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Role Of Deg/Enac Channels Expressed In Glia In C. Elegans Touch Sensitivity, Lu Han
Role Of Deg/Enac Channels Expressed In Glia In C. Elegans Touch Sensitivity, Lu Han
Open Access Dissertations
Neuronal DEG/ENaC Na+ channels have been implicated in touch sensation. For example, MEC-4 is expressed in touch neurons in C. elegans and mediates gentle touch response. Similarly, homologous mammalian ASIC2 and ASIC3 are expressed in sensory neurons and produce touch phenotypes when knocked out in mice. Here, we show that novel DEG/ENaC subunits DELM-1 and DELM-2 are expressed in glia associated with touch neurons in C. elegans and that their knock-out causes defects in mechanosensory behaviors related to nose touch and foraging, which are mediated by OLQ and IL1 sensory neurons. Cell-specific rescue supports the idea that DELM-1 and DELM-2 …
Donor T Cell Outcome And Immune Reconstitution Following Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide And Regulatory T Cell Therapy In Recipients Of Mhc Matched Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplants, Duncan B. Ross Iii
Open Access Dissertations
Blood cancers result in the deaths of over 50,000 patients worldwide annually. While capable of inducing temporary or occasionally complete remissions in patients with favorable cytogenetics, conventional chemotherapy is limited both by its toxicity and lack of specificity, often causing secondary disease years later. For over 50 years, the techniques of transplantation have been developed through the complicated interpretation of biology and countless lives. Today, developments in the field of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have led to an increasing use of the therapy in patients of all ages. The main deterrent to the use of transplantation today is the divergent …
A Matlab Model Of A 1.6 Liter Engine With Experimental Verification, Patrick Shannon Seemann
A Matlab Model Of A 1.6 Liter Engine With Experimental Verification, Patrick Shannon Seemann
Open Access Dissertations
Many different models exist for internal combustion engines. When designing and optimizing an internal combustion oftentimes key parameters are missing. Commonly no Pressure-Volume diagrams exist. It is the purpose of this dissertation to prove that a simple and accurate model can generate excellent results. The results of the model were verified using three different engine configurations and found to give accurate results for power and BTE. These theoretical results helped to better understand each engine configuration. The three engine configurations varied in swirl and squish. The engine configurations were all tested using propane as a fuel. The three engine configurations …
Advanced Computing Methods For Knowledge Discovery And Prognosis In Acoustic Emission Monitoring, Felipe Mejia
Advanced Computing Methods For Knowledge Discovery And Prognosis In Acoustic Emission Monitoring, Felipe Mejia
Open Access Dissertations
Structural health monitoring (SHM) has gained significant popularity in the last decade. This growing interest, coupled with new sensing technologies, has resulted in an overwhelming amount of data in need of management and useful interpretation. Acoustic emission (AE) testing has been particularly fraught by the problem of growing data and is made the focus of this dissertation. The dissertation is divided into three studies, the first of which attempts to identify the computing resources necessary for the acquisition, management, and analysis of AE datasets. A computing framework capable of managing AE data is designed and implemented using the methods described …
Acoustic Emission Assessment Of Steel Bridge Details Subjected To Fatigue, Navid Nemati
Acoustic Emission Assessment Of Steel Bridge Details Subjected To Fatigue, Navid Nemati
Open Access Dissertations
Acoustic Emission (AE) fatigue crack monitoring has the potential to provide early fatigue crack detection and assessment required to develop a rational prognostics methodology and can provide insight to assess the integrity of structures such as bridges. Most steel structures develop fatigue cracks at the transverse weld toe of stiffeners, attachments, and cover plates. The cracks develop from a combination of initial conditions (e.g. weld toe geometry, discontinuities, residual stress fields) that are difficult to accurately quantify, thus rendering fracture mechanics models for the prediction of fatigue crack growth exceedingly difficult without experimental verification. Single edge notches provide a very …
Reinhold Gliere's Concerto For Harp And Orchestra In E-Flat Major Op.74: An Analysis And Performance Guide, Phuttaraksa Kamnirdratana
Reinhold Gliere's Concerto For Harp And Orchestra In E-Flat Major Op.74: An Analysis And Performance Guide, Phuttaraksa Kamnirdratana
Open Access Dissertations
The purpose of this study is to thoroughly analyze the harp concerto by Reinhold Gliere and to create a performance guide. The present essay contains the biographies of the composer, a brief history of the concerto, and also a brief discussion of the history of sonata form that will help the reader understand the musical form of this concerto. The main portion of this study consists of detailed analyses and a performance guide to the concerto. Theoretical, technical, and stylistic issues are addressed in depth.
Wnt Signaling In The Cnidarian Nematostella Vectensis: Insighits Into The Evolution Of Gastrulation, Naveen M. Wijesena
Wnt Signaling In The Cnidarian Nematostella Vectensis: Insighits Into The Evolution Of Gastrulation, Naveen M. Wijesena
Open Access Dissertations
The genesis of gastrulation was arguably a key evolutionary innovation that enabled metazoan diversification. The developmental mechanisms that induced archenteron formation and endodermal cell fate specification during gastrulation are unknown, but one crucial step was likely the co-option of a localized molecular asymmetry that was present in ancient embryos. One ancient polarity present in most metazoan eggs is the animal vegetal (AV) or primary egg axis, which is established by the asymmetric localization of maternal factors such as RNA, proteins and organelles during oogenesis. In bilaterians, which account for a majority of animal taxa, the AV axis predicts the axial …
Characterization Of The Phenotypic Differences Between Wild Type And Effector Caspase Deficient Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts, Matthew R. Brentnall
Characterization Of The Phenotypic Differences Between Wild Type And Effector Caspase Deficient Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts, Matthew R. Brentnall
Open Access Dissertations
The caspase family of proteins consists of upstream initiator caspases that activate downstream effector caspases, which are responsible for the proteolytic cleavage of many hundreds of proteins during apoptosis. Caspases 7 and 3 cleave a variety of proteins that lead to the hallmarks of apoptosis including, nuclear condensation, DNA fragmentation and membrane blebbing. Classically, caspase 7 and 3 were thought of as redundant because they share a 49.2 % amino acid sequence identity, a 62.0 % amino acid sequence similarity and have the same preferred cleavage motif (DEVD). However, recent data have demonstrated that caspase 7 and 3 are distinct …
Interactive Effects Of Water Flow And Light Levels With Decreasing Ph On The Growth And Survival Of Tropical Cnidarians, Carolyn L. Margolin
Interactive Effects Of Water Flow And Light Levels With Decreasing Ph On The Growth And Survival Of Tropical Cnidarians, Carolyn L. Margolin
Open Access Dissertations
The changes in global climate, including the observed and predicted changes to ocean chemistry are expected to have significant impacts on the future of coral reefs. A series of laboratory experiments examined the interactive effects of water flow rate, light levels, and decreased pH on the growth of several species of reef cnidarians. Under current water chemistry conditions (pH 8.04), the massive coral species, Montastraea faveolata shows high growth under flow conditions less than 15.7 cm/s. At this flow rate, decreased pH (pH 7.88) had no significant impact on the growth of this species. Under both water chemistry conditions, colonies …
From Popular Expression To Public Spectacle: History And Visual Testimonies Of The Carnaval De Barranquilla In The Xx And Xxi Centuries, Francine Birbragher
From Popular Expression To Public Spectacle: History And Visual Testimonies Of The Carnaval De Barranquilla In The Xx And Xxi Centuries, Francine Birbragher
Open Access Dissertations
This dissertation presents the Carnaval de Barranquilla as a space for the safeguarding of rich cultural traditions despite the fact that it has been transformed from popular carnival into a comercial spectacle. The study traces the organizational aspect of the celebration throughout the twentieth century and analyzes carnival parades as historical testimonies through the use of photographs as historical documents. The research concludes that the organization that has managed carnival for the last twenty years has provided a participatory way to administer the festivities' official program and demonstrates that photographs provide valuable information not only on the history of the …
The Importance Of The Rare: The Role Of Background Symbiodinium In The Response Of Reef Corals To Environmental Change, Rachel N. Silverstein
The Importance Of The Rare: The Role Of Background Symbiodinium In The Response Of Reef Corals To Environmental Change, Rachel N. Silverstein
Open Access Dissertations
Reef ecosystems throughout much of the tropics are predicted to decline in coral cover and diversity as a result of ongoing climate change (ocean acidification, temperature increases, sea level rise), disease, pollution, and overfishing. Corals may be able to respond to some of these stressors by associating with diverse algal symbionts (Symbiodinium spp.) which vary in their physiological traits and therefore expand corals’ realized niche space. This dissertation used high-sensitivity molecular techniques to investigate the presence and functional role of "background" or "rare" Symbiodinium, which occur at low abundance, and therefore may not be detected using standard molecular methods. First, …
Mechanisms Of Nmnat/Wlds Mediated Axon Protection, Brandon M. Kitay
Mechanisms Of Nmnat/Wlds Mediated Axon Protection, Brandon M. Kitay
Open Access Dissertations
Neurodegeneration is a hallmark of several inherited and acquired diseases of the nervous system. Though great attention in the past has been given to understanding and mitigating neuron loss in these diseases, efforts at targeting neuron cell body death pathways have yielded modest success in preventing or delaying disease onset. Often preceding neuronal death, axon degeneration is a common pathological feature of many neurodegenerative processes, and may therefore provide a therapeutic target upstream of neuronal loss. Though formerly believed to be a passive process, recent observations concerning the destruction of distal axons following transection, referred to as “Wallerian degeneration” (WD), …
Predictors Of Hiv/Aids Related Stigma And Discrimination Among Anglophone Caribbean Women, Kimberly A. Hires
Predictors Of Hiv/Aids Related Stigma And Discrimination Among Anglophone Caribbean Women, Kimberly A. Hires
Open Access Dissertations
The effects of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) global epidemic continue to emerge decades after teh first wave of infection. One key aspect of the HIV epidemic that is significantly impacted by culture and knowledge of HIV transmission is stigma, specifically HIV/AIDS related stigma and discrimination (HASD). The Caribbean region has the second highest HIV prevalence rate in the world. In 2011, there were approximately 13,000 new infections and 10,000 AIDS related deaths among adults and children in the Caribbean. Three Anglophone nations significantly impacted by the HIV epidemic are Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica. HASD has been identified …
Rapid Climate Change In The Tropics: A Half-Million Year Long Geochemical Record From The Cariaco Basin, Venezuela, Kelly Ann Gibson
Rapid Climate Change In The Tropics: A Half-Million Year Long Geochemical Record From The Cariaco Basin, Venezuela, Kelly Ann Gibson
Open Access Dissertations
It is becoming increasingly apparent that rapid climate change on suborbital timescales is a persistent feature of Pleistocene climate. The rapid climate changes of the last glacial period – Dansgaard-Oeschger (D/O) cycles and Heinrich Events (HEs) – involved changes in sea and air temperature, atmospheric and oceanic circulation, and changes in hydrologic patterns that were nearly global in nature. Counterparts to D/O cycles and HEs have been found in marine sediment records of early glacial periods as far back as ~2.5 mya. Although the millennial-scale climate events of the last glacial period have been well studied, there is still much …
Missa Della Grande Transizione: For Live Processed Voice And Stereographic Video, Liza Seigido
Missa Della Grande Transizione: For Live Processed Voice And Stereographic Video, Liza Seigido
Open Access Dissertations
Missa della Grande Transizione is a twenty-two minute electro-acoustic nuptial Mass for live processed voice, and stereographic video—using red-blue 3D glasses. The stereographic video backdrop was constructed with stereograms taken at a 1955 wedding in Marianao, Cuba. Missa focuses on the human aspect of the wedding-Mass ritual—praising God and one’s beloved for giving one love, pleading for God’s mercy and help in the face of uncertainty, and resigning oneself to have faith in love. In order to accomplish this goal, the text of the Mass Ordinary was supplemented with excerpts from Francesco Petrarca’s Canzoniere—a highly spiritual yet humanist masterwork of …
Rapid Climate Change In The Tropics: A Half-Million Year Long Geochemical Record From The Cariaco Basin, Venezuela; Scanning Xrf Supplemental Data, Kelly Ann Gibson
Rapid Climate Change In The Tropics: A Half-Million Year Long Geochemical Record From The Cariaco Basin, Venezuela; Scanning Xrf Supplemental Data, Kelly Ann Gibson
Open Access Dissertations
Supplementary scanning XRF data from cores MD-2622 and ODP Hole 1002C. This is a supplementary file. The main document can be found at http://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/oa_dissertations/915
Parental Authority, Parental Nurturance, Depression And Self-Esteem Among Latino Emerging Adults, Ana V. Chapman
Parental Authority, Parental Nurturance, Depression And Self-Esteem Among Latino Emerging Adults, Ana V. Chapman
Open Access Dissertations
It is well-established that parenting has a profound impact on children’s depressive symptoms and self-esteem (e.g., Endler & Parker, 1994; Hoffman, Levy-Shiff, Sohlberg, & Zarizki, 1992; Wolfradt, Hempel, & Miles, 2003). More specifically, parental authority and parental nurturance have been found to affect children’s functioning positively (i.e., high self-esteem and self-worth) and negatively (i.e., poor self-image and depressive symptoms; Bean, Bush, McKenry, & Wilson, 2003; Hopkins & Klein, 1994; Patcoch-Peckham & Morgan-Lopez, 2007; Wolfradt et al., 2003). However, such findings have been garnered through examination of almost exclusively White children and adolescent samples, suggesting that our understanding of these constructs …
Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation Interactions In The Trade Wind Boundary Layer, Eunsil Jung
Aerosol-Cloud-Precipitation Interactions In The Trade Wind Boundary Layer, Eunsil Jung
Open Access Dissertations
This dissertation includes an overview of aerosol, cloud, and precipitation properties associated with shallow marine cumulus clouds observed during the Barbados Aerosol Cloud Experiment (BACEX, March-April 2010) and a discussion of their interactions. The principal observing platform for the experiment was the Cooperative Institute for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Studies (CIRPAS) Twin Otter (TO) research aircraft that was equipped with aerosol, cloud, and precipitation probes, standard meteorological instruments, and a up-looking cloud radar. The temporal variations and vertical distributions of aerosols observed on the 15 flights show a wide range of aerosol conditions that include the most intense African dust event …
Tektosyne Three Architectures For Orchestra, Alessandra Salvati
Tektosyne Three Architectures For Orchestra, Alessandra Salvati
Open Access Dissertations
Tektosyne is a collection of three pieces for symphonic orchestra. This thesis provides an aesthetic and technical analysis of it, with particular emphasis on the constructive processes at basis of the individual and overall structures, and the generation and proliferation of materials. The title is an ancient Greek word, “tektosyne,” referring to the carpentry and, more generally, to any craftsman or workman, from gymnastics to poetry. The idea of using it as a title – and framing these pieces as “architectures” – came from a conversation I had with an architect, and my attempt to translate for him the basic …
Shrimp Aquaculture And Aguadulce: A Broken Partnership., Sylvia M. Bolanos
Shrimp Aquaculture And Aguadulce: A Broken Partnership., Sylvia M. Bolanos
Open Access Dissertations
A socio-economic impact study was conducted in Aguadulce, Panama to analyze the viability of the shrimp aquaculture industry. Two visits in 2004 and 2010 document the changes the industry underwent through the use of a survey and interviews of knowledgeable informants. Interviews were conducted among field and processing plant employees, managers and owners, government officials, and local artisanal fishermen. It was of relevance to understand the viability of this industry at both the town and country level. Changes are evident when comparing the data. The industry has undergone drastic changes resulting from the spread of White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV) …
Deming-Based Lean-Six Sigma Applied To The Length Of Stay In An Urban Emergency Department, Mary C. Mckenry
Deming-Based Lean-Six Sigma Applied To The Length Of Stay In An Urban Emergency Department, Mary C. Mckenry
Open Access Dissertations
Deming-based Lean Six-Sigma management is applied to the Emergency Department (ED) of a large metropolitan university hospital to demonstrate the effectiveness of using Deming's approaches to improve processes which will allow a reduction in the length of time the patient remains within the ED. A Voice of Customer analysis is utilized to identify priorities for improvement. Change concepts are utilized for the development of the changes that will improve the ED length of stay. Control charts are used to illustrate the estimated effect of implementation of the proposed changes. A recommendation for further study is enclosed.
Measurement Of Seawater Ph: A Theoretical And Analytical Investigation, Jason F. Waters
Measurement Of Seawater Ph: A Theoretical And Analytical Investigation, Jason F. Waters
Open Access Dissertations
The emission of anthropogenic carbon is leading to the influx of additional CO2 to the atmosphere and global ocean. While the flux of anthropogenic CO2 from the atmosphere to the ocean may be leading to the mitigation of global climate change, it is also leading to the decline of global ocean pH – a process referred to as Ocean Acidification. The net effects Ocean Acidification will have on physical, biogeochemical, and ecological processes are currently not well constrained, but there is significant research interest in evaluating the effects of decreased pH on ocean processes. Seawater pH is the essential measurement …
Universal Classification Of Topological Categories, Marta Alpar
Universal Classification Of Topological Categories, Marta Alpar
Open Access Dissertations
The main purpose of this dissertation is to construct, for various well known families of topological categories and some of their generalizations, a member of the family that is universal in the sense that every member of the family is isomorphic to the pullback, along its so called classifying functor, of the said universal family member. This is carried out by first constructing a topological category that is universal for the family of all topological categories and then by defining various family universal categories by describing their classifying functors. A further refinement is made by placing restrictions on the classifying …
The Illuminating Bud: A Performer's Analysis Of Elizabeth Maconchy's Five Sketches For Viola, Yun Young Lim
The Illuminating Bud: A Performer's Analysis Of Elizabeth Maconchy's Five Sketches For Viola, Yun Young Lim
Open Access Dissertations
This essay examines Elizabeth Maconchy’s Five Sketches for Viola, a solo viola work by one of the greatest female British composers of the twentieth century and an important recent contribution to the viola literature. Following an investigation of Maconchy’s musical style, identifying relevant idioms present in the work, the author provides suggestions for the performer’s preparation and an interpretative and theoretical framework for the composition. The background of the piece was accumulated through interviews with the commissioner of the work, Nicholas Logie, and Philip Dukes, who featured the work on his debut disc. “Illuminating bud” is the condition of a …
Regulators And Effectors Of Acetyltransferase P300 During Oxidative Stress, Heart Disease And Aging, Sumit Jain
Regulators And Effectors Of Acetyltransferase P300 During Oxidative Stress, Heart Disease And Aging, Sumit Jain
Open Access Dissertations
The nuclear acetyltransferase p300 is a chromatin-modifying enzyme that facilitates gene transcription by modifying histone-DNA interactions and promoting the transcriptional activation properties of numerous transcription factors. p300 and its paralogue, CBP (CREB-binding protein) are implicated in a wide range of essential biological processes, however, the extent to which p300 has independent tissue- or signal-specific functions has been a matter of dispute. Here, I used gene targeting, gain-of-function and knockdown models to show that the myocardial response to oxidative stress is obligatorily dependent on the cellular availability of p300, and that this availability is dynamically modulated as part of an acute …
Water And Nutrient Uptake Of Deciduous And Evergreen Trees In A Dry Seasonal Forest: Interrelationship Between Root Structure And Leaf Phenology, Patrick Z. Ellsworth
Water And Nutrient Uptake Of Deciduous And Evergreen Trees In A Dry Seasonal Forest: Interrelationship Between Root Structure And Leaf Phenology, Patrick Z. Ellsworth
Open Access Dissertations
Dry seasonal ecosystems are defined by a pronounced and consistent dry season, which reduces water availability in the dry season. Plants must adapt to water limitation in the dry season and high water availability during the wet season. In addition, the soil is nutrient-poor with the majority of nutrients concentrated in shallow soil. Considering the temporal drying of these layers, nutrient availability is dependent on the climatic conditions that govern water availability in the shallow soil. In this dissertation I address differences in fine root density, water source use, and nutrient uptake between deciduous and evergreen species in a dry …
Understanding The Effect Of Atmosphere-Wave-Ocean Coupling On Tropical Cyclone Structure, Chia-Ying Lee
Understanding The Effect Of Atmosphere-Wave-Ocean Coupling On Tropical Cyclone Structure, Chia-Ying Lee
Open Access Dissertations
It is well-recognized that tropical cyclone (TC) intensity is strongly modulated by air-sea interactions. However, how and to what extent air-sea interactions affect TC structure remains an open question. The overall goal of this study is to better understand the physical processes of the atmosphere-wave-ocean couplings and their impact on TC structure. Because the boundary layer connects the air-sea interface to TC convection, it is also important to understand how the couplings modulate boundary layer structure. In this study, coupled atmosphere-(wave)-ocean models and observations from two field programs are used in this study: Coupled Boundary Air-Sea Transfer (CBLAST, 2003-04), and …
Oxygen Isotope Signature Of Cellulose: Advances As A Climate Proxy, Patricia V. Ellsworth
Oxygen Isotope Signature Of Cellulose: Advances As A Climate Proxy, Patricia V. Ellsworth
Open Access Dissertations
Cellulose is a very stable structural molecule integrated in the incremental growth of tree rings, often used for paleoclimate reconstruction. As cellulose is synthesized it incorporates the oxygen isotopic signature of source (stem) and leaf water, which provide valuable information about climate such as precipitation and relative humidity. However, source and leaf water isotopic signatures can be masked by plant physiological and biochemical processes during cellulose synthesis. The biochemical interference does not occur equally in all the oxygen of the cellulose molecule. In Chapter 2, I compared the observed versus the reconstructed oxygen isotope ratios of stem water (δ18OSW) using …
Unlocking The Guitar Fretboard: An Intervallic Approach Towards Melodic Improvisation, Jesse S. Hale
Unlocking The Guitar Fretboard: An Intervallic Approach Towards Melodic Improvisation, Jesse S. Hale
Open Access Dissertations
This manual will present seven skills/concepts that will ultimately allow a student to tap into their own imagination in order to originate musical ideas and produce these on the guitar. The seven skills/concepts presented in the manual have proven to be helpful in a guitarist’s ability to reproduce and originate musical ideas on their instrument. The first skill/concept (Chapter 2) will introduce and develop the divisions of an octave using intervallic study. The second skill/concept (Chapter 3) will expose and develop an understanding of the overtone series. The third (Chapter 4) will discuss the tuning of the guitar and the …
Praying Hands: Influences Of Religiosity And Spirituality On Sexual Risk-Taking Among Black, College-Attending Emerging Adults, Tralonda C. Triplett
Praying Hands: Influences Of Religiosity And Spirituality On Sexual Risk-Taking Among Black, College-Attending Emerging Adults, Tralonda C. Triplett
Open Access Dissertations
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed persistent disproportionate burdens of HIV/AIDS among Black populations in the United States. While treatment advancements have greatly improved qualities of life for persons living with HIV/AIDS, prevention efforts remain focused to reduce incidence among vulnerable populations. Research distinguishing emerging adulthood in the US has characterized it entailing identity formations influencing sexual risk-taking. Religiosity and spirituality have remained pivotal in Black cultures influencing beliefs and normative behaviors around pre-marital sex. The Praying Hands study combines ethnic, demographic, contextual and socio-environmental factors to investigate influences of religiosity and spirituality on HIV risks among …