Digital Commons Network^™

Androgen-Regulated Formation And Degradation Of Gap Junctions In Androgen-Responsive Human Prostate Cancer Cells., Shalini Mitra, Lakshmanan Annamalai, Souvik Chakraborty, Kristen E. Johnson, Xiao-Hong Song, Surinder K. Batra, Parmender P. Mehta

Journal Articles: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

The constituent proteins of gap junctions, called connexins (Cxs), have a short half-life. Despite this, the physiological stimuli that control the assembly of Cxs into gap junctions and their degradation have remained poorly understood. We show here that in androgen-responsive human prostate cancer cells, androgens control the expression level of Cx32-and hence the extent of gap junction formation-post-translationally. In the absence of androgens, a major fraction of Cx32 is degraded presumably by endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation, whereas in their presence, this fraction is rescued from degradation. We also show that Cx32 and Cx43 degrade by a similar mechanism. Thus, androgens regulate …

Karyotypes Of Eight Species Of Leptodactylus (Anura, Leptodactylidae) With A Description Of A New Karyotype For The Genus, Renata Cecília Amaro-Ghilardi, Gabriel Skuk, Rafael O. De Sá, Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues, Yatiyo Yonenaga-Yassuda

Biology Faculty Publications

Karyotypes of eight species of Leptodactylus (Anura, Leptodactylidae) with a description of a new karyotype for the genus. Eight species of the Neotropical genus Leptodactylus were karyologically studied: seven of them (L. gracilis, L. mystacinus, L. petersii, L. pustulatus, L. macrosternum, L. ocellatus, L. labyrinthicus) presented 2n=22 and L. silvanimbus showed a distinctive karyotype with 2n=24. Nucleolar organizer regions (Ag-NORs) were detected in two different pairs of chromosomes: pair 4 at the proximal region of the long arm of one individual of L. mystacinus from São Paulo state and of L. petersii; and …

Three Theories Of Substantive Due Process, Daniel O. Conkle

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

After The Catastrophe: Disaster Relief For Hospitals, Elizabeth Weeks

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

In This Apple For Teacher An Apple From Eve - Reanalyzing The Intelligent Design Debate From A Curricular Perspective, Mary Katherine Hackney

North Carolina Law Review

No abstract provided.

After The Catastrophe: Disaster Relief For Hospitals, Elizabeth Weeks Leonard

Scholarly Works

Disaster planning for health care providers following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and, more recently, Hurricane Katrina, focuses on preparing hospitals and other emergency services to respond to victims' medical needs. But little attention has been paid to the challenges that providers would face resuming normal operations after responding to the catastrophe. A large-scale catastrophe could create unprecedented demand for health care and emergency services. Hospitals already struggle to fulfill the high demand for and high costs of emergency care. Following a major disaster, hospitals would face additional financial challenges. Strained capacity and financial reserves, may force hospitals to …

Combined Effects Of Aldehyde Dehydrogenase Variants And Maternal Mitochondrial Genes On Alcohol Consumption, Yedy Israel, Maria E. Quintanilla, Amalia Sapag, Lutske Tampier

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Two lines of rats bred to differ in their voluntary alcohol consumption — the alcohol-abstaining UChA rats and the alcohol-drinking UChB rats — differ in how effectively toxic acetaldehyde is removed during alcohol metabolism. UChB animals carry efficient variants of the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) genes and have active mitochondria, resulting in fast removal of acetaldehyde. UChA animals, in contrast, carry less efficient ALDH2 variants and less active mitochondria, which result in transient elevations of acetaldehyde levels after alcohol ingestion. Cross-breeding studies have demonstrated that the presence of active mitochondria inherited from UChB females can fully abolish the reduction of …

Gridfields: Model-Driven Data Transformation In The Physical Sciences, Bill Howe

Dissertations and Theses

Scientists' ability to generate and store simulation results is outpacing their ability to analyze them via ad hoc programs. We observe that these programs exhibit an algebraic structure that can be used to facilitate reasoning and improve performance. In this dissertation, we present a formal data model that exposes this algebraic structure, then implement the model, evaluate it, and use it to express, optimize, and reason about data transformations in a variety of scientific domains.

Simulation results are defined over a logical grid structure that allows a continuous domain to be represented discretely in the computer. Existing approaches for manipulating …

2005 Coastal Illicit Connection Identification And Elimination Grant Project, Jeffrey Marcoux

PREP Reports & Publications

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES) received funds in 2005 from the New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP) to administer grants to coastal municipalities to eliminate illicit discharges into their storm drainage systems. This final report describes the projects that were funded under this grant. Projects in Rye and Somersworth involved eliminating sewage discharges into storm drainage systems from houses. A project in Portsmouth involved developing a standard operating procedure manual and recommendations for future training for illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE). The removal of illicit discharges in Rye and Somersworth helped improve water quality in the coastal …

Parental Investment And Male Ornamentation In The Eastern Bluebird (Sialis Sialis), Daniel Paul Wetzel

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Bright plumage coloration in most birds is thought to be a product of sexual selection. Brighter, more-ornamented males are preferred by females because their plumage conveys information regarding the quality of the individual. One measure of male quality is willingness to invest in offspring. In birds, investment is usually measured as the rate at which nestlings are provisioned. However there are other forms of parental investment. The purpose of this study is to quantify the relationship between two measures of parental investment and their association with structural plumage coloration in male Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis). I found there was no …

Derrida, Deconstruction And A Dialogue On The Contemporary Nursing Curriculum, Catherine Louise Gilbert

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This theoretical inquiry utilizes the philosophy of Jacques Derrida and deconstruction to begin a discourse on the disconnect between student learning and nursing education within the academy. By entering into a thoughtful, reasoned and responsible critique of the nursing curriculum, this journey of discovery examines those constructs integral to nursing education: students, teachers, identity, the art and science of nursing, the curriculum, power and control, and the university, their (dis)connectedness and begins a dialogue that positions nursing education as the legitimate professional nursing curricula for the next millennium. This journey of discovery recognizes an underlying thesis; meaningful learning that facilitates …

Amphibian Colonization Of New Habitat : "If You Build It, They Will Come"., Piper Lee Roby-Thomas 1977-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2003, Wilson Creek running through Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in central Kentucky was restored to its original winding path through a valley field. Early 20th century settlers had previously redirected this creek to run a straight path along the eastern hillside in order to maximize the valley for farming. As part of the restoration to its pre-settler path, seven ponds were created in the corridor of the old streambed, which created habitat for pond-breeding amphibians. Sampling began one year after construction was complete, and over two years the amphibian assemblages of these ponds were compared to those of …

Physical And Biological Control Of Zooplankton In The Ohio River., Tamara Dawn Sluss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the physical and biological factors that control zooplankton population growth rates in the Ohio River (USA). I employed both observational studies and a mesocosm experiment to ascertain zooplankton population and community dynamics in response to biotic and abiotic variables. This dissertation is separated into three chapters. In chapter 1, I introduce the reader to life history traits of zooplankton and characteristics of large rivers. In chapter 2, I present the results of an observational study of zooplankton population growth rates in two navigation pools of the Ohio River and use multiple regression analysis to determine the significance …

Animal Experiment (Rabbit) To Demonstrate Changes In Trabecular Bone Mechanical Properties Over Time Using Finite Element Analysis., Shuo Yang 1974-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Decreased strength of trabecular bone is a direct effect of osteoporosis, which can be evaluated by finite element analysis. However, computational limitations have restricted previous trabecular bone analyses primarily to the linear domain. In addition, previous work was largely invasive and the corresponding finite element models were typically homogeneous. Nonlinear heterogeneous finite element analysis was used to calculate trabecular bone apparent strength directly from in vivo micro computational tomography (micro-CT) scans. Through a series of validation experiments, it was shown that this nonlinear modeling is more accurate in evaluating trabecular bone mechanics in osteoporosis than previous work. A parameter driven …

Review Of The Rise And Fall Of Hmos: An American Health Care Revolution. Jan Gregoire Coombs. Reviewed By Lisa S. Patchner., Lisa S. Patchner

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Jan Gregoire Coombs, The Rise and Fall of HMOs: An American Health Care Revolution. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 2005. $35.00 hardcover.

Anxiety And Control In African American Families., L. Kevin Chapman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To investigate the effects of anxiety and ethnicity on parental control as well as the effects ethnicity, anxiety, and parental control have on child diagnostic severity, anxious African American and Caucasian families were compared. Sixty-nine parent-child dyads completed the study. Forty-two mothers in the sample suffered from an anxiety disorder whereas twenty-seven mothers did not meet criteria for any current or past psychopathology. Parent-child dyads were videotaped as they completed two mildly stressful tasks together. Parental and child behaviors during the interactions were coded to obtain an objective measure of parents' behavior. Data were reduced to produce four behavioral composites …

Metabolic And Phenotypic Characterization Of Aerobic Pcb Degrading Bacteria Isolated From Kalamazoo River Sediments, Brenton K. Lehmkuhl

Masters Theses

The Kalamazoo River is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) which are neurotoxins and suspected carcinogens. The goal of this study was to isolate, identify, and metabolically characterize PCB degrading strains of aerobic bacteria. Biphenyl enrichments resulted in the isolation of putative PCB degrading strains from different locations along the river. Based on 16S rRNA gene analysis the isolated strains were identified as belonging to the genera of Achromobacter, Acidovorax, Cellulosimicrobium, Paenibacillus, Pseudomonas, and Rhodococcus. These strains were screened for their PCB degrading ability and congener specificity. All of the isolated strains degraded PCBs via the 2,3-dioxygenase pathway. The range …

Gsi: Geo Scene Investigation! Pre-Visit, Support Materials: Lake Mead Geologic Webquest (Grade 7), Discover Mojave: Forever Earth

Curriculum materials (FE)

Student worksheets and teacher rubric to accompany the Lake Mead Geologic WebQuest lesson.

Characterization Of Microbial Populations In The Subsurface, Mark P. Buttner, Patricia Cruz, Klaus J. Stetzenbach, Amy J. Smiecinski

Publications (YM)

This task is part of a cooperative agreement between the UNLV Research Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy (#DE-FC28-04RW12237) titled “Yucca Mountain Groundwater Characterization”. The work was conducted in the Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies, Microbiology Division of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas from October 1, 2004 to September 30, 2006. The overall goal of this research was to investigate the phenomena that affect the fate and transport of radionuclides in the environment. The purpose of this task (ORD-RF-01), “Characterization of Microbial Activity”, was to develop a molecular biological method for the characterization of the microbial population …

Near-Field Thermal Radiative Transfer And Thermoacoustic Effects From Vapor Plumes Produced By Pulsed Co/Sub 2 /Laser Ablation Of Bulk Water, S. I. Kudryashov, Kevin Lyon, S. D. Allen

Mechanical Engineering - Daytona Beach

Submillimeter deep heating of bulk water by thermal radiation from ablative water plumes produced by a 10.6 μm transversely excited atmospheric C O2 laser and the related acoustic generation has been studied using a contact time-resolved photoacoustic technique. Effective penetration depths of thermal radiation in water were measured as a function of incident laser fluence and the corresponding plume temperatures were estimated. The near-field thermal and thermoacoustic effects of thermal radiation in laser-ablated bulk water and their potential near-field implications are discussed.

c 2006 American Institute of Physics

The Effects Of Social Bond And Neutralization On Juvenile Drug Usage, Adam Shields

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of social bond and neutralization on juvenile drug usage. Part I of the Evaluation of the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) Program in the United States (1995-1999) was used for the data analysis. When controlling for other variables, the data revealed that juveniles who accept neutralization of stealing and juveniles who are involved with other delinquent peers are more likely to use illegal drugs. In addition, the data revealed that an adolescent's gender was significant in determining drug usage. The results generally support Hirschi's (1969) Social Bond Theory, and …

Interpreting Site Formation Processes Affecting Re-Emergent Cultural Sites Within Reservoirs: A Case Study Of St. Thomas, Nevada, Denyse Wyskup

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The inundation of cultural resources due to the construction of dams as water retention mechanism is a global problem, affecting thousands of historic and prehistoric sites. Recent warming trends, in combination with increasing water usage from growing populations and urban expansion has initiated dramatic pool-level shallowing in many reservoirs, especially in the American Southwest, resulting in the re-emergence of inundated cultural sites. The "ghost town" of St. Thomas, Nevada, represents one example of a site that was impacted in this manner. This historic settlement is one of many hundreds of sites that became submerged when Boulder Dam was constructed to …

An Intelligent Portfolio Management Approach To Gas Storage Field Deliverability Maintenance And Enhancement, Kazim A. Malik

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The main goal of this thesis is to modify and apply the state-of-the-art intelligent, optimum portfolio management to the gas storage field in order to optimize the return on investment associated with well remedial operations. It continues the development of a methodology for candidate selection and stimulation design and optimization using Artificial Intelligence techniques. The project used the data of an actual gas storage field to test the results.;The project data include Well-bore, Completion, Perforation, Stimulation, Well-test and Reservoir Data. The software developed in parallel with this selection methodology includes an easy to use interface that allows the user to …

Use Of Data Mining For Investigation Of Crime Patterns, Manoday D. Padhye

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Lot of research is being done to improve the utilization of crime data. This thesis deals with the design and implementation of a crime database and associated search methods to identify crime patterns from the database. The database was created in Microsoft SQL Server (back end). The user interface (front end) and the crime pattern identification software (middle tier) were implemented in ASP.NET. Such a web based approach enables the user to utilize the database from anywhere and at anytime. A general ARFF file can also be generated, for the user in Windows based format to use other Data Mining …

Software Application For Emergency Responders, Safer 2.0, Saritha Reddy Potula

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The SAFER 2.0 was developed as a web based information system for the First Responders involved in dealing with the hazardous materials incidents. The software tool enables First Responders to view and identify the substances involved in a hazard via a secure Internet connection. The tool also aids in identifying the unknown substances based on the physical description (color, odor, texture, gas/liquid, etc.), symptoms and other information available at the site of the incident. The system is based on the 2004 North American Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG2004) and NIOSH Pocket Guide (NPG). ERG2004 was developed for use by firefighters, police, …

Alumina Waveguide Characterization And Sparrow Biosensor Modeling, Pavan Kumar Samudrala

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Sensors based on evanescent wave techniques have the potential to detect minute change in refractive index arising from surface modifications. The biosensor device architecture evaluated in this work is the SPARROW (Stacked Planar Affinity Regulated Resonant Optical Waveguide) structure. This architecture can operate as a biosensor through the change in the coupled optical power resulted from antigen bonding to the bio-layer. Its stacked film arrangement with no lateral patterning offers a potentially less complex structure for fabrication. This thesis describes the process developed to optically characterize the alumina waveguides of the SPARROW device and investigates waveguide film quality as a …

Modulation Of Gene Expression And Dna Adduct Formation By Chlorophyllin In Human Mammary Cells Exposed To Benzopyrenes, Kaarthik John

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated metabolic activation by benzopyrenes (BP and B[e]P) in human mammary cells and modulation by chlorophyllin (CHL, a chemopreventive agent). Among 6 NHMEC strains monitored using microarrays, 54 genes were up-regulated and 11 down-regulated by signal log ratio (SLR) ≥ 1.5 on treatment with BP alone. Pre CHL + post BP+CHL treatment up-regulated the expression of 129 genes and down-regulated those of 35 genes by SLR ≥ 1.5. Studies on CYP1 gene induction and BP-DNA adduct formation among 20 NHMECs revealed wide inter-individual variations both in the induction (3-96-fold for CYP1A1 and 4-43-fold for CYP1B1, respectively) and modulation …

Intense Training In Sport: Monitoring The Effects On Immune Function And Mood State, Michelle Bartlett

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

To enhance and optimize sport performance, athletes are training at increasingly higher levels of intensity, volume and frequency. When increases in any of these areas of training are not accompanied by adequate recovery, over time, decrements in performance and physical/psychological maladies can result. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to monitor five competitive swimmers during a swimming season in two of the potential areas in which an adverse response to training may appear: the immunological parameter of mucosal immune function and the psychological parameter of mood state. Each parameter was assessed once per week over the seven weeks of …

Multispectral Iris Recognition Analysis: Techniques And Evaluation, Christopher K. Boyce

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis explores the benefits of using multispectral iris information acquired using a narrow-band multispectral imaging system. Commercial iris recognition systems typically sense the iridal reflection pertaining to the near-infrared (IR) range of the electromagnetic spectrum. While near-infrared imaging does give a very reasonable image of the iris texture, it only exploits a narrow band of spectral information. By incorporating other wavelength ranges (infrared, red, green, blue) in iris recognition systems, the reflectance and absorbance properties of the iris tissue can be exploited to enhance recognition performance. Furthermore, the impact of eye color on iris matching performance can be determined. …

An Interpolation Method For Stream Habitat Assessments With Reference To The Crystal Darter, Kenneth Richard Sheehan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Crystallaria asprella spp. (Elk River crystal darter) is documented only in Elk River, West Virginia. Little life history detail is known about this lotic, benthic-dependent species. Previous studies have led to a very basic understanding of the use of depth, flow and substrate of the crystal darter (Crystallaria asprella), and less is known about the Elk River crystal darter. Due to substrate-specificity in crystal darters (which reportedly bury in sand), a study concerning benthic stream habitat modeling was undertaken. Substrate and depth modeling using >5% of an area sampled at a resolution of 0.093 m2 square spatial data in a …