cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Bereaved Parents' Stories of their Emotional Relationship with their Surviving Children Following the Death of Another
Creators: name: Shankar, Sarah Jane
Publisher: name: UH Research Archive
Year: 2016
Subjects: bereavement
death of a child
family process
narrative
continuing bonds

description: Background: The death of a child can be a devastating experience for many parents; research suggests it results in an intense and enduring grief which can negatively impact on parents’ psychological well-being. Parents with surviving children face the task of navigating their own grief and continuing to parent. Surviving children’s responses to the loss of a sibling is complex and sometimes problematic; it is suggested that family functioning is a key aspect of the sibling’s response. Psychological literature shows that sibling bereavement has been under-researched (Woodrow, 2007) with little attention given to the quality of the emotional relationship between parent and child, before and after sibling loss. Aims: Research to explore the stories of bereaved parents and how they experienced their emotional relationship with their surviving children after the death of another child can build on and expand existing literature; resulting in suggestions for clinical psychologist on how to better support surviving relationships at this difficult time. Methodology: Qualitative methods allow for richness, context and allow parents to tell stories of their emotional relationships with surviving children. Stories are the way in which we give order and meaning to the events in our lives (Gilbert, 2010). Consequently, a narrative analysis was viewed as the most epistemologically and ethically appropriate research method; and most appropriate to answer the research question. Analysis and Findings: Parents told stories of connection and disconnection in their emotional relationship with their surviving children after the death of another child in the family. Emotional connection and disconnection is influenced by the competing and potentially incompatible tasks of ‘parenting’ and ‘grieving’. Stories of connection with surviving children were constructed as ‘putting my living children first’ and ‘avoiding the fog’ of grief; these stories illustrated less connection to the deceased child and parental grief. Conversely, stories of disconnection with surviving children were constructed as getting ‘stuck in the fog’ of grief and ‘remembering’; these stories illustrated more connection to the deceased child and parental grief.
Effect of human heat shock protein HspB6 on the solvent features of water in aqueous solutions
Creators: name: Ferreira, Luisa A.
name: Gusev, Nikolai B.
name: Uversky, Vladimir N.
name: Zaslavsky, Boris Y.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Biophysics
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Physiology
subject: Pharmacology
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: 80699 Information Systems not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences
subject: Marine Biology
subject: Hematology
subject: 60506 Virology

description: Effect of human heat shock protein HspB6 on the solvent features of water in aqueous solutions
title: Mapping the Adolescent Landscape
title: An enriched account of adolescence
titleType: Subtitle
Creators: name: Tucker, Faye
Publisher: name: Lancaster University
Year: 2020

description: The aim is to make a start on developing a comprehensive and integrated account of the adolescent transition, and to use this to articulate changes in adolescents’ relationships with their parents, and with institutions and the state. The thesis builds on existing work on the adolescent transition to offer an enriched map of the adolescent landscape. I argue that extant accounts over-simplify what is a highly complex period. I develop a gradualist multi-sphere model based on the many spheres of activity that open up to adolescents during the adolescent transition. Each sphere is associative and involves a range of responsibilities, powers, and rights. Negotiation of each sphere requires various skills, capacities, and knowledge, some of which are sphere-specific, others which are useful across several spheres of activity. Relationships are of central importance to understanding changes in adolescent status. To develop the relevant skills and competences needed to participate in each sphere requires practise and experience, and successful negotiation of new spheres requires familiarisation. Parents can facilitate the right kind of familiarisation and practise within spheres by mediating children’s relationships with institutions and organisations, but then must allow adolescents to negotiate these relationships when they are able to. Existing legislation reflects an underlying commitment to sphere-based gradualism. The sphere-model provides an integrated account of the adolescent transition that can make sense of gradual changes in status as adolescents mature at both an informal or social level, and at a more formal legislative level.
Refugee Mothers' Experiences of Forced Migration and its Impact upon Family Life
Creators: name: Kelly, Aisling Catherine Frances
Publisher: name: UH Research Archive
Year: 2016
Subjects: refugee
mothers
family
parenting
wellbeing
mental health
identity
Clinical Psychology
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Qualitative Research

description: In line with dominant Western discourses regarding mental health, research concerning the wellbeing of forced migrants has tended to take an individualistic, symptom-focused approach. Although not without value and utility, it is argued that this narrow focus has the potential to obscure other important experiences, processes and perspectives relating to forced migration, such as considering how refugees make sense of and respond to their experiences at individual and familial levels. For example, there is no known qualitative research within the UK – and little internationally – which explores how the experience of forced migration impacts upon individual and family wellbeing, from the perspective of parents. Hence the aim of this study was to widen the narrow focus regarding refugee wellbeing. A qualitative approach was adopted, with semi-structured interviews exploring the experience of fleeing home and its impact upon family life in the UK for six refugee mothers. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was selected as a suitable approach to data analysis. Three master themes emerged across participant data, namely: Loss as a constant companion to parenting; A shifting view of the self as a mother, and Taking the good with the bad in family life. A rich account of these master themes and corresponding subthemes is provided. Findings are discussed in relation to existing literature, alongside implications for clinical psychological research and practice, methodological considerations and suggestions for future research.
The Fabric of Life: Linen and Life Cycle in England, 1678 - 1810
Creators: name: Dolan, Alice Claire
Publisher: name: UH Research Archive
Year: 2016
Subjects: textiles
everyday
production
consumption
long eighteenth century
flax
hemp
cotton
plebeian
daily life
material culture
dress
spinning
Foundling Hospital
underwear
sheets
emotion
death
child labour
decency
time
packaging

description: ‘The Fabric of Life: Linen and Life Cycle in England, 1678-1810’ is structured around the human life cycle to draw out the social and cultural importance of linen for all ranks of society. Human and object life cycles are juxtaposed in the thesis to analyse co-dependent activities and processes rather than focusing on one facet of daily life. For thousands of years flax was a staple fibre, used for textile production in many parts of the globe. Cotton only overtook linen as the most popular textile in England at home and on the body during the nineteenth century. This thesis examines the preceding century to reveal why linen remained a daily necessity in England between 1678 and 1810, a period which encompassed a series of significant changes in the production, trade and use of linen. Linen was ubiquitous as underwear, sheets, table linens and for logistical purposes therefore it provides a unique insight into the early-modern world; a means of understanding the multifaceted experiences of daily life, of integrating understandings of the body, domestic, social, cultural and commercial activities. This thesis is social history through the lens of linen, reading a society through its interactions with a textile.
Adult Children of Problem Drinking Parents: Experiences of Relationships
Creators: name: Nasr, Soad Rachel
Publisher: name: UH Research Archive
Year: 2016
Subjects: adult children of problem drinking parents
experiences of relationships
problem drinking
adult children of alcoholics
relationships

description: Difficulties in interpersonal functioning have been consistently reported in the literature as a proposed negative outcome for adult children of problem drinkers. The existing literature has largely privileged the quantitative paradigm, which has conceptualised this group’s relationship functioning through theoretically driven categories and concepts. The result has been a predominantly negative picture lacking utility, as well as neglecting important contextual processes and the inherent complexity and fluidity of human relationships. The aim of this study was to gain a richer understanding through exploring adult children of problem drinkers lived experience of relationships. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six individuals who grew up with at least one problem drinking parent. Transcripts of the interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Four main themes emerged across participants accounts: ‘Moving from ‘bewilderment’ to seeking clarity and stability in relationships’, ‘Remembering feeling unsafe and finding safety in relationships’, ‘Moving from invisibility towards finding a sense of self’ and ‘Making a choice to change my relationships’. The findings offer an alternative understanding of this group’s experiences of relationships which are discussed in relation to the existing literature. Clinical Implications and suggestions for further research are considered.
The clinical use of Arthur Boothroyd (AB) word lists in Australia: exploring evidence-based practice
Creators: name: Myles, Andrew James
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 80699 Information Systems not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences
subject: Science Policy

description: Objective: Limited empirical investigation exists validating the use of Arthur Boothroyd (AB) word recognition materials within the Australian clinical context. The current research was undertaken to examine the evidence base and clinical implementation/interpretation of AB words in Australia. Design: An on-line 22-question survey was e-mailed to members of the peak audiology professional body in Australia. Study sample: Three hundred and twelve responses were recorded between April and June 2015 from audiologists of a range of ages, working in various clinical settings. Results: The survey results suggested audiologists use AB words on a wide range of clients from children <5 to adults ≥80 years, for diverse purposes including diagnosis of retrocochlear pathology, candidacy and validation of rehabilitative options, and client counselling. A majority of respondents reported typically administering one or two word lists per ear, and over 99% of audiologists utilised phonemic scoring. There was no consensus regarding what constitutes a significant difference between any two given scores. Conclusions: Wide variation exists in the administration and interpretation of AB words in Australia. There appears to be a mismatch between clinical utilisation of AB words and existing evidence-based empirical data. Further research is required to improve evidence-based audiologist training, and thereby current clinical use of AB words.
The Socio-Economic Effects of the Grand Junction Canal on West Hertfordshire: 1791 to 1841
Creators: name: Hiscock, Fabian
Publisher: name: UH Research Archive
Year: 2016
Subjects: Hertfordshire
West Hertfordshire
canals
Grand Junction Canal
Rickmansworth
Watford
Hemel Hempstead
Berkhamsted
Tring
King’s Langley
Abbots Langley
agriculture
paper making

description: The study assesses how the county of Hertfordshire along the Grand Junction Canal developed economically and socially between 1790 and 1840. It considers the impact of the canal upon the various industries of the region, and shows that it was rather greater than has been presented by previous writers. Some paper makers in the west of the county started to use the canal as soon as it was available, and paper went on to become a significant industry: but the silk and cotton throwsters and the brewers used it to a much smaller effect. Agriculture, although really needing a different, less linear, form of transport, was able to take some advantage of the canal to take hay and wheat to London and bring back ‘manures’ for the soil: but the benefit to farmers was limited. The parishes through which the canal passed were affected in one of two ways. The towns, especially those close to the line of the canal, had an influx of materials and goods through their wharfs as well as the development of some industry. The villages, with nothing round industry could coalesce, gained very little. Population growth, always slow, hardly changed, and the small towns remained so. The pre-existing turnpike which paralleled the canal for most of its course through Hertfordshire saw some loss of tolls, and remained a local rather than a trunk route. This dissertation concludes that the population of western Hertfordshire was not big enough to sustain true industry, and did not generate enough employment to alter the strongly agrarian nature of the area. The towns changed under the influence of the canal, and those who could afford to buy goods had the chance to do so, but the labouring poor could not. The Grand Junction Canal allowed some industry to develop in the area and so paved the way for the railway, but cannot be said to have made a fundamental difference to western Hertfordshire through which it passed.
A Primary Head Teacher's Exploration of Lesson Study
Creators: name: Mynott, John Paul
Publisher: name: UH Research Archive
Year: 2017
Subjects: Lesson Study
Collaboration
Expertise
teacher learning
professional conflict
professional learning
auto/ethnographic
Self
cognitive dissonance

description: This thesis is an exploration of a head teacher’s experience of Lesson Study. It aims to consider how Lesson Study develops teacher learning through consideration of collaboration, expertise and professional conflict. The methodology embraces the lived experience of introducing a collaborative method of teacher development, Lesson Study into a primary school and exploring its impact. The research is conducted through an exploratory layered method, considering the Lesson Study teams, the whole school and the head teacher’s thoughts and reflections on and about Lesson Study. The exploration in this thesis found that Lesson Study is far from breath-takingly simple (Dudley, 2013) and that there are many complexities and variables within each Lesson Study group that need to be considered carefully in order to enhance any opportunity for teacher learning. This thesis describes how these different elements, collaboration, expertise and professional conflict, interacted in two different Lesson Study teams. These findings, are presented alongside the head teacher’s reflections. Building on these reflections the thesis starts to articulate how Lesson Study could offer teacher learning opportunities and which elements of school culture, teacher expertise and understanding would need to be developed, honed and considered in order to create an outcome which results in teacher learning. This research provides an exploration how teacher learning may be generated through Lesson Study work. It extends the current literature on teacher learning in Lesson Study by identifying and exploring professional conflict alongside collaboration and expertise. Teacher learning opportunities are not simply created in the context the research took place. It concludes that while teacher learning can be generated through Lesson Study; the conditions and culture of a setting, alongside the skills, knowledge and expertise of the teachers involved in each team are also crucial.
Additional file 1 of Overexpressed WDR3 induces the activation of Hippo pathway by interacting with GATA4 in pancreatic cancer
Creators: name: Su, Wenjie
name: Zhu, Shikai
name: Chen, Kai
name: Yang, Hongji
name: Tian, Mingwu
name: Fu, Qiang
name: Shi, Ganggang
name: Feng, Shijian
name: Ren, Dianyun
name: Jin, Xin
name: Yang, Chong
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Biophysics
subject: Biochemistry
subject: Medicine
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Pharmacology
subject: Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Immunology
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Cancer
subject: Virology

description: Additional file 1: Fig. S1. YAP1 overexpression reversed the inhibition in the aggressive behavior of pancreatic cancer cells induced by WDR3 silencing in vitro. Fig. S2. WDR3 expression was positively correlated with YAP1 expression in pancreatic cancer patient specimens. Fig. S3. WDR3 silencing enhanced the anti-pancreatic cancer effect of TED-347 treatment in the orthotopic syngeneic model of pancreatic cancer. Fig. S4. LC-MS/MS assay to identify the base peak of IgG IP and WDR3 IP samples. Fig. S5. GATA4 silencing reversed the induction in the aggressive behavior of pancreatic cancer cells induced by WDR3 overexpression in vitro. Table S1. The primer sequences for RT-qPCR. Table S2. The shRNA sequences. Table S3. The primer sequences for ChIP-qPCR.
A normalised extension of the first Chebyshev function in the lower half complex plane.
Creators: name: Martin, John
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: 10199 Pure Mathematics not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Mathematics

description: In the lower half complex plane, Re(s) < 1, an extension of the first Chebyshev function is proposed for arbitrary s, involving summands of ln(p)/p^s, for the primes. A closed expression for the sum is conjectured along the real axis for Re(s) < 1. Across the lower half complex plane, the absolute value of the function exhibits 1/Imaginary(s) decay and (diminishing) sharp modulation features about the positions of the non-trivial Riemann Zeta zeroes are observed.
Additional file 1 of Cancer-associated fibroblasts promote the survival of irradiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells via the NF-κB pathway
Creators: name: Huang, Weiqiang
name: Zhang, Longshan
name: Yang, Mi
name: Wu, Xixi
name: Wang, Xiaoqing
name: Huang, Wenqi
name: Yuan, Lu
name: Pan, Hua
name: Wang, Yin
name: Wang, Zici
name: Wu, Yuting
name: Huang, Jihong
name: Liang, Huazhen
name: Li, Shaoqun
name: Liao, Liwei
name: Liu, Laiyu
name: Guan, Jian
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Cell Biology
subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Cancer
subject: Hematology

description: Additional file 1: Table1. Patient and tumor characteristics.
Enzyme Catalysed Biodiesel Production from Rubber Seed Oil Containing High Free Fatty Acid
Creators: name: Jilse Sebastian
name: Chandrasekharan Muraleedharan
name: Arockiasamy Santhiagu
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences

description: Unrefined rubber seed oil contains high levels of free fatty acids and moisture which make the conventional chemical catalysed transesterification unsuitable. The method of enzyme catalysed transesterification is well suited for biodiesel production from rubber seed oil as the enzymes are insensitive to the free fatty acids. In the present work, rubber seed oil was extracted from preserved rubber seed cake by mechanical means. The extraction process was designed and optimised through 24 full factorial design. Extracted oil was subjected to enzymatic transesterification using four different lipases to identify the best one for the purpose. Transesterification process was optimised by considering three influencing variables for biodiesel production viz. methanol/oil molar ratio, catalyst concentration (% w/v) and solvent content (% v/v). A 23 full factorial design was applied to design the experiments and optimise the biodiesel production. The interactive effects of the independent variables on biodiesel yield were analysed and regression models were developed for each set of enzyme reactions. Among the four lipases, Thermomysis Lanugonosus Lipase was found to be the most suitable for the transesterification of rubber seed oil with a biodiesel conversion of 92.83% at a molar ratio of 4 and 5%(w/v) enzyme concentration in solvent free reaction medium.
A Human-Centred Approach to Network Layout Algorithm Design
Creators: name: STEVEN ANDREW KIEFFER
Publisher: name: Monash University
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: 120307 Visual Communication Design (incl. Graphic Design)
subject: FOS: Arts (arts, history of arts, performing arts, music)
subject: Information Systems
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences
subject: Theoretical Computer Science

description: Scientists and engineers often use a type of information graphic called a node-link diagram to represent the complex systems they study. Here, labelled boxes connected by lines show how elements of the system relate to one another. It is challenging to create a good layout for such a diagram, positioning the boxes and lines for maximum clarity. Existing software can help with the job, but the results often look artificial, or fail to capture a lab-specific style. My research explores a new approach to designing layout software that can more closely mimic the style of human graphic designers.
Application of geochemical and stable isotopic tracers to investigate groundwater salinity in the Ochi-Narkwa Basin, Ghana
Creators: name: Ganyaglo, Samuel Y.
name: Osae, Shiloh
name: Tetteh Akiti
name: Armah, Thomas
name: Gourcy, Laurence
name: Vitvar, Tomas
name: Ito, Mari
name: Otoo, Isaac A.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Inorganic Chemistry
subject: Hematology
subject: Computational Biology

description: Rainwater, groundwater and soil-water samples were analysed to assess groundwater geochemistry and the origin of salinity in the Ochi-Narkwa basin of the Central Region of Ghana. The samples were measured for major ions and stable isotopes (δ18O, δ2H and δ13C). The Cl− content in rainwater decreased with distance from the coast. The major hydrochemical facies were Na-Cl for the shallow groundwaters and Ca-Mg-HCO3, Na-Cl and Ca-Mg-Cl-SO4 for the deep groundwaters. Groundwater salinization is caused largely by halite dissolution and to a minor extent by silicate weathering and seawater intrusion. Stable isotope composition of the groundwaters followed a slope of 3.44, suggesting a mixing line. Chloride profiles in the soil zone revealed the existence of salt crusts, which support halite dissolution in the study area. A conceptual flow model developed to explain the mechanism of salinization showed principal groundwater flow in the NW–SE direction.EDITOR D. KoutsoyiannisASSOCIATE EDITOR K. Heal EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis ASSOCIATE EDITOR K. Heal
Pulsed short wave therapy : its clinical use and physiological effects in healthy subjects and osteoarthritic patients
Creators: name: Al-Mandil, Maryam Mansour
Publisher: name: University of Hertfordshire
Year: 2004

description: PSWT is a commonly used electrotherapy modality and surveys have shown it to be one of the most widely used modalities among physiotherapists in the UK. Nevertheless, the literature supporting its therapeutic effects and explaining its mechanism of actions remains scant, is of poor methodological quality and of minimal clinical value. This research program was set to examine both the nature of use and the efficacy of PSWT. The nature of PSWT use was examined in outpatient clinics using an audit and a nationwide survey. The efficacy of PSWT was examined in two randomised placebo controlled trials; one conducted in a laboratory setting on healthy subjects and the other was a clinical trial on patients with osteoarthritis. Following the same methodology and protocol, the effects of low and high dose of PSWT on skin temperature (SkT), blood volume (BVol), and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) were evaluated against a placebo and a control condition. The findings have revealed the poor documentary skills of physiotherapists, and a state of confusion ~n the clinical decision-making with regard to PSWT dosage. Based on experimentation, it was established that patients react differently from healthy subjects when similar levels of energies are applied. Whilst low dose resulted in non-significant changes in SkT and NCV in healthy subjects, the same dose significantly altered BVol, SkT, and NCV in patients. Placebo effects were found to account for 39% of the patients' response to PSWT treatments. The findings have revealed a discrepancy between evidence and practice that necessitates a reconsideration of the treatment approaches adopted by physiotherapists when using PSWT. The study has also demonstrated the physiological and therapeutic efficacy of PSWT on patients with osteoarthritis, and showed that treatment outcomes are dependent on the amount of exogenous energy applied and the type of tissue treated. The thesis also highlights areas for future research based on the literature reviewed and the experimentation conducted.
Can Brief Mindfulness-Based Intervention Improve Attention in Individuals With Mixed Neurological Disorders?
Creators: name: Judy, Emenalo-Strange
Publisher: name: UH Research Archive
Year: 2015
Subjects: mindfulness
attention
psychological wellbeing
wellbeing
traumatic brain injury
acquired brain injury
neurological disorders/conditions

description: It is estimated that there are 12.5 million people in England living with neurological disorders (Neurological Alliance, 2014). People with neurological disorders as a result of acquired brain injury (ABI) are living with short and long-term disabilities. These include cognitive impairment, and physical and emotional distress. One of the most common complaints by individuals who have ABI is attention impairment. Attention difficulties can have serious ramifications for daily functioning. Although studies have explored the effects of evidence-based interventions such as mindfulness-based therapy on attention abilities, and have found that it improves individuals’ attention skills (Moore et al, 2012), thus far research has been conducted mainly with non-clinical populations. This study set out to investigate whether a mindfulness-based intervention could prove beneficial for people with neurological disorders, particularly whether it could positively impact on attention impairment. The study employed a one group pre-test post-test design. The intervention was adapted from the MBSR programme developed by Kabat-Zinn. Twenty-two participants with ABI were recruited. The Conners Continuous Performance Test 3rd Edition (CPT-3), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Attention Process Training-II Attention Questionnaire (APT-II AQ) and Clinical Outcome in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) were utilised to measure outcomes. The results revealed that there was a clinical improvement in self reported measures of mindfulness (MAAS) (Cohen d=0.28), attention (APT-II AQ) (Cohen d=0.33), and psychological distress (CORE-OM) (Cohen d=0.72). This was not observed using the neuropsychological test of attention (CPT-3) for overall group scores, but further evaluation showed some individuals’ scores improved. The study is promising as it indicates that mindfulness based treatment can be effective with attentional problems as well as in reducing psychological distress for individuals with ABI. This could be valuable in terms of providing treatment for this client group and adds to the expanding research base on mindfulness-based intervention with this population.
Enzyme catalyzed biodiesel production from rubber seed oil containing high free fatty acid
Creators: name: Jilse Sebastian
name: Chandrasekharan Muraleedharan
name: Arockiasamy Santhiagu
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Biotechnology
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences

description: Unrefined rubber seed oil contains high levels of free fatty acids and moisture, which make the conventional chemical catalyzed transesterification unsuitable. The method of enzyme catalyzed transesterification is well suited for biodiesel production from rubber seed oil as the enzymes are insensitive to the free fatty acids. In the present work, rubber seed oil was extracted from preserved rubber seed cake by mechanical means. The extraction process was designed and optimized through 24 full factorial design. Extracted oil was subjected to enzymatic transesterification using four different lipases to identify the best one for the purpose. Transesterification process was optimized by considering three influencing variables for biodiesel production viz. methanol/oil molar ratio, catalyst concentration (% w/v) and solvent content (% v/v). A 23 full factorial design was applied to design the experiments and optimize the biodiesel production. The interactive effects of the independent variables on biodiesel yield were analyzed and regression models were developed for each set of enzyme reactions. Among the four lipases, Thermomysis Lanugonosus Lipase was found to be the most suitable for the transesterification of rubber seed oil with a biodiesel conversion of 92.83% at a molar ratio of 4% and 5% (w/v) enzyme concentration in solvent free reaction medium.
Modeling of phytoextraction efficiency of microbially stimulated Salix dasyclados L. in the soils with different speciation of heavy metals
Creators: name: Michał Złoch
name: Kowalkowski, Tomasz
name: Jarosław Tyburski
name: Hrynkiewicz, Katarzyna
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Microbiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: 80699 Information Systems not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: Bioaugmentation of soils with selected microorganisms during phytoextraction can be the key solution for successful bioremediation and should be accurately calculated for different physicochemical soil properties and heavy metal availability to guarantee the universality of this method. Equally important is the development of an accurate prediction tool to manage phytoremediation process. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the role of three metallotolerant siderophore-producing Streptomyces sp. B1–B3 strains in the phytoremediation of heavy metals with the use of S. dasyclados L. growing in four metalliferrous soils as well as modeling the efficiency of this process based on physicochemical and microbiological properties of the soils using artificial neural network (ANN) analysis. The bacterial inoculation of plants significantly stimulated plant biomass and reduced oxidative stress. Moreover, the bacteria affected the speciation of heavy metals and finally their mobility, thereby enhancing the uptake and bioaccumulation of Zn, Cd, and Pb in the biomass. The best capacity for phytoextraction was noted for strain B1, which had the highest siderophore secretion ability. Finally, ANN model permitted to predict efficiency of phytoextraction based on both the physicochemical properties of the soils and the activity of the soil microbiota with high precision.
The Genomics of Type 1 Diabetes Susceptibility Regions and Effect of Regulatory SNPs
Creators: name: Beka, Sylvia
Publisher: name: UH Research Archive
Year: 2016
Subjects: SNPs
Polymorphisms
Type 1 Diabetes
Complex disease
DNA
Sequences
Susceptibility
Region
Regulatory
Sensitivity
Functional
Transcription factor
Transcription
Binding
TFBS
Reference allele
Mutant allele
Gene
Transcript
Protein-coding
Non-coding
RNA transcript
Overlapping
Expression
Cluster analysis
Representation
Binding signal
Motif change
Profile
Genome
Genetic factor
Ensemble
VEP
T1Dbase
Ravendbase
Clusters
Profiles
Features
Structural
Mutation
Associated
Non-associated

description: Human complex diseases, like Diabetes and Cancer, affect many people worldwide today. Despite existing knowledge, many of these diseases are still not preventable. Complex diseases are known to be caused by a combination of genetic factors, as well as environmental and life style factors. The scope of this investigation covered the genomics of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). There are 49 human genomic regions that are known to carry markers (disease-associated single nucleotide mutations) for T1D, and these were extensively studied in this research. The aim was to find out in how far this disease may be caused by problems in gene regulation rather than in gene coding. For this, the genetic factors associated with T1D, including the single point mutations and susceptibility regions, were characterised on the basis of their genomic attributes. Furthermore, mutations that occur in binding sites for transcription factors were analysed for change in the conspicuousness of their binding region, caused by allele substitution. This is called SNP (Single nucleotide polymorphism) sensitivity. From this study, it was found that the markers for T1D are mostly non-coding SNPs that occur in introns and non-coding gene transcripts, these are structures known to be involved in gene regulatory activity. It was also discovered that the T1D susceptibility regions contain an abundance of intronic, non-coding transcript and regulatory nucleotides, and that they can be split into three distinct groups on the basis of their structural and functional genomic contents. Finally, using an algorithm designed for this study, thirty-seven SNPs that change the representation of their surrounding region were identified. These regulatory mutations are non-associated T1D-SNPs that are mostly characterised by Cytosine to Thymine (C-T) transition mutations. They were found to be closer in average distance to the disease-associated SNPs than other SNPs in binding sites, and also to occur frequently in the binding motifs for the USF (Upstream stimulatory factor) protein family which is linked to problems in Type 2 diabetes.
Diet Niche Width and Individual Specialization of Brook Trout in Adirondack Lakes
Creators: name: Jirka, Kurt J.
name: Kraft, Clifford E.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Neuroscience
subject: Physiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Evolutionary Biology
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: Inorganic Chemistry
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: 111714 Mental Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences

description: We evaluated diet niche width, individual diet specialization, and diet composition in six lake populations of Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis, a generalist predator known to exhibit benthic and pelagic trophic specialization. Population diet niche width was broad and similar across all lakes, contrasting with that of individual fish, which exhibited specialized diets in comparison with their population and other individuals. Overall, the degree of individual diet specialization was high compared with that of other fishes. The degree of individual diet specialization did not differ among study populations, although it was generally reduced in spring. Individual diet specialization was consistent across fish sizes despite observed shifts in diet composition with increasing fish length. Population diet composition varied among lakes but was consistent within lakes in all years during the 3-year study period with regard to season and fish size. The consistency and stability in measures of population diet niche width, degree of individual diet specialization, and population diet composition for Brook Trout indicate that these metrics provide useful tools for characterizing fish foraging and measuring how it changes in response to biotic and abiotic perturbations. Received August 11, 2016; accepted January 20, 2017 Published online May 22, 2017
Using Machine Learning and Computer Simulations to Analyse Neuronal Activity in the Cerebellar Nuclei During Absence Epilepsy
Creators: name: Alva, Parimala
Publisher: name: UH Research Archive
Year: 2016
Subjects: machine learning
computational neuroscience
absence epilepsy
computer simulations
evolutionary algorithms
cerebellar nuclei

description: Absence epilepsy is a neurological disorder that commonly occurs in children. Some studies have shown that absence seizures predominantly originate either in the thalamus or the cerebral cortex. Some cerebellar nuclei (CN) neurons project to these brain areas, as explained further in Fig. 2.6 in Chapter 2. Also, some CN neurons have been observed to show modulation during the absence seizures. This indicates that they somehow participate in the seizure and hence are referred to as "participating neurons" in this thesis. In this research, I demonstrate how machine learning techniques and computer simulations can be applied to investigate the properties and the input conditions present in these participating neurons. My investigation found a sub-group of CN neurons, with similar interictal spiking activity, spiking activity between the seizures, that are most likely to participate in seizures. To investigate the input conditions present in the CN neurons that produce this type of interictal activity, I used a morphologically realistic conductance based model of an excitatory CN projection neuron [66] and optimised the input parameters to this model using an Evolutionary Algorithm (EA). The results of the EA revealed that these participating CN neurons receive a synchronous and bursting input from Purkinje cells and bursting input with long intervals(approx. 500ms) from mossy fibre. The same interictal activity can also be produced when the Purkinje cell input to the CN neuron is asynchronous. The excitatory input in this case also had long interburst intervals but there is a decrease in excitatory and inhibitory synaptic weight. Surprisingly, a slight change in these input parameters can change the interictal spiking pattern to an ictal spiking pattern, the spiking pattern observed during absence seizures. I also discovered that it is possible to prevent a participating CN neuron from taking part in the seizures by blocking the Purkinje cell input.
Modelling of phytoextraction efficiency of microbially stimulated Salix dasyclados L. in the soils with different speciation of heavy metals
Creators: name: Michał Złoch
name: Kowalkowski, Tomasz
name: Jarosław Tyburski
name: Hrynkiewicz, Katarzyna
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Microbiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: 80699 Information Systems not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: Bioaugmentation of soils with selected microorganisms during phytoextraction can be the key solution, but the actual efficacy of this technology should be confirmed for different physicochemical soil parameters and heavy metal availability to guarantee the universality of this method. Equally important is development of the accurate prediction tool to manage phytoremediation process.The main objective of this study was to evaluate the role of three metalotolerant siderophore-producing Streptomyces sp. B1-B3 strains in the phytoremediation of heavy metals with the use of S. dasyclados L. growing in four metaliferrous soils as well as modelling the efficiency of this process based on physicochemical and microbiological properties of the soils using artificial neural networks (ANN) analysis. The bacterial inoculation of plants significantly stimulated plant biomass and reduced oxidative stress. Moreover, the bacteria affected the speciation of heavy metals and finally their mobility, thereby enhancing the uptake and bioaccumulation of Zn, Cd, and Pb in the biomass. The best capacity for phytoextraction was noted for strain B1, which had the highest siderophore secretion ability. Finally, ANN model permitted to predict efficiency of phytoextraction based on both the physicochemical properties of the soils and the activity of the soil microbiota with high precision.
Matching Watershed and Otolith Chemistry to Establish Natal Origin of an Endangered Desert Lake Sucker
Creators: name: Strohm, Deanna D.
name: Budy, Phaedra
name: Crowl, Todd A.
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Biochemistry
subject: Physiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified

description: Stream habitat restoration and supplemental stocking of hatchery-reared fish have increasingly become key components of recovery plans for imperiled freshwater fish; however, determining when to discontinue stocking efforts, prioritizing restoration areas, and evaluating restoration success present a conservation challenge. In this study, we demonstrate that otolith microchemistry is an effective tool for establishing natal origin of the June Sucker Chasmistes liorus, an imperiled potamodromous fish. This approach allows us to determine whether a fish is of wild or hatchery origin in order to assess whether habitat restoration enhances recruitment and to further identify areas of critical habitat. Our specific objectives were to (1) quantify and characterize chemical variation among three main spawning tributaries; (2) understand the relationship between otolith microchemistry and tributary chemistry; and (3) develop and validate a classification model to identify stream origin using otolith microchemistry data. We quantified molar ratios of Sr:Ca, Ba:Ca, and Mg:Ca for water and otolith chemistry from three main tributaries to Utah Lake, Utah, during the summer of 2013. Water chemistry (loge transformed Sr:Ca, Ba:Ca, and Mg:Ca ratios) differed significantly across all three spawning tributaries. We determined that Ba:Ca and Sr:Ca ratios were the most important variables driving our classification models, and we observed a strong linear relationship between water and otolith values for Sr:Ca and Ba:Ca but not for Mg:Ca. Classification models derived from otolith element : Ca signatures accurately sorted individuals to their experimental tributary of origin (classification tree: 89% accuracy; random forest model: 91% accuracy) and determined wild versus hatchery origin with 100% accuracy. Overall, this study aids in evaluating the effectiveness of restoration, tracking progress toward recovery, and prioritizing future restoration plans for fishes of conservation concern. Our results have further application, such as identifying subpopulations that provide the greatest reproductive contribution to a metapopulation or finding the reproductive area and origin of invasive fishes. Received August 27, 2016; accepted February 28, 2017 Published online May 22, 2017
Modelling, design and stability analysis of an improved SEPIC converter for renewable energy systems
Creators: name: Dileep G
name: S. N. Singh
name: G. K. Singh
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Space Science
subject: Molecular Biology
subject: 59999 Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Earth and related environmental sciences
subject: 39999 Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: 80699 Information Systems not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Computer and information sciences

description: In this paper, a detailed modelling and analysis of a switched inductor (SI)-based improved single-ended primary inductor converter (SEPIC) has been presented. To increase the gain of conventional SEPIC converter, input and output side inductors are replaced with SI structures. Design and stability analysis for continuous conduction mode operation of the proposed SI-SEPIC converter has also been presented in this paper. State space averaging technique is used to model the converter and carry out the stability analysis. Performance and stability analysis of closed loop configuration is predicted by observing the open loop behaviour using Nyquist diagram and Nichols chart. System was found to stable and critically damped.
Rapid identification of the north-western Pacific billfish species using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction techniques
Creators: name: Po-Shun Chuang
name: Hung-An Chang
name: Chiang, Wei-Chuan
name: Jen-Chieh Shiao
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Ecology
subject: 69999 Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Developmental Biology
subject: Inorganic Chemistry
subject: FOS: Chemical sciences

description: Billfishes are important fishery resources traded and consumed worldwide. As morphological traits are usually removed during processing, molecular methods are applied to identify billfish products. In this study, the approaches of quantitative real-time PCR were developed to identify the six billfish species (Istiompax indica, Istiophorus platypterus, Kajikia audax, Makaira nigricans, Tetrapturus angustirostris and Xiphias gladius) widely distributed in the north-western Pacific Ocean. The developed singleplex systems showed high fidelities to each of the six species via either examining the ΔCt values or melting curve patterns. For samples containing multiple species, individual species are identifiable by a quantitative real-time PCR assay that includes all the singleplex systems. A multiplex system was also developed to identify unknown samples composed of a single species. The methods developed in this study provide a fast and high-throughput manner to identify the north-western Pacific billfish species when morphological traits are unavailable, such as in processed products.