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Spaghetti Tracer: A Framework For Tracing Semiregular Filamentous Densities In 3d Tomograms, Salim Sazzed, Peter Scheible, Jing He, Willy Wriggers

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Within cells, cytoskeletal filaments are often arranged into loosely aligned bundles. These fibrous bundles are dense enough to exhibit a certain regularity and mean direction, however, their packing is not sufficient to impose a symmetry between—or specific shape on—individual filaments. This intermediate regularity is computationally difficult to handle because individual filaments have a certain directional freedom, however, the filament densities are not well segmented from each other (especially in the presence of noise, such as in cryo-electron tomography). In this paper, we develop a dynamic programming-based framework, Spaghetti Tracer, to characterizing the structural arrangement of filaments in the challenging 3D …

Refinement Of Alphafold2 Models Against Experimental And Hybrid Cryo-Em Density Maps, Maytha Alshammari, Willy Wriggers, Jiangwen Sun, Jing He

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Recent breakthroughs in deep learning-based protein structure prediction show that it is possible to obtain highly accurate models for a wide range of difficult protein targets for which only the amino acid sequence is known. The availability of accurately predicted models from sequences can potentially revolutionise many modelling approaches in structural biology, including the interpretation of cryo-EM density maps. Although atomic structures can be readily solved from cryo-EM maps of better than 4 Å resolution, it is still challenging to determine accurate models from lower-resolution density maps. Here, we report on the benefits of models predicted by AlphaFold2 (the best-performing …

Negotiating The Bbnj Agreement : Exploring The Caribbean Community's Engagement From A Blue Economy Perspective With Special Focus On Environmental Impact Assessment Provisions, Kahlil Hassanali

World Maritime University Ph.D. Dissertations

The countries of the world are engaged in negotiations to develop an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (The BBNJ agreement). In the BBNJ process, the member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) participate as a regional bloc and have been actively involved in the negotiations. This thesis applies an action research methodology along with a mix of methods, including the reading of primary, secondary and grey literature; document content analysis; interviews and informal conversations; …

Ocean Science Diplomacy - The All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance Case, Andrei Polejack

World Maritime University Ph.D. Dissertations

Science diplomacy, the interlinkage between research and foreign affairs, is a recent field of research, albeit being claimed to be an ancient practice in international relations. Science diplomacy practices generally include the influence of scientific advice during international negotiations, the bridging of communities (or even conflicting nations) through joint research projects and the promotion of science by diplomatic channels, just to name a few. Largely identified today by mainstream intergovernmental policy-makers as a beneficial practice, science diplomacy is promoted as being rooted in the universality and cooperative nature of science and as a means for peaceful and uncontested international interactions. …

Sex Differences In Patients With Suicidal Intent That Are Managed By Toxicologists: An Analysis Of The Toxicology Investigators’ Consortium (Toxic) Registry, Gillian A. Beauchamp Md, Jacob Fishbein, Gregory A. Makar, Rita Pechulis Md, Fccp, Matthew D. Cook Do, Robert D. Cannon Do, Kenneth D. Katz Md, Hope Kincaid Mph, Cph, Jennifer L. Carey, Marna R. Greenberg Do, Mph, Facep

USF-LVHN SELECT

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Metformin On Statin Persistence, Byron Cheon, Ambuj Kumar Md, Mph, Athanasios Tsalatsanis, Kevin Cowart, Ronald Magness, Srinivas Tipparaju, Nicholas Carris

USF-LVHN SELECT

No abstract provided.

Sglt2 Inhibitors Therapy Protects Glucotoxicity-Induced Β-Cell Failure In A Mouse Model Of Human Katp-Induced Diabetes Through Mitigation Of Oxidative And Er Stress, Zeenat A. Shyr, Zihan Yan, Alessandro Ustione, Erin M. Egan, Maria S. Remedi

Open Access Publications

Progressive loss of pancreatic β-cell functional mass and anti-diabetic drug responsivity are classic findings in diabetes, frequently attributed to compensatory insulin hypersecretion and β-cell exhaustion. However, loss of β-cell mass and identity still occurs in mouse models of human KATP-gain-of-function induced Neonatal Diabetes Mellitus (NDM), in the absence of insulin secretion. Here we studied the temporal progression and mechanisms underlying glucotoxicity-induced loss of functional β-cell mass in NDM mice, and the effects of sodium-glucose transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) therapy. Upon tamoxifen induction of transgene expression, NDM mice rapidly developed severe diabetes followed by an unexpected loss of insulin content, decreased …

Weaving Academic Grace Into The Fabric Of Online Courses And Faculty Training: First-Year Engineering Student Advice For Online Faculty During The Covid-19 Pandemic And Faculty Responses, Michelle E. Jarvie-Eggart, Amanda Marie Singer, Marika Seigel, Mary Raber, Thomas M. Freeman, Brett Hamlin, Amy Hamlin, Michael R. Meyer

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Background: In the spring of 2020, COVID-19 forced the majority of higher education online, resulting in a wave of new online students uniquely positioned to offer fresh perspectives and advice to faculty.

Purpose: This study investigated the advice offered to online faculty by first-year engineering (FYE) students who were forced online during the pandemic and faculty ideas to address the student advice.

Methods: This multi-methods study included qualitative data from 233 FYE students (in 67 teams across four class offerings) who provided advice for online faculty through an end-of-year team assignment, leveraging analytic induction methods for analysis. The Quality Matters …

A Privacy Preserving Online Learning Framework For Medical Diagnosis Applications, Trang Pham Ngoc Nguyen

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Electronic Health records are an important part of a digital healthcare system. Due to their significance, electronic health records have become a major target for hackers, and hospitals/clinics prefer to keep the records at local sites protected by adequate security measures. This introduces challenges in sharing health records. Sharing health records however, is critical in building an accurate online diagnosis framework. Most local sites have small data sets, and machine learning models developed locally based on small data sets, do not have knowledge about other data sets and learning models used at other sites.

The work in this thesis utilizes …

Social Disorganisation Theory And Violent Crime: A Spatial-Econometric Analysis Of Chicago And Sydney, Anthony N. Greening

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The spatialisation of violent crime is explored in two large case studies, Chicago and Sydney, using spatial econometric methods and macro-sociological variables derived from Social Disorganisation Theory.

Social Disorganisation Theory (SDT) is introduced in terms of its formulation in response to highly specific conditions arising in Chicago, as well as its adoption of methodological and theoretical developments from existing traditions. This specificity belies its breadth of application and enduring presence in criminology. With “Social Disorganisation Theory” hosting a wealth of highly nuanced academic dialogue conducted under its banner, current incarnations of SDT appear as branches on an evolutionary tree. This …

Post-Exercise Arterial Stiffness Responses Are Similar After Acute Eccentric And Concentric Arm Cycling, Travis Wakeham, Dakota J. Anderson, Steven J. Elmer, John J. Durocher

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Upper-body resistance exercise effectively increases muscular strength, but may concomitantly increase arterial stiffness. Eccentric exercise can lead to muscle soreness and arterial stiffness in untrained participants. However, it is unclear if upper-body eccentric exercise could reduce arterial stiffness in a single session for participants that have undergone progressive training. Our purpose was to compare acute responses to upper-body eccentric (novel, ECCarm) and concentric (traditional, CONarm) steady state arm cycling. We hypothesized that arm arterial stiffness would be reduced after both ECCarm and CONarm. Twenty-two young healthy individuals performed either ECCarm ( = 11) or CONarm ( = 11) at ~70% …

Wax Models In Barcelona: From University Anatomical Sculptors To Makers Of Dermatological Waxworks En Ceroplastics, The Science Of Wax, Ed. Roberta Ballestriero, Owen Burke And Francesco Maria Galassi, Chloe Sharpe

Capítulos de libros

The art of wax modelling or ceroplastics has an ancient origin, from early Egyptian, Greek and Roman times. It was re-discovered between the 13th - 14th centuries in Florence with the cult of votive offerings; with the advent of Neoclassicism it extended into a more scientific environment, flourishing in the study of normal and pathological anatomy, obstetrics, zoology and botany. On the 7th and 8th June 2019, the 2nd edition of the International Congress on Wax Modelling took place in the University of Padua. The meeting followed that held in September 2017 at the Gordon Museum of Pathology, King's College …

Comparison Of The Mental Burden On Nursing Care Providers With And Without Mat-Type Sleep State Sensors At A Nursing Home In Tokyo, Japan: Quasi-Experimental Study, Sakiko Itoh, Hwee-Pink Tan, Kenichi Kudo, Yasuko Ogata

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Background: Increasing need for nursing care has led to the increased burden on formal caregivers, with those in nursing homes having to deal with exhausting labor. Although research activities on the use of internet of things devices to support nursing care for older adults exist, there is limited evidence on the effectiveness of these interventions among formal caregivers in nursing homes. Objective: This study aims to investigate whether mat-type sleep state sensors for supporting nursing care can reduce the mental burden of formal caregivers in a nursing home. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study at a nursing home in Tokyo, …

Contextualized Knowledge-Aware Attentive Neural Network: Enhancing Answer Selection With Knowledge, Yang Deng, Yuexiang Xie, Yaliang Li, Min Yang, Wai Lam, Ying Shen

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Answer selection, which is involved in many natural language processing applications, such as dialog systems and question answering (QA), is an important yet challenging task in practice, since conventional methods typically suffer from the issues of ignoring diverse real-world background knowledge. In this article, we extensively investigate approaches to enhancing the answer selection model with external knowledge from knowledge graph (KG). First, we present a context-knowledge interaction learning framework, Knowledge-aware Neural Network, which learns the QA sentence representations by considering a tight interaction with the external knowledge from KG and the textual information. Then, we develop two kinds of knowledge-aware …

Can Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Be A Viable Treatment Option For Law Enforcement Officers With Ptsd?, Megan Rinderer

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Law enforcement officers (LEO) are more likely to experience symptoms of PTSD when compared to the general population yet are less likely to seek mental health treatment (Jetelina et al., 2020). Given that LEO face unique occupational stressors and repeated exposure to traumatic events, treatment for PTSD among law enforcement populations poses unique challenges for clinicians. The combination of these variables precludes officers from seeking and receiving mental health services. Research regarding the efficacy of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) as a psychotherapeutic intervention is limited. To date, no studies have examined the use of BJJ to mitigate symptoms of PTSD …

Bio-Composite Of Nipa Palm Husk Derived Activated Carbon/Poly(Butylene Succinate): An Effective Agricultural Waste Based Adsorbent For Ammonia Removal, Chaichana Piyamawadee, Viboon Sricharoenchaikul, Duangdao Aht-Ong

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

In this work, activated materials were successfully prepared by pyrolyzing various ratios of Nipa palm husk powder to potassium hydroxide  (1:1, 1:2, and 1:3) at predetermined temperatures (500℃, 600℃, and 700℃). The surface area was obtained from nitrogen isotherms using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) equation. The surface area of the prepared activated carbon was increased with decreasing potassium hydroxide impregnation ratio and increasing pyrolyzing temperature. The highest surface area was 1,211 m2×g-1. In contrast, acidic surface functional groups investigated by Boehm’s titration were increased with decreasing pyrolyzing temperature and impregnation ratio. Ammonia removal capacity was increased with an increase in the …

Synthesis And Phosphate Adsorption Performance Of Elephant Dung Biochar Modified With Magnesium And Iron, Navod Abeysinghe, Kaewta Jetsrisuparb, K.H.T. Karunarathna, E.P.S. Chandana, Siraprapa Suwanree, Pornnapa Kasemsiri, Prinya Chindaprasirt, Jesper T.N. Knijnenburg

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

The large production volume combined with the high lignocellulose content makes elephant dung an attractive and underutilized biomass resource, but also presents waste management problems for elephant orphanages. This study explored the conversion of elephant dung into biochars by slow pyrolysis at 500°C for the recovery of phosphate. The unmodified biochar (BC500) had a specific surface area (SBET) of 62.5 m2×g-1 with point of zero charge (pHPZC) of 7.7. Biochar modification with MgCl2 (MgBC500) and FeCl3 (FeBC500) by pre-pyrolysis treatment affected the SBET (48.7 m2×g-1 and 259.4 m2×g-1, respectively) and pHPZC (8.7 and 3.3, respectively). In FeBC500, Fe was present …

Utilization Of Freeze Thaw Process For Polyvinyl Alcohol/Sodium Alginate (Pva/Sa) Hydrogel Composite, Rapeepan Muangsri, Piyachat Chuysinuan, Thanyaluck Thanyacharoen, Supanna Techasakul, Pongpat Sukhavattanakul, Sarute Ummartyotin

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate (PVA/SA) hydrogel was successfully prepared by freeze thaw process. Without crosslinking agent, hydrogel was formed by using 3, 5 and 7 consecutive cycles of freeze thaw. Hydrogel can be formed by hydrogen bonding formation between OH-group of sodium alginate and polyvinyl alcohol throughout network. Scanning electron microscope reported that microstructure of hydrogel was well packed. The interconnect porosity was also observed. Differential scanning calorimetry exhibited that two exothermic peaks at temperature of 110℃ and 225℃ were observed due to evaporation of water molecule and melting temperature of hydrogel, respectively. The swelling behavior was rapidly increased within initial …

A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study To Investigate The Effect Of C60 On Thermo- Mechanical And Elastic Properties Of Dgeba/Deta Nanocomposites, Dhritiman Talukdar, Sudipta Halder, Subhankar Das, M.S. Goyat, Abhishek Kumar Mishra

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to investigate the effect of  fullerenes (C60) on the thermal and mechanical properties of a cross-linked epoxy system composed of epoxy resin DGEBA and curing agent DETA. Hence, a comparative investigation was performed on the thermal and mechanical properties of DGEBA/DETA reinforced with 2.3 wt% C60 and neat epoxy systems. Properties such as glass transition temperature (GTT), coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE), and elastic properties at different cross-linking densities. Simulation results indicated that the GTT of the epoxy increased by about 25 K due to the presence of C60. The effect of C60 on the …

Multi-Responsive Rotaxane With Tunable Fluorescence Under Azobenzene-Based Benzoxazine Structure, Sorapat Niyomsin, Suwabun Chirachanchai, Toshikazu Takata

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Rotaxanes are known for the mechanically interlocked molecules for decades. The present work demonstrates a method to prepare multi-responsive rotaxane by conjugating with a multi-responsive supramolecule. Benzoxazine dimers, N, N’-bis(3,5-dimethyl-2-hydroxybenzyl) methylamine derivatives, are good models because their simple chemistry. An azobenzene containing benzoxazine with remaining hydroxyl group for further conjugation with rotaxane was designed. The ring opening of rotaxane using fluorescent phenol provides benzoxazine dimer with metal ion responsive and fluorescent properties. Based on this concept, light responsive benzoxazine conjugated with rotaxane system shows light, metal ion and rotaxane shuttling responsiveness which can be followed by fluorescent signals. The present …

Preparation Of Bacterial Cellulose Film From Rotten Fruits For Mulching Film Application, Nattapong Pinpru, Varol Intasanta, Thitirat Charoonsuk, Supharada Khaisaat, Oubonwan Sawanakarn, Naratip Vittayakorn, Somsak Woramongkolchai

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

This research aims to reduce production capital costs and added value to natural products. The bio-mulching film was prepared by bacterial cellulose (BC) “Acetobacter xylinum”, extracted from three rotten fruits, grape, coconut, and pineapple under standard tests in the laboratory. The analysis from the FTIR technique confirmed to cellulose molecular vibration of BC films. XRD pattern was matched to structure crystallinity of JCPDS standard file which possessed a high percentage of crystallinity. The SEM micrographs were also revealed the 3D nanofiber network structure. The absorption capability of BC films could highly hold water in its structure. In addition, …

Effect Of Pore Modifiers On Physical And Mechanical Properties Of High-Performance Cement Mortar, Kisun Chunti, Sureerat Polsilapa, Parinya Chakartnarodome, Passakorn Sonprasarn, Wichit Prakaypan, Edward A. Laitila

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

Two different pore modifiers (PM), artificial pozzolan (AP) and modified aluminum salt (MA), were introduced into the composition of a High Performance Cement Mortar (HPCM). The chemical compositions of raw materials, ordinary Portland cement (OPC), sea sand, AP, and MA were identified by X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometry (XRF). The hydration kinetics resulting from each PM added to the HPCM was investigated by the relevance of hydration temperature. The mechanical properties such as compressive strength, dynamic modulus of rupture, and dynamic modulus of elasticity were measured as well as water absorption and density. Additionally, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) were …

Green Acidic Catalyst From Cellulose Extracted From Sugarcane Bagasse Through Pretreatment By Electron Beam Irradiation And Subsequent Sulfonation For Sugar Production, Thitirat Rattanawongwiboon, Prim Chanklinhorm, Threeraphat Chutimasakul, Tanagorn Kwamman, Wilasinee Kingkam, Rattapon Khamlue, Sarute Ummartyotin

Journal of Metals, Materials and Minerals

The objective of this research is to prepare a green acidic catalyst from cellulose derived from sugarcane bagasse (SB). Initially, SB was pretreated by electron beam irradiation with a dose of 50 kGy to 200 kGy and subsequent acid hydrolysis to obtain cellulose. The cellulose derived from SB was carbonized at different temperatures for 4 h and then sulfonated with heating at 120°C under reflux. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to confirm the successful preparation of acidic catalyst by irradiation pretreatment and subsequent sulfonation. The cellulose derived from irradiated SB at the lowest dose …

An Analysis Of Military Service Academies Sexual Harassment And Sexual Assault Through Reports, Research, And Media Coverage, Lisa “Tana” Youn Kyung Sharp

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Military Sexual Trauma (MST) at the United States Military Services Academies (MSA) remains at a concerning rate despite the MSAs’ proactive educational steps towards addressing this issue. One of the most influential factors is the very culture of the MSAs. This paper analyzes publicly-accessible governmental research and reports, peer reviewed articles, a legal publication, and media coverage. The analysis shows that there remain significant barriers to change which continue to play a role in the high frequency of MST. These barriers are low rates of accountability, difficulty in access to cadets/midshipmen by outside researchers, and the overall MSA cultural trends …

The Devil’S Advocate: The Relational Therapist As Jung’S Fourth In The Treatment Of Queer Christian Clients, Whitney Wilson

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

This paper is an exploration of C.G. Jung’s essay, A Psychological Approach to the Dogma of the Trinity, and how he inadvertently provides a relational psychodynamic lens for working with queer Christian clients who are differentiating from their harmful, embedded theologies. Jung hypothesizes that the Christian Trinity archetype – the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, cannot exist without a fourth member, the Devil, who holds an essential role in the successful differentiation of the Trinity. The relational therapist is called to act as the Devil when working with queer Christian clients - inviting in seemingly mischievous and dangerous thoughts that …

The Intersubjective Perspective: An Effective Treatment Model For Incarcerated Clients, Zachary Grant Weiss

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Although there is already a large body of theoretical literature on the utility of Intersubjective Systems Theory in working with more challenging clinical presentations, little has been written about the use of this approach in working with incarcerated clients. In this paper, I will be making the case for the utility and need for the Intersubjective Perspective in working within the forensic system. This paper will first focus on building a general framework for Intersubjective Systems Theory, and its theoretical understanding of clients’ striving towards health, love and connection. Next, this paper will take time to focus on a brief …

Unreality And Loss Of Self: Dissociative Experiences In Buddhist Practitioners, Jill Loving

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

On the surface, the Buddhist idea of emptiness and experiences of depersonalization and derealization seem to have significant overlap. Meditations on emptiness in the Buddhist tradition seek to lead meditators to observe the ego as illusory and empty of inherent content as one step in the journey to liberate oneself from suffering. Conversely, dissociation is generally an involuntary, automatic response to severe trauma that can become more common or chronic in an individual over time. Topographically, these experiences may look similar; both include a sense of unreality of the self and often of the broader world. However, differences in stimulus …

Older Adults And Suicide As Examined Through The Lens Of Joiner's Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide, Pamela Holmes

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Older adults face the highest rates of suicide of all age groups. The older adult population is not a homogenous group, and each age range—young old, middle old, and oldest old—has specific risk factors. Although Joiner’s interpersonal theory of suicide (IPTS) has been deemed valid among these age groups, it has not been specifically researched in older adults in each older age range. Due to lack of research and low reporting rates, not enough is known to develop specific detection and prevention measures targeting this population. This paper addresses the application of Joiner’s IPTS to both genders in each of …

Cancer Related Cognitive Impairment In Breast Cancer Patients: Guidelines For Neuropsychological Evaluation And Management, Ali Al-Humadi

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Current literature indicates there is still some debate regarding the scope and severity of cancer treatment related cognitive impairment (CRCI), with a wide variety of complex factors contributing to cognitive decline and discrepancies between objective findings and patient self-report. This paper aims to provide guidelines for neuropsychological evaluation, management, and rehabilitation of CRCI in breast cancer patients based on current research. This paper also aims to discuss current research on proposed mechanisms of action for CRCI, the cognitive domains affected in CRCI, and significant bio-psycho-social risk factors impacting CRCI.

Attachment Theory To Inform Intervention In Correctional Populations With Adverse Childhood Experiences And Substance Use Disorders, Samantha Mendoza

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Research shows a correlation exists between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and poor mental health such as psychiatric and substance use disorders (Adshead, 2018). Research further suggests a correlation between ACEs and insecure attachment in adults (Adshead, 2018). The National Institute on Drug Abuse (2020) estimates 85% of the correctional population either has a substance use disorder or was incarcerated for a drug-related offense. This paper theorizes that those involved in the correctional system with a history of high ACE scores and substance use also experience insecure attachment, which is not currently addressed in correctional SUD programs. Attachment theory moderates the …