Digital Commons Network^™

Testing The Degradation Rates Of Degradable, Non-Degradable And Bio-Degradable Plastics Within Simulated Marine Environments, Simon T. Wellfair

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Plastics are a serious problem in the environment today. They cause a number of difficulties for organisms in the water which often mistake them for food and suffocate, or they become entangled in them and drown. Plastics are highly versatile and hard wearing, they survive longer than their use requires and often end up in the environment. One of the largest forms of plastic pollution is plastic bags. Many plastics bags have been deemed ‘degradable’ and have been given a time frame in which they will break down, but this does not suggest the type of environments in which they …

The Haemolytic Effect Of Verapamil On Erythrocytes Exposed To Varying Osmolarity, Tim Watts, Richard Handy

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The haemolytic effect of verapamil on red blood cells (RBCs) exposed to varying osmolarity was investigated. The experimental approach used a modified red cell haemolysis assay with concentrations of verapamil ranging from 50–1500 lM compared to drug free controls. The timecourse of haemolytic effects was also investigated. We also briefly determined the haemolytic effects of verapamil in Ca2+-free conditions (with added EGTA). In conditions representing decreasing osmolarity (dilution from 140–0 mM NaCl) there was a significant increase in erythrocyte haemolysis that was also dependent on verapamil concentration (ANOVA, p < 0.05). The red cells also showed a significantly increased rate of haemolysis over 5 h with increasing verapamil concentration (ANOVA, p < 0.05). The degree of RBC hypotonic haemolysis was significantly increased in a Ca2+-free medium (+EGTA) compared to normal saline and this effect was exacerbated by additions of verapamil (ANOVA, p < 0.05). Overall the data suggested that verapamil can cause haemolysis of RBCs in a predictable time- and concentration-dependent manner, and that verapamil increases the fragility of the erythrocytes further during hypotonic osmotic stress and Ca2+-free conditions. The mechanism of verapamildependent haemolysis could be directly related to the observed biphasic concentration-effect and could consequently involve several ion transport pathways.

Expression And Localisation Of Wave Isoforms In Human Schwann And Schwannoma Cells, Marei Caroline Schmid

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Schwannoma, the main tumours associated with Neurofibromatosis Type II, are caused by loss of function mutations in the NF2 gene, encoding for the tumour suppressor Merlin. Schwannoma cells display protrusive structures, due to deregulation of the cytoskeleton. The cytoskeleton is controlled by small Rho GTPases, such as Rac1 and Cdc42, known to be activated continuously in merlin-deficient human schwannoma cells (NF2-/-). Downstream Rac signalling leads to the activaton of Wave signalling complexes, which have been shown to bind and activate the Arp2/3 complex, a crucial regulator of the actin cytoskeleton that is involved in formation of protrusive structures. This investigation …

Seeing The Bigger Picture: An Amblyopic Advantage In The Global Integration Of Moving Visual Information?, Hannah Jeffery

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Devices used to incorporate global information by normal and amblyopic eyes were investigated using the Classification Image (CI) technique. An orientation task with randomly orientated tilting Gabor patches and a motion-direction task using randomly directed moving discs were utilized. Participants judged the near-threshold average global orientation or motion-direction in each. CIs were calculated, adding noise samples eliciting correct responses and subtracting noise samples producing incorrect responses. Results illustrated normal participants had consistently narrow perceptive fields as was the case for amblyopes in the orientation task. For global motion-direction judgements, amblyopic perceptive fields were far wider, illustrating sparse sampling of elements. …

Taking Stock Of The World's Species, Samantha Russell

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Scientists are to establish a giant catalogue of life - to, in effect, “barcode” every species on Earth. This poster aims to provide an overview of DNA barcoding: what is it? and why is it controversial?

An Investigation Into The Cardiac Implications Of Bradycardia In Marine Sports Practitioners, Antony Cole

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This study investigated the effect of the mammalian diving reflex (MDR) on the R-R intervals, mean heart rate (MHR) and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) on 40 healthy subjects. Two groups were compared a group of SCUBA divers and a group of non SCUBA divers. Each group consisted of ten males and ten females. Subjects completed seven protocols: three in air; breathing (BA); apnea (AA); breathing through a snorkel (BSA) and three facially immersed; breathing through a snorkel (23±1°C) (BSI); apnea (35±1°C) (AWW); apnea (23±1°C) (AWR) apnea (10±1°C) (AWC). A negative correlation was observed between diving experience and bradycardia. A …

American Mink (Mustela Vison) And Its Impact On Native Species In The Uk, Alex W. Rey

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Introduced alien species are recognised to be a major threat to native biodiversity. The American mink (Mustela vison) is a highly adaptable, naturalised predator in the UK, introduced as part of the fur trade in the 1920‟s. The species became established in the wild in the 1950‟s through purposeful releases and escapes and since establishing the mink has been held accountable for the decline of many native species, most notably the water vole (Arvicola terrestris). There are currently nine species of carnivore in the UK, and American mink presents competition for native predators, particularly those that have similar lifestyles. In …

The Role Of Zooxanthellae In Marine Invertebrates, Jonathan Wallen

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The importance of zooxanthellae in marine environments cannot be understated. Their role as a source of nutritive energy to corals underpins the success of reef-building systems worldwide, forming some of the most productive ecosystems on earth. The diversity of these unicellular symbiotic algae, which belong to the genus Symbiodinium, is enormous. Multiple hosts, multiple types of algae and the diverse habitats in which these organisms are found suggests a diverse reservoir of symbiont types in almost every region. This review focuses on the functional and genetic diversity of Symbiodinium, the specificity and flexibility of the host-algal association, and the implications …

Is There A Visitor Effect On Abyssinian Ground Hornbills (Bucorvus Abyssinicus), Papuan Wreathed Hornbills (Aceros Plicatus), Wrinkled Hornbills (Aceros Corrugatus) And Toco Toucans (Ramphastos Toco) In A Captive Zoo Environment?, Susanna Frances Thicks

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Research into the possible effects that zoo visitors have on the captive animals they come to visit is still relatively poorly understood. Most of the studies all ready completed have used non-human primate subjects, but there is a distinct lack of studies using non-primate species. One of the groups that are in particular need of this kind of research is birds. This study examines a potential visitor effect in captive Abyssinian Ground Hornbills (Bucorvus abyssinicus), Papuan Wreathed Hornbills (Aceros plicatus), Wrinkled Hornbills (Aceros corrugatus) and Toco Toucans (Ramphastos toco) at Paignton Zoo Environmental Park®. This study also investigates the evenness …

The Effect Of Starvation On The Size Of Mussels Selected By The Green Shore Crab, Carcinus Maenas, Brecht Morris

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The foraging behaviour of the green shore crabs, Carcinus maenas, of 24-26mm carapace width was observed over a 6 day starvation period. Edible mussels, Mytilus edulis, for each millimetre interval from 5-25mm were used to determine how prey size selection was effected by starvation. The most profitable mussel size for the studied crab size is approximately 9mm. At low starvation levels mussel size selection was relatively specific with the majority of selected mussels ranging in size from 7-12mm. Increased starvation caused greater variation in size selection with the majority of selected mussels ranging from 7-16mm, with a higher proportion of …

Does He Know I'M His Brother? A Multi-Method Inquiry Into Sibling Relationships Involving Children With Disabilities, Annabel David

The Plymouth Student Scientist

A mixed method approach was used to investigate the impact of disability and family-size on sibling relationships. The quantitative component used a questionnaire to analyse 191 sibling dyads in terms of companionship, empathy, teaching / caring, rivalry, aggression / conflict, and avoidance. Lower levels of positive behaviours and higher levels of negative behaviours were reported when one of the children was disabled. Non-disabled children displayed more positive and less negative behaviour towards their disabled siblings in three-child-families, compared with those in two-child-families. The qualitative component consisted of interviews with four families and the data was analysed using a grounded theory …

Variation In Both Male And Female Secondary Sexual Characters In The Diving Beetle, Agabus Bipustulatus (L.) (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), William James Howe

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Sexual conflict and intersexual arms races occur due to the differing evolutionary interests between the sexes. Under the model of sexual conflict it is predicted that this will lead to sexual dimorphism, common in diving beetles, where males have suckers which they use to attach to the females’ dorsal surface to potentially increase their copulatory ability. These are often met by female counteradaptations in an attempt to avoid multiple and potentially costly matings. This can result in a cyclical battle of responses in both sexes. Within the widely distributed species, Agabus bipustulatus there is known variation in female sculpture from …

Tinytermite: A Secure Routing Algorithm, Joshua Lewis Patterson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In this thesis, we introduce TinyTermite. TinyTermite is a novel probabilistic routing algorithm that is secure against selective forwarding and replay attacks. We use suspicion pheromone to build a flexible map of possible compromised neighbors. As suspicion builds up and decays for each neighbor, TinyTermite is able to deal with uncertain stimulus and react properly. TinyTermite is fully implemented on TinyOS based Intel Mote 2 platform and the experiments were done to compare its performance with that of the traditional Termite algorithm. The experimental results show that TinyTermite is significantly more secure against replay and sinkhole attacks by lowering the …

A Critical Evaluation Of The Symbiotic Association Between Tropical Tube-Dwelling Polychaetes And Their Hermatypic Coral Hosts, With A Focus On Spirobranchus Giganteus (Pallas, 1766), Sonia Rowley

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Coral reefs are high in species diversity with a low effective population size for most species and a high incidence of specific co-evolved relationships. Hermatypic corals are associated with, and attract a variety of, symbionts and commensals which helps to maintain coral reef biodiversity. However, little is known about such associations. Tropical tube-dwelling polychaetes provide an interesting surrogate in the enhancement of current understanding of such associations posing the question: what is the nature of the symbiotic association between tropical tube-dwelling polychaetes and their hermatypic coral hosts? This question is addressed by reviewing the life history and ecology of the …

J Am Coll Dent 2008 75 4

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The Journal of the American College of Dentists (JACD) publishes scholarly articles, editorials, essays, and reflections addressing the ethical, professional, and social dimensions of dentistry. The Journal serves as a forum for advancing ethics, professionalism, leadership, and excellence within the dental community. By fostering dialogue across disciplines and perspectives, JACD provides readers with insights that encourage ethical, professional practice, lifelong learning, and service to the public, reinforcing dentistry’s commitment to advancing oral healthcare and the common good.

The Role Of Gtp In Transient Splitting Of 70s Ribosomes By Rrf (Ribosome Recycling Factor) And Ef-G (Elongation Factor G)., Go Hirokawa, Nobuhiro Iwakura, Akira Kaji, Hideko Kaji

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

Ribosome recycling factor (RRF), elongation factor G (EF-G) and GTP split 70S ribosomes into subunits. Here, we demonstrated that the splitting was transient and the exhaustion of GTP resulted in re-association of the split subunits into 70S ribosomes unless IF3 (initiation factor 3) was present. However, the splitting was observed with sucrose density gradient centrifugation (SDGC) without IF3 if RRF, EF-G and GTP were present in the SDGC buffer. The splitting of 70S ribosomes causes the decrease of light scattering by ribosomes. Kinetic constants obtained from the light scattering studies are sufficient to account for the splitting of 70S ribosomes …

Piano Study And Gender Associations: A Query Into The Perceptions Of Children Ages Five To Fourteen, Richard C. Winfree

Music Theses & Dissertations

From its inception, male composers and performers such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Cliburn, and Kempffhad dominated piano performance. Recent research suggests, however, that the piano has been designated with a feminine gender stereotype. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of public school children ages five to fourteen years old relative to gender association and piano study to determine if a gender stereotype existed and at what age, if any, the stereotype stabilized.

To achieve this purpose, two surveys were created and implemented by the researcher. The first survey was administered to 879 students in …

Use Of County Tax Rolls For The Creation Of Mailing Lists For Extension Programming, Andrew J. Londo, John D. Kushla, Peter Smallidge

Journal of Extension

The Extension forestry programs at Mississippi State and Cornell use county tax rolls for developing county landowner mailing lists. The use of these mailing lists, when combined with traditional past program attendee mailing lists, has increased the visibility and activities of both programs by reaching out to a larger clientele base, including uderserved landowners.

Pond Appeal Series: Teaching Community Stakeholders To Manage Pestiferous Aquatic Midge Emergences From Storm Water Retention Ponds, Kenneth T. Gioeli, R Leroy Creswell, Jeffrey P. Gellermann, Edward A. Skvarch

Journal of Extension

Saint Lucie West (Florida) residents living adjacent to storm water retention ponds complained about the emergence of large swarms of pestiferous aquatic midges. Pond Appeal is a program developed by the Saint Lucie County Cooperative Extension to educate residents about pond best management practices that would result in a reduction in midge emergences. One hundred and fifty people participated in the program. All participants indicated they increased their understanding of pond management techniques and adopted practice changes that enabled them to better manage these ponds. This resulted in a reduction in pestiferous aquatic midges and improved quality of life.

Marsingill V. O’Malley: The Duty To Disclose Becomes The Duty To Divine, Douglas E. Hutchinson

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

When Parent’S Fight: Alaska’S Presumption Against Awarding Custody To Perpetrators Of Domestic Violence, Lisa Bolotin

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

Silence At A Price? Judicial Questionnaires And The Independence Of Alaska’S Judiciary, Kelly Taylor

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

Southern Food And Beverage Museum, Chris Smith

Arts Administration Master's Reports (1984-2016)

On a Tuesday night in the spring of 2007, my legal class taught by Bill Abbott had a guest speaker. Her name was Liz Williams and she was the president of the new Southern Food and Beverage Museum. Though she was in class to give a presentation on legal issues, she also spoke about the task of putting together a new museum, how a food museum was a unique idea that would work well in a city such as New Orleans, and why the concept of food and beverage would appeal to a variety of people -- tourists and locals …

Louisiana State Museum Edward Douglass White Historic Site Report & Analysis, Diana Buckley

Arts Administration Master's Reports (1984-2016)

The following analysis serves as an invitation to the reader interested in house museums and museum development, as well as a study of the internal operations of the Louisiana State Museum's Edward Douglass White Historic Site. The Louisiana State Museum is a relatively large system of 12 museum sites spread throughout the state. A brief history of the LSM is provided in chapter one, which precedes the reports primary substance expressed in chapter three, where day-to-day operations of the LSM-Edward Douglass White Historic Site house museum are analyzed via a SWOT analysis. Every part of research went hand in hand …

The Tennessee Williams Scholars Conference/Tennesse Williams Annual Review, Mary C. Mees

Arts Administration Master's Reports (1984-2016)

In December 2007 I began an internship with the Tennessee Williams Scholars' Conference/Tennessee Williams Annual Review. The Conference and Review are co-produced by Williams expert and professor of English at Middle Tennessee State University Dr. Robert Bray and the publications department of The Historic New Orleans Collection. The majority of my internship took place from my home and at The Collection, where I also currently serve full-time as an editor on book projects and the institution's quarterly magazine. The following report provides an overview of my internship, my analysis of the operation of the Conference/Review, and my recommendations for the …

Internship For The Metropolitan Opera Guild, Michael Oscar Indest Jr.

Arts Administration Master's Reports (1984-2016)

The following report documents the internship performed by Michael Indest, Jr. at the Metropolitan Opera Guild in New York City. Since 1935, the Metropolitan Opera Guild has supported the Metropolitan Opera Association as a separate nonprofit organization in order to ensure the continuing survival of this esteemed opera company. The Guild operates from its office buildings in the Rose Building at 70 Lincoln Center Plaza, in New York City. During his time at the Rose Building, Mr. Indest worked closely with the Development and Education Departments, and was responsible for writing instructional study guides and grant appropriate materials for those …

Vol 53 #3, Judy Zelenski

MPLA Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Full Issue 3.3

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Rape As A Weapon Of Genocide, Alllison Ruby Reid-Cunningham

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Sexual violence against women during war and genocide is a pressing problem. Rape is used as a tactic of war and genocide because of its physical and psychosocial consequences for individuals, families, and communities. The physical and emotional sequelae of individual assaults are magnified when rape is committed on a mass scale, as in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1992–1996), Rwanda (1994), and Darfur, Sudan (2003–present). The victimization of raped women affects the community through the collective responses of survivors and their families, friends, and neighbors. Forced intercourse and impregnation represent a symbolic conquest of the woman by the rapist. This conquest becomes generalized …

Advancing The Knowledge Of Local Health Care Policy Through The Growth Machine Thesis., David P. Houvenagle 1965-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A disciplined-configurative case study design was carried out to explore whether a growth machine exists and shapes local healthcare policy in Louisville. A historical analysis first explored whether a growth machine existed in Louisville in the past and shaped healthcare policy. Second, a network analysis was used to identify the recent contours of the Louisville growth machine. Third, qualitative interviews were conducted with central individuals as indicated by the social network analysis to assess the degree to which local healthcare policy is shaped and driven by the growth machine. The results show that Louisville has consistently had a growth machine …