Digital Commons Network^™

Prion: Gene, Structure, And Species Barrier, Sherman Jew, Hermann M. Schatzl

Student Publications

Hypothesis: Prion species barrier may be due to genetic variation and protein structural differences among different species.

Methods: Sequence analyses of open reading frames of the prion gene from different species, including human, deer, sheep, cattle, mouse, and rat were conducted. Synthetic prion-derived peptides with strategic point mutations were manufactured and studied to investigate potential conformational changes.

Results: Codon 129 is a polymorphism position where, in the human population, 50% is Met (Methionine)/Val (Valine), 40% Met/Met, 10% Val/Val. Other species: sheep, cattle, rat, and mouse have a conserved codon 129 with Met/Met. It is observed that with Met at codon …

Consistency In Context‐Specific Measures Of Shyness And Boldness In Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus Mykiss, Alexander D.M. Wilson, E. D. Stevens

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

AbstractShyness and boldness has been considered a fundamental axis of human behavioural variation. At the extreme ends of this behavioural continuum subjects vary from being bold and assertive to shy and timid. Analogous patterns of individual variation have been noted in a number of species including fish. There has been debate on the nature of this continuum as to whether it depends on context. That is, whether it is domain‐general (as in humans), or context‐specific. The purpose of our study was to test if shyness and boldness depends on context in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss and to this end we …

Effects Of Ammonium Perchlorate On Thyroid Function In Developing Fathead Minnows, Pimephales Promelas, Hm Crane, Db Pickford, Th Hutchinson, Ja Brown

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Design Of An Automated Flow Injection-Chemiluminescence Instrument Incorporating A Miniature Photomultiplier Tube For Monitoring Picomolar Concentrations Of Iron In Seawater, Ar Bowie, Ep Achterberg, S Ussher, Pj Worsfold

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Genetic Networks Controlling Retinal Injury, Felix R Vazquez-Chona, Amna N Khan, Chun K Chan, Anthony N Moore, Pramod K Dash, M Rosario Hernandez, Lu Lu, Elissa J Chesler, Kenneth F Manly, Robert W Williams, Eldon E Geisert

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: The present study defines genomic loci underlying coordinate changes in gene expression following retinal injury.

METHODS: A group of acute phase genes expressed in diverse nervous system tissues was defined by combining microarray results from injury studies from rat retina, brain, and spinal cord. Genomic loci regulating the brain expression of acute phase genes were identified using a panel of BXD recombinant inbred (RI) mouse strains. Candidate upstream regulators within a locus were defined using single nucleotide polymorphism databases and promoter motif databases.

RESULTS: The acute phase response of rat retina, brain, and spinal cord was dominated by transcription …

Clima Familiar En El Trastorno Por Déficit De Atención-Hiperactividad [Family Environment In Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder], Cecilia Montiel-Nava, Isabel Montiel-Barbero, Joaquín A. Peña

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

The effect of family environment on the development of Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is not known. We sought to characterize families with children with ADHD in order to better understand the contributions of family environment to the development of ADHD. We collected demographic data, parents’ and teachers’ rating scales, intellectual quotient, and the family environment scale (FES) for 53 children (aged 4-13), 29 with ADHD diagnosis and 24 controls. Statistical analysis indicated a family environment profile within the average range for both samples. There were significant differences between ADHD and controls for the measures of cohesion, intellectual activity orientation, and …

Illusions Of Liberty And Equality: An "Alien's" View Of Tiered Scrutiny, Ad Hoc Balancing, Governmental Power, And Judicial Imperialism, Michael A. Scaperlanda

Faculty Articles

No abstract provided.

Meeting The Leisure Needs Of The Forth-Coming Baby Boomers: Research And Programming Development, Heather Schantz

Graduate Research Papers

Perceptions and realities to provision of services for senior citizen have begun to emerge. In order for leisure service agencies to succeed with these new perceptions, management practices will have to be altered in order to meet the needs of these populations. The author presents past and present perceptions of senior citizens, leisure programming models and develops a leisure programming model in order to better serve the baby boom population. The purpose of this research project was to evaluate current lifespan models and leisure programming models and determine if community recreation service departments will meet the leisure needs of the …

Ay 2004/2005 Sec Meeting Minutes, 2004-10-06, Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Archives

No abstract provided.

The Evidence For A Nascent Biotechnology Cluster In Cork, John W. Hobbs

Theses

Over the past 30 years, encouraged by Ireland’s low rate of corporation tax (currently 12.5 %), and active promotion of FDI by the IDA, foreign owned pharmaceutical plants have set up and multiplied in the Cork area. To Ireland’s advantages of a low tax rate, an English speaking population, a pro-business environment and membership of EU, Cork offered the added attractions of a deepwater port and large natural harbour, good freight connections, an international airport, an educated workforce and excellent sporting and leisure facilities for sailing, golf, etc. (Pfizer, Eli Lilly, Novartis, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson and Schering Plough have …

Exploring Marine Biotoxins Using Analytical Techniques Based On Mass Spectrometry, Mónica Fernández Amandi

Theses

The impact of phycotoxins on human and animal health is of important concern for worldwide authorities and the scientific community. Domoic acid (DA) is a neurotoxin produced by phytoplankton {Pseudonitzchia spp.). It enters the food chain through the consumption of shellfish that feed on toxic diatoms. DA has been responsible for several outbreaks affecting humans and animals all around the world. Yessotoxin (YTX) is produced by dinoflagellate species {Protoceratiuni reticulatum) which are globally distributed. Its toxicity is low when ingested orally. However, the co-extraction of YTX with diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) toxins, derives false positives when the mouse bioassay is …

Representing Children In Families, Bruce A. Green, Annette R. Appell

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Catalog Denison University 2005-2006

Denison University Catalogs

Denison University Course Catalog 2005-2006

Medical Symptoms Associated With Tobacco Smoking With And Without Marijuana Abuse Among Crack Cocaine-Dependent Patients., Ashwin A. Patkar, Vikas Batra, Paolo Mannelli, Sarah Evers-Casey, Michael J. Vergare, Frank T. Leone

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

Despite the widespread use of tobacco and marijuana by cocaine abusers, it remains unclear whether combined tobacco and marijuana smoking is more harmful than tobacco smoking alone in cocaine abusers. We investigated the differences in medical symptoms reported among 34 crack cocaine abusers who did not smoke tobacco or marijuana (C), 86 crack cocaine abusers who also smoked tobacco (C + T), and 48 crack abusers who smoked both tobacco and marijuana (C + T + M). Medical symptoms were recorded using a 134-item self-report instrument (MILCOM), and drug use was assessed using the Addiction Severity Index (ASI). After controlling …

Host Blood Proteins And Peptides In The Midgut Of The Tick Dermacentor Variabilis Contribute To Bacterial Control, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Wayne L. Hynes, Shane M. Ceraul, Robert Mitchell, Tiffany Benzine

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Antimicrobial midgut proteins and peptides that result from blood digestion in feeding American dog ticks Dermacentor variabilis (Say) were identified. Midgut extracts from these ticks showed antimicrobial activity against Micrococcus luteus, regardless of whether they were challenged with peptidoglycan, blood meal components, rabbit blood, Bacillus subtilis, Escherischia coli or Borrelia burgdorferi. However, no peptide band co-migrating with defensin was found in midgut extracts from the challenged ticks. Partial purification of the midgut extracts using C₁₈ Sep Paks and gel electrophoresis showed the presence of 4 distinct bands with rMW 4.1, 5.3, 5.7 and 8.0 kDa identified …

Phytoplankton Development Within Tidal Freshwater Regions Of Two Virginia Rivers, Usa, Harold G. Marshall, Lubomira Burchardt

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Phytoplankton composition and the range of seasonal patterns of abundance are presented for the tidal freshwater regions in two Virginia rivers based on data accumulated monthly from 1986 through 1999. Diatoms dominated the flora during spring, summer, and fall, whereas, other taxonomic categories were more representative when the river flow rates decreased, allowing for a more stable water system and increased residency time within this tidal region during summer and early fall. This summer/fall period was associated with increased water temperatures, higher productivity rates and chlorophyll levels, increased total phytoplankton abundance and species diversity. The major components of the summer …

Demonstration Of Toxicity To Fish And To Mammalian Cells By Pfiesteria Species: Comparison Of Assay Methods And Strains, Joann M. Burkholder, Andrew S. Gordon, Peter D. Moeller, J. Mac Law, Kathryn J. Coyne, Alan J. Lewitus, John S. Ramsdell, Harold G. Marshall, Nora J. Deamer, S. Craig Cary, Jason W. Kempton, Steven L. Morton, Parke A. Rublee

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Toxicity and its detection in the dinoflagellate fish predators Pfiesteria piscicida and Pfiesteria shumwayae depend on the strain and the use of reliable assays. Two assays, standardized fish bioassays (SFBs) with juvenile fish and fish microassays (FMAs) with larval fish, were compared for their utility to detect toxic Pfiesteria. The comparison included strains with confirmed toxicity, negative controls (noninducible Pfiesteria strains and a related nontoxic cryptoperidiniopsoid dinoflagellate), and P. shumwayae strain CCMP2089, which previously had been reported as nontoxic. SFBs, standardized by using toxic Pfiesteria (coupled with tests confirming Pfiesteria toxin) and conditions conducive to toxicity expression, reliably detected …

Defensin In Ticks: Molecular Characterization, Expression, And Role In Innate Immunity, Daniel E. Sonenshine, Wayne L. Hynes, Shane M. Ceraul, Michelle Todd

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Human Disturbances On The Behavior Of Wintering Ducks, Melissa L. Pease, Robert K. Rose, Mark J. Butler

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Human activity causes wintering waterfowl to expend energy to avoid humans at a time in their annual cycle when energy conservation is important to survival, migration, and breeding reserves. Understanding the effects of recreational activities on waterfowl is important to managing natural resource areas where migratory birds depend on wetland habitat for resting and feeding. We investigated responses of 7 species of dabbling ducks to 5 different experimental human activities, (a pedestrian, a bicyclist, a truck traveling at 2 different speeds, and an electric passenger tram). Responses of ducks depended on type of disturbance, species, and distance from disturbances. Most …

New Species Of Amphipod Crustaceans In The Genera Tegano And Melita (Hadzioidea : Melitidae) From Subterranean Groundwaters In Guam, Palau, And The Philippines, Thomas R. Sawicki, John R. Holsinger, Thomas M. Iliffe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Three new species of Tegano are described, two from caves on Panglao Island, Bohol, Philippines, and one from a cave on Peleliu Island, Palau. Sriha vagabunda from Sri Lanka is reassigned to the genus Tegano based primarily on the high degree of similarity between Sriha vagabunda and species of Tegano and the fact that these species exhibit a great deal of variation in the reduction of the mandibular palp. A new species of Melita with characters intermediate between those defining the genera Abludomelita, Melita, and Paraniphargus is described from a spring on Guam. The characters of the new …

Mechanical Properties Of The Integument Of The Common Gartersnake, Thamnophis Sirtalis (Serpentes: Colubridae), Gabriel Rivera, Alan H. Savitzky, Jeffrey A. Hinkley

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The evolution of the ophidian feeding mechanism has involved substantial morphological restructuring associated with the ability to ingest relatively large prey. Previous studies examining the morphological consequences of macrophagy have concentrated on modifications of the skull and cephalic musculature. Although it is evident that macrophagy requires highly compliant skin, the mechanical properties of the ophidian integument have received limited attention, particularly in the context of feeding. We examined mechanical properties of skin along the body axis in Thamnophis sirtalis (Colubridae). Data were collected from tensile tests and were analyzed using a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and post-hoc multiple comparison …

The Architecture Of A Proteomic Network In The Yeast, Emad Ramadan, Christopher Osgood, Alex Pothern

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

We describe an approach to clustering the yeast protein-protein inter-action network in order to identify functional modules, groups of proteins forming multi-protein complexes accomplishing various functions in the cell. We have developed a clustering method that accounts for the small-world nature of the network. The algorithm makes use of the concept of k-cores in a graph, and employs recursive spectral clustering to compute the functional modules. The computed clusters are annotated using their protein memberships into known multi-protein complexes in the yeast. We also dissect the protein interaction network into a global subnetwork of hub proteins (connected to several clusters), …

Coffee To Go! Modeling Thermoclines In Multivariable Calculus, Andrea Bruder, Brynja R. Kohler

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Publications

While mathematical modeling is an integral process in applied mathematics, students rarely encounter genuine modeling opportunities in their calculus courses. Here we introduce a laboratory experience as a natural starting point for calculus students to investigate multivariable functions. A layered system of coffee and milk serves as a physical model for temperature gradients in lakes or the atmosphere, where temperature depends on both a temporal and spatial variable. Students create, observe, and collect temperature data of their own, graph the data, and develop mathematical models to fit the data. We require students to write a report about their findings. This …

A Troubling Equation In Contracts For Government Funded Scientific Research: "Sensitive But Unclassified" = Secret But Unconstitutional, Leslie Gielow Jacobs

McGeorge School of Law Scholarly Articles

No abstract provided.

The Challenge Of Environmental Protection, Jennifer Mattei

Biology Faculty Publications

Connecticut is in the midst of a demographic transition to a period of lower population growth. These demographic changes will help check the pressures exerted on the state's natural resources by population growth. Water, air, soil, energy sources, food, fisheries, forests, and biodiversity are common pool resources upon which we depend in ways that transcend political boundaries. Those governing Connecticut should help turn the state into a model of how to manage natural resources by halting forest fragmentation, reducing pollution, and promoting environmental science education.

Effect Of Dietary Fatty Acid Composition On Depot Fat And Exercise Performance In A Migrating Songbird, The Red-Eyed Vireo, Barbara J. Pierce, Scott R. Mcwilliams, Timothy P. O'Connor, Allen R. Place, Christopher G. Guglielmo

Biology Faculty Publications

Most migrating birds accumulate lipid stores as their primary source of energy for fueling long distance flights. Lipid stores of birds during migration are composed of mostly unsaturated fatty acids; whether such a fatty acid composition enhances exercise performance of birds is unknown. We tested this hypothesis by measuring metabolic rate at rest and during intense exercise in two groups of red-eyed vireos, a long-distance migratory passerine, fed either a diet containing 82% unsaturated fat (82%U), or one containing 58% unsaturated fat (58%U). Vireos fed the 82%U diet had fat stores containing (77%) unsaturated fatty acids, whereas vireos fed the …

Ab Initio : A New Concept In Engineering Education, A History Of The Design, Creation And Implementation Of A New School Of Engineering In Richmond, Virginia (1990-2000), Henry A. Mcgee Jr.

VCU University History Books

Dr. Henry A. McGee, Jr., Founding Dean Emeritus of the School of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University, chronicles the history of the School of Engineering through his term as Founding Dean, 1994–1999. McGee details the process of creating a program aimed to balance innovation and entrepreneurship.

Front Matter (Pdf), North American Bird Bander

North American Bird Bander

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Phytoplankton And Autotrophic Picoplankton Populations Over A 24-Hour Period From A Pond's Surface And Subsurface Waters, Harold G. Marshall, Lubomira Burchardt, Elżbieta Wilk-Woźniak

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Phytoplankton abundance and composition relationships within the surface layer changed over short time periods (4-6 hours) in comparison with more constant associations at 2 cm below the surface. Both strata had a diverse algal flora (>50 taxa), but no distinct neuston assemblage characterized the surface layer algal composition over the 24-hour study. The similarity between the two strata indicated the floral composition of the surface layer came from the water column algae below the surface. Chlorophytes, diatoms, cyanobacteria, and cryptophytes represented the most abundant algal categories for both strata with a total mean phytoplankton abundance of 3,566 cells ml …

Front Matter (Pdf), North American Bird Bander

North American Bird Bander

No abstract provided.