvement increases student achievement. This qualitative research examined 30 elementary Title I schools’ Parent Involvement Plans (PIPs), seeking roles parents played in urban settings. This document analysis reviewed the descriptive language presented in each school’s plan and examined for fidelity. Using Epstein’s Six Types of Parent Involvement and the Sample Practice, the researcher coded the Plans. Data displayed compliance with the mandated requirements of the Plans. Still, they indicated incongruencies with fidelity and alignment to proven best-practices research.

A Functional Three-Dimensional Microphysiological Model Of Myeloma Bone Disease, Richard Visconti

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematologic cancer caused by a mature B cell neoplasm, or plasmacytoma, that infiltrates the skeleton at several sites. The disease is characterized by uninhibited transformed plasma cell proliferation that disrupts skeletal homeostasis leading to decreased bone modeling and increased bone resorption. Osteolytic lesions (OL) or voids left in the bone, remain long after the treatment of the cancer and indicate disease progression to myeloma bone disease (MBD). Current combinatorial MM therapies inhibit malignant plasma cell proliferation, slow the progression towards MBD, and increase the mean five-year survival rate, but do little to improve osteoblastic function …

The Impact Of High School Career Academies On Student Academic Achievement And Engagement, Daisy Rodriguez

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of high school career academies in comparison to the traditional, comprehensive high school educational program with respect to student academic achievement and student engagement in one large urban high school in Central New Jersey. It is the intent of this researcher to determine if either of the educational structures and approaches significantly impacts the achievement and engagement levels of students in the high school under investigation.

Student math and ELA state test scores and student engagement scores were analyzed using quantitative methods. To ascertain the degree of effectiveness this reform …

Analysis Of Working From Home Vs Working At The Office, As A Construction Company In The Bay Area, Kyle M. Ruff

Construction Management

In 2020, working from home has become an increasingly popular trend amongst construction offices across the Bay Area to combat the spread of COVID-19. This meant that employees who used to commute were now able to work from home. This paper analyzes the impacts working from home has on the productivity, work-life-balance, and overall well-being of a Bay Area construction office employees . A survey was issued to the estimating department of a large general contractor in the Bay Area, with the intent of finding the impact working from home had on the three aspects of working life, as previous …

External Stoma Diversion: A Palliative Measure For Peristomal Wound Healing In Resource-Limited Settings, Rachel W Davis, Youmna A Sherif, Catherine Anne Morrison

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The provision of intestinal stoma care is challenging in austere settings due to limitations in surgical and wound care access as well as the high cost and sparsity of ostomy supplies. As a result, many surgical patients suffer from ostomy-related complications such as peristomal wounds and are unable to find relief for these complications from standard treatments and measures. This article describes the external stoma diversion, a cost-effective palliative surgical procedure that assists in the healing of peristomal wounds in resource-limited settings.

Cardiac Biomarkers During Cancer Therapy: Practical Applications For Cardio-Oncology, Jose A Alvarez-Cardona, Kathleen W Zhang, Joshua D Mitchell, Vlad G Zaha, Michael J Fisch, Daniel J Lenihan

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Uncorrected Mild Aortic Insufficiency At The Time Of Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation, Yuki Tanaka, Tomohiro Nakajima, Irene Fischer, Fei Wan, Kunal Kotkar, Marc R Moon, Ralph J Damiano Jr, Muhammad F Masood, Akinobu Itoh

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: The study objective was to investigate the progression of uncorrected mild aortic insufficiency and its impact on survival and functional status after left ventricular assist device implantation.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 694 consecutive patients who underwent implantation of a continuous-flow left ventricular assist device between January 2006 and March 2018. Pre-left ventricular assist device transthoracic echocardiography identified 111 patients with mild aortic insufficiency and 493 patients with trace or no aortic insufficiency. To adjust for differences in preoperative factors, propensity score matching was used, resulting in 101 matched patients in each of the mild aortic insufficiency and no aortic …

Reducing Infant Catheterization In The Emergency Department Through Clean-Catch Urine Collection., Amanda E Mulcrone, Manas Parikh, Fahd A Ahmad

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Our emergency department (ED) traditionally relied on urethral catheterization to obtain urine cultures when evaluating infants for urinary tract infections (UTIs). Catheterization is associated with adverse effects, and recent studies have demonstrated clean-catch urine methods can be successfully used to obtain urine cultures. We pursued a quality improvement (QI) initiative aimed at decreasing the frequency of urethral catheterizations in our ED by using an established clean-catch technique to obtain infant urine cultures.

METHODS: We implemented a clean-catch urine collection method, which we entitled "Bladder Massage," for infants 0-6 months of age needing a urine culture in our ED. Exclusions …

Postacute Covid-19: An Overview And Approach To Classification, Eva M Amenta, Amy Spallone, Maria C Rodriguez-Barradas, Hana M El Sahly, Robert L Atmar, Prathit A Kulkarni

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has progressed, a large volume of literature has developed delineating the clinical manifestations of acute infection. Recent reports have also started to describe persistent symptoms extending beyond the period of initial illness or hospitalization. Anecdotes of different signs and symptoms occurring after acute infection have also arisen in the lay press. Here we describe the current existing medical literature on the emerging concept of postacute COVID-19 and suggest an approach to classifying different manifestations of the syndrome. We also review long-term clinical manifestations observed in patients who recovered from infection due to other …

The Cancer Patient And Cardiology, José Luis Zamorano, Christer Gottfridsson, Riccardo Asteggiano, Dan Atar, Lina Badimon, Jeroen J Bax, Daniela Cardinale, Antonella Cardone, Elizabeth A M Feijen, Péter Ferdinandy, Teresa López-Fernández, Chris P Gale, John H Maduro, Javid Moslehi, Torbjørn Omland, Juan Carlos Plana Gomez, Jessica Scott, Thomas M Suter, Giorgio Minotti

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Advances in cancer treatments have improved clinical outcomes, leading to an increasing population of cancer survivors. However, this success is associated with high rates of short- and long-term cardiovascular (CV) toxicities. The number and variety of cancer drugs and CV toxicity types make long-term care a complex undertaking. This requires a multidisciplinary approach that includes expertise in oncology, cardiology and other related specialties, and has led to the development of the cardio-oncology subspecialty. This paper aims to provide an overview of the main adverse events, risk assessment and risk mitigation strategies, early diagnosis, medical and complementary strategies for prevention and …

Multivessel Traumatic Coronary Artery Dissection After A Motor Vehicle Accident With Successful Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Yagya Pandey, Brittany Owen, Gilad Birnbaum, Rashed Tabbaa, Ihab Hamzeh, Nasser Lakkis, Waleed Kayani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Coronary artery dissection is a rare complication of blunt chest wall trauma. We report a case of acute left anterior descending and right coronary artery dissections after a motor vehicle accident. The musculoskeletal injuries obscured the cardiac symptoms. Electrocardiogram and bedside echocardiogram revealed cardiac pathology, which prompted urgent coronary angiography and intervention. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.)

Initiating A Geriatric Clinical Practicum In The Midst Of A Pandemic, April Wood

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Inference And Estimation In Change Point Models For Censored Data, Kristine Gierz

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

In general, the change point problem considers inference of a change in distribution for a set of time-ordered observations. This has applications in a large variety of fields and can also apply to survival data. With improvements to medical diagnoses and treatments, incidences and mortality rates have changed. However, the most commonly used analysis methods do not account for such distributional changes. In survival analysis, change point problems can concern a shift in a distribution for a set of time-ordered observations, potentially under censoring or truncation.

In this dissertation, we first propose a sequential testing approach for detecting multiple change …

Sociopolitical Crisis And The Rise Of A Social Justice Superintendent In Charlottesville, Sara Lourdes Epperly

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

This qualitative case study examined one school superintendent’s handling of a sociopolitical crisis event over the course of its phased unfolding. A review of literature in the fields of both crisis management and social justice educational leadership supplied a conceptual lens for viewing the case. Key concepts from the crisis management literature included staged intervention, organizational learning, and transformative leadership. Key concepts from the literature of social justice educational leadership included criticality, inclusion, relationshipbuilding, and capacity-building. The study methodology involved the conduct of 17 interviews and collection of more than 100 related documents. Analysis of the data supported a series …