Digital Commons Network^™

Methods For Mass Data Acquisition Of Whiskey Webs., Adam D. Carrithers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Whiskey webs are a recently discovered phenomenon in which the monolayer collapse during evaporation of diluted American whiskey results in self-assembled, web-like structures. It was found that the pattern of weblike structures were unique between different American whiskey products. It is desirable to use these unique patterns as a “fingerprint” which can be used to identify whiskeys, their chemical constituents, and perhaps even counterfeits. In pursuit of identifying whiskey products based on their web pattern, it is necessary to have a large database of samples imaged for each product. The device discussed herein is the realization of an apparatus capable …

Not The Latest Science: National Recommended Water Quality Criteria For Aquatic Life Under The Clean Water Act, Sam B. Duggan, Christopher J. Kotalik

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Skeletal Muscle-Synthesized Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor In The Maintenance Of Motor Neuron Mitochondrial Populations, Mikel Cawley

All NMU Master's Theses

Mitochondria are essential for the high energy demands of the neuromuscular junction and, as a consequence, leave motorneurons susceptible to dysfunction. A potential origin of progressive pathology may be a reduction in brain-derived neurotrophic-factor (BDNF) signaling at the motor unit. We have shown that mice deficient in skeletal muscle-synthesized BDNF (msBDNF) demonstrate progressive motorneuron and muscle pathology at 120d. We hypothesize mitochondrial populations will be altered in motorneurons of msBDNF deficient-mice. At 117d, msBDNF deficient-mice received intramuscular injections of MitoTracker™ dye targeting the right gastrocnemius muscle. At 120d experimental groups underwent a gastrocnemius harvest or a sciatic nerve ligation protocol …

Evaluating Soluble Axl As A Biomarker For Glioblastoma, Daniel Raymond

All NMU Master's Theses

AXL, a receptor tyrosine kinase, is known to promote malignant phenotypes in various types of cancer. AXL overexpression is commonly observed in glioblastoma and correlates with a worse prognosis. Detectable in most biological fluids, the extracellular domain of AXL, sAXL, is the product of enzymatic cleavage by ADAM10/17. Here we used ELISA, BCA and BCG assays to characterize blood serum from 23 newly diagnosed GBM patients which was collected roughly 24 hours before and after surgery as well as every three months post-surgery, corresponding to follow-up treatment visits. Immunoblotting was used to determine relative AXL expression in 13 patient tumor …

Ecological Factors Influencing Infection Rates Of The Birch Polypore Inonotus Obliquus In The Laurentian Mixed Forest Province, Anna R. Slowik

All NMU Master's Theses

Inonotus obliquus, a conk forming polypore parasitic to birch (Betula spp.) trees in northern hardwood forests around the world, has been harvested intensively in recent years for its potentially medicinal properties. However, there is a dearth of ecological understanding of this fungus; even basic infection rates tend to be anecdotal or lack statistical rigor to guide new research and provide management guidelines ensuring sustainable harvest. Here I determine factors influencing conk formation at tree level by constructing a generalized linear mixed-effects model to predict host infection status, estimate infection rates in a variety of forest types and …

Effect Of Dentin Biomodification Delivered By Experimental Acidic And Neutral Primers On Resin Adhesion, Lívia Tosi Trevelin, Yvette Alania, Mathew Mathew, Rasika S. Phansalkar, Shao-Nong Chen, Guido F. Pauli, Ana K. Bedran-Russo

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Objectives

Proanthocyanidins (PACs) are biocompounds mimicking native collagen cross-links. The effective and practical delivery of any biocompound is pivotal for clinical usage. The aim was to investigate the dentin biomodification and effective formation of dentin–resin biointerfaces of two highly bioactive PAC-rich extracts, Vitis vinifera (Vv) and Camellia sinensis (Cs), delivered using neutral (NP) or acidic (AP) rinse-out primer approaches.

Methods

The depth of dentin demineralization (optical profilometry), dentin biomodification (apparent modulus of elasticity, collagen auto-fluorescence) and properties of dentin–resin interfaces (microtensile bond strength - μTBS, and micro-permeability) were investigated. NP consisted of either 15% Vv or Cs applied for …

Adoptive Treg Cell-Based Immunotherapy: Frontier Therapeutic Aspects In Rheumatoid Arthritis, Mahdi Zavvar, Sara Assadiasl, Sina Zargaran, Maryam Akhtari, Behzad Poopak, Rassoul Dinarvand, Yousef Fatahi, Lobat Tayebi, Narjes Soleimanifar, Mohammad Hossein Nicknam

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

The major current focus on treating rheumatoid arthritis is to put an end to long-term treatments and instead, specifically block widespread immunosuppression by developing antigen-specific tolerance, while also permitting an intact immune response toward other antigens to occur. There have been promising preclinical findings regarding adoptive Treg cells immunotherapy with a critically responsible function in the prevention of autoimmunity, tissue repair and regeneration, which make them an attractive candidate to develop effective therapeutic approaches to achieve this interesting concept in many human immune-mediated diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Ex vivo or invivo manipulation protocols are not only utilized to correct …

Effects Of Prenatal Exposure To Phenobarbital On Verbal Abilities In School-Aged Children, Jocelyn M. Lutes

Graduate Masters Theses

Phenobarbital is one of the oldest medications used for the treatment of epilepsy. Although its use has declined in many developed nations, phenobarbital is still a first-line treatment in several developing countries across the globe. If possible, current American Academy of Neurology guidelines advise against the use of phenobarbital during pregnancy due to an increased risk for structural malformations. However, less is known about the risk that prenatal exposure to phenobarbital poses to the cognitive and behavioral development of the child. Adams et al (in progress) have shown that, in comparison to demographically matched controls, children prenatally exposed to phenobarbital …

An Investigation Into Multi-View Error Correcting Output Code Classifiers Applied To Organ Tissue Classification, Daniel Alvarez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Large amounts of data is being generated constantly each day, so much data that it is difficult to find patterns in order to predict outcomes and make decisions for both humans and machines alike. It would be useful if this data could be simplified using machine learning techniques. For example, biological cell identity is dependent on many factors tied to genetic processes. Such factors include proteins, gene transcription, and gene methylation. Each of these factors are highly complex mechanism with immense amounts of data. Simplifying these can then be helpful in finding patterns in them. Error-Correcting Output Codes (ECOC) does …

Thermo-Mechanical Modeling And The Application Of Coiled Polymer Actuators In Soft Robotics And Biomimetics, Robert Hunt

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Coiled polymer actuators (CPA) are a recently discovered smart material. Due to their large tensile stoke and power densities they are often used as actuators or artificial muscles. CPA’s are fabricated from a polymer fiber, typically nylon, mechanically twisted into a coil or coiled around a mandrel and annealed. When heated over the glass transition temperature they can contract, expand or exhibit torsional actuation, depending on the fabrication method and end conditions.

The fabrication and application of CPA is well documented and has made many innovations in the fields of smart materials, soft robotics and the likes. However, there is …

Transcriptional Control Of Virulence Genes In The Bacterial Pathogen Shigella Flexneri, Joy Asami Mckenna

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Shigella species, the causal agents of bacillary dysentery, use a type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject two waves of virulence proteins, known as effectors, into the human colonic epithelium to subvert host cell machinery. Transcriptional regulation of these virulence genes is controlled by the three-tiered VirF/VirB/MxiE signaling cascade. Of these, VirB has the largest regulon (~50 genes); however, VirB regulatory properties are poorly understood. To date, VirB is known to function to counter or 'anti-silence' transcriptional silencing mediated by the histone-like nucleoid structuring protein H-NS. To better understand VirB regulation, my colleagues and I chose to better define the …

Spectral Fingerprints Predict Functional Phenotypes Of A Native Shrub, Brecken Cherice Robb

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Landscapes are rapidly changing. To understand these changes and how they may influence coexisting herbivores, it is critical that we improve the ways in which we monitor changes in plant species, populations, and functional phenotypic traits over space and time. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is proving to be a valuable tool when it comes to this goal. NIRS is noninvasive and can provide high-resolution temporal information, including structural and chemical characteristics, on objects that are otherwise expansive, inaccessible, or imperceptible. We used the threatened sagebrush-steppe ecosystem, which spans over 43 million hectares of the Western United States, as a case …

Single Molecule Super-Resolution Microscopy Study On The Precision With Which Dna Nanostructures Can Orient Fluorescent Dyes, Brett Michael Ward

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

DNA nanotechnology enables the rapid, programmable self-assembly of novel structures and devices at the nanoscale. Utilizing the simplicity of Watson-Crick base pairing, DNA nanostructures are capable of assembling a variety of nanoparticles in arbitrary configurations with relative ease. Several emerging opto-electronic systems require a high degree of control of both the position and orientation of component fluorescent molecules, and while DNA nanostructures have demonstrated these capabilities, the precision with which DNA can orient fluorescent molecules is not well understood. Determining these bounds is critical in establishing the viability of DNA nanotechnology as a method of assembling fluorescent molecular networks.

In …

Mxenes As Flow Electrodes For Capacitive Deionization Of Wastewater, Naqsh E. Mansoor

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The energy-water nexus poses an integrated research challenge, while opening up an opportunity space for the development of energy efficient technologies for water remediation. Capacitive Deionization (CDI) is an upcoming reclamation technology that uses a small applied voltage applied across electrodes to electrophoretically remove dissolved ionic impurities from wastewater streams. Similar to a supercapacitor, the ions are stored in the electric double layer of the electrodes. Reversing the polarity of applied voltage enables recovery of the removed ionic impurities, allowing for recycling and reuse. Simultaneous materials recovery and water reclamation makes CDI energy efficient and resource conservative, with potential to …

Phenological Mismatch Is Correlated With Fitness Outcomes And Adaptive Behavior In A Generalist Avian Predator Distributed Across North America, Kathleen R. Callery

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Climate-driven advances in the start of spring may result in a phenological mismatch between peak-prey abundance and the breeding season of secondary consumers. Phenological mismatch has been well-studied in insectivorous birds for which reproductive productivity is strongly linked to caterpillar abundance. The effects of mismatch on the productivity of dietary generalists, that forage on several types of prey, are less well-understood. Further, few studies have addressed questions about the effects of mismatch on survival, an important component of fitness that can be affected by breeding in sub-optimal conditions. We examined the relationship between phenological mismatch and fitness for a widespread …

Communication In Healthcare Settings: Access And Barriers To Care Experienced By Deaf Patients, Elizabeth Schniedewind

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Deaf persons who use American Sign Language (ASL) as their primary form of communication are members of a cultural and linguistic minority that experiences significant health disparities yet are not recognized as a health disparity population by the National Institutes of Health. Studies have reported ineffective communication in healthcare interactions and reduced access to care experienced by Deaf patients. Requests for sign language interpreters in healthcare encounters are frequently denied, despite federal mandates to provide effective communication. Comprised of three articles, this dissertation investigates the diminished access to communication in healthcare settings experienced by Deaf patients and qualitative research methods …

A Computational Framework To Model Mesenchymal Stem Cell Nucleus Mechanics Using Confocal Microscopy, Zeke Kennedy

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The mechanical properties of the cell nucleus are emerging as a key component in genetic transcription. It has been shown that the stiffness of the nucleus in part regulates the transcription of genes in response to external mechanical stimuli. The stiffness has been shown to change as a result of both disease and changes to the external environment. While the mechanical structure of the nucleus can be visually documented using a confocal microscope, it is currently impossible to test the stiffness of the nucleus without a mechanical testing apparatus such as an atomic force microscope. This is problematic in that …

Design And Characterization Of Low Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Arrays For Killing And Removing Bacterial Biofilms, Adam Croteau

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Present research at Boise State University (BSU) has demonstrated the ability of low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) devices to remove bacterial biofilms on steel substrates. Although bacteria may easily be inactivated by plasma treatment, the remains of the organism are still present on the substrate. It is shown that single element DBD CAP discharge devices operating at 2100 Vrms with 5 LPM of hydrated argon gas etched P. fluorescens biofilm within a few minutes of exposure. Similarly, using an 8 element array of linear plasma discharges, etch removal of biofilm was …

Polymyxins And Bacterial Membranes: A Review Of Antibacterial Activity And Mechanisms Of Resistance, Carole Ayoub Moubareck

All Works

© 2020 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Following their initial discovery in the 1940s, polymyxin antibiotics fell into disfavor due to their potential clinical toxicity, especially nephrotoxicity. However, the dry antibiotic development pipeline, together with the rising global prevalence of infections caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria have both rejuvenated clinical interest in these polypeptide antibiotics. Parallel to the revival of their use, investigations into the mechanisms of action and resistance to polymyxins have intensified. With an initial known effect on biological membranes, research has uncovered the detailed molecular and chemical interactions that polymyxins have with Gram-negative outer …

Evaluation Of The Gulf Of Aqaba Coastal Water, Jordan, Ahmed A. Al-Taani, Maen Rashdan, Yousef Nazzal, Fares Howari, Jibran Iqbal, Abdulla Al-Rawabdeh, Abeer Al Bsoul, Safaa Khashashneh

All Works

© 2020 by the authors. (1) Background: The Gulf of Aqaba (GoA) supports unique and diverse marine ecosystems. It is one of the highest anthropogenically impacted coasts in the Middle East region, where rapid human activities are likely to degrade these naturally diverse but stressed ecosystems. (2) Methods: Various water quality parameters were measured to assess the current status and conditions of GoA seawater including pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), total alkalinity (TA), Cl-, NO3-, SO42-, PO43-, NH4+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Sr, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn. (3) Results: The pH values indicated basic coastal …

An Efficient Method Based On Framelets For Solving Fractional Volterra Integral Equations, Mutaz Mohammad, Alexander Trounev, Carlo Cattani

All Works

© 2020 by the authors. This paper is devoted to shedding some light on the advantages of using tight frame systems for solving some types of fractional Volterra integral equations (FVIEs) involved by the Caputo fractional order derivative. A tight frame or simply framelet, is a generalization of an orthonormal basis. A lot of applications are modeled by non-negative functions; taking this into account in this paper, we consider framelet systems generated using some refinable non-negative functions, namely, B-splines. The FVIEs we considered were reduced to a set of linear system of equations and were solved numerically based on a …

An Experimental And Computational Mechanical Analysis Of Bone Anchors And Substrate Interface, Samantha May Schultz

Theses and Dissertations

Screw loosening is a common concern in orthopedic surgery. Therefore, this study is a computational and experimental evaluation of bone substrate and cortical screw interface. An axial load test was performed in an Instron with titanium alloy screws with 2.7 mm, 3.5 mm, and 4.5mm diameter orthopedic cortical screws inserted into SawBone with densities varying from 10 to 50 pounds per cubic foot (PCF), incrementing in sets of 10 PCF. SawBone was chosen in place of human bone because it has been shown to emulate the same mechanical properties (1). Twelve samples were prepared for each screw size and substrate …

Graphene Surface Plasmon Applications In Designing Novel Nano-Heterostructure Arrays, Seyededriss Mirniaharikandi

Theses and Dissertations

Graphene is the flat monolayer of carbon atoms constructing a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice with an exotic mechanic, electronic, magnetic, and optical properties. Interestingly, the graphene has been experimentally shown its unique properties in photonics, where the first commercial application of graphene has been realized. Graphene possesses intrinsic plasmons that are electronically tunable, adjustable, and have low dissipation. Recently, the combination of graphene with noble metals and semiconductors structures promises a variety of exciting applications for conventional plasmonics and photonics. In this thesis, we present how to efficiently design heterostructure by combining graphene plasmonic metasurface with noble metals and semiconductors. First, …

Optimal Control Of Multiphase Free Boundary Problems For Nonlinear Parabolic Equations, Evan Cosgrove

Theses and Dissertations

Dissertation research is on the optimal control of systems with distributed parameters described by singular nonlinear partial differential equations (PDE) modeling multi-phase Stefan type second order parabolic free boundary problems. This type of free boundary problems arise in various applications, such as biomedical engineering problem on the laser ablation of biological tissues, aerospace engineering problem on the ice accretion in aircrafts mid-flight, biomedical problem on the growth of cancerous tumor, and many other phase transition processes in thermophysics and fluid mechanics. The aim of the optimal control of distributed free boundary systems is two fold: identification of functional parameters of …

A Feature-Based Approach To Function Modeling And Reasoning For Thermal-Fluid Systems Engineering, Lakshmi Narasimhon Athinarayana Venkatanarasimhan

Theses and Dissertations

This research is focused on extending the language of function modeling by developing CAD-like features that are built using primitive functions. These features are reusable units of functions that represent the working principle of a system of higher level of abstraction than the ones of the primitive functions published in prior literature. This approach can be used to also establish an alternate concept/working principle that satisfies the same features, and thus enabling the integration of function models into previously established concept generation programs. It is expected that designers perceive concepts at different levels of abstractions. As a result, the feature-based …

Analysis Of The Role Of Dnaa Recognition Site Position In Directing Assembly Of The Pre-Replicative Complex In Escherichia Coli, Christopher Aaron Czerwonka

Theses and Dissertations

Prior to initiating new rounds of DNA replication, all cells assemble pre-replicative complexes (pre-RC) consisting of initiator proteins and regions of DNA termed origins of replication. In the bacterial model system, E. coli, multiple copies of the initiator protein, DnaA,assemble into a complex with the unique chromosomal replication origin, oriC, to produce a pre-RC that unwinds the DNA helix, preparing the origin for the new replication forks. Nine base pair (bp) low affinity DnaA recognition sites are distinctly arrayed in each half of oriC and both arrays are bounded by high affinity recognition sites. Although it is known that DnaA …

Alternative Material Selection For Oyster Restoration With An Emphasis On Living Docks, Bridgette Soucy

Theses and Dissertations

Oyster restoration efforts, including Living Shoreline and Living Dock projects, utilize aquaculture-grade plastic oyster mats to mitigate the decline of benthic communities. Aquaculture-grade plastic are known for strength, durability, and resilience to degradation in seawater. Over time, plastics break into microscopic segments commonly referred to as microplastics. Microplastics represent a major concern as marine organisms mistake the small particles for food. Plastics bioaccumulate in marine species, which impacts the marine food web and humans. In order to reduce further negative anthropogenic impacts, natural fibers and nature-inspired concrete mixtures were utilized across a series of experiments in order to determine an …

Evaluation Of The Humoral Immune Response As A Potential Indicator Of Disease Severity For Patients Hospitalized With Covid-19, Spencer Sterling

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Members of the family Coronaviridae, including the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and seasonal human coronaviruses (HCoV-HKU1and HCoV-OC43), are highly communicable respiratory viruses; SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and MERS can cause severe disease, while seasonal human coronaviruses present with mild to moderate illness. Coronavirus envelope spike (S) glycoproteins are involved in receptor binding and cell fusion, and are the primary target for a neutralizing humoral response. The S protein is comprised of the S₁ and S₂ subunits; the S₁ subunit contains the receptor-binding domain (RBD), while the S_{2 …}

Investigation Of A Novel Mitophagy Regulatory Pathway And Chemical Inducer, Jane E. Craig

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Mitochondria are vital organelles that coordinate cellular energy homeostasis and also have important roles in cell death. Therefore, the removal of damaged or excessive mitochondria through autophagy, a process called mitophagy, is critical for maintaining proper cellular function. Much of the research elucidating the mechanism and regulation of autophagy was performed in yeast cells, so there is still a lot of mystery surrounding how mitophagy is promoted and regulated in mammals in general and in different tissues. The most well understood mechanism involved in mitophagy is the PINK1-PARKN pathway. However, studies often rely on severe mitochondrial damage using CCCP that …

Childhood Trauma In The Elementary School: The Leadership Response In Addressing Childhood Trauma, Francine Leggett

Education Doctoral

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological research design was to explore leadership responses in addressing childhood trauma. The participants were six elementary school principals from upstate New York, who shared the types of incidences of childhood trauma within their schools. Additionally, the leaders discussed how they prepared for and responded to students who experienced trauma. The leaders articulated the barriers or challenges within their schools in developing and improving the schools’ responses to supporting their students through semi-structured interviews. The transcriptions were analyzed using in vivo coding to identify common themes and to develop a model for leaders to access. …