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The Cyclomodulin Cycle Inhibiting Factor (Cif) Alters Cullin Neddylation Dynamics, Tasha B. Toro, J. I. Toth, M. D. Petroski

Faculty and Staff Publications

The bacterial effector protein cycle inhibiting factor (CIF) converts glutamine 40 of NEDD8 to glutamate (Q40E), causing cytopathic effects and inhibiting cell proliferation. Although these have been attributed to blocking the functions of cullin-RING ubiquitin ligases, how CIF modulates NEDD8-dependent signaling is unclear. Here we use conditional NEDD8-dependent yeast to explore the effects of CIF on cullin neddylation. Although CIF causes cullin deneddylation and the generation of free NEDD8 Q40E, inhibiting the COP9 signalosome (CSN) allows Q40E to form only on NEDD8 attached to cullins. In the presence of the CSN, NEDD8 Q40E is removed from cullins more rapidly than …

Interview With Vida Shore, Alameda Elementary, 2013 (Audio), Vida Shore

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Vida Shore by Brianna Demko at Alameda Elementary in NE Portland, Oregon on May 24th, 2013.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Jaylen Schmitt, Alameda Elementary, 2013 (Audio), Jaylen Schmitt

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Jaylen Schmitt by Brianna Demko at Alameda Elementary School in NE Portland, Oregon on May 24th, 2013.

The interview index is available for download.

Varying Index Coefficient Models, Shujie Ma, Peter Xuekun Song

The University of Michigan Department of Biostatistics Working Paper Series

It has been a long history of utilizing interactions in regression analysis to investigate interactive effects of covariates on response variables. In this paper we aim to address two kinds of new challenges resulted from the inclusion of such high-order effects in the regression model for complex data. The first kind arises from a situation where interaction effects of individual covariates are weak but those of combined covariates are strong, and the other kind pertains to the presence of nonlinear interactive effects. Generalizing the single index coefficient regression model (Xia and Li, 1999), we propose a new class of semiparametric …

Interview With Nicole Hoffmann, Abernathy School, 2013 (Audio), Nicole Hoffmann

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Nicole Hoffmann by Nichole Bull at Portland State University on May 21st, 2013.

The interview index is available for download.

Mechanisms Of Nutrient Limitation And Nutrient Acquisition In Managed And Unmanaged Forest Ecosystems, Matthew A. Vadeboncoeur

Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding the interactions between global change, human and natural disturbances, and other factors on biogeochemical processes in forests is necessary to ensure the sustainability of forest management. Here I report the results of several investigations into nutrient acquisition processes in the forests of New Hampshire. I begin with a meta-analysis of fertilization studies showing that phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca) as well as nitrogen (N) may limit primary production in deciduous forests of the region. Because these limiting nutrients are all removed from the ecosystem when trees are harvested, I compared nutrient budgets under a range of harvesting scenarios with …

Synthesis And Antifungal Evaluation Of Barbiturate Saponins And Progress Towards Cysteinyl Metal Peptides, Monika Madhav

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Invasive fungal infections are a major threat to immune-compromised patients. There is a critical need to develop new antifungal agents because of increasing resistance to the common antifungal drugs.

In the first part of this dissertation, methods for preparation of novel barbiturate saponin as antifungals and their biological activities would be described. Barbiturates and steroidal saponins have shown remarkable antifungal activity in the biological assays. Therefore, attempts were directed to combine the barbiturate with the steroid to give novel antifungal agents. The need for extensive SAR studies and to better understand these compounds efforts were directed to synthesize novel saponin …

Interview With Kristine Garnero Obbink, Portland Public School, 2013 (Audio), Kristine Garnero Obbink

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Kristine Garnero Obbink by Loraine Decker at 705 N. Killingsworth St., Portland, Oregon on May 14th, 2013.

The interview index is available for download.

Interview With Julie Corpron, Raleigh Park Elementary Garden, 2013 (Audio), Julie Corpron

All Sustainability History Project Oral Histories

Interview of Julie Corpron by Margret Harburg May 14th, 2013.

The interview index is available for download.

Jefferson Currents: Fall 2009

Jefferson Currents: The Energy Conservation Newsletter

Dr. Watts' Brilliant Savings, saving money and healing the environment, trash to cash, and other conservation news. 2 pages.

Effects Of Herbivory As An Ecological Constraint Of Willow Growth At A Restored Riparian Corridor, Jacqueline A. Mccrory

Master's Theses

A critical component of nearly all riparian restoration projects is the rapid successful recovery of native vegetation. The dynamic conditions and diverse biotic community supported by riparian ecosystems can present numerous constraints to restoration efforts. This study investigated stunted growth of arroyo willow (Salix lasiolepis) cuttings planted along the banks of Redwood Creek as part of the National Park Service’s Muir Beach Restoration Project to restore habitat for special status species in California. Based on observations of deer browsing, as well as signs of extensive biomass removal, I designed a field experiment using exclusionary fencing to test the significance of …

The Santa Clara, 2013-05-02, Santa Clara University

The Santa Clara

No abstract provided.

An Approach For Dealing With Statuses Of Non-Statistically Significant Interactions Between Treatments, Zakaria M. Sawan

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

A field experiment on cotton yield resulted in a non-statistically significant interaction. An approach for follow-up examination between treatments based on least significant difference values was suggested to identify the effect regardless of insignificance. It was found that the classical formula used in calculating the significance of interactions suffers a possible shortage that can be eliminated by applying a suggested revision.

Section Abstracts: Statistics

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Statistics Section for the 91st Annual Virginia Journal of Science Meeting, May 2013

Progression Magazine, 2013 Spring, Coastal Carolina University

Progression Magazine

Magazine of the College of Science at Coastal Carolina University.

Using Optimal Control Theory To Optimize The Use Of Oxygen Therapy In Chronic Wound Healing, Donna Lynn Daulton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Approximately 2 to 3 million people in the United States suffer from chronic wounds, which are defined as wounds that do not heal in 30 days time; an estimated $25 billion per year is spent on their treatment in the United States. In our work, we focused on treating chronic wounds with bacterial infections using hyperbaric and topical oxygen therapies.

We used a mathematical model describing the interaction between bacteria, neutrophils and oxygen. Optimal control theory was then employed to study oxygen treatment strategies with the mathematical model. Existence of a solution was shown for both therapies. Uniqueness was also …

91st Annual Meeting Of The Virginia Academy Of Science: Proceedings

Virginia Journal of Science

Proceedings of the 91st Annual Meeting of the Virginia Academy of Science, held at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, May 22-24, 2013.

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of Farmer Training In Ghanaian Cocoa Farming, Michael Norton

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

While billions of dollars flow into low-income countries each year to help alleviate poverty, assessing the effectiveness of these dollars is a challenging task. The literature is rich in studies that measure the benefits of rural development programs. However, many of these studies lack a temporal dimension because they measure cost and benefits for only capital investments and for only a single, static year, while not accounting for skill enhancement. By only measuring net producer benefits during the life of the development program, the cost-benefit analyses (CBA) may not truly capture the full net benefits of a given program. In …

Modeling Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Net Return Implications For Cow-Calf Producers In The Ozark Highlands, Stephen Aaron Smith

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cow-calf producers in the Ozark Highlands region are under continuous pressure to improve economic efficiency. Additionally, estimating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from cow-calf and forage production processes may become increasingly important as policy makers seek to mitigate or reduce agriculture's role in climate change. As such, this analysis had three objectives. Objective 1: Provide a model that could be used by cow-calf producers, extension agents, and researchers to evaluate GHG and net return (NR) repercussions when modifying site characteristics, production methods, and inputs. Objective 2: Develop a user guide such that the methodology for estimating cow-calf GHG emissions and NR …

Comparative Visual Function In Predatory Fishes From The Indian River Lagoon, D. Michelle Mccomb, Stephen M. Kajiura, Andrij Horodysky, Tamara M. Frank

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Visual temporal resolution and spectral sensitivity of three coastal teleost species (common snook [Centropomus undecimalis], gray snapper [Lutjanus griseus], and pinfish [Lagodon rhomboides]) were investigated by electroretinogram. Temporal resolution was quantified under photopic and scotopic conditions using response waveform dynamics and maximum critical flicker fusion frequency (CFF_max). Photopic CFF_max was significantly higher than scotopic CFF_max in all species. The snapper had the shortest photoreceptor response latency time (26.7 ms) and the highest CFF_max (47 Hz), suggesting that its eyes are adapted for a brighter photic environment. In contrast, the …

Skip Trie Matching For Real-Time Ocr Output Error Corrrection On Smartphones, Aditya Vanka

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Many Visually Impaired individuals are managing their daily activities with the help of smartphones. While there are many vision-based mobile applications to identify products, there is a relative dearth of applications for extracting useful nutrition information. In this report, we study the performance of existing OCR systems available for the Android platform, and choose the best to extract the nutrition facts information from U.S grocery store packages. We then provide approaches to improve the results of text strings produced by the Tesseract OCR engine on image segments of nutrition tables automatically extracted by an Android 2.3.6 smartphone application using real-time …

Section Abstracts: Environmental Science

Virginia Journal of Science

Abstracts of the Environmental Science Section for the 91st Annual Virginia Journal of Science Meeting, May 2013

Acting To Address The Ocean-Related Impacts Of Climate Change On Human And National Security, With Recommendations For Priority Actions Drawn From The Discussions Of The Global Conference On Oceans, Climate And Security At The University Of Massachusetts Boston, Robbin Peach, Felix Dodds, Michael Strauss, Collaborative Institute For Oceans, Climate And Security, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Collaborative Institute for Oceans, Climate and Security Publications

In the course of the past calendar year the United States has been struck by a series of droughts, tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, wildfires, and floods whose size and path of resulting damage defy previously established patterns. The U.S. thus joins nations on every continent that have increasingly experienced extreme and extremely damaging weather events over the past two decades.

At the same time, the world’s oceans have been exhibiting a less-visible but equally dangerous sequence of temperature rise, acidification increase, fish kills, coastal erosion, salinity shifts, algae blooms, and steady decreases in commercially available fish and shellfish species.

Those impacts …

Advocacy For Marine Management: Contributions To A Policy Advocacy Initiative In The Maldives, Neal Collins

Capstone Collection

On June 5, 2009 a 42-­‐km2 area of coral reef situated in the Alif Dhaalu (South Ari) atoll of the Republic of Maldives was designated the South Ari Atoll Marine Protected Area (S.A. MPA) due to a globally significant whale shark aggregation site. The whale shark is notorious for its gargantuan size and docile nature, which has led to a burgeoning tourist industry that gives people the opportunity to swim with the gentle giants in tropical sites such as the Maldives. The S.A. MPA receives tens of thousands of visitors a year that engage in whale shark excursions, however, there …

Asian Carp Could Help Us Solve Hunger Problem, Michael (Dung) Tran

Collection of Engaged Learning

Bighead carp and silver carp (Invader Species – Asian Carp) invaded the Illinois River waterway over a decade ago. Populations of these fishes have apparently grown dense in the lower and middle Illinois Rivers and both species are approaching the Chicago Area Waterway System (CAWS) and potentially making their way into Great Lakes. So far, positive DNA of Asian Carp has been found beyond the defensive electrical barrier, which means they have made their way to Great Lakes somehow. Asian Carp are fast growing, aggressive, and adaptable fish that are outcompeting native fish species for food and habitat in much …

Biomarkers Of Fatigue: Metabolomics Profiles Predictive Of Cognitive Performance, Nicholas J. Delraso, Deirdre A. Mahle, John J. Schlager, Donald L. Harville, Scott R. Chaiken, Danelle K. Roddy, Mari Chamberlain, Paul E. Anderson, Nicholas V. Reo, Michael L. Raymer, Isaie Sibomana

Computer Science and Engineering Faculty Publications

Cognitive performance and fatigue are well known to be inversely related. Continuous and sustained actions in operational environments typically lead to reduced sleep normally required to perform optimally. These operational environments subject the warfighter to intense physical and mental exertion. Because fatigue continues to be an occupational hazard, leading to cognitive defects in performance, there has been a recognized need for real-time detection technologies that minimize fatigue-induced mishaps. I the current study, 23 subjects were subjected to 36h of sleep deprivation and cognitive psychomotor vigilance and automated neuropsychological assessment metric tests were conducted over the last 24 h of sleep …

Characterization Of Dap2 (Defense-­‐Associated Aspartic Protease-­‐2) In Arabidopsis Thaliana And Determining Its Role In Plant Defense Responses, Kemardo Kitaro Henry

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Plants defend themselves from invading pathogens by coordinating activity of several plant defense-­‐associated genes. Defense-­‐Associated Aspartic Protease-­‐1 (DAP1) gene of Arabidopsis encodes for an atypical aspartic protease with a putative proteolytic activity. The DAP1 is a negative regulator of plant immunity and the transgenic plants ectopically expressing this genes support pathogen growth and pathogenicity. The Arabidopsis genome has another putative protese that has ~75% homology to DAP1 present in close proximity and therefore was named DAP2. Here, I describe the role of the DAP2 gene in plant defense responses. Two independent knockout dap2 mutants are found to be more susceptible …

Environmentally Friendly Sizing Agent From Corn Distillers Dried Grains, Yue Zhang

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Distillers dried grains (DDGS), the coproducts of corn ethanol production, were used as a textile sizing agent on cotton, polyester and polyester/cotton blends in an effort to find inexpensive and biodegradable alternatives to sizing agents such as poly(vinyl alcohol) that are currently used. Although DDGS is an inexpensive, biodegradable and abundant co-product, it has limited industrial applications. DDGS is a mixture of carbohydrates, proteins and oil which are used as sizing agents or as size additives. The effects of DDGS extraction conditions on sizing evaluation parameters such as fiber adhesion, film properties, viscosity and fabric abrasion were studied in comparison …

Regulation Of Secondary Metabolism In Lysobacter Enzymogenes: Studies Of Intercellular And Intracellular Signaling, Stephen J. Wright

Department of Chemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The organisms of the genus Lysobacter have been recognized as prolific producers of bioactive secondary metabolites, making them potentially valuable as biocontrol agents and as sources of compounds for drug leads. This study was aimed at understanding the regulatory mechanisms that underlie the production of secondary metabolites in our study organism, Lysobacter enzymogenes. Since secondary metabolism is energetically costly, we sought not only to elucidate the biosynthetic chemistry by which the bioactive molecules were constructed, but also the regulation of the biosynthetic machinery. The molecular mechanisms by which L. enzymogenes responds to environmental conditions and transduces signals leading to …

Interaction Between Lubricants Containing Phosphate Ester Additives And Stainless Steels, David W. Johnson, Matthew Bachus, John E. Hils

Chemistry Faculty Publications

One way to improve fuel efficiency in today’s jet aircraft engines is to create an environment for higher operating temperatures and speeds. New and improved lubricants and bearing materials must be developed to remain stable in these elevated operating temperatures. Three lubricants, with varying amounts of tricresyl phosphate added as an anti-wear/extreme pressure additive were tested on two different stainless steels at varying temperatures ranging from 300 °C to 350 °C in vacuum. Significant decomposition of the lubricant base-stocks and the phosphate ester additive did occur in most of the trials resulting in the formation of carboxylic acids and phenols. …