Copyright (c) 2009 Wayne State University All rights reserved. http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu Recent documents in Digital Commons@Wayne State University en-us Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:40:54 PST 3600 http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/libsp/11 http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/libsp/11 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:58:00 PDT This presentation will review current U.S. laws governing dietary supplements and the impact these laws have on the information needs of health care providers and consumers who want to make informed decisions regarding dietary supplement use. The information needs of health care providers and consumers evaluating dietary supplements will be reviewed, resources to meet those needs highlighted, and gaps in current knowledge identified. Annette M. Healy http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/libsp/10 http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/libsp/10 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:57:59 PDT At research universities, the library plays a critical role in meeting the information needs of researchers. As libraries expand their electronic resources, researchers are less likely to visit the library and may be unaware of available services and resources. In addition, not all research team members are reached during traditional library orientation sessions. In this electronic age, finding opportunities to promote library resources to researchers is increasingly challenging. At Wayne State University, collaboration between the University Libraries and the Division of Research has led to several new avenues for promoting library services and resources. The University Libraries have participated in Division of Research faculty development workshops, promoted library resources and services in Division of Research publications and created a new liaison area to foster this relationship. This paper will describe how this collaboration came about, identify different types of collaboration opportunities and discuss lessons learned. Annette M. Healy http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/libsp/9 http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/libsp/9 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 07:55:39 PDT Publishing scholarly articles and books has many benefits. For librarians, it can help establish a professional identity and contribute to professional growth. For the library community, it is an effective means for sharing ideas and experiences that contribute to improving library services and managing the challenges we encounter in our work environment. This program features three presenters who will share their experiences participating in the scholarly publishing process. The first presenter will discuss how to locate publishing opportunities, develop an idea into an article, and select a journal. The second presenter will address the peer-review process and provide an insider's view of what journal reviewers look for when evaluating a manuscript, common errors that writers make, and recommendations that increase the likelihood that a manuscript will be accepted for publication in a journal. Finally, the third presenter will cover developing a book concept into a publishing success through practical advice and lessons learned from a first-time book editor.This presentation was delivered on November 6, 2009 at the Michigan Library Association (MLA) 118th Annual Conference in Lansing, Michigan. Annette M. Healy http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/cpcs_cfp/22 http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/cpcs_cfp/22 Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:46:28 PDT The Season for Nonviolence Essay Contest purpose is to focus attention on the philosophy of attaining peace through nonviolent action as demonstrated by Gandhi and King. The season is January 30th to April 4th each year inaugurated by the UN and co-founded by the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence and The Association for Global New Thought. Rosemary Doyle http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/dissertations/AAI9423706 http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/dissertations/AAI9423706 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:43:29 PDT A considerable number of reinforced concrete box-girder highway bridges are located in seismically active zones. This type of bridge bore a major portion of the damage inflicted during the 1994 Northridge, 1989 Loma Prieta, and 1971 San Fernando earthquakes in the western area of the United States. Most of the existing box girder viaducts were built before the advent of computers. Earthquake loads were calculated by the modified seismic factor method. The strong correlation between the ground motion frequency of seismic events, structure frequency, and structure damage is well established and has shown the criticality of structure frequency in the determination of structure seismic damage. In this study, a methodology to assess the seismic vulnerability of concrete box-girder bridges by correlating the fundamental natural frequencies analytically and experimentally has been developed. The analyses carried out in this study proceeded as follows: (1) Field ambient vibration measurements were conducted on three reinforced concrete box-girder bridges in the Pacific Northwestern region of the U.S. Laboratory data analyses were conducted to derive the fundamental natural frequencies and other modal properties of the bridges. (2) A procedure to build finite element models using space frame, spring, and mass elements and to analytically compute the fundamental natural frequencies via modal analysis was developed. (3) An identification method in a matrix form was developed to identify the sensitive parameters in this type of bridge and to reach a best agreement between the analytical and experimental natural frequencies. (4) Finally, the seismic responses of this type of bridge was assessed by performing linear time-history transient analyses. Hassan Najib Dubaisi Civil engineering,Mechanical engineering http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/dissertations/AAI8922783 http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/dissertations/AAI8922783 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:43:27 PDT Fear of Crime is a multi-dimensional concept. Although attempts have been made to delineate its multi-dimensionalities, the primary concern has been given to the identification of independent dimensions. Structural linkages among the dimensions were not considered. In the current study, a multiple indicator structural equation modeling approach is proposed to identify the underlying dimensions of the fear of crime and to explicate the interrelationships among various aspects of this concept. In particular, it specifies structural linkages among five latent dimensions of the fear including (a) perception of victimization risk, (b) perception of general outcome, (c) feelings of safety in the immediate neighborhood, (d) feelings of safety in the metro area, and (e) self-reported behavior limitation. The proposed conceptualization of the fear of crime is evaluated by using the data from National Crime Survey Cities Attitude Subsample and the analysis of covariance structures (LISREL). The model is consistently replicated across different sex, race, and age groups as well as five randomly divided subsamples. Shiang-Jeou Lillian Shyu Criminology http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/dissertations/AAI8405954 http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/dissertations/AAI8405954 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:43:26 PDT Investigations were carried out to develop a routine analytical method for the determination of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in environmental samples. The method used high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) for the separation of the PAH's. Densitometric measurements using selective fluorescence detection was employed for the quantitative aspects of the method. High performance silica gel, cellulose, acetylated cellulose and reversed-phase plates as the separation media were evaluated. Reversed-phase plates with 60% silanization and a solvent system of methanol:water using continuous multiple developments produced the best separation. The method was evaluated using shale oil, air particulate, diesel exhaust particulate and an in-house dust samples. During the course of the studies a characterization of the fluorescence and single wavelength double beam reflectance modes was performed. Resolution and signal-to-noise ratios were the main criteria used in the characterization of the two modes. In reflectance mode, slit widths of 0.80 to 1.00 mm, slit heights of 3.0 to 4.0 mm, and scan rates of 24 or 48 mm/min without signal filtering produce the best quantitative results. In fluorescence mode, slit widths of 1.00 mm or greater, slit heights of 6 to 7 mm, photomultiplier voltage of -400 to -750 volts and scan rates of 24 to 48 mm/min with signal filtering produced the best results. Based on observations made during the characterization studies, a calibration method employing a single standard solution was developed. The method had an operating range of approximately 0.5 to 20 ng and is suitable as a scouting technique to determine approximate concentrations of unknown samples in HPTLC. A method for expressing the relative fluorescence intensity of the PAH's at a given excitation wavelength was also developed. The emission response ratios (ERR) were useful in approximating interferences and determining optimal wavelength combinations. HAL THOMAS BUTLER Analytical chemistry http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/dissertations/AAI7117293 http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/dissertations/AAI7117293 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:43:25 PDT EIZO NISHIURA Mathematics http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/dissertations/AAI3369665 http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/dissertations/AAI3369665 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:43:24 PDT <?Pub Inc> My Ph.D. dissertation work has focused on studying the signaling pathways involved in bystander effects induced by chemicals and ionizing radiation. Bystander effects have been studied extensively using ionizing radiation; however few studies have evaluated the ability of other agents, such as chemicals, to induce similar effects. Radiation-induced bystander effects refer to damage seen in cells that have not been directly exposed to radiation. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways have been shown to play an important role in radiation-induced bystander effects. These pathways have also been shown to be involved in general stress responses. I thus hypothesized that bystander effects are not restricted to radiation and that other DNA damaging agents could also induce these effects, and that the bystander effects induced by these various agents would all predominantly involve the same MAPK pathways. Bystander effects were evaluated in normal lymphoblastoid cells exposed to chemicals or radiation using the micronucleus assay. These findings indicated that the chemicals mitomycin C and phleomycin were capable of inducing bystander effects in the cell lines used. We also confirmed the occurrence of radiation-induced bystander effects in these cell lines. The involvement of MAPK proteins in bystander effects were evaluated by measuring the phosphorylation levels of MAPK proteins and caspase 3/7 activity following MAPK inhibition. The results indicated a transient, initial, increase in protein phosphorylation. Inhibition of the proteins resulted in an initial decrease followed by a return to basal levels or an increase in caspase activity. The expression changes of MAPK target genes were evaluated in the next part of my project. The genes chosen were specific targets of each of the three MAPK pathways. The results indicated changes in gene expression in response to chemical- and radiation-induced bystander effects. Overall, this work provides strong evidence for the occurrence of bystander effects by agents other than ionizing radiation and indicates the involvement of common signaling pathways in chemical- and radiation-induced bystander effects. An understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in bystander effects might help us develop more efficient cancer treatment regimens that could focus on amplifying the tumor cell killing signals, will limiting the damage to naïve bystander cells. Rajalakshmi Asur Srinath Molecular biology http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/dissertations/AAI3369668 http://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/dissertations/AAI3369668 Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:43:24 PDT Type I diabetes occurs when immune cells, such as macrophages, infiltrate the pancreatic islets of Langerhans and release cytokines, which mediate the destruction of the islet β-cells. One of these cytokines, IL-1β, causes multiple deleterious effects, including the release of inflammatory mediators such as NO, ultimately culminating in β-cell death. However, the exact signaling pathway(s) involved in cytokine induced β-cell death is not yet known, making prevention very difficult. Previous studies have implicated small G-proteins in the pathway leading to NO release in pancreatic β-cells. One of the steps involved in G-protein activation is the post-translational modification, farnesylation. The current work has used specific inhibitors of farnesylation as well as molecular biological approaches to knock-down the enzyme responsible to conclude that farnesylation is involved in IL-1β mediated NO release. A second post-translational modification that has been shown to be important for NO release in other cell types is the acetylation of histone proteins. Using various pharmacological inhibitors, this work demonstrates that HDACs play a role in IL-1β induced β-cell death. We also show that inhibition of HDACs using novel HDAC inhibitors can prevent IL-1β induced NO release and subsequent β-cell death. These novel HDAC inhibitors are not cytotoxic to the β-cells because they are more isoform specific than previous HDAC inhibitors. However, to improve these inhibitors further, the particular HDACs involved in IL-1β mediated NO release need to be known, so we used siRNA to knock-down various HDAC isoforms and determined that HDACs 1 and 2 are involved in NO release in β-cells. Lastly, this work demonstrates the involvement of PKCδ in IL-1β induced iNOS expression and NO release. It has previously been shown that IL-1β activates PKCδ and that PKCδ can stabilize iNOS mRNA. Here, we determined that inhibition of PKCδ can also result in an increase in histone H4 acetylation and thereby inhibiting iNOS expression. Although this novel effect of PKCδ is not due to inhibition of HDACs, it has been shown that PKCδ can phosphorylate and thereby inactivate HATs in other cell types, which may be the case in β-cells as well. Laura Susick Pharmacology