Digital Commons Network^™

Living In An Oil-Polluted Region In Nigeria As A Risk Factor In Colorectal Cancer Development, Steve Nwachi Onya

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Due to differences in exposure to various risk factors, colorectal cancer (CRC) rates differ in regions of Nigeria. Although the people living in the Southsouth, an oil-producing region, are concerned that they are most affected, there is insufficient research to address these concerns. The purpose of this quantitative ecological study was to investigate whether living in the oil-polluted region in Nigeria is associated with an excess CRC incidence rate. The potential spatial autocorrelation of CRC incidence among the contiguous regions was also examined. The study was grounded in the ecosocial theoretical framework. Data were extracted from the Nigeria National System …

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Vaccine Development Using Dual-Species Whole Cell And Subunit Vaccines, Catherine Bell Blackwood

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen which can cause severe, recurrent, and chronic infections. The pathogen is highly adaptable, and pneumonia caused by it is associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially in individuals with the genetic disorder cystic fibrosis. Antibiotic resistance amongst clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa is steadily increasing, and multi-drug resistant strains are prevalent. There is currently no vaccine available for commercial use against P. aeruginosa. For these reasons, we sought to understand the immunity to P. aeruginosa induced by whole cell vaccination and identify antigens for development of future subunit vaccines. In this dissertation, …

Health Disparities By Sexual Orientation Components In The United States, Julia Kay Wolf

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Fundamental cause theory encourages researchers to consider broad social conditions that put people at risk of individual-level health-related risks that can lead to health disparities between social groups. Stigma has recently been proposed as a fundamental cause of health disparities as it influences multiple disease outcomes, affects access to resources, and is consistently related to health inequities across historical and geographical contexts. Minority stress theory describes how sexual minorities endure excess stressors in the form of prejudice and discrimination due to their stigmatized status. Considering both frameworks, I explore how stigmatized sexual orientation minority respondents compare to their sexual majority …

Enabling Technologies For Medicinal Chemistry And Synthesis: I. Cannabinoids; Ii. Illudalic Acid; Iii. Microwave Chemistry, Harvey Fulo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Innovations in synthetic organic chemistry such as methodology improvements, new chemical transformations and technology development significantly impact medicinal chemistry and continue to drive the drug discovery process. Here, new cyclization strategies to the pharmaceutically underexplored 3,3-dimethylcyclopentane-fused aromatic rings are described. One approach highlighted oxidative cycloisomerization, intermolecular [2+2+2] cyclotrimerization and 5-exo-dig cyclization providing indanoylindole cannabinoids that possess high affinity for human CB₂ receptors at nanomolar concentration and good selectivity index. Another featured a [4+2]-type benzannulation reaction which enabled the 5-step synthesis of illudalic acid — compared to the current available sequences (≥16 steps) — and its equipotent and LAR-selective analogs. …

Active Shooter Preparedness Among Dental Hygiene Students, Brenda T. Bradshaw, Jessica R. Suedbeck, Tara L. Newcomb, Ann M. Bruhn

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: Active shooter incidents (ASIs) occurring in dental hygiene academic settings present unique challenges and research examining institutional preparation of dental hygiene students for such incidents is lacking. The purpose of this pilot project was to examine the perceived preparedness, confidence, and awareness of dental hygiene students regarding ASIs.

Methods: A validated 24-item electronic survey was distributed to dental hygiene students (n=68) at one institution to measure their preparedness, confidence, and awareness regarding ASIs. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations were used for data analysis.

Results: Fifty-seven dental hygiene students completed the survey for a response rate of 84%. Many participants …

Shear Stress Associated With Cardiopulmonary Bypass Induces Expression Of Inflammatory Cytokines And Necroptosis In Monocytes, Lan N. Tu, Lance Hsieh, Masaki Kajimoto, Kevin Charette, Nataliya Kibiryeva, Adriana Forero, Sarah Hampson, Jennifer A. Marshall, James O'Brien, Marta Scatena, Michael A. Portman, Ram Savan, Chris Benner, Alberto Aliseda, Muhammad Nuri, Douglas Bittel, Peter Pastuszko, Vishal Nigam

Faculty and Staff Publications

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) is required during most cardiac surgeries. CBP drives systemic inflammation and multiorgan dysfunction that is especially severe in neonatal patients. Limited understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying CPB-associated inflammation presents a significant barrier to improve clinical outcomes. To better understand these clinical issues, we performed mRNA sequencing on total circulating leukocytes from neonatal patients undergoing CPB. Our data identify myeloid cells, particularly monocytes, as the major cell type driving transcriptional responses to CPB. Furthermore, IL-8 and TNF-α were inflammatory cytokines robustly upregulated in leukocytes from both patients and piglets exposed to CPB. To delineate the molecular mechanism, we …

Mitochondrial Mrna Processing In The Chlorophyte Alga Pediastrum Duplex And Streptophyte Alga Chara Vulgaris Reveals An Evolutionary Branch In Mitochondrial Mrna Processing, Grayson C.R. Proulex, Marcus J. Meade, Kalina M. Manoylov, A. Bruce Cahoon

Faculty and Staff Works

Mitochondria carry the remnant of an ancestral bacterial chromosome and express those genes with a system separate and distinct from the nucleus. Mitochondrial genes are transcribed as poly-cistronic primary transcripts which are post-transcriptionally processed to create individual translationally competent mRNAs. Algae post-transcriptional processing has only been explored in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Class: Chlorophyceae) and the mature mRNAs are different than higher plants, having no 5′ UnTranslated Regions (UTRs), much shorter and more variable 3′ UTRs and polycytidylated mature mRNAs. In this study, we analyzed transcript termini using circular RT-PCR and PacBio Iso-Seq to survey the 3′ and 5′ UTRs and termini …

Highest Composition Dissimilarity Among Phytoplankton Communities At Intermediate Environmental Distances Across High-Altitude Tropical Lakes, Alonso Cartuche, Kalina M. Manoylov, Bastiaan W. Ibelings, Patrick Venail

Faculty and Staff Works

Tropical high-altitude lakes are vital freshwater ecosystems for the functioning and dynamics of tropical high-altitude wetlands called páramos, found at over 3300 m above sea level. They play a major role in the hydrogeological cycle and provide important hydrological services such as water storage, and yet they are understudied. Describing the patterns and processes of community composition in these lakes is required to better understand the consequences of their degradation by human activities. In this study we tested the geographical and environmental components of distance–decay relationships in the phytoplankton structure across 24 tropical high-altitude lakes from Southern Ecuador. Phytoplankton composition …

Two New Species Of Bimastos (Oligochaeta, Lumbricidae) From The Southern Appalachian Mountains, North America, Roberto Carrera-Martínez, Daniel Jones, Sean D. Schoville, Bruce A. Snyder, Mac A. Callaham

Faculty and Staff Works

Two new species of Bimastos Moore are described based on morphological and molecular data. Bimastos nanae n. sp. resembles B. lawrenceae Fender, B. zeteki (Smith and Gittins) and B. welchi (Smith). Bimastos nanae n. sp. differs from these species in the position of the clitellum, size and number and position of thickened septa. Bimastos magnum n. sp. is similar to B. schwerti Csuzdi & Chang and B. palustris Moore in having a fully annular clitellum and male pores on huge porophores. Bimastos magnum n. sp. differs from both species by having a more posterior position of the clitellum (in xxiv-xxxiii, …

Tribally Defined Citizenship Criteria: Countering Whiteness As Property Interpretations Of “Indian” For Restoring Inherent Sovereignty, Lori Bable

UC Law Journal of Race and Economic Justice

This article implements the framework of whiteness of property to articulate the ways in which holdings of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) have limited Tribal Nations’ sovereignty because of the illegibility and correlative dispossession of inherent sovereignty itself. This article also highlights how these past SCOTUS opinions, especially recently, threaten to further reduce tribal sovereignty insofar as Tribal Nation citizenship remains based upon blood quantum. The case studies examined herein were selected because of the ways they strategically diminished Tribal Nation sovereignty via rhetorical precarity created using equivocations on the meaning of “Indian.” Through articulating how SCOTUS …

The Effect Of Diet On The Variation Of Blood And Urine Heavy Metal Biomarkers Among National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes) Subjects: A Secondary Data Analysis, Devineé Lingo, Alyssa Perri

Loma Linda University Research Reports

Background: Heavy metals are non-essential elements that provide no biological benefit to the human body. Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium are toxic to humans even in trace amounts. Humans are exposed to various heavy metals through ingestion of contaminated food and water supplies. Heavy metals can accumulate in body organs and displace essential minerals leading to detrimental health effects such as neurological, endocrine, and immune dysfunction, that can result in long-term damage.

Objective: The purpose of this graduate student research study was to examine the effect of diet on the variation of blood and urine lead, …

The Effectiveness Of A Preoperative Lifestyle-Based Weight Loss Program On Postoperative Outcomes In Bariatric Patients: A Secondary Data Analysis, Jasmine Westerdahl, Samantha Peebles

Loma Linda University Research Reports

Background: Obesity is a multifactorial and largely preventable chronic disease. There are many interventional methods that can be used in treating obesity, such as diet and lifestyle interventions. Surgical intervention is also an effective treatment option that is utilized for those that are severely obese. Bariatric surgery helps to achieve weight loss, as well as reduce the risk and/or manage comorbidities. In the U.S., many insurance companies and certain bariatric centers require patients to lose weight prior to surgery. The explanation for preoperative weight loss stems from its potential correlation with reduction in surgical complications, improved adherence to stringent …

Redefining Healthcare To Address Racial Health Disparities & Inequities, Abdur Rahman Amin

Mitchell Hamline Law Journal of Public Policy and Practice

No abstract provided.

Reforming Sexual Health Education In Minnesota Schools: An Evidence-Based Approach, Antonia Kurtz

Mitchell Hamline Law Journal of Public Policy and Practice

No abstract provided.

The Toxic Crusaders: Exploring The History Of The Criminal Enforcement Of The Toxic Substances Control Act, Joshua Ozymy, Melissa L. Jarrell

Mitchell Hamline Law Journal of Public Policy and Practice

The criminal prosecution of defendants who violated federal laws governing chemical substances has been ongoing for roughly four decades. Yet we continue to have a poor understanding of how federal prosecutors use the U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to charge and prosecute environmental criminals. Through content analysis of all the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) criminal prosecution case summaries from 1983 to 2019, we analyze all TSCA-focused prosecutions for two purposes. First, to gain a better historical understanding of how federal prosecutors have used TSCA as a prosecutorial tool. Second, to understand outcomes of those prosecutions. Results show that 38% …

Workplace Violence, Firearm Prohibitions, And The New Gun Rights, Dru Stevenson

University of San Francisco Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Expansion Of Shrimp Farms In The Gulf Of California And Potential For Restoration To Support Migratory Waterbirds, Miles Scheuering

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Wintering and stopover areas provide crucial habitat for migratory birds yet are often understudied. The estuaries of Sonora and Sinaloa on the Gulf of California in Mexico provide critical wintering and stopover sites for migratory waterbirds in the Pacific Flyway. Shrimp farms are the greatest threat to these areas and their full impact is not well understood but they provide poor habitat for waterbirds. A significant portion of existing farms may be abandoned based on a disparity between active area reported by the Sonora and Sinaloa state commissions and observed area based on remote sensing. Abandoned farms represent potential area …

Binegativity And Depression: Examining Alcohol Use Among Nonexclusively-Oriented Womxn, Kaylee M. Kronsperger

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Purpose:

Alcohol use disorders can lead to cirrhosis, cancer, domestic violence, and even death (Carvalho, Andre F, et al. 2019). Gender and sexual minorities (GSM; non-cisgender and nonheterosexual individuals) report elevated rates of alcohol use (“Sexual Orientation Differences”, 2013), although nonexclusively-oriented womxn (NOW; womxn-identified people attracted to more than one gender)(womxn - terminology encompassing all women identified individuals; more inclusive for transgender and nonbinary individuals) in particular report higher rates of alcohol misuse. NOW also report higher rates of depression than other sexual minority groups (Feinstein & Dyar, 2017). Minority stress theory conceptualizes health disparities as consequences of the increased …

A "Directed Trust" Approach To Intergenerational Solidarity In American Environmental Law And Policy: A Modest Proposal, Lucia A. Silecchia

Scholarly Articles

In recent years, much has been written about trust principles as a useful lens through which to view environmental obligations – particularly with respect to the obligations of the present generation to those who will live in the generations to come.
Underlying much of this discussion is the ancient principle of the public trust doctrine as a vehicle for meeting that intergenerational responsibility. However, while trust theory enjoys an impressive legal pedigree, it has not gained as much traction in American environmental law as might be effective for addressing contemporary environmental issues.
One reason that the trust model is not …

Do The Police Protect And Serve All People In The United States?: A Survey Of The Problems Within Modern Policing And Solutions To Ensure The Police Protect And Serve Us All, Bianca Velez

University of San Francisco Law Review

No abstract provided.

“Lilith Shall Be Saved By Her Childbearing:” Gynocentric Consideration On The Female Body And The Relationship Between Mother And Daughter In George Macdonald’S Lilith, Ayumi Kumabe

North Wind: A Journal of George MacDonald Studies

No abstract provided.

A Rich Fading Biocultural Diversity?A Review Of Traditional Herbal Teas Used By Minorities In The Balkans, Muhammad Abdul Aziz, Andrea Pieroni, Syed Abidullah, Anely Nedelcheva

Turkish Journal of Botany

Ethnobotanical studies focusing on medicinal plant ingredients have always been conducted with the aim of protecting the local ecological knowledge (LEK) of these natural resources. In the globalized world, the rapid loss of biodiversity and cultural and linguistic homogenization have threatened the survival of the planet, together with leading us towards an extinction crisis. In this extreme situation, LEK is also facing serious challenges, especially that of minorities where the pressure is manifold. A number of studies have been carried out among minority groups in recent times, and scientists are attempting to devise solid policy recommendations to celebrate their LEK …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

No abstract provided.

Roy P. Peterson, Anna Presley Dyer

Roy P. Peterson Collection

No abstract provided.

Validation Of Hplc Method For The Determination Of Chemical And Radiochemical Purity Of A 68ga-Labelled Euk-Sub-Kf-(3-Iodo-Y-) Dotaga, Ayşe Uğur, Şükrü Gökhan Elçi̇, Doğangün Yüksel

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

The prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) represents an ideal biomarker for molecular imaging. Various PSMA-targeted radioligands are available for prostate cancer imaging. In this study, labeling of PSMA I&T with 68Ga, as well as validation of the radiochemical purity of the synthesis product by reverse phase radio high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method are intended. Since the standard procedure for the quality control (QC) was not available, definition of chemical and radiochemical purity of 68Ga-PSMA I&T was carried out according to the Q2 (R1) ICH guideline. The standard QC tests were analyzed with Scintomics 8100 radio-HPLC system equipped with a radioactivity detector. …

Fabrication And Characterization Of Amidoxime-Functionalized Silica Decorated Withcopper: A Catalytic Assembly For Rapid Reduction Of Dyes, Ijaz Ahmed Khan, Muhammad Inaam-Ul-Hassan, Hazrat Hussain, Syed Mujtaba Shah, Tariq Yasin

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

In this study, amidoxime-functionalized silica decorated with copper (AFS-Cu) was fabricated and tested for its catalytic application. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction were employed to characterize its structure and morphology. The application of AFS-Cu as a catalyst for the catalytic reduction of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous media using NaBH$_{4}$ as reductant was evaluated. The ability to reuse as well as the effect of catalyst dose and pH of solution on the catalytic activity was investigated. The reduction of MB followed pseudo-first-order kinetics and the rate constant (k) was 0.6224 min$^{-1}$. …

The Protective Role Of Melatonin Under Heavy Metal-Induced Stress In Melissa Officinalis L., Elvisa Hodzic, Semira Galijasevic, Milica Balaban, Sebila Rekanovic, Halid Makic, Biljana Kukavica, Dijana Mihajlovic

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Heavy metals, due to their inability to degrade, pose a serious environmental and nutritional problem. The accumulation of essential and non-essential heavy metals in living organisms reduces normal growth and development, resulting in acute poisoning, disease and even death of organisms. Melatonin is a very important multifunctional molecule in protecting plants from oxidative stress due to its ability to directly neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS). Also, melatonin has a chelating property, which may contribute in reducing metal-induced toxicity. In this paper, the protective role of melatonin in counteracting metal-induced free radical generation was highlighted. Using the HPLC-FLD technique melatonin was …

Evaluation Of The Surface Properties Of 4-(Decyloxy) Benzoic Acid Liquid Crystal And Its Use In Structural Isomer Separation, Bi̇rol Işik, Fati̇h Çakar, Hüsnü Cankurtaran, Özlem Cankurtaran

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

The selectivity of 4-(Decyloxy) benzoic acid (DBA) liquid crystal in surface adsorption region (303.2-328.2 K) and thermodynamic region (423.2 - 433.2 K) was investigated by inverse gas chromatography at infinite dilution (IGC-ID). The selectivity parameters of the structural isomer series named butyl acetate, butyl alcohol, and amyl alcohol series were calculated for the DBA using IGC-ID technique. Additionally, the surface properties including dispersive surface energy (γ SD), free energy (ΔGAS), enthalpy (ΔHAS), and acidity-basicity constants were calculated with net retention volumes obtained from IGC-ID experiment results. When the ΔHAS and ΔGAS are constants, DBA surface was found to be an …

One-Pot Green Synthesized Protein-Based Silver Nanocluster As Prooxidant Biosensor, Esi̇n Akyüz

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

In this study, silver nanoclusters as prooxidant biosensor were eco-friendly synthesized using chicken egg white protein without any chemical reducing agents for measuring copper(II)-induced prooxidant activities of catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin gallate, resveratrol, gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, and rutin. The prooxidant activities were evaluated via measuring the absorption at 450 nm wavelength of the Cu(I)-neocuproine chelate formed by extraction of protein-bound Cu(I) with neocuproine reagent. Accuracy was determined by evaluating recovery values of wine, grape and apple samples and the obtained values were between 97.2%-98.9%. Intraday precision and inter-day reproducibility experiments were studied with three different experiments in a day and …

Synthesis Of Imidazo-1,4-Oxazinone Derivatives And Investigation Of Reaction Mechanism, Volkan Taşdemi̇r

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

In this study, nine different C-2 aroyl imidazole derivatives were synthesized in a one pot reaction with two steps, and the reduction reactions of these derivatives with NaBH4 were carried out under mild conditions. Substitution reaction of obtained imidazo methanol derivatives with chloroacetylchloride reagent and ring reaction of substitution products were investigated. It was determined that 1,4-imidazoxazinone derivative was obtained as a result of the cyclization reaction. The intermediate products obtained during the cyclization reaction were isolated, and the path of the reaction under different conditions was discussed.