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Gabaergic Signaling To Adult-Generated Neurons In Hippocampus, Sean Markwardt Jan 2011

Gabaergic Signaling To Adult-Generated Neurons In Hippocampus, Sean Markwardt

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In the central nervous system of adult mammals, new neurons are produced throughout life in at least two regions, the subventricular zone and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. New neurons in the SVZ migrate via the rostral migratory stream and eventually participate in adaptive olfactory processes. In the dentate gyrus, a variety of physiological functions for continued addition of neurons have been proposed, but its role in normal or pathological conditions remains largely unclear. Neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus consists of the stepwise process of generating fully functional granule cells (GCs) from adult neural stem cells. Regulation of neurogenesis can …

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An Investigation Of The Effects Of Ocean Acidification On Larval Development, Juvenile Settlement And Mortality, Growth, Onset Of Egg Production, Shell Integrity And Feeding Activity In The Common Barnacle Amphibalanus Amphitrite, Michelle R. Mcdonald Jan 2011

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Ocean Acidification On Larval Development, Juvenile Settlement And Mortality, Growth, Onset Of Egg Production, Shell Integrity And Feeding Activity In The Common Barnacle Amphibalanus Amphitrite, Michelle R. Mcdonald

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ABSTRACT Ocean acidification is of great concern among the scientific community and is caused by the anthropogenic release of CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels. Higher levels of atmospheric CO2 are anticipated to cause a decrease in oceanic pH. Recent studies have shown that this can have adverse effects on a variety of marine organisms; calcified organisms are predicted to be the most heavily affected and of these types of organisms, barnacles have received little attention. The barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite was utilized to examine the effects of Ocean acidification across various life history stages. No adverse effects of reduced …

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Syntheses Of Marine Natural Products And Their Analogs As Potential Anticancer Agents, Dwayaja H. Nadkarni Jan 2011

Syntheses Of Marine Natural Products And Their Analogs As Potential Anticancer Agents, Dwayaja H. Nadkarni

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Cancer is an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells and is one of the most common causes of millions of deaths worldwide. Currently used chemotherapeutic drugs have severe side effects. Hence, there is a need to develop new cancer therapeutic drugs that can offer higher survival rates and fewer limitations. About 60 % of the known anticancer drugs are either natural products or are derived from natural products. Development of marine natural products into drugs has received increasing attention as a part of humanity's quest for newer sources of cancer drugs. Marine natural products are isolated only in small quantities …

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Modeling Incident And Emergency Management From A Regional Perspective, Ozge Cavusoglu Jan 2011

Modeling Incident And Emergency Management From A Regional Perspective, Ozge Cavusoglu

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Traffic incidents and natural or man-made disasters can impose significant safety risks and disruptions on traffic flows, often resulting in non-recurring congestion. Congestion, in turn, may impede the ability of EMS (Emergency Medical Services) to provide timely response to those in need of medical attention. Thus, it is important to understand the potential impacts of incidents and emergencies on traffic network operations and develop response strategies with a potential of minimizing such impacts on traffic operations, emergency response and the safety of the traveling public. The objective of the dissertation was twofold: a. Study incident management options and benefits from …

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The Devil You Know, Laura M. Clements Jan 2011

The Devil You Know, Laura M. Clements

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The Devil You Know is part of a larger work of creative nonfiction that chronicles an unprofessional relationship between a student and her undergraduate professor and advisor. While living with her professor over the course of a year, the student experiences and explains her participation in each of the seven deadly sins.

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Effects Of Estrogen On Hippocampal Function In Young Adult And Aged Female Rats, Lindsey Celeste Vedder Jan 2011

Effects Of Estrogen On Hippocampal Function In Young Adult And Aged Female Rats, Lindsey Celeste Vedder

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In rodents, the ovarian estrogen 17b-estradiol (E2) is a potent modulator of hippocampal function and the hippocampus is critical for many types of learning and memory. Specifically, E2 increase the magnitude of long-term potentiation (LTP) at CA3-CA1 synapses, the density of dendritic spines in CA1 pyramidal cells and current mediated by NR2B-containing NMDA receptors. The E2-induced increase in LTP further requires NR2B-containing NMDARs. While considered a cellular correlate of learning and memory, enhanced LTP does not always predict enhanced learning. The first goal of this dissertation was to investigate the relationship between E2-enhanced LTP and learning and memory in young …

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Role Of Nr4a3 Nuclear Receptor In Physiological Regulation Of Metabolism, Grace R. Walton Jan 2011

Role Of Nr4a3 Nuclear Receptor In Physiological Regulation Of Metabolism, Grace R. Walton

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Nuclear receptor NR4A3 (NOR-1, MINOR) mediates transcriptional responses to ß-adrenergic signaling, is increased in insulin sensitive mice and humans, and enhances insulin-stimulated glucose transport in cultured adipocytes and myocytes. We therefore sought to determine the role of NR4A3 in in vivo adipose tissue and skeletal muscle physiology. Following adipose-specific NR4A3 over-expression in mice, we observed reduced circulating epinephrine due to enhanced catabolism of catecholamines in adipose tissue. Furthermore, this reduction in circulating epinephrine produced broad physiological consequences, including poor glucose tolerance, reduced insulin sensitivity, dyslipidemia, poor cardiac function, and behavioral alterations. In skeletal muscle, we show that NR4A3 protein associates …

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Strategies For Combined Screening And Imaging Of Breast Cancer, Jason Morgan Warram Jan 2011

Strategies For Combined Screening And Imaging Of Breast Cancer, Jason Morgan Warram

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Successful treatment of breast cancer directly correlates with tumor stage and grade at diagnosis. Early diagnosis leads to a five-year relative survival rate of 96.8% as opposed to only a 22.5% five-year survival rate when diagnosed at late stage. Cancer-specific mechanisms need to be extended to enable cancer detection in an individual patient, in particular, the metastatic burden that currently cannot be assessed by conventional imaging. This approach for cancer detection would remove the biases of patient characteristics, permit immediate diagnostic feedback, improve sensitivity for early detection of small metastatic lesions, and be cost effective. Toward this goal, the cancer-specific …

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Ecology And Transmission Of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus In The Southeastern United States, Gregory Scott White Jan 2011

Ecology And Transmission Of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus In The Southeastern United States, Gregory Scott White

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The virus Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEEV) is a highly pathogenic arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) present in the US. The virus is listed as a reportable illness to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and is also listed as a select agent by Human Health and Services (HHS). Studies on EEEV starting back in the 1930's have determined many important facets of the ecology, transmission and evolution of the virus. It is understood that in many endemic foci, the mosquito Culiseta melanura is the primary enzootic vector of the virus. EEEV is thus maintained in an enzootic cycle between …

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Functional Interplay Between Trans Factors And Cis-Elements That Govern Il17a&F Transcription, Sarah Kern Whitley Jan 2011

Functional Interplay Between Trans Factors And Cis-Elements That Govern Il17a&F Transcription, Sarah Kern Whitley

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Protective immunity against a variety of infections depends on the amplification and differentiation of naïve antigen-specific CD4 T cells. T helper 17 (Th17) cells are important for defending mucosal barriers from invading extracellular bacterial pathogens. This effector CD4 lineage is characterized by production of the cytokines IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, and IL-22, which elicit influx of inflammatory cells to promote pathogen clearance. The cytokines IL-6 and TGF&beta are the principal factors that initiate Th17 lineage development, and the STAT3-inducing cytokines IL-21 and IL-23 assist and/or maintain the Th17 developmental program. Recently, an additional cytokine has been demonstrated to encourage Th17 differentiation: …

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Tear Component Interference In Bead-Based Biomarker Assays Using Magnetic Beads, Larezia Denise Williams Jan 2011

Tear Component Interference In Bead-Based Biomarker Assays Using Magnetic Beads, Larezia Denise Williams

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Cytokines in tears can be biomarkers for ocular inflammation in dry eye subjects. Multiplex bead-based assays measure the concentration of multiple cytokines in a single tear sample. Bio-Rad® polystyrene bead-based assay kits have provided acceptable results for tear samples in this lab. Recently, Bio-Rad decided to replace polystyrene beads with magnetic beads. In earlier experiments in this laboratory, magnetic bead-based as-says did not produce results equivalent to polystyrene bead-based assays. The purpose of this investigation was to modify the magnetic bead-based tear cytokine assay to produce equivalent results to those obtained with the polystyrene bead-based assay. The modifications included running …

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The Pickle Eaters, Laura Emily Pitts Jan 2011

The Pickle Eaters, Laura Emily Pitts

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Late October during 1945, Linus Morgan anticipates the return of his father, an airman serving the country during WWII. However, before his dad returns, Linus has plenty to keep him occupied. The country fair is approaching and Linus has high hopes of entering the annual pickle eating contest with only one thing in mind - beating the class bully Tommy Thompson. But before that, Linus and his two best friends, Sam and Bo, journey down the river to pay the mysterious lady living in the old, white house a visit. A lady, it seems, who has more secrets up her …

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Regulation Of Neuronal Death By The Autophagy Lysosomal Pathway: Implications For Parkinson Disease, Violetta N. Pivtoraiko Jan 2011

Regulation Of Neuronal Death By The Autophagy Lysosomal Pathway: Implications For Parkinson Disease, Violetta N. Pivtoraiko

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Parkinson Disease (PD) is the second most common age-related neurodegenerative disorder and is characterized pathologically by the loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in the stubstantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Mitochondrial dysfunction, increased oxidative stress, and accumulation of aggregated α-synuclein (α-syn), an intracellular protein involved in synaptic function, are all pathological hallmarks of PD have been implicated in PD pathogenesis. However, it is debated whether α-syn aggregates themselves are responsible for neurodegeneration in PD, cellular pathways involved in degradation of α-syn aggregates are believed to promote neuron survival. The autophagy lysosomal pathway (ALP), a physiological mechanism for recycling of intracellular components, …

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Examination Of Ideal Physical Parameter Choices For Efficacious Hyperthermic Treatment Of Cancer, Lauren Rast Jan 2011

Examination Of Ideal Physical Parameter Choices For Efficacious Hyperthermic Treatment Of Cancer, Lauren Rast

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This dissertation presents results on the computational modeling of electromagnetic and thermal effects during the hyperthermic treatment of cancer using magnetic nanoparticles. Magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia can be used for direct targeting and destruction of tumors through heat treatment or as a complement to chemotherapy. This method of treatment would be much less invasive than many current treatment options. Additionally, since these are nanoscale devices, the hyperthermic treatment of the cancer cells would be extremely localized. This would cause very minimal damage to surrounding tissue, making these systems superior to traditional hyperthermic treatment. The use of ferrofluids for cancer treatment requires …

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Myosin Ii In Hippocampal Synapses: Regulation Of Synaptic Plasticity, Strength And Actin Dynamics By Two Distinct Isoforms, Maria Dolores Rubio Jan 2011

Myosin Ii In Hippocampal Synapses: Regulation Of Synaptic Plasticity, Strength And Actin Dynamics By Two Distinct Isoforms, Maria Dolores Rubio

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Cytoskeletal actin filaments underlie dendritic spine plasticity, critical for several forms of learning and memory. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms that regulate actin dynamics is essential to elucidate memory formation pathways. Myosins, a superfamily of actin binding proteins, have emerged as candidates for regulation of actin dynamics in the brain. Several myosin class II isoforms have been identified in brain, but their individual contribution to synaptic activity is still unknown. Based on the finding that myosin IIB regulates actin polymerization in the growth cone of developing neurons and that it is necessary for maintenance of dendritic spine structure, I hypothesized that …

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Increased Cutting Efficacy Of Diamond Burs With Biochemical Solution Spraying, Ramtin Sadid Zadeh Jan 2011

Increased Cutting Efficacy Of Diamond Burs With Biochemical Solution Spraying, Ramtin Sadid Zadeh

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CAD/CAM units are becoming increasingly popular for milling all ceramic restorations from ceramic blocks. The solution used to spray the diamond cutting instrument also improves cutting effectiveness and also lubricates the diamond, which may not only prolong the cutting life of the diamond instrument but also provide smoother cuts on the ceramic block. The purpose of this study is to evaluate cutting efficacy of diamond burs with three solutions and to compare roughness produced by each solution on the glass-ceramic block. Material and methods: 15 Empress CAD blocks, 30 fine diamond burs, two solutions and distilled water were used. Each …

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Human Cytosolic Sulfotransferase 2b1b: Structure, Function And Expression In Human Brain, Emily D. Salman Jan 2011

Human Cytosolic Sulfotransferase 2b1b: Structure, Function And Expression In Human Brain, Emily D. Salman

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The human cytosolic sulfotransferases are a family of phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes that conjugate a sulfonate moiety from 3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS) to a hydroxyl moeity on a substrate. SULT2B1b catalyzes the sulfation of hydroxysteroids as well as many xenobiotics; and is expressed extra-hepatically. SULT2B1b is a unique SULT because it has amino (N)- and carboxy (C)-terminal peptide extensions, undergoes post-translational modification, and is localized in both the cytosol and nucleus. Analysis of SULT2B1b revealed that the N- and C-terminal extensions of SULT2B1b are predicted to be intrinsically unstructured peptides. Size exclusion chromatography has revealed that SULT2B1b is enzymatically active as …

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Risk Associations Between Perceived Stress, Allostatic Load, And Insulin Resistance Among Nondiabetic African American Women Of The Jackson Heart Study, Alethea N. Hill Jan 2011

Risk Associations Between Perceived Stress, Allostatic Load, And Insulin Resistance Among Nondiabetic African American Women Of The Jackson Heart Study, Alethea N. Hill

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Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between perceived stress, allostatic load, and insulin resistance measured by HOMAIR among nondiabetic African American women of the Jackson Heart Study. Methods: The investigative team examined the cross-sectional associations (2000-2004) of perceived stress, summary indices of allostatic load, and insulin resistance in 2,245 nondiabetic African American women, stratified by glycemic profile, participating in the Jackson Heart Study. Measurements include physiological markers, anthropometric measures, and (3) stress instruments: Weekly Stress Inventory (WSI), Global Stress (STS), and JHS Discrimination Questionnaire (DIS). t-tests, ÷2 test, bivariate correlations, and forward hierarchical linear regression …

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The Effects Of Supplemental Dietary Vitamins On Weight Gain And Organ Production In The Variegated Sea Urchin, Lytechinus Variegatus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea), Warren T. Jones Jan 2011

The Effects Of Supplemental Dietary Vitamins On Weight Gain And Organ Production In The Variegated Sea Urchin, Lytechinus Variegatus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea), Warren T. Jones

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Due to the global decline in sea urchin fisheries, there has been an increased need to produce nutritionally-complete sea urchin diets for the emerging sea urchin aquaculture industry. Previous studies have established various macronutrient requirements; however, micronutrient requirements have not been well-researched in sea urchins. Vitamins are important micronutrients in both vertebrates and invertebrates, but their importance has not been established in any sea urchin species. To establish the essentiality and nutritional requirements of vitamins in sea urchins, a suite of important vitamins were tested in nutritional trials in the sea urchin, Lytechinus variegatus. Sea urchins fed moderate levels of …

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Why Do Men Choose To Teach Early Childhood Education? A Study In Interpretive Interactionism, James Curtis Jordan Jan 2011

Why Do Men Choose To Teach Early Childhood Education? A Study In Interpretive Interactionism, James Curtis Jordan

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WHY DO MEN CHOOSE TO TEACH EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION? A STUDY IN INTERPRETIVE INTERRACTIONISM JAMES CURTIS JORDAN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION ABSTRACT The area of early childhood education has been viewed by society as a traditional career choice which is appropriate for females; however men who make the career choice to teach at the early childhood level are often viewed with suspicion or curiosity at the very least. There was very little literature on the topic of males and early childhood to examine. Most of the studies involved males the entire elementary program were minimal. These studies addressed these negative aspects …

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Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Caenorhabditis Elegans Sperm Migration, Johnathan Wesley Edmonds Jan 2011

Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Caenorhabditis Elegans Sperm Migration, Johnathan Wesley Edmonds

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Fertilization is the process by which male and female gametes join to give rise to a new organism. Union of sperm and ova requires that sperm be able to successfully locate and migrate towards oocytes in the female reproductive tract. By analyzing the in vitro migration of sperm from diverse species and mapping the complex architecture of their female reproductive tracts, we can infer that sperm must respond to directional cues to seek out the mature oocyte. However, the internal fertilization schemes of most complex animals complicate the analysis of in vivo sperm migration. The transparent epidermis of the nematode …

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The Role Of Tgf-Ss Receptors In The Induction Of Mucosal Tolerance, Rebekah Sims Gilbert Jan 2011

The Role Of Tgf-Ss Receptors In The Induction Of Mucosal Tolerance, Rebekah Sims Gilbert

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Oral tolerance, defined as the immunologic state of systemic and mucosal unresponsiveness to an antigen, is an essential function of the mucosal immune system. Although antigen presentation has been found to play an important role in oral tolerance, T cells are known to be the effector immune cells that perpetrate this state. Recent studies found that antigen-specific T regulatory (Treg) cells are important in the induction and maintenance of oral tolerance. The extrathymic development of these Tregs depends on the presence of TGF-ß1 during the differentiation process. However, it has also been shown that oral tolerance could be induced in …

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The Sodium-Potassium-Chloride Cotransporter In Glioma Biology, Brian R. Haas Jan 2011

The Sodium-Potassium-Chloride Cotransporter In Glioma Biology, Brian R. Haas

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The most common malignant primary brain tumor, gliomas usually derive from glial cells including oligodendrocytes and astrocytes. These tumors are characterized by high rates of proliferation and aberrant migration which make them notoriously difficult to treat using standard treatment paradigms such as chemotherapy and radiation. In order for glioma cells to migrate into the surrounding brain tissue, they must undergo rapid and dynamic volume changes. Previous work published by the Sontheimer laboratory and others indicates glioma utilize the flux of ions across the cell membrane to aid in volume changes associate with cell migration. In this dissertation, I show the …

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Qualitative Analysis Of Hiv-1-Specific Cd8 T Cell Responses, Olusimidele Tolulope Akinsiku Jan 2011

Qualitative Analysis Of Hiv-1-Specific Cd8 T Cell Responses, Olusimidele Tolulope Akinsiku

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In the absence of antiretroviral therapy (ART), the majority of individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) will develop AIDS. HIV-1-infected controllers are exceptions to the rule; without the use of ART, these individuals spontaneously control virus replication. A better understanding of the immune mechanisms that mediate delayed disease progression, as seen in controllers, will provide valuable insight to the design and development of an effective HIV-1 vaccine. CD8 T cells are important mediators of the antiviral immune response. However, it is unclear which components of the response are critical for long-lasting protection during HIV-1 infection. We first review methods …

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The Role Of Protease-Activated Receptor-1 In Synaptic Plasticity And Memory, Antoine Gabriel Almonte Jan 2011

The Role Of Protease-Activated Receptor-1 In Synaptic Plasticity And Memory, Antoine Gabriel Almonte

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Protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR1) is an unusual G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) that is activated through proteolytic cleavage by extracellular serine proteases. While previous work has shown that inhibiting PAR1 activation is neuroprotective in models of ischemia, traumatic injury, and neurotoxicity, surprisingly little is known about PAR1's contribution to normal brain function. In the central nervous system (CNS), PAR1 is expressed in glial cells in the hippocampus, a brain region critical for memory formation. I am particularly interested in PAR1 because its activation enhances the function of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), which are required for some forms of behavioral learning and synaptic plasticity. …

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Structural Brain Changes Produced By Different Motor Therapies After Stroke, Lynne Vonda Gauthier Jan 2011

Structural Brain Changes Produced By Different Motor Therapies After Stroke, Lynne Vonda Gauthier

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Changes in afferent input have been associated with structural and functional changes to brain tissue. Increased use through an intense neurorehabilitation treatment such as CI therapy has been shown to result in increased grey matter in sensorimotor cortex, more anterior motor areas, and hippocampus. In contrast, decreased use of an arm after stroke results in a contraction of the cortical representation zone involved in its movement. The chronic effects of ischemia and subsequent prolonged nonuse of an extremity on the structure of stroke-affected brains was unknown prior to this investigation, however. This study employed voxel-based morphometry, an MRI analysis technique, …

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Structural Analyses Of Streptococcus Agalactiae Sortases, Baldeep Khare Jan 2011

Structural Analyses Of Streptococcus Agalactiae Sortases, Baldeep Khare

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Multi-drug resistance in Gram-positive bacteria is a growing and unwavering challenge for twenty-first century medicine. The enzyme sortase, identified just around the turn of the century, has since become a promising target for development of anti-infective drugs. Streptococcus agalactiae or Group B Streptococcus (GBS), encodes multiple sortases, which participate in various processes and whose functions are only beginning to be understood in detail. Sortases are cysteine proteases that are crucial for Gram-positive pili biogenesis. Two classes of sortases, class C and class A, participate in the assembly of structural components (pilins) to form the pili and subsequent anchoring of the …

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Structural And Functional Studies On Group A Streptococcal Bacteriophage Hyaluronidase, Joo Hyoung Lee Jan 2011

Structural And Functional Studies On Group A Streptococcal Bacteriophage Hyaluronidase, Joo Hyoung Lee

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Aberrant hyaluronan production is frequently associated with tumors where the elevated levels of tumoral hyaluronan are often associated with higher expression levels of cellular hyaluronidases that produce saturated hyaluronan fragments with divergent pro-tumoral activities. In this thesis, we provide evidence that different hyaluronan metabolism of bacteriophage hyaluronidase (HylP) elicits distinct alteration in breast cancer cell behavior. We demonstrate through comparative analysis with bovine testicular hyaluronidase (BTH) that higher enzyme activity, specificity for hyaluronan and production of unsaturated oligosaccharides render HylP to have profound effects on growth, migration and invasion activities of breast carcinoma cells, whereas BTH and its saturated metabolites …

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Estrogen Increases Stress Resilience And Hippocampal Synaptic Physiology In The Learned Helplessness Model Of Depression In Female Rats, Teruko Michelle Bredemann Jan 2011

Estrogen Increases Stress Resilience And Hippocampal Synaptic Physiology In The Learned Helplessness Model Of Depression In Female Rats, Teruko Michelle Bredemann

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A recent focus of psychiatric research is estrogen related mood disorders such as postpartum depression and major depressive disorder in women. It is now clear that women are more susceptible to depression in response to stress during reproductive events when ovarian hormones are low or fluctuating. Depressive episodes are characterized by feelings of helplessness and despair as well as learning and memory impairments that have been linked to the hippocampus. Thus, decreased functioning of hippocampal circuits likely contributes to the cognitive symptoms associated with depression. Preclinical research shows that stress, which triggers depressive episodes, decreases the ability of excitatory synapses …

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Role Of Ras Proteins In Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors, Nicole Marie Brossier Jan 2011

Role Of Ras Proteins In Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumors, Nicole Marie Brossier

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Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) arising in patients with neurofibromatosis type I (NF1) are null for the tumor suppressor neurofibromin, a negative regulator of signaling from both classic Ras (H-Ras, N-Ras and K-Ras) and R-Ras (R-Ras, R-Ras2/TC21, M-Ras/R-Ras3) subfamily members. Treatment of these tumors with Ras-targeted agents such as farnesyltransferase inhibitors has proven unsuccessful, likely due to the inability of these agents to successfully target all of the Ras isoforms regulated by neurofibromin. Thus, determining which Ras isoforms are critical for MPNST pathogenesis would be of therapeutic value. In this dissertation, we first review the clinical manifestations of NF1 …

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