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City Of Culver City Coyote Management Report, Melinda Weaver, Michele Romolini, Eric G. Strauss

Center for Urban Resilience Reports

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The scientific staff at the LMU Center for Urban Resilience, along with affiliated scientists, collaborators and students conducted a three-year management study in order to assist the City of Culver City and its residents in managing the dynamic challenge of coexisting with resident and transient coyotes. Despite the considerable social and logistical upheaval caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, CURes staff and collaborators collected and analyzed data continuously through the various phases of the pandemic. The goals of the project were to: 1) Gather appropriate ecological, technical and human social data with regard to coyote ecology and human-wildlife conflict, …

Pointers From Sociology: Looking At Trevor Noah’S Born A Crime: Stories From A South African Childhood, Joseph Drew

Comparative Civilizations Review

The book is a study of a basic change in social stratification. It is also a study of poverty in South Africa. Plus, it is a study of the changing nature of community and society in that land.

We know that almost every society organizes inequality by ranking categories of people in a hierarchy. Four important principles of social stratification are:

• Social stratification is inclusive of all, not a reflection of individual differences, and shapes our lives.

• Social stratification carries over from generation to generation.

• Social stratification is universal but variable.

• Social stratification involves both inequality and beliefs about the …

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Ambient Temperature During Pregnancy And Risk Of Maternal Hypertensive Disorders: A Time-To-Event Study In Johannesburg, South Africa, Chérie Part, Jean Le Roux, Matthew Chersichb, Shobna Sawry, Véronique Filippi, Nathalie Roos, Lee Fairlie, Britt Nakstad, Jeroen De Bont, Stanley Luchters

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are a leading cause of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity. We evaluate the effects of ambient temperature on risk of maternal hypertensive disorders throughout pregnancy. We used birth register data for all singleton births (22–43 weeks' gestation) recorded at a tertiary-level hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, between July 2017–June 2018. Time-to-event analysis was combined with distributed lag non-linear models to examine the effects of mean weekly temperature, from conception to birth, on risk of (i) high blood pressure, hypertension, or gestational hypertension, and (ii) pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, or HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelets). Low …

Segmentation Of Diatoms Using Edge Detection And Deep Learning, Hüseyi̇n Gündüz, Cüneyd Nadi̇r Solak, Serkan Günal

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Diatoms are photosynthesizing algae found in almost every aquatic environment. Detecting the number and diversity of diatoms is very important to analyze water quality appropriately. Accurate segmentation of diatoms is therefore crucial for this detection process. In this study, a new and effective model for the automatic segmentation of diatoms based on image processing and deep learning algorithms is proposed. In the proposed model, edge segments of a given image containing diatoms and nondiatom particles are first obtained. These edge segments are then combined, resulting in closed contours representing diatom candidates. In the final step, the diatom candidates are classified …

Validity Of An Abbreviated Individual Water Insecurity Experiences (Iwise-4) Scale For Measuring The Prevalence Of Water Insecurity In Low- And Middle-Income Countries, Hilary J. Bethanancourt, Edward A. Frongillo Jr. Ph.D., Sera L. Young

Faculty Publications

The 12-item Water Insecurity Experiences Scales provide high resolution, cross-context equivalent data on household and individual water insecurity. A 4-item, 1-minute version of the Household Water Insecurity Experiences (HWISE-4) Scale has proven useful for understanding the prevalence of household water insecurity experiences when limited resources preclude the use of the HWISE-12 Scale. Herein, we tested the validity of an analogous four-item version of the Individual Water Insecurity Experiences Scale (IWISE-4) for measuring the prevalence of individual water insecurity when limited resources prevent implementation of the IWISE-12 Scale. We used data from adults in 31 low- and middle-income countries (n …

Estimating R0 From Early Exponential Growth: Parallels Between 1918 Influenza And 2020 Sars-Cov-2 Pandemics, Grant Foster, Bret D. Elderd, Robert L. Richards, Tad Dallas

Faculty Publications

The large spatial scale, geographical overlap, and similarities in transmission mode between the 1918 H1N1 influenza and 2020 SARS-CoV-2 pandemics together provide a novel opportunity to investigate relationships between transmission of two different diseases in the same location. To this end, we use initial exponential growth rates in a Bayesian hierarchical framework to estimate the basic reproductive number, R₀, of both disease outbreaks in a common set of 43 cities in the United States. By leveraging multiple epidemic time series across a large spatial area, we are able to better characterize the variation in R₀ across the …

Being Afraid To “Look Stupid:” Examining Student Perspectives On Academic Interventions, Dalia Altubah

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Developing Methods For Testing Inhibition Of E. Coli Strains By Urinary Lactobacilli, Layla Jeries, Rayan Haque

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Effects Of Kidney Stones On Our Microbiome: Lactobacilli Growth In The Presence Of Oxalate, Rayan Haque, Layla Jeries

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

“A Life Of Ambiguity”: Lgbtqia Mixed-Race Experiences Of (In)Visibility, Alyssa Harmon

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Large Scale Overexpression And Purification Of Taq Dna Polymerase In Escherichia Coli, Christopher San Miguel

Summer Community of Scholars Posters (RCEU and HCR Combined Programs)

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of Traumatic Experiences And Mental Wellbeing Among Recent Immigrant Mothers And Children, Andy U. Torres, Frances Morales, Amanda Palomin, Marika Dawkins, Alfonso Mercado

Journal of Family Strengths

Immigrant mothers face numerous challenges and unique stressors related not only to their role as asylum-seekers but also to their roles as women and caretakers. Some studies suggest that immigrant mothers may exhibit high internalizing symptoms related to pre-migration trauma exposure, while others claim that such symptoms may be due to the internalization of their children’s mental health. In view of this, a total of 60 recently arrived immigrant mothers and their children from Central America, predominantly the Northern Triangle, who arrived via the U.S-Mexico border were sampled. Immigrant mothers and their children were administered a Spanish battery containing health …

Pest Population Dynamics Are Related To A Continental Overwintering Gradient, Douglas Lawton, Anders S. Huseth, George G. Kennedy, Amy C. Morey, William D. Hutchison, Dominic D. Reisig, Seth J. Dorman, De Shae Dillard, Robert C. Venette, Russell L. Groves, John J. Adamczyk, Izailda Barbosa Dos Santos, Tracey Baute, Sebe Brown, Eric Burkness, Ashley Dean, Galen P. Dively, Hélène B. Doughty, Shelby J. Fleischer, Jessica Green, Jeremy K. Greene, Krista Hamilton, Erin Hodgson, Thomas E. Hunt, David Kerns, Billy Rogers Leonard, Sean Malone, Fred Musser, David Owens, John C. Palumbo, Silvana L. Vieira De Paula Moraes, Julie A. Peterson, Ricardo Ramirez, Silvia I. Rondon, Tracy L. Schilder, Abby Seaman, Lori Spears, Scott D. Stewart, Sally Taylor, Tyler Towles

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Overwintering success is an important determinant of arthropod populations that must be considered as climate change continues to influence the spatiotemporal population dynamics of agricultural pests. Using a long-term monitoring database and biologically relevant overwintering zones, we modeled the annual and seasonal population dynamics of a common pest, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), based on three overwintering suitability zones throughout North America using four decades of soil temperatures: the southern range (able to persist through winter), transitional zone (uncertain overwintering survivorship), and northern limits (unable to survive winter). Our model indicates H. zea population dynamics are hierarchically structured with continental-level effects …

Ce 651 Syllabus: Diagnosis And Psychopathology Of Children & Adolescents, Rieko Miyakuni

Counselor Education Syllabi

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the etiology and classification of mental disorders in children and adolescents as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5 TR). Students will learn to utilize diagnostic information to facilitate the initiation and implementation of case management strategies, treatment plan development, and therapeutic intervention with children and adolescents seeking/receiving mental health counseling services

Chemical Composition Of Kombucha, Peyton Bishop, Eric R. Pitts, Drew Budner, Katherine A. Thompson-Witrick

Chemistry

Kombucha is a fermented sweetened tea with a mixed fermenting culture of yeast and acetic acid bacteria. While the history of kombucha is not completely clear, it is now available around the world and has shown an increase in availability and demand in the United States market. The proponents of kombucha consumption tout the varied health benefits it can provide. The final kombucha flavor and composition is a function of both the initial tea used and the fermentation process. While the ascribed benefits are varied and numerous, the number of direct studies has been limited. This review focuses on the …

Recent Literature, C. John Ralph

North American Bird Bander

No abstract provided.

Odor Detection Of Cancer Cell Metabolites By Scent-Detection Dogs, Geontae Park, Dongwook Kim, Seongsoo Jeong, Dongsun Park, Gonhyung Kim

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Dogs have a superior olfactory system; thus, they have been trained and used to detect various nonbiological and biological scents. In addition, many studies have recently reported dogs’ ability to detect the odor of certain cancers or cancer cells. A previous study documented that a dog trained to detect a certain malignant cancer cell could also detect another, unfamiliar malignant cancer cell well, implying that these two cancer cells share a certain specific odor. Thus, given the hypothesis that malignant cancer cells of different origins may contain a common cancer-specific odor, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate …

Nutrient Dynamics And Ecosystem Development Of Urban Forests, Gisselle A. Mejía

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Urban growth and expansion are a major component of global environmental change, with impacts on climate, air and water quality, biodiversity, and human well-being. Forests embedded in urban landscapes are critical in mitigating these impacts at local, regional, and continental scales. However, assessing urban forests is difficult because cities are heterogenous in physical, chemical, biological, and social dimensions. This heterogeneity has constrained how urban forests are defined, and therefore, how they are studied. The objective of this dissertation is to determine how these biophysical and social factors drive ecological processes in urban forests and will address three outstanding challenges in …

Prenatal Choline Supplementation During Maternal Obesity Alters Offspring Response To Western Diets, Hunter W. Korsmo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Maternal obesity has led to an increase in adverse offspring developmental outcomes and a greater risk for long-term metabolic diseases. Choline, a semi-essential nutrient, can be incorporated into phosphatidylcholine (PC) as well as sphingomyelin (SM) and donate its labile methyl group for the remethylation of homocysteine after choline is oxidized to betaine. Prenatal choline insufficiency has been related to maternal obesity and metabolic diseases, such as metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Choline may interact with maternal obesity to influence the programming offspring.

Chapter 1 presents an introduction of choline and the various clinical outcomes associated with choline supplementation during …

Role Of Nuclear Lamins In Oligodendrocyte Lineage Cells, Camila Yattah

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Differentiation of oligodendrocytes from progenitor cells is a highly regulated process characterized by a series of molecular changes, resulting in nuclear and morphological features unique to the mature oligodendrocyte state. Heterochromatin formation starting at the nuclear periphery, as well as increased nuclear rigidity are characteristically observed. The nuclear periphery is characterized by the presence of the nuclear lamina and it has been implicated in higher-order genome organization in cells. Lamins are the protein components of the nuclear lamina, and their expression is dependent upon the cell differentiation stage of the cells. While Lamin B1 (LMNB1) expression is high in progenitors …

Transforming Afterschool Programs Into "Engines Of Development": A Policy Analysis Of The Federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Jane Quinn

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Although schools receive most of the attention in discussions of and research about educational policy, an equally important—and under-investigated—arena is the non-school hours. American students spend more time outside of school than in school, and a host of studies have shown that the ways young people spend their discretionary time can greatly influence their short-term and long-term outcomes. Issues of educational equity are deeply embedded in the topic because opportunities to participate in high quality out-of-school learning experiences are not evenly distributed in American society. The single most important policy target in this aspect of student life is the federal …

Ssri-Induced Emotional Blunting: A Study Of Cognitive Changes In Pharmaceutically Treated Depression, Carly Tocco

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Objective: In recent years, approximately 12.7% of the American population are on a prescribed antidepressant medication. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are a widely used pharmacological treatment for depressive and anxiety disorders, primarily due to their tolerance levels, mild side effects in comparison to other antidepressants, and broad range of clinical indications. However, there are still numerous concerns about SSRIs’ ability to improve depressive symptoms without adding side effects such as sexual dysfunction, gastrointestinal upset, and a restricted range of emotions. Although patients typically claim that they have less emotional pain while on SSRIs than they do during a depressive …

Novel Therapeutic Strategies For Alzheimer’S Disease: Prostaglandin D2 Signaling And Its Human Polymorphisms As Well As A Polypharmacological Approach, Charles H. Wallace

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age related neurodegenerative disease with pathology that includes amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and non-resolving neuroinflammation. Non-resolving neuroinflammation lasts the entire course of the disease and has deleterious effects and is often thought to accelerate AD pathology. Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) have commonly been used as therapeutics to treat pain, inflammation and vascular. NSAIDs work by altering the cyclooxygenase (COX) mediated biosynthesis of prostaglandins which are lipid mediators that have many physiological functions, for example nociception, inflammation and vasodilation. Epidemiological studies support the notion that NSAIDs could be used to treat AD. Yet, clinical trials using …

An Interdisciplinary Approach To The Epistemic Value Of Moral Ambiguity, Jordan Wylie

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Morality is a critical aspect of life––it influences how we think, design political and legal systems, who we connect with, our norms, and the types of stories we tell. Yet, even with the well documented influence of morality on many aspects of life, exactly what makes moral themes so fascinating remains elusive. This dissertation aims to introduce Moral Worldbuilding as a theory for understanding our epistemic drives toward morally ambiguous and morally bad content.

In Chapter I, we introduce the problem of moral badness, which is not well handled by extant moral literature. To combat this, we offer a new …

The Microscopical Evidence Traces Analysis Of Household Dust And Its Statistical Significance As A Definitive Identification Technique, Stephanie Polifroni

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Evidence found at crime scenes is used to assist in creating a link the suspect, the victim, and the scene. As stated by the Locard’s Principle, every contact leaves a trace, that evidence can be used to link together an investigation. Traces are collected in hopes that they can be identified and associated to an individual or individuals to help solve that particular crime. However, the strongest conclusion for evidence traces is an association to a source, and unless a physical match of some kind is found, an individualization cannot be established even when known sample is available. However, having …

Visible Light Photocatalysis Of Organic Reactions In H2o, Sankarsan Biswas

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Visible-light photocatalysis in H₂O provides an attractive, green alternative to typical organic synthesis, which often involves toxic solvents, metal catalysts, and large energy demands. Hence, there is a growing need for an efficient photocatalytic methods that use either aqueous media as a solvent or can proceed solvent-free. However, commercially available photocatalysts do not work well for aqueous photocatalysis. Supramolecular systems in particular have been explored recently to address these issues associated with aqueous photocatalysis. Chapter 1 will review recent advances in aqueous supramolecular photocatalysis with examples of different supramolecular systems and how they have addressed some of the …

Gamma Protocadherin Synaptic Localization And Intracellular Trafficking Is Consistent With Distinct Adhesive And Anti-Adhesive Roles In Development, Nicole Lamassa

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Clustered protocadherins (Pcdhs) constitute a family of cell adhesion molecules with approximately 60 Pcdh genes clustered in a 1 MB locus on chromosome 5q31 in humans. The Pcdh gene cluster is subdivided into α, β, and γ subclusters which encode related proteins. Individual neurons activate different subsets of Pcdh-α, Pcdh-β and Pcdh-γ genes by epigenetic mechanisms to generate distinct Pcdh adhesive units expressed by each neuron. This is thought to serve as a “surface barcode” for single-cell identity and synaptic recognition in the nervous system. The actual role for Pcdhs in neural development is still relatively unknown and different roles …

Mechanism Of Activation And Regulation Of By-Kinases, A Unique Family Of P-Loop Enzymes, Fatlum Hajredini

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The bacterial tyrosine kinases (BY-kinase) represent a class of membrane-bound enzymes that utilize a cycle of auto-phosphorylation and de-phosphorylation to drive the synthesis and export of exopolysaccharides in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The catalytic domain of BY-kinases utilizes a P-loop nucleoside triphosphatase (NTPase) fold that is commonly used by NTPases and small molecule kinases, being the only protein kinase to do so. In the work presented in this thesis, we aimed to obtain an understanding of the mechanisms of the BY-kinases’ unconventional deployment of P-loop scaffold to phosphorylate on tyrosine. We used the BY-kinase of Escherichia coli (K12) as …

Neuroanatomy In Mild Cognitive Impairment: Relationship To Functional Skills, Treatment Expectancy, And Comorbid Depression, Sara Rushia

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a neurocognitive disorder defined by cognitive decline in older adults. Although MCI has been studied for decades, there remain important areas to be explored in order to adequately characterize aspects of this disorder that provide information valuable for possible interventions and disease progression to dementia, including a better understanding of the neuroanatomical variables relevant to this disorder. Such neuroanatomical variables include cortical thickness, hippocampal volume, and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs). This dissertation consists of three separate studies aimed at addressing gaps in the literature on MCI in relation to brain morphometrics and under-studied characteristics involved …

Application Of Peo-Ppo-Peo Triblock Copolymers In Synthesis Of Silica And Organosilica Nanomaterials, Shu Zhang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In this dissertation, the research work focused on the application of Pluronic triblock copolymers, poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO), in the synthesis of mesoporous material, such as double-helical silica nanotube structures as well as bridged organosilica nanotubes by using swollen micelles of Pluronic surfactants and their mixtures. Chapter 1 introduced the background and several important mesoporous structures, and the relevant topics in this dissertation, such as, silica nanotubes, helical silica nanotubes, silica vesicles and organosilica nanotubes. Chapter 2, continued research works from earlier published paper (ACS Nano 2021, 15, 1016-1029), discussed static treatment and stirring effect on the formation of …