Digital Commons Network^™

The Transcriptome Of The Salivary Glands Of The Female Western Black-Legged Tick Ixodes Pacificus (Acari: Ixodidae), Ivo M.B. Francischetti, Van My Pham, Ben J. Mans, John F. Andersen, Thomas N. Mather, Robert S. Lane, José M.C. Ribeiro

Plant Sciences and Entomology Faculty Publications

Sequencing of an Ixodes pacificus salivary gland cDNA library yielded 1068 sequences with an average undetermined nucleotide of 1.9% and an average length of 487 base pairs. Assembly of the expressed sequence tags yielded 557 contigs, 138 of which appear to code for secreted peptides or proteins based on translation of a putative signal peptide. Based on the BLASTX similarity of these contigs to 66 matches of Ixodes scapularis peptide sequences, only 58% sequence identity was found, indicating a rapid divergence of salivary proteins as observed previously for mosquito and triatomine bug salivary proteins. Here we report 106 mostly full-length …

Prenatal Stress And Stress Physiology Influences Human Fetal And Infant Development, Elyssia Poggi Davis, Calvin J. Hobel, Curt A. Sandman, Laura M. Glynn, Pathik D. Wadhwa

Psychology Faculty Books and Book Chapters

"Prenatal stress has been proposed as a risk factor that may have developmental consequences persisting throughout the lifespan. Exposing rodents to stress during pregnancy has consequences for brain development, stress regulation, learning, emotionality (increased anxiety), and social behavior (increased withdrawal) of the offspring (Weinstock, 2001; Chapillon et al., 2002). Additionally, non-human primates who experience stress during pregnancy have offspring with enhanced behavioral reactivity to stressors later in life (Clarke et al., 1994), lowered levels of motor behavior (Schneider, 1992), compromised neuromotor responses (Schneider and Coe, 1993), irritable temperament (Schneider et al., 1992), and attentional problems (Schneider et …

Primary Chemotherapy For Operable Breast Cancer: The Nsabp Experience, Harry D. Bear

Surgery Publications

No abstract provided.

Innovation, Vol. 3, Issue 1, September, 2005, Unknown

Issues

No abstract provided.

Diversity Of The Unionidae In The Rocky River, Ohio, Robert A. Krebs, Louie J. Rundo

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

We surveyed the freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae) of the Rocky River, Ohio, USA, a river surrounded by suburban development. The survey produced 253 live unionid specimens and 572 empty shells. Most occurred in the west branch. Species living in the West Branch Rocky River included Anodontoides ferussacianus, Elliptio dilatata, Lampsilis cardium, Lampsilis radiata luteola, Lasmigona compressa, Lasmigona costata, Pyganodon grandis grandis, Strophitus undulatus undulatus, and Toxolasma parvus. Two additional species (Utterbackia imbecillis and Villosa iris iris) were represented as dead shells. Three species (Potamilis alatus, Quadrula quadrula and Leptodea fragilis) were found only near the …

Analytical Solutions For Vertical Flow In Unsaturated, Rooted Soils With Variable Surface Fluxes, Fasong Yuan, Zhiming Lu

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Analytical solutions to Richards' equation have been derived to describe the distribution of pressure head, water content, and fluid flow for rooted, homogeneous soils with varying surface fluxes. The solutions assume that (i) the constitutive relations for the hydraulic conductivity and water content as function of the pressure head are exponential, (ii) the initial water content distribution is a steady-state distribution, and (iii) the root water uptake is a function of depth. Three simple forms of root water uptake are considered, that is, uniform, stepwise, and exponential functional forms. The lower boundary of the rooted soil profile studied is a …

2004 Annual Town Report Of Newport, New Hampshire., Newport Town Representatives

Newport, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire.

Selective Blockade Of Inhibitory Fcγ Receptor Enables Human Dendritic Cell Maturation With Il-12p70 Production And Immunity To Antibody-Coated Tumor Cells, Madhav V. Dhodapkar, Jacob L. Kaufman, Marc Ehlers

Publications

he final differentiation or maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) in response to environmental stimuli influences their ability to both initiate immunity and determine the quality of the response to antigens. Circulating immune complexes and cell-bound immunoglobulins present in normal human sera represent a potential stimulus for inadvertent DC activation in the steady state and during autoimmunity. Here, we show that selective blockade of the inhibitory Fcγ receptor (FcγR) FcγRIIb with recently developed monoclonal antibodies leads to maturation of human monocyte-derived DCs, which depends on the presence of IgG in normal human plasma. Plasma, in the presence of an FcγRIIb blockade, …

Inducible Ablation Of Mouse Langerhans Cells Diminishes But Fails To Abrogate Contact Hypersensitivity, Clare L. Bennett, Erwin Van Rijn, Steffen Jung

Publications

Langerhans cells (LC) form a unique subset of dendritic cells (DC) in the epidermis but so far their in vivo functions in skin immunity and tolerance could not be determined, in particular in relation to dermal DC (dDC). Here, we exploit a novel diphtheria toxin (DT) receptor (DTR)/DT-based system to achieve inducible ablation of LC without affecting the skin environment. Within 24 h after intra-peritoneal injection of DT into Langerin-DTR mice LC are completely depleted from the epidermis and only begin to return 4 wk later. LC deletion occurs by apoptosis in the absence of inflammation and, in particular, the …

Research On Human Subjects In The Jem, Ralph M. Steinman

Publications

[No abstract available]

Dendritic Cell Maturation By Innate Lymphocytes: Coordinated Stimulation Of Innate And Adaptive Immunity, Christian Münz, Ralph M. Steinman, Shinichiro Fujii

Publications

Pathogen recognition by Toll-like receptors (TLRs) on dendritic cells (DCs) leads to DC maturation and the initiation of adaptive immunity. Recent studies have shown that innate lymphocytes-natural killer (NK), natural killer T (NKT), and γδT cells-also trigger DC maturation. This interaction in turn expands and activates innate lymphocytes and initiates adaptive T cell immunity. Here, we comment on the evidence that these pathways are TLR independent and have the potential to respond to infection, malignancy, and immunotherapy.cell maturationdendritic cell

Sustained Expansion Of Nkt Cells And Antigen-Specific T Cells After Injection Of Α-Galactosyl-Ceramide Loaded Mature Dendritic Cells In Cancer Patients, David H. Chang, Keren Osman, John E. Connolly

Publications

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are distinct glycolipid reactive innate lymphocytes that are implicated in the resistance to pathogens and tumors. Earlier attempts to mobilize NKT cells, specifically, in vivo in humans met with limited success. Here, we evaluated intravenous injection of monocyte-derived mature DCs that were loaded with a synthetic NKT cell ligand, α-galactosyl-ceramide (α-GalCer; KRN-7000) in five patients who had advanced cancer. Injection of α-GalCer-pulsed, but not unpulsed, dendritic cells (DCs) led to >100-fold expansion of several subsets of NKT cells in all patients; these could be detected for up to 6 mo after vaccination. NKT activation was …

Network Of Dendritic Cells Within The Muscular Layer Of The Mouse Intestine, Adriana Flores-Langarica, Selene Meza-Pérez, Juana Calderón-Amador

Publications

Dendritic cells (DCs) are located at body surfaces such as the skin, respiratory and genital tracts, and intestine. To further analyze intestinal DCs, we adapted an epidermal sheet separation technique and obtained two intestinal layers, facing the lumen and serosa. Unexpectedly, immunolabeling of the layer toward the serosa revealed a regular, dense, planar network of cells with prominent dendritic morphology within the external muscular layer and with increasing frequency along the length of the intestine. Direct examination of the serosal-disposed layers showed a significant fraction of the DCs to express DEC-205/CD205, CD11c, Langerin/CD207, Fcγ receptor/CD16/32, CD14, and low levels of …

Increase In Tnf-Α And Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase-Expressing Dendritic Cells In Psoriasis And Reduction With Efalizumab (Anti-Cd11a), Michelle A. Lowes, Francesca N. Chamian, Maria Veronica Abello

Publications

We find that CD11c⁺ cells with many markers of dendritic cells (DCs) are a major cell type in the skin lesions of psoriasis. These CD11c ⁺ cells, which are evident in both epidermis and dermis, are the sites for the expression of two mediators of inflammation, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and TNF-α in diseased skin. These cells express HLA-DR, CD40, and CD86, lack the Langerin and CD14 markers of Langerhans cells and monocytes, respectively, and to a significant extent express the DC maturation markers DC-LAMP and CD83. Treatment of psoriasis with efalizumab (anti-CD11a a, Raptiva) strongly reduces infiltration …

"Middle Georgia Waters:" Chemical Analysis By Gc&Su Undergraduates, Melanie Mobley, Lance Cramer, Daniel Brooks, Catrena Higginbotham Ph.D

The Corinthian

Every living organism on Earth depends on water, many of which must consume liters of fresh water daily. Unfortunately, a readily available source of clean, fresh water is diminishing. Over the years, the fresh water supply has been polluted by biological and chemical sources. The nutrient levels and pesticide chemical contamination of several water locations in the Middle Georgia area were analyzed and monitored by chemistry majors at GC&SU over the past two years.

Density And Cover Preferences Of Black-And-Rufous Elephant-Shrews (Rhynchocyon Petersi) In Chome Forest Reserve, Tanzania, Stephanie Coster, David O. Ribble

Biology Faculty Research

The objective of this study was to determine the density and habitat preference of the Black-andrufous elephant-shrew (Rhynchocyon petersi) in Chome Forest Reserve, Tanzania. Chome Forest (143km²) is located in the South Pare Mountains and provides critical habitat for endangered R. petersi. Twelve 300m transects were cut through the centre of the forest in an east-west direction and the number of elephant-shrew nests within 2.5 meters on each side of the transects was recorded. The mean number of nests per 100m transect (0.39 ± 0.47 [1SE]) translated to a density estimate of 19 elephant-shrews per …

2005-06 Bulletin Of Information - Undergraduate, Seattle University

Bulletin of Information

No abstract provided.

A Two-Year Seasonal Analysis Of Wetland Vegetation At The Mcclintic Wildlife Management Area In Mason County, West Virginia, Anne Carrington Blankenship

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Disturbances play a key role in the structure of ecosystems. Most ecosystems are subject to several different disturbance regimes that occur at different temporal and spatial scales. Studying the effects of disturbances can lead to a better understanding of a vegetative community’s future productivity. However, in order to understand the effects of disturbance, a vegetative community should first be studied before the disturbance occurs. This study analyzes the composition and seasonal variations of vegetative communities in and around four ponds at the McClintic Wildlife Management Area in Mason County, West Virginia during two growing seasons prior to remediation activities in …

Home Range And Behavior Of The Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus Horridus), Jennifer P. Adams

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Seventeen timber rattlesnakes were surgically implanted with radio transmitters and subsequently radio-tracked to determine the home range and behavior, as well as cause-specific mortality, of timber rattlesnakes on production forests in Randolph County, West Virginia. Mean home range sizes were 94.3 ha, males; 31.2 ha, nongravid females; 8.5 ha, gravid females; and 44.7 ha, among sex classes. Among sex classes, the mean daily movement rate was 20.2 mper day; the mean maximum known distances from den sites was 1110.2 m; the mean distance from den sites was 514.2 m; and the mean total distance moved was 2852.9 m. Mean active …

An Analysis Of Accelerated Christian Education And College Preparedness Based On Act Scores, Lisa J.L. Kelley

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The current paper discusses Christian education in relation to college preparedness. The author focuses on Christian education and the use of Accelerated Christian Education, a prepackaged curriculum, specifically used in private fundamentalist Christian schools. Relevant research is reviewed regarding college preparedness and Christian education. The researcher obtained the ACT scores received by graduates of an ACE school over the past five years. These scores were analyzed using a t-test of comparative means (p<.05) to determine if there were a significant differences in ACT scores between students at the Accelerated Christian School and the students of a public high school in the same area with a graduate college application rate of 75-83%. Scores were analyzed and a significant difference was found between the public school graduatesí scores and the ACE graduatesí scores in all areas of the ACT (English, Math, Reading, and Composite Score), except the area of Science Reasoning. Overall, the ACT scores of the ACE graduates were consistently lower than those of the public school students.

Faculty And Program Predictors Of Pass Rates Of Graduates Of Nursing Programs In West Virginia On The National Council Licensure Examination For Registered Nurses 1991 To 2000, Lynda F. Skinner Turner

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between mean student program scores on standardized pre-graduation nursing tests, program attendance policies, grading scales, policies on repeating nursing courses, faculty turnover, degree, teaching experience, clinical nursing experience, part-time faculty, national certification, and NCLEX-RN success in West Virginia nursing programs from 1991-2000. A causal comparative and correlational design was used to investigate the relationship between the dependent variable of NCLEX-RN pass rates and the independent variables. The population of this study consisted of 19 undergraduate nursing programs preparing graduates for entry into practice as registered nurses. Data collection tools utilized …

Effects Of Aging On Pressure-Induced Mapk Activation In The Rat Aorta, Kevin M. Rice

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

With age, the cardiovascular system experiences substantial alterations in cellular morphology and function. The factors regulating these changes are unknown; however, the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways have emerged as critical components for mediating numerous cellular responses including control of cell growth, differentiation and adaptation. Here we compare the expression, basal activation and the ability of increased pressure to activate the MAPK pathways in adult (6 month old), aged (30 month old) and very aged (36 month old) Fischer 344 x Brown Norway F1 Hybrid rats. Histochemical analysis demonstrated an age-related increase in tunica media thickness of approximately 11% …

Habitat Analysis By Hierarchical Scheme And Stream Geomorphology, James B. Spence

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A study was undertaken to classify eight stream reaches in the North Branch of the Potomac River watershed and determine if geomorphologic differences influenced the availability of fish habitat structure and fish density. Stream reaches were classified using Rosgen Level II (1996) methods, and fish habitat was determined using Hydraulic Channel Unit (HCU) classification based on a method modified from Bisson et al. (1982). Other habitat variables were also studied such as stream shading and physical habitat based on the Rapid Bioassessment Protocol (Barbour et al. 1999). Despite the differences in HCU density between sites, HCU density did not influence …

Comparisons Of Morphology And Reproductive Status Of Plethodon Glutinosus At High, Middle, And Low Elevations In West Virginia, Cynthia F. Lucas

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Plethodon glutinosus populations in West Virginia were looked at in three different elevations. Objectives were to determine if there is enough difference in elevation to cause different populations to vary in morphology and reproduction. Nine morphological measurements were taken to represent both size and proportional shape. Sexual dimorphism was found in all measurements only in low elevations, males being larger (p<0.001-p=0.041). Mean measurements between the three elevations showed significant differences (p<0.005) in all measurements excluding head width, tail length, and 3rd digit length. Salamanders were dissected; testes and vasa deferentia were removed from males and ovaries with follicles were removed from females. Results showed males in lower and middle elevations deposit spermatophores May-July. Low sample sizes in higher elevations provided inconclusive results. Females of lower elevations lay eggs early-mid summer. Middle and higher elevations results revealed a likely spring oviposition, or possibly a fall oviposition.

Mechanisms Of Growth Hormone Enhancement Of Excitatory Synaptic Transmission In Hippocampus, Ghada Saad Zaglool Ahmed Mahmoud

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Growth hormone (GH) deficiency is associated with impaired learning and memory. One possible target for GH effects on memory is the hippocampus, a brain region containing GH receptors (GHRs). To determine if GH acutely alters hippocampal function, recombinant human GH (rhGH) was applied to in vitro rat hippocampal brain slices. Extracellular recordings were used to assess effects of GH on the field EPSP (fEPSP) and long-term potentiation (LTP) of the fEPSP. GHR expression was measured in GH-treated and control rat hippocampal slices using RT-PCR. The GH signaling pathway was investigated by studying the effect of GH on the fEPSP after …

Discovering The Barriers To Health-Promoting Lifestyles Among Appalachian Veterans With Uncontrolled Hypertension, Tara L. Porter

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to discover the barriers to health promoting lifestyles among the Appalachian veteran population with uncontrolled hypertension.

Design: A quantitative research study was conducted over five months using a non-experimental, descriptive research design. Pender’s Health Promotion Model served as the study’s framework. Subjects were recruited from a primary care setting through advertisement within the hospital. A convenience sample of thirty-two subjects was obtained.

Method: The Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile (HPLP) II survey assessed for barriers to controlled hypertension in the following areas: health-promoting lifestyle, health responsibility, stress management, spiritual growth, interpersonal relationships, nutrition, and …

Linking Genesis To Modern Day Castaway Narratives, Shawndra Russell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This thesis analyzes two castaway novels, Lord of the Flies and John Dollar, and compares these novels to segments of Genesis, focusing primarily on the story of Adam and Eve. To compare and contrast these three works, I pulled out eleven similar ideas found in each text which formed eleven different chapters. This project evolved into offering an alternative way to interpret these castaway narratives as retellings of the creation story. The characters in John Dollar and Lord of the Flies become Adam and Eve type figures as they try to survive on Edenlike islands. At the same time, this …

Aging Affects Stretch-Induced P70s6k And 4e-Bp1 Phosphorylation In Fast- And Slow-Twitch Muscle, Sreevani Uddemarri

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In the present investigation we compare the expression, basal activation and the ability of muscle stretch to activate the p70^S6k pathway in the fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and slow-twitch soleus of adult (6 mo. old), aged (30 mo. old) and very aged (36 mo. old) Fischer 344 x Brown Norway rats. Immunoblotting demonstrated that the tissue content of mTOR, p70^S6k, 4E-BP1 and GSK-3β decreased in the EDL and soleus in aged rats, while SHP-2 increased in the EDL and decreased in the soleus when compared to adult rats. Basal phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 increased in both the …

Temperature And Ph Dependence Of The Cyclization Of Creatine: A Study Via Mass Spectrometry, Brian J. Diamond

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The creatine to creatinine cyclization is of significant biological importance, providing energy for muscle cells and indicating proper renal function. From a chemical perspective, the rate at which creatine cyclizes to form creatinine has interested researchers since the late 1920s, but the cyclization is poorly understood both energetically and mechanistically. Mass spectroscopy was used to determine the rate of creatine cyclization as a function of temperature and pH. Using these values, the energetic parameters, activation energy and Arrhenius factor, were determined as a function of pH to better understand this reaction and ultimately determine the mechanistic process for this reaction. …

Intimacy, Orgasm Likelihood Of Both Partners, Conflict, And Partner Response Predict Sexual Satisfaction In Heterosexual Male And Female Respondents, R. Vernon Haning

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Anonymous data provided by 417 female and 179 male sexually active heterosexual respondents showed that in long term sexual relationships sexual satisfaction was positively correlated with two different intimacy variables, the respondent’s orgasm likelihood, and the partner’s orgasm likelihood and negatively correlated with conflict in the relationship. All were significant predictors together in a multiple linear regression model. Empathic sexuality was defined as sexual response modulated by the sexual arousal or lack of arousal of the partner. Of 696 respondents, 90.3% reported empathic turn-on, 68% reported empathic turn-off, and 63.4% reported both empathic turn-on and turn-off, findings significantly different from …