Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Comparison Of Two Methods For Developing Aggregate Population-Based Models, Oyebola E. Oyero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aggregate models incorporate the variation between individual parameters of individualbased models to construct a population-based model. This thesis focuses on the comparison of two different methods for creating these population-based models. The first method, the individual parameter distribution technique (IPD) focuses on the similarities and variation of parameters in an individual-based model as calculated using individual data sets [4]. The second method we consider is the nonlinear mixed effect method (NLME), which is primarily used in modeling repeated measurement data. In the NLME approach, both the fixed effects and random effects of the parameter values are estimated in the model …

Genomics And Csf Analyses Implicate Thyroid Hormone In Hippocampal Sclerosis Of Aging, Peter T. Nelson, Yuriko Katsumata, Kwangsik Nho, Sergey C. Artiushin, Gregory A. Jicha, Wang-Xia Wang, Erin L. Abner, Andrew J. Saykin, Walter A. Kukull, Alzheimer’S Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (Adni), David W. Fardo

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

We report evidence of a novel pathogenetic mechanism in which thyroid hormone dysregulation contributes to dementia in elderly persons. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on chromosome 12p12 were the initial foci of our study: rs704180 and rs73069071. These SNPs were identified by separate research groups as risk alleles for non-Alzheimer’s neurodegeneration. We found that the rs73069071 risk genotype was associated with hippocampal sclerosis (HS) pathology among people with the rs704180 risk genotype (National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center/Alzheimer’s Disease Genetic Consortium data; n = 2113, including 241 autopsy-confirmed HS cases). Furthermore, both rs704180 and rs73069071 risk genotypes were associated with widespread brain …

Gastrointestinal Health As A Stimulus For Native American Attraction To Medicinal Asteraceae And Further Implications For Human Evolution, Christopher David Stiegler

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Asteraceae, or the daisy family, is the largest family of flowering plants in the world, and its ethnobotanical, medical, and economic value is readily apparent cross-culturally. The aim of this thesis is to examine why constituent genera of the Aster family have remained such an integral part of human medicinal plant knowledge, and thereby to reveal any potential physiological, biological, or evolutionary mechanisms underlining human patterns of use regarding the Asteraceae. The present study focuses specifically on Native American plant knowledge made available by the expansive database in the works Daniel Moerman (Moerman 2003). Frequencies of plant use and …

Relation Of Serum Estrogen Metabolites With Terminal Duct Lobular Unit Involution Among Women Undergoing Diagnostic Image-Guided Breast Biopsy., Hannah Oh, Zeina G Khodr, Mark E Sherman, Maya Palakal, Ruth M Pfeiffer, Laura Linville, Berta M Geller, Pamela M Vacek, Donald L Weaver, Rachael E Chicoine, Roni T Falk, Hisani N Horne, Daphne Papathomas, Deesha A Patel, Jackie Xiang, Xia Xu, Timothy Veenstra, Stephen M Hewitt, John A Shepherd, Louise A Brinton, Jonine D Figueroa, Gretchen L Gierach

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Higher levels of circulating estrogens and estrogen metabolites (EMs) have been associated with higher breast cancer risk. In breast tissues, reduced levels of terminal duct lobular unit (TDLU) involution, as reflected by higher numbers of TDLUs and acini per TDLU, have also been linked to elevated breast cancer risk. However, it is unknown whether reduced TDLU involution mediates the risk associated with circulating EMs. In a cross-sectional analysis of 94 premenopausal and 92 postmenopausal women referred for clinical breast biopsy at an academic facility in Vermont, we examined the associations of 15 EMs, quantified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, with …

Georgia’S Rapid Expansion Of Mosquito Surveillance In Response To Zika Virus, R. Christopher Rustin, Deonte Martin, Rosmarie Kelly

Environmental Health Sciences Faculty Presentations

Objective: To describe the Georgia Department of Public Health’s (DPH) mosquito surveillance capacity before and after Zika virus was declared a public health emergency, review and compare mosquito surveillance results from 2015 to 2016, and evaluate the risk of autochthonous vector transmission of Zika virus based on 2016 surveillance data of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus mosquitoes.

Introduction: Zika virus was declared an international public health emergency by the World Health Organization on February 1, 2016. With Georgia hosting the world’s busiest international airport and a sub-tropical climate that can support the primary Zika virus vector, Aedes aegypti, and secondary …

Predicting Malignant Nodules From Screening Ct Scans, Samuel Hawkins, Hua Wang, Ying Liu, Alberto Garcia, Olya Stringfield, Henry Krewer, Qiang Li, Dmitry Cherezov, Matthew Schabath, Lawrence O. Hall, Robert J. Gillies

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine whether quantitative analyses (“radiomics”) of low-dose computed tomography lung cancer screening images at baseline can predict subsequent emergence of cancer.

Methods

Public data from the National Lung Screening Trial (ACRIN 6684) were assembled into two cohorts of 104 and 92 patients with screen-detected lung cancer and then matched with cohorts of 208 and 196 screening subjects with benign pulmonary nodules. Image features were extracted from each nodule and used to predict the subsequent emergence of cancer.

Results

The best models used 23 stable features in a random forests classifier and could …

The Transition Experiences Of International Graduate Students In Clark University School Of Professional Studies, Xuesong Huang, Mingyang Lian, Dang Trung, Jay Sheth, Yuwei Yang, Irina Klimenko

School of Professional Studies

In the last decade, the School of Professional Studies at Clark University has witnessed a sharp increase in international students. More and more international students in the millennial generation have entered the School of Professional Studies pursuing one of the two-year graduate programs: Master of Science in Professional Studies, Master of Science in Public Administration, and Master of Science in Information Technology. In the past, working adult student dominant the program. These students already had a career outside the classrooms before them came to study. The millennial international students have generated new adjustment problems. Some of the transition issues of …

Plasma Processes And Polymers Third Special Issue On Plasma And Cancer, Mounir Laroussi, Annemie Bogaerts, Nazir Barekzi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

(First paragraph) This issue of Plasma Processes and Polymers is the third in a series on the applications of low temperature plasma (LTP) against cancer, or “plasma oncology.” The papers in this issue are inspired from the talks given at the third International Workshop on Plasma for Cancer Treatment (IWPCT) which took place on April 11–12, 2016 in Washington, DC, USA. IWPCT is an international workshop that was created in 2014 as a venue to share cutting edge plasma oncology research. The first IWPCT was held in Washington DC, under the co-chairmanship of Prof. Mounir Laroussi (Old Dominion University) and …

Novel Simulation To Avoid Bias In Measurement Of Hyperpolarized Pyruvate: Demonstrated In Phantom And In Vivo, Christopher M. Walker

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Dynamic nuclear polarization creates a transient hyperpolarized nuclear state that can dramatically increase the signal detected by magnetic resonance imaging. This signal increase allows real-time spectroscopic imaging of specific metabolites in vivo by magnetic resonance. Real-time imaging of both the spatial and chemical fate of hyperpolarized metabolites is showing great promise to meaningfully benefit clinical care of cancer patients. Imaging of hyperpolarized agents will have a larger clinical impact if it can function as a quantitative modality upon which clinical decisions can be made. However, quantitative measurement of hyperpolarized agents is currently difficult due to the restrictions imposed by the …

Determining The Effects Of The Think Risk Initiative As Implemented By The Southern Nevada Health District, Karalin Nichole Cronkhite

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the United States, someone becomes infected with a foodborne illness every 2 seconds, is hospitalized by a foodborne illness every 4 minutes and dies due to a foodborne illness every 3 hours. Foodborne illness is preventable, yet each year, 1 in 6 Americans is affected by it from contaminated foods or beverages. There are over 250 different foodborne diseases, and in 2015, there were 73 confirmed cases of Salmonella infection in Southern Nevada alone. Since the emergence of public health, food establishment inspections have been an important part of the regulation of food safety. Risk-based inspections were developed by …

Structuring A Risk-Based Bioassay Program For Uranium Usage In University Laboratories, Johnne' Talia Dawson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Bioassay programs are integral in a radiation safety program. They are used as a method of determining whether individuals working with radioactive material have been exposed and have received a resulting dose. For radionuclides that are not found in nature, determining an exposure is straightforward. However, for a naturally occurring radionuclide like uranium, it is not as straightforward to determine whether a dose is the result of an occupational exposure. The purpose of this project is to address this issue within the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’s (UNLV) bioassay program. This project consisted of two components that studied the effectiveness …

Gathering Steam In Health Care: A Student History, Michael J. Leach

The STEAM Journal

In this reflection, I demonstrate STEAM in health care by outlining my 15 years as a university student engaged in formal education, extracurricular learning, research, and employment.

Lack Of Exclusive Breastfeeding Among Working Mothers In Indonesia, Yulia Sari

Kesmas

Keberlangsungan proses menyusui pada saat ibu kembali bekerja merupakan isu serius yang harus segera ditindaklanjuti agar program pemberian Air Susu Ibu (ASI) eksklusif selama enam bulan pertama kehidupan dapat tercapai. Selain memberikan banyak manfaat bagi bayi, ASI juga bermanfaat bagi ibu dan pengusaha. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan ibu bekerja terhadap pemberian ASI eksklusif. Desain penelitian yang digunakan adalah potong lintang dengan data sekunder Survei Demografi dan Kesehatan Indonesia (SDKI) tahun 2012 dengan sampel berjumlah 1.193 ibu berusia 15 – 49 tahun yang memiliki bayi berusia 0-5 bulan. Berdasarkan analisis multivariat, ibu bekerja dapat menurunkan peluang pemberian ASI eksklusif …

Social Determinant Of Health Of Adults Smoking Behavior: Differences Between Urban And Rural Areas In Indonesia, Fitri Kurnia Rahim, Thunwadee Suksaroj, Isareethika Jayasvasti

Kesmas

Indonesia memiliki prevalensi perilaku merokok tertinggi di antara negara-negara di Asia Tenggara. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui prediktor terhadap perilaku merokok antara wilayah pedesaan dan perkotaan. Data diambil dari Global Adult Tobacco Survey. Penelitian menggunakan studi analitik potong lintang dan analisis regresi logistik ganda. Sampel berjumlah 8.305 orang dewasa Indonesia berusia ≥ 15 tahun. Penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perokok di wilayah pedesaan lebih tinggi dibandingkan di wilayah perkotaan, masing-masing 36,8% dan 31,9%. Prediktor signifikan terhadap perilaku merokok di wilayah pedesaan dan perkotaan adalah usia, pekerjaan, jenis kelamin, tingkat pendidikan, status ekonomi serta aturan merokok di dalam rumah. Di wilayah perkotaan, usia …

Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors Among Women Aged Older Than 45 Years Old In Makassar, Masriadi Masriadi, Hasta Handayani Idrus, Arman Arman

Kesmas

Penyakit kardiovaskuler menyebabkan 8.6 juta kematian pada perempuan setiap tahun, yang merupakan penyebab kematian terbanyak, yaitu sepertiga dari seluruh kematian perempuan di seluruh dunia. Setengah dari seluruh kematian perempuan berusia di atas 50 tahun disebabkan oleh penyakit jantung dan stroke. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis faktor yang berhubungan dengan penyakit jantung koroner pada perempuan usia > 45 tahun di Rumah Sakit TNI AU Dody Sarjoto Makassar. Besar sampel sebanyak 76 sampel yang terdiri dari 64 kasus penyakit jantung koroner dan 12 kasus non penyakit jantung koroner. Penentuan sampel menggunakan metode purposive sampling. Data primer diperoleh melalui wawancara terhadap responden dengan menggunakan …

Family Planning Information, Education And Communication With Contaceptive Use, Endah Winarni, Muhammad Dawam

Kesmas

Komunikasi Informasi dan Edukasi (KIE) berperan penting dalam meningkatkan pencapaian prevalensi kesertaan Keluarga Berencana (KB). Namun, prevalensi KB di Indonesia selama satu dekade terakhir (2002-2012) tidak meningkat secara signifikan, walaupun pelbagai kegiatan KIE KB telah dilaksanakan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui faktor sosio ekonomi demografi yang berkaitan dengan KIE KB, pelbagai unsur KIE yang berkaitan dengan pemakaian KB, dan unsur KIE yang berpengaruh terhadap pemakaian KB. Analisis menggunakan sumber data Survei Demografi dan Kesehatan Indonesia 2012 dengan unit analisis perempuan berstatus kawin usia 15-49 tahun. Jumlah sampel yang dianalisis 33.465 perempuan berstatus kawin. Analisis menggunakan odds ratio atau rasio kecenderungan …

Effectivity Of Foot Care Education Program In Improving Knowledge, Self-Efficacy And Foot Care Behavior Among Diabetes Mellitus Patients In Banjarbaru, Indonesia, Mahdalena Mahdalena, Endang Sri Purwanti Ningsih

Kesmas

Masalah kaki diabetik di Indonesia masih merupakan masalah besar dan masih memerlukan perhatian yang optimal. Edukasi perawatan kaki adalah salah satu upaya yang harus dilakukan dalam mencegah masalah kaki untuk pasien diabetes melitus. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis efektivitas program pendidikan perawatan kaki dalam meningkatkan pengetahuan, efikasi diri, dan perilaku perawatan kaki pasien diabetes di wilayah Banjarbaru. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan adalah quasi experimental dengan prepost test, dilakukan di puskesmas wilayah Banjarbaru tahun 2013. Kelompok intervensi diberikan program pendidikan perawatan kaki. Sampel berjumlah 48 pasien (32 orang kelompok intervensi dan 16 orang kelompok kontrol) menggunakan teknik purposive sampling. Variabel yang …

Motivation Variables To Use Contraceptive Among Male In Yogyakarta, Susiana Sariyati, Febrina Suci Hati, Fatimah Fatimah

Kesmas

Program Keluarga Berencana (KB) merupakan salah satu program pembangunan nasional yang sangat penting dalam rangka mewujudkan keluarga Indonesia yang sejahtera. Peran program KB sangat besar pengaruhnya terhadap kesehatan reproduksi seseorang, baik untuk kesehatan reproduksi perempuan maupun kesehatan reproduksi laki-laki. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui faktor-faktor yang berhubungan dengan motivasi laki-laki pasangan usia subur dalam menggunakan kontrasepsi di Desa Bumijo, Kecamatan Jetis, Kota Yogyakarta. Jenis penelitian ini bersifat kuantitatif dengan analisis regresi logistik. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan hubungan pengetahuan dengan motivasi yaitu nilai p = 0,368. Hubungan sosial budaya dengan motivasi yaitu nilai p = 0,147. Hubungan pendidikan dengan motivasi yaitu nilai …

The Risk Of Pneumonia Among Toddlers In Lambatee, Aceh, Rapitos Sidiq, Ritawati Ritawati, Roma Sitio, Siti Hajar

Kesmas

Pneumonia merupakan salah satu masalah kesehatan global yang sangat penting pada anak bawah lima tahun (balita), khususnya pada negara-negara berkembang. Saat ini, pneumonia merupakan salah satu kasus penyebab kematian pada anak terbesar, terutama pada periode baru lahir. Di Provinsi Aceh, penyakit pneumonia merupakan penyakit urutan ke-8 dari 25 penyakit terbesar yang ditemukan di puskesmas dengan jumlah 1.112 kasus. Sedangkan besarnya kasus pneumonia pada penderita rawat jalan di Aceh mencapai 434 kasus (29,03%). Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui faktor-faktor yang berhubungan dengan kejadian pneumonia pada balita. Penelitian bersifat analitik dengan desain potong lintang. Sampel penelitian adalah ibu dan balita yang berjumlah …

Basis For Development Of Business Strategic Plan Primary Health Care With Local Public Service Entity Status In Gianyar District, Putu Ayu Indrayathi, Luh Putu Sinthya Ulandari

Kesmas

Puskesmas yang berbentuk Badan Layanan Umum Daerah (BLUD) perlu membuat rencana strategi bisnis yang tepat. Penyusunan rencana strategi bisnis perlu memerhatikan pesaing yang beroperasi di sekitar wilayah kerja. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mempelajari aspek lingkungan internal dan eksternal di Puskesmas Ubud 1 dan Tegallalang 1 serta mengembangkan model pengembangan rencana strategi bisnis di kedua puskesmas yang berstatus BLUD tersebut. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian deskriptif eksploratif yang dilakukan pada tahun 2014. Data dikumpulkan melalui penyebaran kuesioner dan studi dokumentasi. Sampel penelitian ditentukan secara purposif dan diambil secara non proporsional, terdiri dari kepala dan staf Puskesmas Ubud 1 dan Tegallalalng 1. Data …

Simulating The Spread Of The Common Cold, R. Corban Harwood

Faculty Publications - Department of Mathematics

This modeling scenario guides students to simulate and investigate the spread of the common cold in a residence hall. An example floor plan is given, but the reader is encouraged to use a more relevant example. In groups, students run repeated simulations, collect data, derive a differential equation model, solve that equation, estimate parameter values by hand and through regression, visually evaluate the consistency of the model with their data, and present their results to the class.

Design, Synthesis, And Evaluation Of Dasatinib-Amino Acid And Dasatinib-Fatty Acid Conjugates As Protein Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors, Rakesh Tiwari, Alex Brown, Neda Sadeghiani, Amir Nasrolahi Shirazi, Jared Bolton, Amanda Tse, Gennady M. Verkhivker, Keykavous Parang, Gongqin Sun

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Derivatives of dasatinib were synthesized via esterification with 25 carboxylic acids including amino acids and fatty acids by extending the inhibitor to interact with more diverse sites and to improve specificity. Dasatinib-L-arginine derivative (Das-R, 7) was the most potent of the inhibitors tested with IC50 values of 4.4 nM, <0.25 nM, and <0.45 nM against Csk, Src, and Abl kinases, respectively. The highest selectivity ratio obtained in our study, 91.4 Csk/Src belonged to compound 18 (Das-C10) with an IC50 of 3.2 μM for Csk compared to 35 nM for Src. Furthermore, many compounds displayed increased selectivity toward Src, as compared with Abl. Compounds 15 (Das-E) and 13 (Das-C) demonstrated the largest gains (10.2 and 10.3 Abl/Src IC50 ratios). Das-R (IC50 = 2.06 μM) was significantly more potent than Das (IC50 = 26.3 μM) against Panc-1 cells while they both showed an IC50 < 51.2 pM against BV-173 and K562 cells. Molecular modeling and binding free energy simulations revealed a good agreement with the experimental results and rationalized differences in selectivity of the studied compounds. Integration of experimental and computational approaches in the design and biochemical screening of dasatinib derivatives facilitated rational engineering and diversification of dasatinib scaffold, providing useful insights into mechanisms of kinase selectivity.

Inflammatory Properties Of Diet And Glucose-Insulin Homeostasis In A Cohort Of Iranian Adults, Nazanin Moslehi, Behnaz Ehsani, Parvin Mirmiran, Nitin Shivappa, Maryam Tohidi, James R. Hébert, Fereidoun Azizi

Faculty Publications

We aimed to investigate associations of the dietary inflammatory index (DII) with glucose-insulin homeostasis markers, and the risk of glucose intolerance. This cross-sectional study included 2975 adults from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-h post-load glucose (2h-PG), and fasting serum insulin were measured. Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) and β-cell function (HOMA-B), and the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) were calculated. Glucose tolerance abnormalities included impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). DII scores were positively associated with 2h-PG (β = 0.04; p = 0.05). …

Coupled Impacts Of Climate And Land Use Change Across A River-Lake Continuum: Insights From An Integrated Assessment Model Of Lake Champlain's Missisquoi Basin, 2000-2040, Asim Zia, Arne Bomblies, Andrew W. Schroth, Christopher Koliba, Peter D.F. Isles, Yushiou Tsai, Ibrahim N. Mohammed, Gabriela Bucini, Patrick J. Clemins, Scott Turnbull, Morgan Rodgers, Ahmed Hamed, Brian Beckage, Jonathan Winter

College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Faculty Publications

Global climate change (GCC) is projected to bring higher-intensity precipitation and higher-variability temperature regimes to the Northeastern United States. The interactive effects of GCC with anthropogenic land use and land cover changes (LULCCs) are unknown for watershed level hydrological dynamics and nutrient fluxes to freshwater lakes. Increased nutrient fluxes can promote harmful algal blooms, also exacerbated by warmer water temperatures due to GCC. To address the complex interactions of climate, land and humans, we developed a cascading integrated assessment model to test the impacts of GCC and LULCC on the hydrological regime, water temperature, water quality, bloom duration and severity …

Towards Computational Human Behavior Modeling For Just-In-Time Adaptive Interventions, Tylar Murray

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The advent of powerful wearable devices and smartphones has enabled a new generation of “in-the-wild” user studies, adaptive behavioral intervention strategies, and context measurement. Though numerous proof-of-concept studies continue to push the limitations of what a behavioral scientist can do with these technologies, there remains a major methodological roadblock separating behavioral theory and application. Avatar-user interaction theory, for example, is not well defined in its formulation, and thus guidelines for intervention designers depend on heuristic methods and designer intuition. Computational modeling has been slow to move into behavioral science in general, but a growing population of behavioral scientists recognize this …

Network Inference Driven Drug Discovery, Gergely Zahoránszky-Kőhalmi, Tudor I. Oprea Md, Phd, Cristian G. Bologa Phd, Subramani Mani Md, Phd, Oleg Ursu Phd

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The application of rational drug design principles in the era of network-pharmacology requires the investigation of drug-target and target-target interactions in order to design new drugs. The presented research was aimed at developing novel computational methods that enable the efficient analysis of complex biomedical data and to promote the hypothesis generation in the context of translational research. The three chapters of the Dissertation relate to various segments of drug discovery and development process.

The first chapter introduces the integrated predictive drug discovery platform „SmartGraph”. The novel collaborative-filtering based algorithm „Target Based Recommender (TBR)” was developed in the framework of this …

Searching Neuroimaging Biomarkers In Mental Disorders With Graph And Multimodal Fusion Analysis Of Functional Connectivity, Hao He

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Mental disorders such as schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar (BD), and major depression disorders (MDD) can cause severe symptoms and life disruption. They share some symptoms, which can pose a major clinical challenge to their differentiation. Objective biomarkers based on neuroimaging may help to improve diagnostic accuracy and facilitate optimal treatment for patients. Over the last decades, non-invasive in-vivo neuroimaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been increasingly applied to measure structure and function in human brains. With functional MRI (fMRI) or structural MRI (sMRI), studies have identified neurophysiological deficits in patients’ brain from different perspective. Functional connectivity (FC) analysis …

Expansion Of The Performance Capabilities Of The Usf Inhalation Challenge Chamber, Laura Riley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the capability and performance of the University of South Florida’s (USF) Human Exposure Chamber (HEC) using aerosols in the thoracic range. The goals of this research were two-fold: to obtain an average particle size of 10 µm (thoracic-size range) inside the chamber during dust production and to test for evenness of dust concentration within the chamber. The USF HEC can be used for studies using gases and/or particulates. The chamber measurements are 4.16 ft x 2.67 ft x 6.75 ft, for a total volume of 75 ft³ or 2.13 m^{3 …}

Estimating Propensity Parameters Using Google Pagerank And Genetic Algorithms, David Murrugarra, Jacob Miller, Alex N. Mueller

Mathematics Faculty Publications

Stochastic Boolean networks, or more generally, stochastic discrete networks, are an important class of computational models for molecular interaction networks. The stochasticity stems from the updating schedule. Standard updating schedules include the synchronous update, where all the nodes are updated at the same time, and the asynchronous update where a random node is updated at each time step. The former produces a deterministic dynamics while the latter a stochastic dynamics. A more general stochastic setting considers propensity parameters for updating each node. Stochastic Discrete Dynamical Systems (SDDS) are a modeling framework that considers two propensity parameters for updating each node …

Effects Of Antibiotic Mixtures Across Marine Intertidal Trophic Levels: Examining Environmentally-Relevant Contaminant Concentrations, Jaclyn Rebecca Teixeira

Dissertations and Theses

Approximately 48% of Americans use prescription drugs within each 30-day period, and there are signs this trend is increasing. Although many studies track pharmaceuticals’ fates in contaminating waterways, only fairly recent efforts have examined the potential impacts of these drugs on non-target organisms. The antibiotics sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, often prescribed together to treat bacterial infections, have been detected worldwide in marine and estuarine environments at concentrations up to 700-800 ng/L each. Toxic effects of these drugs have been identified in freshwater organisms, with synergistic effects observed in short-term studies of mixtures of the two; however, little research has examined possible …