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The Hunter And The Hunted: Kipling's Challenge To Human Exceptionalism In "The White Seal" And "Quiquern", Jessica Marie Robbins Jan 2020

The Hunter And The Hunted: Kipling's Challenge To Human Exceptionalism In "The White Seal" And "Quiquern", Jessica Marie Robbins

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Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Books are some of the most well-known stories about nonhuman animals from the Victorian period, but rarely have scholars discussed this text without privileging the Mowgli stories or Kipling’s well-known colonialist alignments. In this thesis, I have challenged this scholarly tendency, showing how Kipling has paid careful attention to his nonhuman characters and given them characteristics that model the most current scientific information available at the time. My thesis argues that two of Kipling’s stories in particular, “The White Seal” and “Quiquern,” challenge the notion of human exceptionalism and force readers to confront the unsettling parallels …

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Exploring The Physical And Mental Health Disparities In The Transgender Male Community In A Southern Community-Based Medical Lgbtq Organization, Karen E. Musgrove Jan 2020

Exploring The Physical And Mental Health Disparities In The Transgender Male Community In A Southern Community-Based Medical Lgbtq Organization, Karen E. Musgrove

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This dissertation examined the physical and mental health disparities in the transgender male community in a Southern community-based medical LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) organization via a convergent mixed methods study design. There is a paucity of research on the transgender male community in terms of their physical and mental health care needs, services, and disparities. Quantitative data were col-lected via a chart review of 130 transgender male medical charts at the Magic City Well-ness Center (MCWC). The MCWC transgender male medical chart data were compared to three groups separately of the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) …

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Neurobiological Signatures Of Treatment Response – A Multi-Modal Study In Schizophrenia, Eric A. Nelson Jan 2020

Neurobiological Signatures Of Treatment Response – A Multi-Modal Study In Schizophrenia, Eric A. Nelson

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Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous mental illness and even though it has been studied for over a century, the neuropathology of the disease is still not fully under-stood. Only 1/3 of patients respond well to antipsychotic drug (APD) treatment while another 1/3 show only a partial response and yet another 1/3 of patients are non-responsive, exhibiting little to no change in positive symptoms and a general reduction in quality of life. In order to develop treatments that better serve non-responding and partial re-sponse patients, a greater understanding of APD neuromechanisms is needed. In order to provide a more comprehensive assessment of …

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Genetic And Immunologic Predictors Of Genital Chlamydia Reinfection In African American Women Using Bayesian Hierarchical Models, Kristin Olson Jan 2020

Genetic And Immunologic Predictors Of Genital Chlamydia Reinfection In African American Women Using Bayesian Hierarchical Models, Kristin Olson

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Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infec-tion. The burden is greatest in young, African American women. CT reinfections are common and increase risk for reproductive morbidity. Why some women are more sus-ceptible to reinfection is not well understood. Emerging evidence suggests immunologic and genetic variants may predict reinfection susceptibility. The primary goal of this dissertation is to evaluate immunologic and genetic vari-ants as predictors of CT reinfection in young, African American women using different modeling approaches, which has never been reported previously. To evaluate a much larger number of potential predictors than our sample size (a …

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The Effects Of Oscillatory Forces On Epithelial Ovarian Cancer, Molly Buckley Jan 2020

The Effects Of Oscillatory Forces On Epithelial Ovarian Cancer, Molly Buckley

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Oscillatory forces such as blood pressure pulse, interstitial fluid flow, and body movement are present throughout ovarian tumors. These forces have been shown to strongly regulate mechanotransduction signaling, leading to tumor progression, metastasis, and invasion. Mechanotransduction studies are rarely conducted in ovarian cancer. This study is the first of its kind to understand how oscillatory forces impact ovarian tumor progression and the efficacy of a cancer therapeutic under these unique conditions. Herein, a novel oscillating flow bioreactor was developed housing an ovarian cancer tumor model using OVCAR-8 and IHFOT-208 cell lines and compared to the same bioreactor under constant flow. …

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Circadian Clock And Lipid Metabolism Disruption In Fatty Liver Disease, Jennifer Valcin Jan 2020

Circadian Clock And Lipid Metabolism Disruption In Fatty Liver Disease, Jennifer Valcin

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Hepatic Steatosis, characterized by the accumulation of triglyceride (TG) in the liver is the first stage of Alcoholic Liver Disease (ALD) and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). Many metabolic pathways, including lipid metabolism, are regulated by the molecular circadian clock. Importantly, alcohol consumption and obesity induce circadian clock disruption, a risk factor for many diseases, including liver disease. In our first study, we investigated the combined effect of clock disruption and alcohol feeding on liver pathology, and diurnal rhythms in the liver molecular clock and lipid metabolism. Male liver-specific Bmal1 knockout (LKO) mice and control littermates were fed a control …

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Dna Methylation: A Mechanism For Sustained Alteration Of Kir4.1 Expression Following Central Nervous System Insult, Jessica Boni Jan 2020

Dna Methylation: A Mechanism For Sustained Alteration Of Kir4.1 Expression Following Central Nervous System Insult, Jessica Boni

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Astrocytes are the most numerous cells in the brain and play a critical role in maintaining homeostatic extracellular potassium ([K+]e). Maintaining low [K+]e is essential for many cellular functions including maintenance of intensely negative resting membrane potentials in the central nervous system. This process is mediated, in part, by a glial-specific, inwardly rectifying potassium channel, Kir4.1. Underscoring the role of Kir4.1 in CNS functioning, genetic mutations in Kcnj10, the gene which encodes Kir4.1, causes seizures, ataxia and developmental disability in humans. Notably, loss of Kir4.1 protein and mRNA are consistently observed after CNS injury, and in a number of neurological …

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Evolution Of Growth Rates And Interspecies Interactions Of Prochlorococcus And Alteromonas Under Ocean Acidification Conditions, Matthew Kuhl Jan 2020

Evolution Of Growth Rates And Interspecies Interactions Of Prochlorococcus And Alteromonas Under Ocean Acidification Conditions, Matthew Kuhl

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Prochlorococcus is an unusually small and numerous genus of marine cyanobacteria which is thought to contribute 8.5% of marine primary production. Prochlorococcus lacks a gene for catalase, resulting in significant sensitivity to stress from reactive oxygen species (ROS), particularly hydrogen peroxide. Prochlorococcus is known to rely on other species of microbes in the ocean to degrade ROS, such as Alteromonas, a heterotrophic “helper” bacterium with which it is frequently co-located. However, it has been observed that Y2100 predicted ocean acidification conditions (800 ppm atmospheric CO2) reduce catalase production by Alteromonas strain EZ55, increasing oxidative stress on Prochlorococcus strain MIT 9312. …

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Your Friendly Neighbhorhood Superkid: The Influence Of Superheroes On Children's Risk-Taking Behaviors, Casie Morgan Jan 2020

Your Friendly Neighbhorhood Superkid: The Influence Of Superheroes On Children's Risk-Taking Behaviors, Casie Morgan

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Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of injury and death among children in the United States. A variety of behavioral factors place children at heightened risk for injury. Risky play is one of these factors. This study investigated factors that might lead to risky play. Specifically, some scholars argue that we are currently amidst the “Golden Age of Superhero Movies,” and multiple sources of evidence suggest children as young as four-years-old are exposed to superhero television shows and adult-themed movies with great frequency. The current study evaluated children’s exposure to risk behaviors present in superhero media and how those risk …

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Structural And Biophysical Investigations Into The Mechanism Of Hiv-1 Envelope Incorporation, Richard Elliot Murphy Jan 2020

Structural And Biophysical Investigations Into The Mechanism Of Hiv-1 Envelope Incorporation, Richard Elliot Murphy

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Recent advancements in drug therapies and patient care have drastically improved upon the mortality rates of HIV-1 infected individuals. Many of these therapies were developed or improved upon using structure-based techniques, which underscores the importance of obtaining atomic level structural data critical to the understanding of essential mechanisms in the replication cycle of HIV-1. One such process which remains poorly understood on the structural level is the incorporation of the envelope glycoprotein (Env) into budding virus particles. The Env protein mediates viral infection of host cells, and there is strong evidence suggesting that incorporation of Env is mediated by an …

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Contribution Of Adaptive Immune Responses In Chronic Lung Diseases, Thi Kim Tran-Nguyen Jan 2020

Contribution Of Adaptive Immune Responses In Chronic Lung Diseases, Thi Kim Tran-Nguyen

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Immune dysregulation is a hallmark of various chronic lung diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Previous studies in our lab have shown evidences of autoimmunity such as increases in autoantibodies, abnormal T cell profile, immune complex deposition and the presence of ectopic lymphoid structures in the lung of these patients. This thesis consolidates two separate projects about various aberrant immune responses in these diseases. The first project identified Glucose-Regulated-Protein 78 (GRP78) as the common autoantigen in COPD and characterized how GRP78 autoantibodies may increase COPD mortality via its atherogenic effects. I demonstrated that …

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Understanding Financial Hardship In Women With Breast Cancer, Courtney Williams Jan 2020

Understanding Financial Hardship In Women With Breast Cancer, Courtney Williams

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Individuals with cancer are at risk of material, psychological, and behavioral financial hardship due to costly new treatments, increasing time on treatment, and longer survival. Breast cancer is an ideal environment to study financial hardship. Treatment options for metastatic breast cancer are heterogeneous due to differences in patient characteristics, disease biology, and because it has the largest number of treatment options of any metastatic cancer. In early stage breast cancer, treatment options include multimodality treatments, including surgery, radiation, and medical therapy (chemotherapy, hormone therapy, targeted therapy), with the choice for each modality being dependent on the other modality decisions. Despite …

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Comparative Analysis Of The Translocation Kinetics For Clpa’S Atpase Domains 1 & 2, Nathaniel Scull Jan 2020

Comparative Analysis Of The Translocation Kinetics For Clpa’S Atpase Domains 1 & 2, Nathaniel Scull

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ClpA, a Class I AAA+ (ATPases Associated with various cellular Activities) motor, as-sembles into a tiered hexamer containing two AAA+ nucleotide binding domains (NDBs), D1 and D2. These NBDs couple nucleotide triphosphate binding and hydrolysis to mechanical work that drives polypeptide unfolding and translocation. Here we study the kinetic mechanisms of polypeptide translocation at the two domains to elucidate their contributions to the overall wildtype activity of ClpA. We subjected Walker B variants of ClpA that lack ATPase activity in one of the two domains to single-turnover stopped-flow techniques using a new fluorescence anisotropy and total fluorescence method. We found …

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The Luckiest Girl In The World: A Texan Seeks Her Birth Parents, Ardell Taylor Fleeson Jan 2020

The Luckiest Girl In The World: A Texan Seeks Her Birth Parents, Ardell Taylor Fleeson

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This creative nonfiction thesis combines memoir with documentary research to tell the story of the adoptive parents of the author, and the author’s successful search for her birth parents. The adoptive mother’s story starts and finishes the narrative, spanning fifty-five years of her life, from her rise from poverty to prosperity in mid-20th century Texas. The middle of the article is the author’s discovery of her birth parents, the key event for which is the Texas court’s unsealing the author’s adoption file. Names and dates empowered the author to find four half-siblings and speak with her birth mother on the …

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The Impact Of Time-To-Collision Estimates On Transportation Safety For Young Drivers With Developmental Disabilities, Austin M. Svancara Jan 2020

The Impact Of Time-To-Collision Estimates On Transportation Safety For Young Drivers With Developmental Disabilities, Austin M. Svancara

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Motor vehicle collisions (MVC) are the leading cause of death for young drivers. MVC risk is higher among drivers with developmental disabilities, particularly individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Difficulties in time perception may negatively impact driving, such as with time-to-collision (TTC) estimations (i.e., an estimation of how long it will take to collide with another vehicle). The goal of this study was to determine whether individuals with ADHD and ASD displayed decrements in TTC estimations and whether perception of time in a general context was related to TTC estimations in a driving-specific context. A total …

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"Autism Friendly Alabama": Identifying Key Criteria To Support An Inclusive Environment, Caro C. Wolfner Jan 2020

"Autism Friendly Alabama": Identifying Key Criteria To Support An Inclusive Environment, Caro C. Wolfner

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The present study examined potential supports and barriers towards an inclusive or ‘autism friendly’ environment from the perspectives of family members of individuals with ASD (n=127) and adults with ASD (n=16). Groups did not differ on endorsement of importance for any of the criterion, except for crowds (p<0.05). The highest ranked quality by Caregivers/Family members were knowledgeable and helpful staff’ (32.5 percent) and attitudes (22.5 percent). The ASD group ranked knowledgeable and helpful staff (30 percent) and crowds (30 percent) as the most important quality. Qualitative data showed that modulated sensory environment, knowledgeable and trained staff’; access to supports, and awareness of locations & as emerging themes for ‘autism friendly’ environments. The present study represents an approach involving research, education and advocacy to provide evidence-based criteria that will be used as a standard for ASA’s Autism Friendly Alabama program. With criteria identified, stakeholders can move forward with completing subsequent goals for the initiative, such as program implementation and evaluation.

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Locus Coeruleus Degeneration In Alzheimer’S Disease And Its Effect On Beta-Adrenergic Signaling In The Hippocampus, Bethany Langner Jan 2020

Locus Coeruleus Degeneration In Alzheimer’S Disease And Its Effect On Beta-Adrenergic Signaling In The Hippocampus, Bethany Langner

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Locus coeruleus (LC) degeneration in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and loss of noradrenergic (NA) innervation in hippocampus contributes to learning and memory deficits. Recently, a novel rat model (TgF344-AD) has been created that allows for a more thorough investigation into these mechanisms due to its similarity to human AD pathology. The McMahon lab has recently demonstrated heightened long-term potentiation (LTP) and a ‘supersensitivity’ of -adrenergic receptors (-ARs) at excitatory synapses in the dentate gyrus (DG) in TgF344-AD rats. These mechanisms could be responsible for maintaining learning and memory during buildup of AD pathology. The first goal of this Master’s thesis was …

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Molecular Regulation Of Glioblastoma Spatial Heterogeneity And Therapeutic Resistance, Soniya Bastola Jan 2020

Molecular Regulation Of Glioblastoma Spatial Heterogeneity And Therapeutic Resistance, Soniya Bastola

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Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly invasive, highly vascularized, and heterogeneous malignant tumor of the brain. Due to the highly infiltrative phenotype of GBM, surgery often leaves behind residual tumor cells. In many cases, recurrence occurs close to the surgical margin suggesting the role of these remaining cells in promoting tumor aggressiveness. Rapidly growing tumor creates subsequent hypoxic, and hypovascular core due to limited nutrients, whereas tumor cells in the leading edge have access to nutrients from vasculature enriched microenvironment. Studies have identified the cellular and molecular heterogeneity between the tumors in core and edge. Still, their mechanisms of intercellular …

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Tau-Dependent Regulation Of Network Hyperexcitability By Alzheimer’S Disease Risk Gene Bin1, Yuliya Voskobiynyk Jan 2020

Tau-Dependent Regulation Of Network Hyperexcitability By Alzheimer’S Disease Risk Gene Bin1, Yuliya Voskobiynyk

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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading neurodegenerative disorder that affects an astonishing 5.8 million Americans, a number projected to reach 14 million by the year 2050. While only about 1% of all AD cases are caused by mutations in APP, PSEN1, and PSEN2, the cause of sporadic AD remains unknown. Variations in several risk genes have been proposed to contribute to the development of sporadic AD cases. Since, currently, there are no disease-modifying therapies for families affected by AD and multiple anti-amyloid-beta therapies failed in clinical trials, determining how these risk genes contribute to the development of AD is crucial …

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Gene–Environment Interaction In Parkinson Disease: The Gut Microbiome, Zachary D. Wallen Jan 2020

Gene–Environment Interaction In Parkinson Disease: The Gut Microbiome, Zachary D. Wallen

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GENE–ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION IN PARKINSON DISEASE: THE GUT MICROBIOME ZACHARY D. WALLEN GENETICS, GENOMICS, AND BIOINFORMATICS ABSTRACTParkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with no cure. Majority of cases are idiopathic, and the cause is unknown. Studies have been conducted in human and animals to identify PD risk factors, resulting in a list of genetic and environmental factors that modestly increases risk of PD. Still, no individual risk factor fully explains the cause of PD, and neither has the combination of these factors. Additional avenues of research are being investigated to find potential triggers of PD, and factors that might …

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The Mir-23a Cluster Controls An Epigenetic Axis In Osteoblast Development During Bone Formation, Benjamin J. Wildman Jan 2020

The Mir-23a Cluster Controls An Epigenetic Axis In Osteoblast Development During Bone Formation, Benjamin J. Wildman

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Differentiation of pre-osteoblasts is critical to controlling in-vivo development and growth of bone. Recent studies highlight the importance of epigenetic regulation in directing osteoblast commitment and function. Here we show that the microRNA-23a cluster (miR-23a, 27a, and 24-2) controls bone mass in-vivo through a previously unknown epigenetic mechanism. MiR-23a cluster knockdown increased the intensity of Alkaline Phosphatase staining in MC3T3-E1 cells. Additionally, it upregulated mRNA expression of osteogenic marker genes such as Runx2 and Osteocalcin. Micro-CT analysis of 2-month and 6-month femurs showed that trabecular bone volume and trabecular number significantly increased in miR-23aClZIP mice as compared to controls. Histological …

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Race, Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus And Vertebral Fragility Fractures: A Cross-Sectional Analysis From Nhanes, Yuchen At Xiao Jan 2020

Race, Type Ii Diabetes Mellitus And Vertebral Fragility Fractures: A Cross-Sectional Analysis From Nhanes, Yuchen At Xiao

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IntroductionThis study examined the association between race and bone health, and if T2DM modifies this association in a diverse sample of adults. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examine Survey (NHANES) data. Bone health outcomes included lumbar spine BMD (lowered BMD based on T-scores <-1), and vertebral deformities, assessed via vertebral fracture assessment (VFA), including presence, number of deformities, and severity ratio of deformities. T2DM status and other demographic, lifestyle, and health characteristics were self-reported via questionnaire data. To assess if T2DM modifies the association between race and bone health outcomes, we conducted stratified analyses using logistic regression for dichotomous outcomes, Poison regression for count outcomes, and linear regression for continuous outcomes. Results Non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks have significantly less odds of being lowered BMD and osteoporosis comparing to NH-Whites in the crude model and significantly less odds of having vertebral deformities comparing to NH-White in both crude and adjusted model for non-diabetic participants. Such differences are not observed in diabetic groups. Participants in Other race group have significantly more odds of being lowered BMD comparing to NH-Whites in the adjusted model for both diabetic and non-diabetic groups. And have significantly more odds of having vertebral deformities in the diabetic group, crude and adjusted, yet the differences are not significant in non-diabetic groups. Similar results were seen in the number of deformities and total bone loss ratio. The potential modification effect of T2DM was not significant in these models. Conclusions In our national evaluation, bone health differs not only by race and ethnic group but also by T2DM status. The protective vertebral fragility effects observed among NH-Blacks was no longer present among those with diabetes. Likewise, among participants in other racial and ethnic groups, T2DM seemed to magnify the association of worse vertebral fragility. Such trends indicate a potential modifying effect of participants’ T2DM status and should be noted clinically, yet more studies are required for more precise results.

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Circadian Control Of Blood Pressure And Renal Electrolyte Excretion, Dingguo Zhang Jan 2020

Circadian Control Of Blood Pressure And Renal Electrolyte Excretion, Dingguo Zhang

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Many physiological processes, including blood pressure (BP) regulation, follow specific rhythms tied to a 24-h cycle. This is largely because circadian genes operate in virtually every cell type in the body. In healthy individuals, BP during nighttime is 10-20% lower compared to daytime, a phenomenon known as “nocturnal dipping”. It is acknowledged that the dipping of BP is essential in maintaining normal cardiovascular and renal function. However, it remains unclear as to what factors contribute to nocturnal dipping. The purpose of this dissertation is to elucidate mechanisms underlying the circadian rhythm of BP. Bmal1 is one of the core circadian …

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Toward The Mechanism Underlying Latanoprost- And Benzalkonium Chloride-Induced Meibomian Gland Dysfunction In Patients Treated For Glaucoma, Jillian Ziemanski Jan 2020

Toward The Mechanism Underlying Latanoprost- And Benzalkonium Chloride-Induced Meibomian Gland Dysfunction In Patients Treated For Glaucoma, Jillian Ziemanski

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Once thought to be no more than a vexing eye condition, ocular surface disease (OSD) is now being viewed as a differentiating factor between sight and no sight. In the setting of glaucoma, OSD can interfere with treatment success, potentially allowing the visually devastating pathology of glaucoma to plow onward with little restraint. Compounding the clinical challenge is the growing awareness that glaucoma-associated OSD appears to be iatrogenically induced by topical ophthalmic medications. Daily, topical instillation of preserved prostaglandin analogs (PGAs), the most common first-line treatment for glaucoma, has been linked to a variety of OSD subtypes, including meibomian gland …

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A Modified Standard American Diet (Msad) Induces Physiological Parameters Associated The With Metabolic Syndrome In C57bl/6j Mice, Sophie Bru Chehade Jan 2020

A Modified Standard American Diet (Msad) Induces Physiological Parameters Associated The With Metabolic Syndrome In C57bl/6j Mice, Sophie Bru Chehade

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Obesity manifests physiologically in multiple organ systems of the body, typically increasing the risk of developing cardiometabolic disorders. Researchers have questioned the causative role that western dietary patterns have on disease pathogenesis and have speculated that quality and quantity of dietary fats and/or carbohydrates have a predictive role in the development of these disorders. Standard reference diets such as the AIN-93 rodent diet have historically been used to promote optimal animal model health and reduce variation of results across experiments. These diets have been invaluable to murine research; however, their translational value in studying human nutrition-related pathologies is limited. Early …

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Lim Transcriptional Complexes That Impact Endocrine Pancreas Development And Function, Maigen Bethea Jan 2020

Lim Transcriptional Complexes That Impact Endocrine Pancreas Development And Function, Maigen Bethea

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The Ldb1:Isl1 LIM transcriptional complex is critical for endocrine pancreas development as well as b-cell terminal differentiation. These complexes have been shown to interact with various proteins to elicit transcriptional regulation in other tissues, yet few interactors have been identified in b-cells. Therefore, the objective of this dissertation was to identify interactors of Ldb1 and Isl1 and assess their contributions to endocrine pancreas development and function. Using a reversible crosslink immunoprecipitation (ReCLIP) and mass spectrometry (MS) strategy to isolate endogenous Ldb1 and/or Isl1 interacting protiens, SSBP3, Rnf20, and Rnf40 (E3 ubiquitin ligases) coregulators were identified. SSBP3 was found to interact …

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Distinct Tissue Specific Functions Of Bone Marrow Regulatory T Cells, And Their Therapeudic Applications In Myeloid Neoplasms, Virginia Camacho Jan 2020

Distinct Tissue Specific Functions Of Bone Marrow Regulatory T Cells, And Their Therapeudic Applications In Myeloid Neoplasms, Virginia Camacho

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In the bone marrow, Regulatory T cells (Tregs) constitute nearly 30% of CD4+ T cells, a significantly higher ratio than other tissues. Although a few of the mechanisms by which Tregs regulate normal hematopoiesis have been elucidated, our understanding of this process during leukemogenesis is ex-tremely limited. In this work, we define how Tregs maintain and support the bone marrow microenvironment. We propose that the role of Tregs extends be-yond their canonical immuno-suppressive function and that these cells are re-quired to maintain healthy hematopoiesis. We have defined tissue-specific roles for Tregs in the bone marrow including the maintenance of hematopoietic …

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Impact Of Diet And Meal Timing On Time-Of-Day Dependent Hippocampal Function, Jennifer Davis Jan 2020

Impact Of Diet And Meal Timing On Time-Of-Day Dependent Hippocampal Function, Jennifer Davis

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Circadian rhythms are biological processes that cycle every ~24 hours and have allowed life to adapt for optimal function across the day. These rhythms are present in all tissues in the body and are coordinated to the light/dark cycle by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the hypothalamus. Along with active-rest cycles, cognitive performance fluctuates across the course of the day, peaking during the active phase. In addition to the light cycle, food and meal timing can provide signaling cues to extra-SCN tissues. Food access only during the inactive phase results in weight gain and memory impairment. High fat diet protocols …

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Structural Studies Of Rna Synthesis Machinery In Vesicular Stomatitis Virus, Joseph Ryan Gould Jan 2020

Structural Studies Of Rna Synthesis Machinery In Vesicular Stomatitis Virus, Joseph Ryan Gould

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Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a member of the order Mononegavirales, which is comprised of viruses with genomes of non-segmented negative sense RNA. Many fundamental insights into the molecular biology of mononegaviruses were first made in VSV, such as the unique viral RNA synthesis template comprised of the nucleocapsid (N) protein and genomic RNA and the distinctive large (L) protein which contributes all enzymatic activities of RNA synthesis and transcript maturation. The L protein performs its enzymatic functions in concert with the phosphoprotein (P), a flexible, charged, and phosphorylated cofactor. The goal of the research presented in this dissertation was …

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Mechanisms Of Virtual Reality To Improve Walking And Reaching Behavior In Individuals With Chronic Low Back Pain, Rebecca Hennessy Jan 2020

Mechanisms Of Virtual Reality To Improve Walking And Reaching Behavior In Individuals With Chronic Low Back Pain, Rebecca Hennessy

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Chronic low back pain (cLBP), low back pain persisting longer than three to six months, is a prevalent condition that can greatly interfere with movement quality. Specifically, cLBP can result in slower walking speeds and negatively affect reaching movements. Virtual reality (VR) encompasses a variety of technologies which may potentially improve therapeutic interventions for individuals with cLBP by presenting users with fun, distracting, and engaging challenges that align with their rehabilitative goals. While VR systems have become more accessible to everyday users, there is limited research which specifically examines VR mechanisms to improve walking and reaching quality. This dissertation presents …

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