Digital Commons Network^™

An Investigation Of Uncertainties In Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy, Cory Knill

Wayne State University Dissertations

Introduction: The treatment of cancer using intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is complex, involving many sub-processes to commission a treatment platform and treat patients. Uncertainties within the individual sub-process can lead to inaccurate treatments and sub-optimal patient outcomes. This research focused on minimizing uncertainties throughout IMRT commissioning and treatments. Methods: Five sub-processes were selected for uncertainty reduction: 1) optimizing radiation-imaging coincidence of the treatment machine, 2) improving the statistical model used to analyze IMRT commissioning data, 3) reducing the effect of ion recombination in IMRT quality assurance measurements, 4) improving the correlation between IMRT quality assurance results and patient-specific delivery …

Developing Inhibitors Of Uchl5 Deubiquitinase In The Proteasome, Harshani Sewvandi Gurusingha Arachchige

Wayne State University Dissertations

Ubiquitin proteasomal system (UPS) plays a vital role in maintaining protein homeostasis by eliminating misfolded and damaged proteins in a eukaryotic cell. Target proteins to be degraded are modified by poly-ubiquitination, which leads to degradation by 26S proteasome. Before entering the 20S catalytic subunit, the 19S regulatory particle is responsible for binding, unfolding, and deubiquitinating the target protein. Based on the nature of the polyubiquitin tag, removal of the ubiquitin is performed by the deubiquitinases (DUBs) associated with the proteasome.Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase isozyme L5 (UCHL5) is one of the three DUBs in the proteasome. UCHL5 regulates many cellular functions and …

Taxation, Liberty, And Property Rights: A Libertarian Defense Of Universal Health Coverage, Graeme Bradley Cave

Wayne State University Dissertations

Today, the United States is widely recognized as the only developed country without universal health coverage. Unfortunately for the United States, that is problematic. Despite lacking universal health coverage, the United States spends more on health care than any other country. In return, it has a large uninsured population, a large underinsured population, and overall comparatively poor health outcomes. Unsurprisingly, then, everyone in the philosophical literature on health care justice—for one reason or another—says the United States should join every other developed country and get universal health coverage. Everyone, that is, except for libertarians.In my dissertation, I argue that libertarians …

Association Of Gestational Opioid Exposure And Risk Of Major And Minor Congenital Malformations, Xuerong Wen, Nicholas Belviso, Emily Murray, Adam K. Lewkowitz, Kristina E. Ward, Kimford J. Meador

Pharmacy Practice and Clinical Research Faculty Publications

Importance: The rapid increase of opioid-related overdoses and deaths has become a public health concern in the US. Use of prescription opioids in pregnant women has increased; results from teratogenicity studies remain controversial.

Objective: To evaluate the association between maternal prescription opioid use (excluding opioid use disorders) during pregnancy and the incidence of congenital malformations.

Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective population-based cohort study evaluated linked Rhode Island Medicaid claims and vital statistics data of live births from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2016. Data analysis was conducted from May 1, 2019, to May 31, 2020. …

Comparing The Effectiveness Between Ivacaftor And Glpg 1837, Saimi Vanessa Reyes, Jordan Nichole Carreras, Vibha Sankavaram

Protein Modeling Reports

Cystic fibrosis is an autosomal disease that is caused by a defect in the CFTR, or cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator. It affects more than 70,000 people world-wide and is life-threatening to those affected. To treat this disease there are two drug classes: correctors and potentiators. Correctors aim to correct the misfolded CFTR proteins, while potentiators aid in increasing ion concentration outside of the cells by keeping the channels open for longer periods of time. The aim of this project was to identify the key differences between two similar potentiator drugs, Ivacaftor (Kalydeco®) and GLPG 1837. The research question posed …

Effectiveness Of Message-Framing To Improve Oral Health Behaviors And Dental Plaque Among Pregnant Women, Masoumeh Divdar, Marzieh Araban, Akbar Babaei Heyddarabadi, Bahman Cheraghian, L.A.R. Stein

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Oral health is considered a prominent factor that contributes to quality of life. Hormonal changes during pregnancy can influence oral health. Message framing can play an important role in oral health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of message framing on oral health and dental plaque among pregnant women.

Methods: The study was conducted in 2017 on 108 pregnant women in Izeh county, Iran. Participants were randomly assigned to gain-framed, loss-framed, and control groups. The research instrument included a two part questionnaire containing demographic information and oral health knowledge, attitude, behavioral intention, self-efficacy, practice, …

How Can We Design An Inhibitor With An Enhanced Binding Affinity That Is Selective For Mmp12 ?, Aisha Y. Abdool, Lyla Abbas, Tassnime Sebaei, Emily Schmitt, Arthur Sikora

Protein Modeling Reports

Matrix metalloproteinase 12 (MMP 12) is one of the twenty-three members of the peptidase M10 family which are primarily responsible for the breakdown of the extracellular matrix. MMP12 plays a key factor in the degradation of elastin and is commonly studied in the lungs of smokers, where MMP12 digests the elastin and serves as a chemokine to recruit a pro-inflammatory immune response. Thus, MMP12 is a major therapeutic target in wound healing and scar formation following a myocardial infarction. Students from the Honors Protein Modeling class at Nova Southeastern University modeled the interactions between MMP12 and various inhibitors. Using the …

To Take A Knee, Jay Henley

3690: A Journal of First-Year Student Research Writing

Overview: Years ago, when slavery was legal, African Americans were viewed by many as less than human and were treated as such because of the color of their skin. James Wilson and Roger Sherman, delegates for the Constitutional Convention of 1787, even proposed an agreement that determined that each slave would only represent three-fifths of a man when determining state representation in Congress (Finkelman 2013). The Emancipation for African Americans was the key to a promised land of true freedom, but they were left disappointed because they were not actually granted the freedoms they hoped for. Today, even though slavery …

Review: Perspective On High-Performing Dairy Cows And Herds, J. H. Britt, R. A. Cushman, C. D. Dechow, H. Dobson, P. Humblot, M. F. Hutjens, G. A. Jones, F. M. Mitloehner, P. L. Ruegg, I. M. Sheldon, J. S. Stevenson

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

Milk and dairy products provide highly sustainable concentrations of essential amino acids and other required nutrients for humans; however, amount of milk currently produced per dairy cow globally is inadequate to meet future needs. Higher performing dairy cows and herds produce more milk with less environmental impact per kg than lower performing cows and herds. In 2018, 15.4% of the world's dairy cows produced 45.4% of the world's dairy cow milk, reflecting the global contribution of high-performing cows and herds. In high-performing herds, genomic evaluations are utilized for multiple trait selection, welfare is monitored by remote sensing, rations are formulated …

Catalog | 2021-2022, Jacksonville State University

Announcements, Bulletins & Catalogs | Undergraduate

(2021-2022). In its early years as the State Normal School, JSU produced a variety of publications (announcements, bulletins, and catalogs) that contain course information combined with the types of information that would later be found in yearbooks. Examples include historical information about the school, lists of enrolled students and club officers, photographs of athletic teams and literary clubs, notes on alumni, faculty and campus facilities, and more.

Graduate Bulletin & Catalog | 2021-2022, Jacksonville State University

Bulletins & Catalogs | Graduate

Jacksonville State was granted University status in 1966 and began adding graduate programs to its curriculum at that time. Graduate bulletins and catalogs contain information on the academic calendar, policies and procedures, faculty, scholarships and tuition, and degree requirements for graduate programs.

Social Jetlag And Excessive Daytime Sleepiness From A Sample Of Russian Children And Adolescents, Sergey N. Kolomeichuk, Christoph Randler, Artem V. Morozov, Denis G. Gubin, Christopher L. Drake

Sleep Medicine Articles

PURPOSE: Insufficient nocturnal sleep is a primary source of excessive daytime sleepiness. Most previous research has focused on the disparity between sleep demands and study start times in adolescents. Fewer studies have focused on elementary schoolchildren. We hypothesize that late sleep timing is connected to excessive daytime sleepiness in a sample of Russian children and adolescents. The major goals of our study were to evaluate excessive daytime sleepiness in Russian schoolchildren and adolescents using the Russian version of the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale (PDSS) and to estimate its relationship with sleep-wake parameters using the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ).

MATERIALS AND …

Capacity-Building Project To Progress The Implementation Of International Instruments To Combat Iuu Fishing (Capfish), World Maritime University

Reports

No abstract provided.

Aggregation Controlled Charge Generation In Fullerene Based Bulk Heterojunction Polymer Solar Cells: Effect Of Additive, Washat Ware, Tia Wright, Yimin Mao, Shubo Han, Jessa Guffie, Evgeny O. Danilov, Jeromy Rech, Wei You, Zhiping Luo, Bhoj Gautam

College of Health, Science, and Technology

Optimization of charge generation in polymer blends is crucial for the fabrication of highly efficient polymer solar cells. While the impacts of the polymer chemical structure, energy alignment, and interface on charge generation have been well studied, not much is known about the impact of polymer aggregation on charge generation. Here, we studied the impact of aggregation on charge generation using transient absorption spectroscopy, neutron scattering, and atomic force microscopy. Our measurements indicate that the 1,8-diiodooctane additive can change the aggregation behavior of poly(benzodithiophene-alt-dithienyl difluorobenzotriazole (PBnDT-FTAZ) and phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)polymer blends and impact the charge generation process. Our …

Unm Pathology Pathfinder Winter 2021, Unm Department Of Pathology

Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Live Imaging Of Brain Network Dynamics In An Acute Threat Response By Memri: Effects Of Early Life Adversity On Noradrenergic System Anatomy, Taylor W. Uselman, Russell E. Jacobs, Elaine L. Bearer

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Monoaminergic signaling in cortical-limbic circuits regulate both normal physiology and responses to stress. Indeed, monoaminergic reuptake transporters, located on the pre-synaptic terminals of distal projections, are common pharmacological targets for mental disorders, like anxiety and depression. Early life adversity (ELA), which has an interaction with monoaminergic systems, increases vulnerability to mental disorders later in life. Despite this, we are yet to understand how ELA alters brain-wide patterns of neural activity. Here, we combine Manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) with behavioral tracking and immunohistochemistry to investigate the effects of ELA on the modular neuroarchitecture and behavioral response to acute threat. ELA was administered …

Proteopathic Tau Primes And Activates Interleukin-1ss (Il-1ss) Via Myd88- And Nlrp3-Asc-Inflammasome Dependent Pathways Cell-Autonomous To Microglia, Shanya Jiang, Nicole M. Maphis, Jessica Binder, Devon Chisholm, Lea Weston, Walter Duran, Crina Floruta, Amber Zimmerman, Michael Mandell, Stephen Jett, Eileen Bigio, Changiz Geula, Nikolaos Mellios, Jason Weick, Eicke Latz, Michael Heneka, Kiran Bhaskar

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Pathological hyperphosphorylation and aggregation of tau (pTau) and neuroinflammation, driven by interleukin-1β (IL-1β), are the major hallmarks of tauopathies. Here, we show that pTau primes and activates IL-1ß. First, pTau burden co-exist with elevated IL-1β and inflammasome proteins (NLRP3 and ASC) in autopsy brains of human tauopathies. Suppression of human tau blocks both priming and activation of ASC and NLRP3 in the rTg4510 mouse model of tauopathy. Treating microglia with pTau-containing neuronal media, exosomes or purified human tau tangles causes IL-1β activation, which is NLRP3, ASC, and caspase-1-dependent.

While the microglia-restricted deletion of a common innate immune adaptor protein, MyD88 …

Interactions Between Autophagy, Herpesvirus And Neurodegeneration In Alzheimer’S Disease, Amir Nafchi, Mohammad Anani, Tudor Oprea, Ben Readhead, Elaine Bearer

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Introduction: Various microbes and viruses have been associated with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Diseases (AD), with many studies dating back to the 1950s. There are challenges in establishing direct links between the microbes and AD pathology. Since microbes and viruses have been observed to be dormant and reactivate in aging brains, it is not clear if the microbes are a byproduct of AD pathology or a direct cause of it. Recently, various publications considered the link between several herpes simplex viruses and neurodegeneration in AD. For example, Readhead et al. utilized multiomics data from post-mortem brain samples meeting the neuropathological …

Common Weeds In Nursery Container Production, Isha Poudel, Anthony Witcher

Extension Publications

No abstract provided.

U.S. Foreign Policy For The Middle Class: Perspectives From Nebraska, Salman Ahmed, Allison Gelman

Yeutter Institute Publications

U.S. foreign policy has not come up often in the 2020 presidential campaign. But when it has, candidates on both sides of the aisle frequently have stressed that U.S. foreign policy should not only keep the American people safe but also deliver more tangible economic benefits for the country’s middle class. The debate among the presidential contenders is not if that should happen but how to make it happen. All too often, this debate takes place within relatively small circles within Washington, DC, without the benefit of input from state and local officials, small business owners, community leaders, local labor …

Incorporating Animal Movement Into Distance Sampling, R. Glennie, S. T. Buckland, R. Langrock, Tim Gerrodette, Susan Chivers, M. D. Scott

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Distance sampling is a popular statistical method to estimate the density of wild animal populations. Conventional distance sampling represents animals as fixed points in space that are detected with an unknown probability that depends on the distance between the observer and the animal. Animal movement can cause substantial bias in density estimation. Methods to correct for responsive animal movement exist, but none account for nonresponsive movement independent of the observer. Here, an explicit animal movement model is incorporated into distance sampling, combining distance sampling survey data with animal telemetry data. Detection probability depends on the entire unobserved path the animal …

Managing For Radical Ecosystem Change: Applying The Resist-Accept- Direct (Rad) Framework, Abigail J. Lynch, Laura M. Thompson, Erik A. Beever, David N. Cole, Augustin C. Engman, Cat Hawkins Hoffman, Stephen T. Jackson, Trevor J. Krabbenhoft, David J. Lawrence, Douglas Limpinsel, Robert T. Magill, Tracy A. Melvin, John M. Morton, Robert A. Newman, Jay O. Peterson, Mark T. Porath, Frank J. Rahel, Gregor W. Schuurman, Suresh A. Sethi, Jennifer L. Wilkening

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Ecosystem transformation involves the emergence of persistent ecological or social–ecological systems that diverge, dramatically and irreversibly, from prior ecosystem structure and function. Such transformations are occurring at increasing rates across the planet in response to changes in climate, land use, and other factors. Consequently, a dynamic view of ecosystem processes that accommodates rapid, irreversible change will be critical for effectively conserving fish, wildlife, and other natural resources, and maintaining ecosystem services. However, managing ecosystems toward states with novel structure and function is an inherently unpredictable and difficult task. Managers navigating ecosystem transformation can benefit from considering broader objectives, beyond a …

Ecology Of An Isolated Muskrat Population During Regional Population Declines, Laken S. Ganoe, Matthew J. Lovallo, Justin D. Brown, W. David Walter

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Evidence indicating a decline in Ondatra zibethicus (Muskrat) populations in the United States during the past 40 years has led to speculation regarding factors influencing Muskrat survival. In order to understand population dynamics and survival, it is important to first define the ecology of local populations. We investigated the dwelling structure use, movements, home range, and survival of radio-tagged Muskrats (n = 14) in an urban wetland complex in central Pennsylvania. We used locations collected from intensive radio-telemetry monitoring to determine number of lodging structures used, hourly movement, and size and percent area overlap of home ranges. Muskrats shared …

Elemental And Radionuclide Exposures And Uptakes By Small Rodents, Invertebrates, And Vegetation At Active And Post-Production Uranium Mines In The Grand Canyon Watershed, Danielle Cleveland, Jo Ellen Hinck, Julia S. Lankton

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

The effects of breccia pipe uranium mining in the Grand Canyon watershed (Arizona) on ecological and cultural resources are largely unknown. We characterized the exposure of biota to uranium and cooccurring ore body elements during active ore production and at a site where ore production had recently concluded. Our results indicate that biota have taken up uranium and other elements (e.g., arsenic, cadmium, copper, molybdenum, uranium) from exposure to ore and surficial contamination, like blowing dust. Results indicate the potential for prolonged exposure to elements and radionuclides upon conclusion of active ore production. Mean radium-226 in deer mice was up …

Soils And Paleosols, Daniel R. Muhs

United States Geological Survey: Publications

This article reviews the nature of modern and ancient soils. Soils are naturally occurring bodies that mantle most of the land surface of the Earth. They are found on virtually every part of the Earth’s land surface, other than areas covered by water bodies (lakes and rivers), glacial ice, or steep slopes in mountainous terrain. Soils occur at the interface of the geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere and are the medium of growth for much of the Earth’s plant and animal life. The study of soils as naturally occurring bodies on the Earth’s surface is called pedology (in contrast to …

Effects Of Human-Animal Interactions On Affect And Cognition, Elise L. Thayer, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Human-animal interaction has clear positive effects on people’s affect and stress. But less is known about how animal interactions influence cognition. We draw parallels between animal interactions and exposure to natural environments, a research area that shows clear improvements in cognitive performance. The aim of this study is to investigate whether interacting with animals similarly enhances cognitive performance, specifically executive functioning. To test this, we conducted two experiments in which we had participants self-report their affect and complete a series of cognitive tasks (long-term memory, attentional control, and working memory) before and after either a brief interaction with a dog …

Dog And Owner Characteristics Predict Training Success, Jeffrey R. Stevens, London M. Wolff, Megan Bosworth, Jill Morstad

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Teaching owners how to train their dogs is an important part of maintaining the health and safety of dogs and people. Yet we do not know what behavioral characteristics of dogs and their owners are relevant to dog training or if owner cognitive abilities play a role in training success. The aim of this study is to determine which characteristics of both dogs and owners predict success in completing the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen training program. Before the first session of a dog training course, owners completed surveys evaluating the behavior and cognition of their dog and themselves. …

Attribute-Based Choice, Francine W. Goh, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Alternative-based approaches to decision making generate overall values for each option in a choice set by processing information within options before comparing options to arrive at a decision. By contrast, attribute-based approaches compare attributes (such as monetary cost and time delay to receipt of a reward) across options and use these attribute comparisons to make a decision. Because they compare attributes, they may not use all available information to make a choice, which categorizes many of them as heuristics. Choice data have suggested that attribute-based models can better predict choice compared to alternative-based models in some situations (e.g., when there …

Are Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus Spp.) Sensitive To Lost Opportunities? The Role Of Opportunity Costs In Intertemporal Choice, Elsa Addessi, Valeria Tierno, Valentina Focaroli, Federica Rossi, Serena Gastaldi, Francesca De Petrillo, Fabio Paglieri, Jeffrey R. Stevens

Jeffrey Stevens Publications

Principles of economics predict that the costs associated with obtaining rewards can influence choice. When individuals face choices between a smaller, immediate option and a larger, later option, they often experience opportunity costs associated with waiting for delayed rewards because they must forego the opportunity to make other choices. We evaluated how reducing opportunity costs affects delay tolerance in capuchin monkeys. After choosing the larger option, in the High cost condition, subjects had to wait for the delay to expire, whereas in the Low cost different and Low cost same conditions, they could perform a new choice during the delay. …

The Global Goals: Bringing Education For Sustainable Development Into U.S. Business Schools, Nancy E. Landrum

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Purpose – This paper aims to learn how sustainability and the circular economy were being integrated into the curriculum of a Dutch university and to transfer that knowledge back to a US university business school curriculum. Given the resistance toward integrating sustainability into the US business school curriculum, the Dutch university served as a role model for education for sustainable development.

Design/methodology/approach – This case study used ethnographic methods of participant observation over a four-month residency at the Dutch university.

Findings – Themes observed are as follows: success in the current context relied upon sustainability being integrated into the culture …