Digital Commons Network^™

Integrated Blood Separation And Blood Tests On A Microfluidics-Based Lab-On-Cd Device, Jinlong Zhang

Digitized Theses

As the development of microfabrication technology, Micro Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) devices have been extensively explored for practical biological and chemical applications. One fast growing research area of MEMS is the development of portable, all-in-one, point-of-care Lab-On-a-Chip devices. Lab-On-CD device is one of the most important branches of Lab-On-a-Chip technology through implementing experiments on a rotating disk. In this thesis, a microfluidics-based Lab-On-CD device has been developed where the whole process of blood separation and blood tests can be performed automatically and sequentially in one experiment. This Lab-On-CD device was fabricated using microfabrication techniques. The centrifugal force is adopted as the …

Identitication Of ‘Carboxylate Clamp’ Type Tetratricopeptide Repeat Proteins In Arabidopsis Using In Silico Approaches, Shilpi Goel

Digitized Theses

The highly conserved and abundant cystosolic molecular chaperone Hsp90 plays a key role in signal transduction networks, cell-cycle control, protein degradation and protein trafficking. Two key features regarding the mechanism of Hsp90 action are: 1) Hsp90 operates as part of a multichaperone complex, facilitating the folding of the client proteins into their stable or activatable conformations, and 2) Hsp90 functions are driven by the hydrolysis of ATP. The functional cycle of Hsp90 requires a cohort of co­ chaperones that regulate the ATPase activity of Hsp90 and confer specificity to its interaction with client proteins. Several Hsp90 co-chaperones contain the tetratricopeptide …

On Neurovascular Regulation Of Primary Visual Cortex: Neuronal Activity And Hemodynamics, Zheng Wang

Digitized Theses

Modem brain functional imaging techniques like functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) mostly infer alterations of neuronal activities by mapping local changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) or metabolism. The understanding of the relationship between neuronal activity and the hemodynamic responses, the so called neurovascular coupling, is critical for the interpretation of signals like the blood-oxygenation-level- dependent (BOLD) effect. The neurovascular regulation is modeled by a linear transform model in the fMRI experiments, which allows making an inverse inference from BOLD to neuron. Some recent reports suggest that the BOLD response is a nonlinear function in the time domain. Because changes …

Paternal Attractiveness And Parental Investment Strategies In Song Sparrows Melospiza Melodia, Dominique A. Potvin

Digitized Theses

In many species, both females and males may adjust mating and parental investment tactics in response to the perceived attractiveness of their social mate. I examined how mate attractiveness (based on song complexity and genetic dissimilarity) affects female mating tactics, offspring sex allocation, offspring growth rates and parental feeding rates in a wild population of song sparrows (Melospiza melodia melodia). Male song complexity appeared to affect female mating tactics, as males that had smaller song repertoires lost paternity more frequently than did males retaining full paternity within the offspring of their social mate. Paternal song complexity was also predictive of …

Metabolic Patterns During The Early Life History Of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss), Kristen M. Vandekieft

Digitized Theses

Much is known about carbohydrate metabolism in adult fish, however virtually

nothing is known about this in early life stages. The purpose ofthis study was to examine carbohydrate metabolism at various stages of early development (from fertilization to free-feeding) in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Total body glycogen and free glucose increased throughout development, with the greatest changes occurring at hatch and free-feeding stages. Lactate content increased 3-fold at hatch, and persistedthroughfree-feeding. Glycogenphosphorylaseactivitywasnotdetecteduntil 21 dpf and lactate dehydrogenase activity (LDH) not until hatch. Taken together, the increase in glycogen phosphorylase, LDH and glycogen content suggests that embryos areinpreparationforlocomotoryactivityfollowinghatch. Consistentwiththisidea, dechorionated embryos …

Identification Of A Novel Isoform Of Secretory Pathway Calcium Atpase 2 (Spca2), Victoria Catherine Garside

Digitized Theses

The proper regulation of cytosolic Ca is critically important to the function of pancreatic acinar cells, as they require Ca oscillations to initiate the exocytosis of their digestiveenzymes. PersistentlyhighlevelsofcytosolicCa2+leadstotheimproper

activation of these digestive enzymes and subsequently could lead to the development of pancreatic diseases, such as pancreatitis. A series of channels and pumps exist to maintain appropriate levels of cytosolic Ca2+, such as the sarcoendoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPases (SERCAs), plasma membrane Ca2+ ATPases (PMCAs) and the secretory

pathway Ca2+ ATPases (SPCAs). Using Northern blot and real time RT-PCR analysis, I have confirmed the presence of a novel isoform of SPCA2, …

Interactive Effects Of Warming And Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition On Soil Nitrogen Dynamics In A Temperate Old Field, Michelle Turner

Digitized Theses

Winter climate plays a critical role in the cycling of nitrogen (N). Soils in temperate regions may be particularly vulnerable to freeze-thaw cycles since they remain close to freezing over much of winter. These systems are also experiencing high rates of atmospheric N deposition and the extent to which these added inputs can be retained has important implications for productivity and plant species composition. Warming treatments were applied year-round or exclusively during winter and were crossed with a N addition treatment. I examined the interactive effects of warming and N deposition on i) net N mineralization and leaching losses using …

Motion Correction For High-Resolution Mr Imaging Of The Aortic Arch Of A Rabbit, David Nabeta

Digitized Theses

High-resolution MRI of the aortic arch is hindered by artifacts caused by pulsatile and translational motion. The following study aims to characterize vessel wall motion in the aortic arch in a cholesterol-fed rabbit model of atherosclerosis, and to test the efficacy of cardiac gating and cardiorespiratory gating for high-resolution vessel wall imaging of the aortic arch. Cine imaging sequences of the aortic arch were obtained through the cardiac and respiratory cycles using a bright-blood fSPGR sequence, and used to evaluate aortic motion. With this data, high-resolution, black-blood spin-echo images were acquired at three different locations in the aortic arch at …

Mechanical Stretching Suppresses Nf-Κb Activity In Fibroblasts, Julia M. Ng

Digitized Theses

During orthodontie tooth movement, mechanical loads applied to the tooth induce remodeling of the periodontal ligament (PDL) and alveolar bone. On the tension side, fibroblasts of the PDL are subjected to stretch, but little is known about how stretch is transduced into biological responses. Here, we used a reporter assay to quantify activity of the pro-inflammatory transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts. Over 24 hours, cyclical mechanical stretch suppressed basal NF-κB activity. Interestingly,thiseffectwasmimickedbyextracellularATPoradenosine. Moreover,the effects of stretch and ATP were not additive, consistent with their acting through a common pathway. In contrast, stretch, ATP or adenosine did …

Interactive Effects Of Warming And Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition On Soil Nitrogen Dynamics In A Temperate Old Field, Michelle Turner

Digitized Theses

Winter climate plays a critical role in the cycling of nitrogen (N). Soils in temperate regions may be particularly vulnerable to freeze-thaw cycles since they remain close to freezing over much of winter. These systems are also experiencing high rates of atmospheric N deposition and the extent to which these added inputs can be retained has important implications for productivity and plant species composition. Warming treatments were applied year-round or exclusively during winter and were crossed with a N addition treatment. I examined the interactive effects of warming and N deposition on i) net N mineralization and leaching losses using …

Measurement Of The Hyperelastic Properties Of Ex Vivo Breast Tissue Slices, Joseph J. O'Hagan

Digitized Theses

The elastic and hyperelastic properties of biological soft tissues have been of interest to the medical community as there are several applications where parameters characterizing these properties are critical for a reliable clinical outcome. This includes applications such as surgery planning, needle biopsy, and cancer diagnosis using medical imaging. While there has been considerable research on the measurement of the linear elastic modulus of small tissue samples, little research has been conducted for measuring parameters that characterize non-linear elasticity of tissues included in slice specimens. In this work a method for measuring the hyperelastic parameters of tissue slice samples with …

Espousing Interactions And Fielding Reactions: Addressing Laypeople's Beliefs About Genetic Determinism, David S. Moore

Pitzer Faculty Publications and Research

Although biologists and philosophers of science generally agree that genes cannot determine the forms of biological and psychological traits, students, journalists, politicians, and other members of the general public nonetheless continue to embrace genetic determinism. This article identifies some of the concerns typically raised by individuals when they first encounter the systems perspective that biologists and philosophers of science now favor over genetic determinism, and uses arguments informed by that perspective to address those concerns. No definitive statements can yet be made about why genetic determinism has proven so resilient in the face of empirical evidence pointing up its deficiencies, …

Wordsworth And The Life Of A Subject, Richard Thomas Eldridge

Philosophy Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

The Logic Of Life: Hegel’S Philosophical Defense Of Teleological Explanation Of Living Beings, James Kreines

CMC Faculty Publications and Research

Hegel accords great philosophical importance to Kant’s discussions of teleology and biology in the Critique of the Power of Judgment, and yet also disagrees with Kant’s central conclusions there. More specifically, Kant argues for a generally skeptical view of teleological explanation of living beings; Hegel responds that Kant should instead defend such explanation—and that the defense of teleology should lead Kant to different conclusions throughout his theoretical philosophy.

I aim to avoid the sort of interpretive charity that would begin with a currently popular philosophical view and then seek to find that view in historical texts. This approach would …

Fall 2008 Issue

Madison Magazine

Madison is an official publication of James Madison University and is produced quarterly for alumni, parents of JMU students, faculty and staff members, and friends of the university. It is produced by the Division of University Advancement. Editorial and advertising offices: JMU, MSC 3610, Harrisonburg, VA 22807.

Earthworms And Acos: Determining A Preference For Cover Board Designs In Temperate Forests, Marie F. Schneider, Harry Tiebout

Deer and Non-native Invasive Plant Impact Study Documents

No abstract provided.

An Integrative Genomic And Epigenomic Approach For The Study Of Transcriptional Regulation, Maria E. Figueroa, Mark A. Reimers, Reid F. Thompson, Kenny Ye, Yushan Li, Rebecca R. Selzer, Jakob Fridriksson, Elisabeth Paietta, Peter Wiemik, Ronald D. Green, John M. Greally, Ari Melnick

Biostatistics Publications

The molecular heterogeneity of acute leukemias and other tumors constitutes a major obstacle towards understanding disease pathogenesis and developing new targeted-therapies. Aberrant gene regulation is a hallmark of cancer and plays a central role in determining tumor phenotype. We predicted that integration of different genome-wide epigenetic regulatory marks along with gene expression levels would provide greater power in capturing biological differences between leukemia subtypes. Gene expression, cytosine methylation and histone H3 lysine 9 (H3K9) acetylation were measured using high-density oligonucleotide microarrays in primary human acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) specimens. We found that DNA methylation and …

Graduate Council Annual Report 2008-2009, Indiana State University

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Foreword To "Jesus: What Manner Of Man" By Henry J. Cadbury, Paul N. Anderson

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

No abstract provided.

2008, Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Graduate Highlights

No abstract provided.

The Patriot, V. 04, N. 03, Stony Brook University. Patriot.

The Patriot

v.: ill.; 32 cm (original analog pub.)

Ecological Development And Function Of Shelterbelts In Temperate North America, C. W. Mize, James R. Brandle, M. M. Schoneberger, G. Bentrup

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

As the world’s population continues to expand, the pressure on farmland, both from expansion of urban areas (United Nations, 2002) and from a need to produce more food and fiber (Hewitt and Smith, 1995; Gardner, 1996), will increase. In direct competition with the increasing demand for more food and fiber is a growing public desire for conservation of natural systems and a focus on quality of life issues (Matson et al., 1997; Jackson and Jackson, 2002; Pimentel et al., 2004).

These two societal needs are clearly linked. Unfortunately, they are antagonistic, not complementary. The impacts of intensive agriculture, needed to …

A Novel Approach For Assessing Density And Range-Wide Abundance Of Prairie Dogs, Aaron N. Facka, Paulette L. Ford, Gary W. Roemer

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Habitat loss, introduced disease, and government-sponsored eradication programs have caused population declines in all 5 species of prairie dogs. Black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) currently occupy only about 2% of an extensive geographic range (160 million hectares) and were recently considered for listing under the United States Endangered Species Act. Accurate estimates of density for populations of prairie dogs would be valuable for estimating range-wide abundance and for determining threats to species persistence, yet estimates of density using robust approaches (e.g., complete enumeration or mark–recapture) are rarely undertaken. We introduce a novel approach to estimating density of prairie …

Apoe Isoform-Specific Disruption Of Amyloid Β Peptide Clearance From Mouse Brain, Rashid Deane, Abhay Sagare, Katie Hamm, Margaret Parisi, Steven Lane, Mary Beth Finn, David M. Holtsman, Berislav V. Zlokovic

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Mechanisms And Treatment Of Cardiovascular Disease In Williams-Beuren Syndrome, Barbara R. Pober, Mark Johnson, Zsolt Urban

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Ppar Signaling In Placental Development And Function, Yaacov Barak, Yoel Sadovsky, Tali Shalom-Barak

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Leukocyte Tyrosine Kinase Functions In Pigment Cell Development, Susana S. Lopes, Xueyan Yang, Jeanette Muller, Thomas J. Carney, Anthony R. Mcadow, Gerd-Jorg Rauch, Arie S. Jacoby, Laurence D. Hurst, Mariana Delfino-Machin, Pascal Haffter, Robert Geisler, Stephen L. Johnson, Andrew Ward, Robert N. Kelsh

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Regulation Of Cryptococcus Neoformans Capsule Size Is Mediated At The Polymer Level, Aki Yoneda, Tamara L. Doering

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Defensins And The Convergent Evolution Of Platypus And Reptile Venom Genes, Camilla M. Whittington, Anthony T. Papenfuss, Paramjit Bansal, Allan M. Torres, Emily S.W. Wong, Janine E. Deakin, Tina Graves, Amber Alsop, Kyriena Schatzkamer, Colin Kremitzki, Chris P. Ponting, Peter Temple-Smith, Wesley C. Warren, Philip W. Kuchel, Katherine Belov

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Detection Of Murine Norovirus 1 By Using Plaque Assay, Transfection Assay, And Real-Time Reverse Transcription-Pcr Before And After Heat Exposure, Leen Baert, Christiane E. Wobus, Els Van Coillie, Larissa B. Thackray, Johan Debevere, Mieke Uyttendaele

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.