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Mechanism Of Activation Of Photoreceptor Phosphodiesterase By Transducin And By Low Molecular Weight Proteins, Angela W. Norton

Doctoral Dissertations

Rod photoreceptor phosphodiesterase (PDE) is the central enzyme of visual transduction. PDE is a heterodimer (Palphabeta) with two associated inhibitory gamma subunits, and is bound to the disk membrane by isoprenyl groups. Each catalytic subunit contains a catalytic site and a high-affinity cGMP binding site. In this research, two independent mechanisms of PDE regulation are addressed. The first part examines transducin activation of PDE, focusing on the interactions between the gamma subunits and Palphabeta. The second part examines the 17 kDa delta protein believed to regulate bovine PDE. We found that transducin activation of PDE induces heterogeneity at the active …

Ketomethylene Isosteric Amide Bond Replacements Via The Zinc -Mediated Chain Extension Of N -Protected Amino Acids, Cory Robert Theberge

Doctoral Dissertations

A methodology for the chain extension of N-protected amino acid beta-keto esters to gamma-keto esters utilizing a zinc carbenoid was developed. The reaction was used on amino acids containing various protective groups and a variety of side chain functionality. This method was used in the incorporation of ketomethylene isosteric amino acid replacements within amino acid sequences. The usefulness of the method on molecules supported by a solid phase was explored.

Expression, Activation, And Regulation Of Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 (Mmp-2) In The Bovine Corpus Luteum, Bo Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been postulated to be important for angiogenesis and for tissue remodeling events associated with corpus luteum (CL) development. The MMPs are mainly regulated at three levels, transcription, activation, and inhibition by endogenous tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). Unlike most MMPs, pro-MMP-2 activation is accomplished on the cell surface rather than extracellularly. The objectives of the present study were to clone bovine cDNAs for MMP-2 and its activator, membrane type 1- (MT 1-)MMP, to investigate the expression and localization of MMP-2, MT1-MMP, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 in three ages of CL, and to explore the regulation of MMP-2 …

Birth, Death And Taxis: North Atlantic Right Whales In The Twenty-First Century, Scott Douglas Kraus

Doctoral Dissertations

Twenty two years of North Atlantic right whale data were analyzed. Several measures indicate reproduction in North Atlantic right whales is in a decline. Calving intervals have increased from about 3.3 years in the 1980's to over 5 years, and the age of first parturition is estimated to be 11 years. Females may lose calves before they are detected, artificially increasing the apparent age of first parturition and possibly affecting estimates of calving interval. Northern feeding habitat use patterns do not appear to affect reproduction.

Right whale mortality data was analyzed by age, sex, and habitat use patterns. A total …

Child Welfare Reformers, Academic Psychologists, And The Dependent Child In Progressive Era America, Phyllis Ann Wentworth

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explores what was being done on behalf of dependent children during the Progressive Era, drawing connections between the reform movement and theories and figures from academic psychology. Chapter One is a detailed overview of the 1909 White House Conference on the Care of Dependent Children, with an emphasis on discussions that stress reformers' attitudes toward proper care of dependent children. Chapters Two, Three and Four take up individual themes that emanate from the Conference and correspond with current gaps in the historical literature. Chapter Two explores both the majority position opposing congregate asylums and the minority position supporting …

Genetic Basis Of Adaptive Radiation In East African Cichlids, Richard Craig Albertson

Doctoral Dissertations

East African cichlids are a paramount example of adaptive morphological radiation. The most dramatic difference among species occurs in oral jaw design and correlates with ecological niche partitioning. Convergent evolution of trophic forms between lakes suggests a common mechanism. What combination of intrinsic and extrinsic factors constitute this mechanism still remains to be seen. The goal of this dissertation was to examine the genetic basis of shape differences between two closely related cichlid species that employ alternate modes of feeding. This was achieved through a number of independent experiments. First, I used field data to characterize the way in which …

Evolution Of Gender Associated Mitochondrial Dna In Bivalves, Jason Paul Curole

Doctoral Dissertations

Bivalves of the families Unionidae and Mytilidae possess a unique mode of mitochondrial DNA inheritance dubbed sex-limited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) inheritance or doubly-uniparental inheritance (DUI). In contrast to the matrilineally restricted inheritance of mtDNA in other metazoans, these bivalves have both matrilineally and patrilineally inherited mtDNA lineages. Although the matrilineally inherited mtDNA (or F type) is present in the somatic tissues of both sexes and the female gonad, the patrilineally inherited mtDNA (or M type) is limited to the male gonad. In Mytilus several observations have been made concerning the evolution of DUI. Firstly, the fidelity of DUI is not …

Influences Of Social And Habitat Features On Selection And Use Of Breeding Habitat And Pup Survival In South American Fur Seals, Monica Anne Stevens

Doctoral Dissertations

Quantitative information is lacking about how fur seals use habitat and how this use influences fitness. Such information is important for understanding the prospects for recovery of declining populations like those of South American fur seals (Arctocephalus australis) in Peru. In this study I examined the influences of habitat features and human disturbance on selection of breeding habitat by female fur seals in Peru; and I examined how mortality of pups was influenced by habitat features, female behavior, and the social environment on the beach.

Arctocephalus australis in Peru have declined gradually over the past decade, and declined dramatically (72%) …

Sense Of Place Among New England Organic Farmers And Commercial Fishermen: How Social Context Shapes Identity And Environmentally Responsible Behavior, Anneliese Marie Mueller

Doctoral Dissertations

Given the prominence of sense of place in new environmental education curricula, this study aims to strengthen the conceptual and empirical foundations of sense of place, and to determine how sense of place may be linked to environmentally responsible behavior. For this study, five commercial fishermen and five organic farmers from the New England Seacoast region participated in a series of in-depth phenomenological interviews and observations. The data was systematically coded in order to allow themes and categories to emerge. The results indicate that aspects of the existing conceptual framework of sense of place, such as place attachment, ecological knowledge, …

Improved Swellable Polymer Microspheres For Chemical Sensing, Necati Kaval

Doctoral Dissertations

Derivatized lightly crosslinked polymer microspheres that swell and shrink as a function of pH have been investigated to develop polymeric transduction elements for fiber optic sensors and other sensors. The microspheres were immobilized in hydrogels forming a membrane. The membranes look turbid because of the difference between the refractive index of hydrogel and the refractive index of microspheres. As the microspheres swell as a function of pH, their refractive index decreases approaching the refractive index of the hydrogel. As a result, the turbidity of the membrane decreases. The change in the turbidity of the membrane was monitored by a UV-Vis-NIR …

The Effects Of Erythrocyte Alloantigen L On The Avian Immune Response, Zdravka Ognyanova Medarova

Doctoral Dissertations

Experiment 1 examined the alloantigen system L effects on Rous sarcomas in three B complex genotypes. The parental stock were 50% Modified Wisconsin Line 3 and 50% inbred Line 6.15- 5. B2B5 L1L2 x B2B5 L 1L2 matings produced experimental chicks. Chicks were inoculated with 20 pock-forming units (pfu) Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) at 6 weeks-of-age. Tumors were scored six times over 10 weeks postinoculation. Tumor scores were used to assign a tumor profile index (TPI) to each chicken. Results were evaluated by ANOVA. The B complex affected the responses. Separate analyses revealed L system effects ( P < 0.05) only in B5B 5 chickens.

Experiment 2 …

Regulation Of Ethylene Receptor Expression In Arabidopsis, Xue-Chu Zhao

Doctoral Dissertations

The ethylene receptor family of Arabidopsis consists of five members, ETR1, ETR2, ERS1, ERS2, and EIN4. Regulation of ethylene receptor expression in Arabidopsis was studied using three different approaches. First, the effect of ethylene-pathway mutations upon expression of ETR1 was examined. Ethylene-insensitive mutations in ETR1 resulted in a post-transcriptional increase in levels of the mutant receptor. Treatment of seedlings with silver, which leads to ethylene insensitivity, also resulted in an increase in levels of ETR1. Mutations in other components of the ethylene pathway had little effect upon expression of ETR1. Second, microarray analysis was performed using reciprocal mutants to examine …

Life History Dynamics Of Nudibranch Sibling Species In The Genus Dendronotus In The Gulf Of Maine, Chad Gordon Sisson

Doctoral Dissertations

Two different larval types have been described for the nudibranch Dendronotus frondosus (Ascanius, 1774) in the Gulf of Maine. A taxonomic review of adults with planktrophic larvae and those with lecithotrophic larvae revealed regular differences in radula morphology, and no predictable differences in the reproductive system. These data and previous data on a behavioral reproductive isolation mechanism suggest a new species designation for populations of Dendronotus with lecithotrophic larvae. Laboratory studies were used to compare the larval dispersal potential of the two types of Dendronotus. D. frondosus planktotrophic larvae had a potential planktonic period of approximately 11 weeks at 10°C …

Oxygen And Nitrate Enhanced In Situ Bioremediation Of An Oil -Contaminated Salt Marsh, Fabio A. Roldan-Garcia

Doctoral Dissertations

Salt marshes are among the most ecologically-sensitive areas to oil spills and remediation activities. Contaminated marshes may take years or decades to recover. Bioremediation is the process of enhancing naturally-occurring biodegradation by supplying limiting nutrients and terminal electron acceptors (TEAS). During this study, two TEAS (O2 and NO3 -) were evaluated for their ability to enhance natural in situ biodegradation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in an oil-contaminated marsh. EPA (9071A) and ASTM (D5831) methods were evaluated for screening TPH in the contaminated marsh sediments. The ASTM Method was selected to evaluate TPH levels in candidate sites at the Fore …

Gothic Economies: Global Capitalism And The Boundaries Of Identity, Robert Adrian Herschbach

Doctoral Dissertations

Since Dickens and Mary Shelley, the Gothic has provided a rubric for literary conceptualizations of modernity. Dickens' depictions of industrial London characterize it as a labyrinth of temptations and horrors, haunted by monstrosity and by personal and social demons; the monster in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is the disfigured byproduct of science and technology. Bram Stoker's Dracula, perhaps the most effective "global" narrative to come out of the British fin de siecle, grafted elements of a pre-Enlightenment atavism onto the turn-of-the-century liberal metropolis. In our own era, the literature of the postmodern technopolis---the fiction of William Gibson, for example---has continued to …

A Gender And Development (Gad) Implementation Evaluation: Testimonios Reveal The Successes, Challenges, And Unpredicted Results For Women's Equality And Community Sustainability, Melinda Salazar

Doctoral Dissertations

This is a case study of a Gender and Development implementation evaluation in several rural, Baha'i communities in Andean Bolivian. "Traditional Media as Change Agent," funded by UNIFEM (UN International Fund for Women) and implemented by BIC (Baha'i International Community), was an innovative, non-economic approach to change gender attitudes and behaviors by including men in a consultative process using traditional media. This study responded to criticism that GAD ignored the environment, was lodged squarely in Western economic development thought and Western feminist values, and lacked the voices of the women and men for whom development aims to benefit.

This study …

Impacts Of The Introduced Crabs, Carcinus Maenas And Hemigrapsus Sanguineus, In Northern New England, Megan Conlon Tyrrell

Doctoral Dissertations

Two introduced crab species are presently found in northern New England, Carcinus maenas, which has been in this region for over 100 years, and Hemigrapsus sanguineus which was first reported in New Hampshire in 1998. Carcinus maenas is a generalized predator and its introduction has had negative effects on several native mollusc species but the community wide impacts of its introduction have been relatively neglected. Hemigrapsus sanguineus is just beginning to establish populations in this region, and its effects on the resident community are unknown. Both monitoring and experimental approaches were used to retroactively infer the impacts of C. maenas …

In The Interest Of A Child: A Comparative Look At The Treatment Of Children Under Wisconsin And Minnesota Custody Statutes, Thomas J. Walsh

Marquette Law Review

No abstract provided.

Valuing Man's And Woman's Best Friend: The Moral And Legal Status Of Companion Animals, Rebecca J. Huss

Marquette Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Magnetic Insoles On Lumbar Flexion, Kari Braaflat, Becky Cox, Angela Delacruz, Heather Skarsgard

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Magnets have been used for therapeutic purposes for hundreds of years. Today, magnetic devices and other alternative therapies are more popular than ever among the general public. The effect of these magnetic devices is dependent on several variables including strength, depth of penetration, placement, time exposed to the magnetic field, and polarity. There are many proposed theories on how magnets affect the body, but there is little research to support them. One of the theories proposed is that magnets alter connective tissue elasticity and allow greater range of motion (ROM). Additional research needs to be conducted to validate or negate …

Reliability Of Shoulder Goniometric Measurements In Persons Who Are Elderly, Karina Koch, Lauri Paulsen, Heather White, Richard Williamson

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

The population of the United States is rapidly aging; this is exemplified by the cohort of "Baby-Boomers" who make up a large part of the population. This becomes relevant to physical therapists, as our clients will reflect this "graying" of America. There is a lack of research regarding normative values for shoulder range of motion (ROM) in the elderly population. Due to many different factors in the aging process, there may be a decline in ROM in elderly persons. Current normative values may not be applicable to this population.

Two pilot studies were conducted measuring active and passive shoulder ROM …

The Economic Value Of Companion Animals: A Legal And Anthropological Argument For Special Valuation, Geordie Duckler

Animal Law Review

Mr. Duckler delves into valuation issues that arise in the context of recovery of non-economic damages for death and injury to companion animals. He argues that the special nature of companion animals in society necessitates an assigned monetary worth to such animals that is distinct from and exceeds mere market value. As support for this contention, Mr. Duckler provides relevant legal, sociological, and anthropological analyses.

Canning Canned Hunts: Using State And Federal Legislation To Eliminate The Unethical Practice Of Canned "Hunting", Laura J. Ireland

Animal Law Review

Ms. Ireland explores the methodologies, ethics, and dangers of canned hunting and offers ways to challenge the practice through existing and proposed state and federal statutes. In so doing, Ms. Ireland examines statutory law as it relates to exotic animals, the definition of “animal,” the anti-cruelty exemptions, and husbandry practices. Finally, the feasability of statutory enforcement by agencies is examined.

Roots Of Human Resistance To Animal Rights: Psychological And Conceptual Blocks, Steven J. Bartlett

Animal Law Review

Mr. Bartlett discusses the psychological and conceptual impediments to human acceptance of the notion of animal rights. He posits that human characteristics such as homocentrism, human narcissism, and species-selfishness all function to keep animals from securing their rightful place in the existing social and legal framework. Mr. Bartlett also argues that human attitudes, policies, and behavior affecting animals are influenced by underlying conceptual pathologies, and that animal advocates would be well served by taking into account such human pathologies in their quest for greater animal protection.

Teaching Discourses: Science Teachers' Responses To The Voices Of Adolescent Girls, Gayle A. Buck

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to provide an opportunity for science teachers to ‘listen’ to adolescent girls discuss their ideas and feelings about the contemporary structure of middle-level science education. The reflections of these teachers were then analyzed to capture how the teachers interpreted what adolescent girls had to say and the action that they will take in the classroom as a result of those interpretations. This qualitative study investigated 11 teachers and 51 Grade 7 and 8 girls from various states across the continental USA. The girls discussed such things as their favorite science topics, comfort level in …

Study Of The Efficacy Of A Christian-Based Inpatient Hospital For Treating Eating Disorders, Depression, And Spiritual Distress, Robert Alan Darden

Dissertations

Problem . Outcome studies continue to indicate that a substantial proportion of individuals with eating disorders have a dangerously limited response to treatment. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if a Christian cognitive-behavioral-based inpatient hospital that specializes in eating disorders was an effective program for treating eating disorders. Next, this study sought to determine if this inpatient hospital was effective in treating both depression and spiritual distress. Finally, this study examined the relationship between depression and spiritual distress with treatment outcome.

Method . Five hundred and eighty-two patients were admitted to an inpatient hospital between July 1, …

A Study Of The Reported Long-Term Attitudinal And Behavioral Effects Of An Eighth-Grade Environmental Education Project And The Development Of An Innovation Configuration To Promote Environmental Education, Jean Lomino

Dissertations

Problem. Increasing scientific evidence reveals that this planet is in serious environmental jeopardy. Since 1977, when an international group of K-12 educators met in the USSR and established goals for teaching environmental education worldwide, many schools have endeavored to fulfill these goals through the use of various curricula and teaching strategies. Although some progress has been made, most K-12 public schools have not done enough to meet the demands of environmental problems. In 1996, my co-teacher and I designed and implemented an environmental project, called Mission Environment, that we hoped would help our students develop long-term positive environmental attitudes …

Predominant Nursing Students' Learning Profile And Nursing Faculty Teaching Styles As Related To Final Course Grade In A Baccalaureate Nursing Program In Puerto Rico, Lourdes Méndez Cruz

Dissertations

Problem. The purpose o f this study was to investigate the relationship between students’ predominant learning profile, faculty teaching preferences, and the final course grade in a 4-year nursing program at a private Christian university in Puerto Rico.

Method. A non-experimental descriptive research design was used for this study. The Learning Profile Indicator was administered to all nursing students («=138) while the Teaching Style Inventory was given to all faculty («=9). Demographic sheets were also given to both students and faculty Students’ final course grades were obtained from the faculty. Descriptive (frequency, means and standard deviations) and inferential statistics …

"We Must Be Hunters Of Meaning": Race, Metaphor, And The Models Of Steven Winter, D. Marvin Jones

Articles

No abstract provided.

Private Pathologies And Public Policies: Race, Class, And The Failure Of Child Welfare (Book Review), Charlton C. Copeland

Articles

No abstract provided.