Digital Commons Network^™

Volume 45, Number 30: March 19, 2008, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

The Daily Gamecock, Wednesday, March 19, 2008, University Of South Carolina, Office Of Student Media

March

No abstract provided.

Delay-Induced Instabilities In Self-Propelling Swarms, Eric Forgoston, Ira B. Schwartz

Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

We consider a general model of self-propelling particles interacting through a pairwise attractive force in the presence of noise and communication time delay. Previous work by Erdmann [Phys. Rev. E 71, 051904 (2005)] has shown that a large enough noise intensity will cause a translating swarm of individuals to transition to a rotating swarm with a stationary center of mass. We show that with the addition of a time delay, the model possesses a transition that depends on the size of the coupling amplitude. This transition is independent of the initial swarm state (traveling or rotating) and is characterized by …

Lack Of Pathology In A Triple Transgenic Mouse Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease After Overexpression Of The Anti-Apoptotic Protein Bcl-2, Troy T. Rohn, Veera Vyas, Tatiana Hernandez-Estrada, Kathryn E. Nichol, Lori-Ann Christie, Elizabeth Head

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by the accumulation of plaques containing ß-amyloid (Aß) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) consisting of modified tau. Although Aß deposition is thought to precede the formation of NFTs in AD, the molecular steps connecting these two pathologies is not known. Previous studies have suggested that caspase activation plays an important role in promoting the pathology associated with AD. To further understand the contribution of caspases in disease progression, a triple transgenic Alzheimer’s mouse model overexpressing the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was generated. Here we show that overexpression of Bcl-2 limited caspase-9 activation and reduced the caspase cleavage …

The Bg News March 19, 2008, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. March 19, 2008. Volume 98-Issue 122.

The Neglect Of Divorce In Marital Research: An Ontological Analysis Of The Work Of John Gottman, Joseph Andrew Ostenson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores why the divorce rate has remained relatively stable over the past few decades, even in the face of rapidly growing social sciences – particularly the branch associated with the study and treatment of marriage – through an analysis of the work of John Gottman. This thesis chiefly claims that divorce is not addressed in marital research. It is argued, however, that far from being intentional on the part of researchers, the disregard for divorce in the marital research is actually due to underlying, unrecognized assumptions. Specifically, this thesis analyzes the most fundamental assumptions – the ontological assumptions …

The Scholarship Of Teaching: Contributing Factors To Improved Teaching Performance Among University Faculty Members, Whitney Ransom

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis brings a much-needed focus on the quality and scholarship of teaching as it pertains to educational and faculty development. The main purpose of this paper is to outline what more than 200 faculty members across a wide variety of disciplines have focused on over a three-year period to make significant (a 1.5 standard deviation increase or higher in online student ratings) and sustained improvements in their teaching. The top three factors of improvement include active/practical learning, teacher/student interactions, and clear expectations/learning outcomes. The researcher also discusses how institutions and faculty communities of practice, research, and faculty personality contribute …

Montana Kaimin, March 19, 2008, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

The Maya Footprint: Soil Resources Of Chunchucmil, Yucatan, Mexico, Ryan V. Sweetwood

Theses and Dissertations

Agricultural yields in Northwest Yucatán are constrained by climate, thin soils, and low fertility. Despite this, the ancient Maya city of Chunchucmil Yucatán, Mexico, boasted an immense, dense, and wealthy population during the Middle Classic period (ca A.D. 400-700). Soil physical and chemical properties were explored to determine how the ancient Maya of Chunchucmil fed themselves. Soil profiles were collected from various locations within ancient Chunchucmil's suspected sustaining area. The physical and chemical properties, carbon isotopes, black carbon, and coprostanols of soil profiles sampled were compared to ancient rural settlement and remotely sensed images, such as AIRSAR (airborne synthetic aperture …

The Tempo And Mode Of Three‐Dimensional Morphological Evolution In Male Reproductive Structures, Mark A. Mcpeek, Li Shen, John Z. Torrey, Hany Farid

Dartmouth Scholarship

Various evolutionary forces may shape the evolution of traits that influence the mating decisions of males and females. Phe- notypic traits that males and females use to judge the species identify of potential mates should evolve in a punctuated fashion, changing significantly at the time of speciation but changing little between speciation events. In contrast, traits experiencing sexual selection or sexually antagonistic interactions are generally expected to change continuously over time because of the directional selection pressures imposed on one sex by the actions of the other. To test these hy- potheses, we used spherical harmonic representations of the shapes …

The Association Between The Measles, Mumps, And Rubella Vaccine And The Development Of Autism: A Meta-Analysis, Rashad Carlton

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Autism is a childhood developmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, difficulty with verbal and nonverbal communication and limited activities. The root cause of autism is unknown. However it has been postulated that administration of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine may be causally related to the development of autism. MMR vaccination is a requirement for entry into schools, so any increase in adverse events associated with the vaccine carries widespread public health importance.

The primary objective of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of the association between the MMR vaccination and the development of autism. The meta-analysis …

The Two-Way Street Of Scholarship In Action, Nancy Cantor

Chancellor's Collection

I've spent the last month taking Scholarship in Action on the road during the public launch of our billion dollar fund-raising Campaign for Syracuse University. In New York City,Washington, and Los Angeles—three of our most vibrant sites for engagement—we've had the chance to highlight the remarkable work our faculty and students are doing.

The Daily Egyptian, March 18, 2008, Daily Egyptian Staff

March 2008

No abstract provided.

Spartan Daily, March 18, 2008, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 130, Issue 31

Curriculum Committee Minutes March 18, 2008, Bronx Community College Curriculum Committee

BCC Governance Archives

Minutes for the meeting of the Curriculum Committee on March 18, 2008.

Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis To Understand Executive Control In Preschool Children: I. Latent Structure, Sandra A. Wiebe, Kimberly A. Espy, David Charak

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory: Faculty Publications

*This article may not exactly replicate the final version published in the APA journal. It is not the copy of record. http://content.apa.org/journals/0012-1649 Although many tasks have been developed recently to study executive control in the preschool years, the constructs that underlie performance on these tasks are poorly understood. In particular, it is unclear whether executive control is comprised of multiple, separable cognitive abilities (e.g., inhibition and working memory) or whether it is unitary in nature. A sample of 243 normally developing children between 2.25 and 6 years of age completed a battery of ageappropriate executive control tasks. Confirmatory factor analysis …

Aequorin And Obelin Mutants With Differing Wavelengths And Bioluminescence, Sylvia Daunert, Sapna K. Deo, Emre Dikici, Laura Rowe

Chemistry Faculty Patents

The invention relates to aequorin and obelin mutants whose emission is shifted with respect to wild type. The shift in emission is accomplished using a combination of mutations of amino acids within aequorin or obelin that affect bioluminescence; use of different types of chromophores, i.e., coelenterazines with variable emission characteristics; and modifications of the photoprotein with fluorophores that will allow for emission of light at longer wavelengths as a result of energy transfer. Additionally, an assay employing aequorin mutants to test for HIV-1 protease inhibitors is disclosed.

Mapping Of Forest Alliances And Associations Using Fuzzy Systems And Nearest Neighbor Classifiers, F. Jack Triepke, C. Kenneth Brewer, Daniel M. Leavell, Stephen J. Novak

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The study and management of biological communities depends on systems of classification and mapping for the organization and communication of resource information. Recent advances in remote sensing technology may enable the mapping forest plant associations using image classification techniques. But few areas outside Europe have alliances and associations described in detail sufficient to support remote sensing-based modeling. Northwestern Montana has one of the few plant association treatments in the United States compliant with the recently established National Vegetation Classification system. This project examined the feasibility of mapping forest plant associations using Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper data and advanced remote sensing …

Daily Eastern News: March 18, 2008, Eastern Illinois University

March

No abstract provided.

Multi-Angle Remote Sensing Of Forest Light Use Efficiency By Observing Pri Variation With Canopy Shadow Fraction, Forrest G. Hall, Thomas Hilker, Nicholas C. Coops, Alexei Lyapustin, Karl F. Huemmrich, Elizabeth M. Middleton, Hank Margolis, Guillaume Drolet, T. Andrew Black

United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Publications

We show that observed co-variations at sub-hourly time scales between the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) and canopy light use efficiency (LUE) over a Douglas-fir forest result directly from sub-hourly leaf reflectance changes in a 531 nm spectral window roughly 50 nm wide. We conclude then, that over a forest stand we are observing the direct effects of photosynthetic down-regulation on leaf-level reflectance at 531 nm. Key to our conclusion is our ability to simultaneously measure the LUE and reflectance of the Douglas-fir stand as a function of shadow fraction from the “hot spot” to the "dark spot" and a new …

Idaho Dairymen's Ass'n V. Gooding County Clerk's Record V. 1 Dckt. 35980

Idaho Supreme Court Records & Briefs, All

No abstract provided.

The Bg News March 18, 2008, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. March 18, 2008. Volume 98-Issue 121.

Spirituality And Religious Support As Buffers Against The Negative Effects Of Marital Distress On Ambulatory Blood Pressure, John Dale Livingstone

Theses and Dissertations

The beneficial effects of religion and spiritual factors on cardiovascular functioning have become an area of increasing research. Similarly, considerable research has also investigated the negative effects of marital distress on cardiovascular functioning. Little is known, however, about potential protective factors against the deleterious effects of marital distress on cardiovascular functioning. Social support has been identified as a potential buffer against the negative effects of marital distress on ambulatory blood pressure, and the current study hypothesized that spirituality, religiosity, and religious support would also buffer the negative effects of marital distress on ambulatory blood pressure. Fifty-eight married couples were recruited …

Improving Liquid State Machines Through Iterative Refinement Of The Reservoir, R David Norton

Theses and Dissertations

Liquid State Machines (LSMs) exploit the power of recurrent spiking neural networks (SNNs) without training the SNN. Instead, a reservoir, or liquid, is randomly created which acts as a filter for a readout function. We develop three methods for iteratively refining a randomly generated liquid to create a more effective one. First, we apply Hebbian learning to LSMs by building the liquid with spike-time dependant plasticity (STDP) synapses. Second, we create an eligibility based reinforcement learning algorithm for synaptic development. Third, we apply principles of Hebbian learning and reinforcement learning to create a new algorithm called separation driven synaptic modification …

The Effects Of A Resveratrol Derivative On Regulatory Behaviors And Reproductive Health In Male And Female Long-Evans Rats, Kimberly Michelle Fabick

Theses and Dissertations

Phytoestrogens are chemicals produced by plants that act like estrogens and have the ability to bind to the mammalian estrogen receptor system. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a new phytoestrogen analog called 4-acetoxy Resveratrol. Resveratrol is a phytoestrogen that has been found in the skin of grapes. Resveratrol has been shown to be able to bind to the estrogen receptors and has a similar molecular structure as estradiol. Resveratrol has been shown to have many positive health benefits such as improving cardiovascular health, serving as a neuroprotective agent, acting as an anti-inflammatory agent, working as an anti-cancer …

Design Of A Multiple Component Geometric Breast Phantom, Karl G. Baum, Kevin Mcnamara, María Helguera

Articles

The quality and realism of simulated images is currently limited by the quality of the digital phantoms used for the simulations. The transition from simple raster based phantoms to more detailed geometric (mesh) based phantoms has the potential to increase the usefulness of the simulated data. A preliminary breast phantom which contains 12 distinct tissue classes along with the tissue properties necessary for the simulation of dynamic positron emission tomography scans was created (activity and attenuation). The phantom contains multiple components which can be separately manipulated, utilizing geometric transformations, to represent populations or a single individual being imaged in multiple …

Montana Kaimin, March 18, 2008, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

March 18, 2008, The Daily Mississippian

Daily Mississippian (all digitized issues)

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of A Fluorescent Protein Reporter System, Sandra J. Dias

Theses and Dissertations

Chemical and biological threats are ever present and attacks have occurred throughout the world in both war and peace-time. Multiple government agencies, academia, and private industry are developing detection capabilities to address such threats. The research presented in this paper supports development of a modular synthetic biology based system that detects and reports the presence of a threat agent. Synthetic biology builds upon past research in genetic engineering and seeks to combine broad applications within biotechnology in novel ways. This basic research project will help to demonstrate a proof-of-concept design which will guide future studies on the development of a …

Natriuretic Peptides As A Humoral Link Between The Heart And The Gastrointetsinal System, Anteneh Addisu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Natriuretic peptides are a family of hormones released by several different tissues and exert various physiological functions by coupling with cell surface receptors and increasing intracellular cyclic gyanylyl monophosphate (cGMP). Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP) and B-type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) are released in response to mechanical stretch of the atrial or ventricular myocardium, respectively and their plasma level is markedly elevated during myocardial infarction and heart failure. Heart failure in turn is associated with symptoms suggestive of perturbed gastrointestinal function such as nausea, indigestion and malabsorption.

Intragastric pressure was monitored using a balloon catheter in anesthetized mice. The pressure before and …