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Brd4 Is Required For Granule Cell Progenitor Proliferation, Marie E. Maloof
Brd4 Is Required For Granule Cell Progenitor Proliferation, Marie E. Maloof
Open Access Dissertations
Bromodomain and extraterminal domain proteins are epigenetic reader proteins that recognize and bind acetylated histones to facilitate gene transcription. Because of their influence on transcription of genes involved in proliferation and differentiation, small molecule bromodomain inhibitors have entered clinical trials for various indications including several types of cancer. However, our understanding of bromodomain protein function is incomplete, as we do not completely understand their role in vertebrate development. We are investigating the role of the BET protein, Brd4, in cerebellar granule cell progenitor proliferation and cell cycle exit. Dysregulation of cerebellar granule cell progenitor proliferation leads to medulloblastoma, the most …
Effects Of Temperature, Ultraviolet Radiation And Crude Oil Exposure On Early-Life Staged Mahi-Mahi (Coryphaena Hippurus), Christina Pasparakis
Effects Of Temperature, Ultraviolet Radiation And Crude Oil Exposure On Early-Life Staged Mahi-Mahi (Coryphaena Hippurus), Christina Pasparakis
Open Access Dissertations
The timing and location of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) disaster within the Gulf of Mexico resulted in crude oil exposure of many commercially and ecologically important fish species, such as mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), during their sensitive early life stages (ELS). Mahi produce positively buoyant and rapidly developing embryos. Therefore, ELS mahi may be directly exposed to the cardiotoxic tricyclic PAHs dominating the oil slicks in surface waters for a significant portion of their developmental period. Further, these embryos are transparent and are likely also exposed to simultaneous stressors occurring in surface waters, known to act synergistically in the presence …
How Parental Roles Affect The Development Of Caribbean College Students, Seanteé C. Campbell
How Parental Roles Affect The Development Of Caribbean College Students, Seanteé C. Campbell
Open Access Dissertations
The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how parental roles affect the development of Caribbean college students in the United States. Five student development theories informed the framework for this study: Chickering and Reisser’s Seven Vectors of Development, Phinney’s Model of Ethnic Identity Development, Baxter Magolda’s Theory of Self-Authorship, Diana Baumrind’s Prototypical Descriptions of Four Parenting Styles, and the theory of emerging adulthood. Data were collected using a one-on-one, semi-structured interview format designed to assess student perceptions of their development in college and their relationship with parents. Interviews were conducted via phone, FaceTime, AudioTime and Skype interviews. Thematic …
Structural Change: The Case Of China, Yiran Tan
Structural Change: The Case Of China, Yiran Tan
Open Access Dissertations
This paper studies a case of China in the perspective of structural change and industrial revolution. According to industrial revolution theory of Wen (2015), China is at the completion stage of its second industrial revolution and needs to finish agricultural mechanization. Comparing China’s economic structure and agricultural productivity to those of Japan and South Korea, this paper confirms that China has been through the first and second industrial revolution and is on the point of starting the mechanization of its agriculture. The main findings include (1) there exists a similar pattern of economic development in China, South Korea, and Japan. …
Automated Measurement Of Attachment Behaviors During The Strange Situation Procedure, Emily B. Prince
Automated Measurement Of Attachment Behaviors During The Strange Situation Procedure, Emily B. Prince
Open Access Theses
Infant attachment security is typically measured with the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) and experts then rate attachment-related behaviors (proximity-seeking, contact-maintenance, resistance and avoidance) in the two reunion episodes of the SSP. However, expert ratings are time-intensive and do not provide objective descriptions of infant behavior. Movement and audio data were collected using Kinect motion detection and LENA audio recordings during the SSP in order to evaluate the utility of automated measures as possible correlates of attachment behaviors. Results indicate that dyadic measurements of mother and infant position in the room, when combined with more infant-centered variables such as initial approach …
Neural Correlates Of The Development Of Cognitive Flexibility, Dina R. Dajani
Neural Correlates Of The Development Of Cognitive Flexibility, Dina R. Dajani
Open Access Theses
One aspect of executive function, cognitive flexibility, is necessary for implementing the appropriate and efficient adaptation of cognitions in the face of changing environments. In a recently proposed framework, cognitive flexibility is thought to involve multiple component functions: stimulus-driven attention and two related executive functions, working memory and inhibition. These executive functions commonly recruit the frontal, cingulate, and parietal brain regions, but it is unclear whether cognitive flexibility and its component functions arise from specific connectivity profiles within this superordinate fronto-cingulo-parietal network. The objectives of this study were to 1) index behavioral changes in attention, working memory, inhibition and cognitive …
Identification And Characterization Of The Molecular Determinants Of The Anterior-Posterior Axis In The Sea Urchin Embryo, Lingyu Wang
Open Access Dissertations
How the embryonic body axis emerges from a seemingly symmetrical egg and is subsequently patterned during embryogenesis is one of the most fundamental questions in developmental biology. It is now clear that localized activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays a conserved role in primary body axis formation and/or endoderm/endomesoderm specification during embryo development of phylogenetically diverse animal species. In sea urchin embryos, recent experimental evidence has shown that Dishevelled (Dsh), a central hub protein in the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, is asymmetrically enriched and differentially modified in a vegetal cortical domain (VCD) of the unfertilized egg. Experimental evidence has also shown …
A Developmental Theory Analysis Of The Puerto Rican Popular Democratic Party's (Ppd) Economic Policy, Armando A. Torres Alfonso
A Developmental Theory Analysis Of The Puerto Rican Popular Democratic Party's (Ppd) Economic Policy, Armando A. Torres Alfonso
Open Access Theses
The Puerto Rican Popular Democratic Party’s (PPD) 2012 governmental platform and interviews with party officials were evaluated from the perspective of developmental theories, including Amartya Sen’s Capabilities Approach, Neoliberalism and Developmentalism. This study aimed to determine whether the international prevalence of a gap between developmental theory and practice is reflected in the case of economic policymaking in Puerto Rico. The key finding is that the PPD is ambivalent on developmental theory and, as a result, promotes both Developmentalist and Neoliberal policies, with a greater emphasis on the latter. Further, this mixing of theories could explain developmental inefficiency and/or failure. A …
A Political Ecology Of Solid Waste Management In Niadub, Panama, Marc L. Fruitema
A Political Ecology Of Solid Waste Management In Niadub, Panama, Marc L. Fruitema
Open Access Theses
As indigenous communities across Latin America embrace modernization and undergo rapid development, safe and effective waste management becomes an important environmental and public health concern. Far too often, these marginalized groups are excluded from decision-making in the development processes and international conservation projects that address a host of population, health and environmental issues in their own communities. Waste Management projects and initiatives led by international organizations have not only excluded local interest groups from planning and administration, they disregard socio-cultural values and community needs in the process. This has led to far too many failed attempts at addressing pollution concerns …
Characterization Of Ptls-Like Phenotypes In A Conditional Rai1 Transgenic Mouse Model And Study Of Rai1 Molecular Function, Lei Cao
Open Access Dissertations
Structural variants are abundant in the genomes of phenotypically normal populations. However, some rare structural variants are found to be disease causing. Potocki–Lupski syndrome (PTLS) is a genomic disorder associated with an 3 Mb duplication in 17p11.2. Clinical features include leanness, intellectual disability, autistic features and developmental deficits. RAI1 gene dosage is associated with the PTLS phenotypes. To understand where and when Rai1 overexpression is detrimental, we generated a mouse that over-expresses Rai1 conditionally in forebrain neurons (I-Rai1). Phenotypic characterization of I-Rai1 mice showed leanness, hyperactivity, and impaired learning and memory ability compared with wild-type littermates. Rai1 overexpression is controlled …
Syndrome Specific And Non-Syndrome Specific Predictors Of Developmental Change In Higher Functioning Children With Autism, Kim E. Ono
Open Access Dissertations
There is a wide range of variability in symptoms and comorbid behaviors among individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Variability is seen both between individuals at a given point in time and in patterns of change within individuals over time. The goals of the current study were to examine (1) initial levels and rates of change in social reciprocity and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, and (2) the effects of initial temperament, verbal IQ, and symptom severity on mean initial levels and rates of change in social reciprocity and comorbid internalizing and externalizing behaviors. The sample consisted of higher functioning …
“Doing Business:” The Changing Shape Of Grass Roots Ngos In Haiti, Jessica Covell
“Doing Business:” The Changing Shape Of Grass Roots Ngos In Haiti, Jessica Covell
Open Access Dissertations
This study provides an in-depth look at a NGO in Haiti that is attempting to generate some of its own revenue as opposed to relying solely on donor support. This case may prove to be a watershed and represent a new paradigm in development. The creation of micro-businesses and support for the state show signs of creating a more long term, sustainable solution to sanitation needs in Haiti. While the success or failure of this venture falls outside the scope of this study, it identifies emerging trends that may support the venture. The study concludes that while there is a …
The Role Of Snai1 During Heart Development, Ge Tao
The Role Of Snai1 During Heart Development, Ge Tao
Open Access Dissertations
Congenital cardiovascular defects (CHD) are the most common causes of infant death from birth defects (Lloyd-Jones, Adams et al. 2010). In the United States, over 25,000 cases with myocardial defects such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome were recorded in 2001. Beyond this astonishing number, an estimated 3 million more people have bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) (Rosamond, Flegal et al. 2008). Despite the clinical significance, there is a lack of effective therapies for treating CHDs, with surgical intervention as the most common treatment. Thus understanding the normal development of these affected cardiac compartments may provide novel insights and therapeutic targets of …
The Role Of Sox9 In Heart Valve Development And Disease, Jacqueline D. Peacock
The Role Of Sox9 In Heart Valve Development And Disease, Jacqueline D. Peacock
Open Access Dissertations
Heart valve structures open and close during the cardiac cycle to provide unidirectional blood flow through the heart, critical for efficient cardiovascular function. Valve dysfunction results in either incomplete opening or incomplete closure of the valve. Both types of valve dysfunction decrease efficiency of blood flow, increasing the load on the myocardium and leading to secondary heart disease such as pathological hypertrophy and heart failure. There are currently no effective treatments to prevent or slow the progression of valve disease, and there are no pharmacological treatments for advanced valve disease. Although most valve disease is associated with aging, increasing evidence …
The Effects Of Early Life History On Recruitment And Early Juvenile Survival Of A Coral Reef Fish In The Florida Keys, Tauna Leigh Rankin
The Effects Of Early Life History On Recruitment And Early Juvenile Survival Of A Coral Reef Fish In The Florida Keys, Tauna Leigh Rankin
Open Access Dissertations
Processes that influence the early life stages of fishes can significantly impact population dynamics, yet they continue to be poorly understood. This dissertation examined relationships between the environment, early life history traits (ELHTs), behavior, and post-settlement survival for a coral reef fish, Stegastes partitus, in the upper Florida Keys, to elucidate how they influence juvenile demography. Otolith analysis of settlers and recruits coupled with environmental data revealed that S. partitus surviving the early juvenile period settled at larger sizes and grew slower post-settlement. Water temperature also influenced the ranges of these and other ELHTs as well as the intensity and …
A Micro Approach To Microfinance: A Case Study On The Uniones De Credito Y Ahorro In Rural Villages In Peru, Gabriela Raisa De La Torre
A Micro Approach To Microfinance: A Case Study On The Uniones De Credito Y Ahorro In Rural Villages In Peru, Gabriela Raisa De La Torre
Open Access Theses
Peru's microfinance market is dynamic and is comprised of a plethora of financial institutions that offer numerous microfinance services. With increasingly more institutions adding microfinance to their loan portfolio, and with no interest rate cap on microloans in Peru, what impact will this growing market have on the poor? In the past, microfinance institutions (MFIs) have had clients abuse the system, but increased transparency between microfinance institutions and new managing practices are now used to minimize adverse selection. Yet as the microfinance market expands with more large banks gaining control how are borrowers, particularly the most vulnerable, going to be …
Counter-Hegemonic Collective Action And The Politics Of Civil Society: The Case Of A Social Movement In Kerala, India, In The Context Of Neoliberal Globalization, Ajaykumar P. Panicker
Counter-Hegemonic Collective Action And The Politics Of Civil Society: The Case Of A Social Movement In Kerala, India, In The Context Of Neoliberal Globalization, Ajaykumar P. Panicker
Open Access Dissertations
Social movements in various parts of the world have been attempting to challenge the forces of neoliberal globalization and the social problems caused by this economic trend. Many such movements have been advancing the idea of global civil society in order to counter 'globalization from above'. Despite the efforts of these movements to democratize social relations, the domination of these powerful forces persist and result in further oppression of marginalized people. This study attempts to discover the reasons why these social movements and civil society, despite popular support, fail to challenge effectively the power of such social forces. In particular, …