Digital Commons Network^™

Fatigue Risk Management: Modeling The Sleep/Wake-Based Dynamics Of Performance, Peter J. Mccauley

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Several biomathematical models have been developed to predict cognitive performance impairment due to sleep loss and/or circadian misalignment. In essence, these models are all based on the Two-Process Model (TPM) which contains a homeostatic process for the build-up and decline of sleep pressure across days, and a circadian process to keep track of time of day. The TPM has been used successfully to predict performance under conditions of total sleep deprivation. However, for conditions of chronic sleep restriction, the TPM predicts a rapid stabilization of performance impairment (within a day or two)---which is not in agreement with experimental observations. This …

Investigating The Relationships Between Seventh And Eighth Grade Science Teachers' Background, Self-Efficacy Toward Teaching Science As Inquiry, And Attitudes And Beliefs On Classroom Control, William T. Joern

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

An important component of science reform is the teaching of science as inquiry. Many barriers toward teaching science as inquiry have been documented but the list is incomplete. This study utilized a non-experimental correlational design to examine middle school science teachers' background and the relationships this has with teacher efficacy toward teaching science as inquiry and teachers' attitudes and beliefs toward classroom control. Because science inquiry activities involve greater classroom control skills by the instructor as opposed to teacher-centered instruction, the relationship between teacher efficacy toward teaching science as inquiry and teachers' attitudes and beliefs toward classroom control were important …

Student Performance In Virtual Schooling: Looking Beyond The Numbers, Michael Barbour, Dennis Mulcahy

Education Faculty Publications

Seven years ago the Centre for Distance Learning and Innovation began a virtual high school within the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Designed primarily to provide courses in specialized areas to students in rural areas, where schools have difficulty in attracting these teachers, there is concern that the opportunities provided by this virtual school are “second rate.” The purpose of the study is to examine the student achievement in standardized public exams and final course scores in the province between different delivery models, geographic location and subject area to determine whether or not students are succeeding in the virtual …

Not Just For Kids: Why Georgia's Statutory Disinheritance Of Deadbeat Parents Should Extend To Intestate Adults, Theresa L. Davis

Georgia Law Review

In 2007, the Georgia legislature amended its intestacy laws to prohibit a parent, who had abandoned a minor child, from inheriting through that minor child's intestate estate. Many states have adopted similar abandonment provisions,but very few of those states limit their provisions to only intestate decedents who die as minors, as Georgia does. Georgia's approach poses a distinct problem: deadbeat parents are rewarded financially-despite their failure to meet parental obligations-if their abandoned children die intestate at age eighteen or older and predecease their parents. This Note seeks to solve this problem and proposes amending Georgia's intestacy laws by removing the …

Maintenance In Single-Server Queues: A Game-Theoretic Approach, Najeeb Al-Matar, Jewgeni H. Dshalalow

Mathematics and System Engineering Faculty Publications

We use antagonistic stochastic games and fluctuation analysis to examine a single-server queue with bulk input and secondary work during server's multiple vacations. When the buffer contents become exhausted the server leaves the system to perform some diagnostic service of a minimum of jobs clustered in packets of random sizes (event A). The server is not supposed to stay longer than units of time (event B). The server returns to the system when A or B occurs, whichever comes first. On the other hand, he may not break service of a packet in a middle even if A or B …

Surface Water And Groundwater Exchanges In Fine And Coarse Grained River Bed Systems And Responses To Initial Stages Of Dam Removal, Milltown, Montana, Anthony Joseph Farinacci

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

More than 620,000 miles of rivers are affected by over 79,000 dams in the United States. The dams are a valuable asset, however dams block fish passage, and disrupt the physical and biological systems, and alter hyporheic exchange. In efforts to remediate rivers impacted by dams, dam removal is being proposed. Changes in the location and timing of groundwater and river water exchanges in post dam remediated river systems are typically not identified. The goal of this study was to examine the factors controlling surface water and groundwater exchange rates and locations in river systems during dam removal. Specific tasks …

Aptamer Selection For Oxidative Dna Lesions, Brandon Lloyd James

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Aptamer science is a growing field of both chemistry and biochemistry. Aptamers bind to specific target molecules, potentially allowing for identification and quantification. The methodologies for selection of aptamers are growing and ever-changing. There is a number of different selection protocols, some specialized and others more general. All have their advantages and limitations. Here I describe a host of these protocols and relate them towards the selection of an aptamer for oxidative DNA lesions, specifically the oxidation products of guanine. Guanine has the lowest reduction potential of the four DNA bases, and as such is the most readily oxidized. The …

Adaptive Variation In Microbes: Insights From Wild And Experimental Populations Of Escherichia Coli, Margaret Ann Kinnersley

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Intraspecific differences in genome composition and gene regulation are widespread in both natural and artificial prokaryotic systems. Understanding the molecular basis, population dynamics and fitness consequences of these differences can provide useful insight into many aspects of microbial ecology and evolution. The work presented here is a study of molecular variation in both natural and experimental populations of E. coli, conducted with the ultimate goal of gaining a better understanding of niche adaptation and the nature of molecular variation in microbes. In Chapter 2, the mechanistic basis of adaptation and diversification in a polymorphic experimental population of E. coli that …

Forest Habitat Improvement Planning On The Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area: A Case Study In Multiple Criteria Decision-Analysis, Christine Ann Paulu

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The forests of western Montana were historically characterized by mixed-severity fire regimes, which have been mostly absent due to fire suppression policies of the 20th century. This has changed stand structure and forest composition, resulting in a high risk of wildfire, loss of heterogeneity in forest types, and loss of valuable wildlife habitat. As a result forest stewardship, or holistic forest management, and long-term planning have been used widely by forest managers and landowners to improve forest health, to use resources efficiently, and to satisfy stakeholders. This case study shows how one agency, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP), could …

Arraycount, An Algorithm For Automatic Cell Counting In Microwell Arrays, Nezamoddin N. Kachouie, Kang Lifeng, Khademhosseini Ali

Mathematics and System Engineering Faculty Publications

Microscale technologies have emerged as a powerful tool for studying and manipulating biological systems and miniaturizing experiments. However, the lack of software complementing these techniques has made it difficult to apply them for many high-throughput experiments. This work establishes Arraycount, an approach to automatically count cells in microwell arrays. The procedure consists of fluorescent microscope imaging of cells that are seeded in microwells of a microarray system and then analyzing images via computer to recognize the array and count cells inside each microwell. To start counting, green and red fluorescent images (representing live and dead cells, respectively) are extracted from …

Honors @ Georgia Southern, University Honors Program Students And Staff, Georgia Southern University

Honors College: News & Publications (2008-2020)

• STAND Combats Genocide
• 2008 Voter Registration Project
• Alternative Spring Break : Northern Ireland
• Honors in Action
• Alumni Notes

A New Pulsed Electric Field Therapy For Melanoma Disrupts The Tumor's Blood Supply And Causes Complete Remission Without Recurrence, Richard Nuccitelli, Xinhua Chen, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Wallace H. Baldwin, Saleh Sheikh, Jennifer L. Pomicter, Wei Ren, Chris Osgood, R. James Swanson, Juergen F. Kolb, Stephen J. Beebe, Karl H. Schoenbach

Bioelectrics Publications

We have discovered a new, ultrafast therapy for treating skin cancer that is extremely effective with a total electric field exposure time of only 180 mu sec. The application of 300 high-voltage (40 kV/cm), ultrashort (300 nsec) electrical pulses to murine melanomas in vivo triggers both necrosis and apoptosis, resulting in complete tumor remission within an average of 47 days in the 17 animals treated. None of these melanomas recurred during a 4-month period after the initial melanoma had disappeared. These pulses generate small, long-lasting, rectifying nanopores in the plasma membrane of exposed cells, resulting in increased membrane permeability to …

Electroporation For The Delivery Of Dna-Based Vaccines And Immunotherapeutics: Current Clinical Developments, Angela M. Bodles-Brakhop, Richard Heller, Ruxandra Draghia-Akli

Bioelectrics Publications

Electroporation (EP) has been used in basic research for the past 25 years to aid in the transfer of DNA into cells in vitro. EP in vivo enhances transfer of DNA vaccines and therapeutic plasmids to the skin, muscle, tumors, and other tissues resulting in high levels of expression, often with serological and clinical benefits. the recent interest in nonviral gene transfer as treatment options for a vast array of conditions has resulted in the refinement and optimization of EP technology. current research has revealed that EP can be successfully used in many species, including humans. clinical trials are …

Building Social Relationships Building Business : A Case Study Of Vendors At The Missoula Farmers' Market, Kathryn E. Bradford

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

The Differential Treatment Of Adolescents As A Principle Of Fundamental Justice: An Analysis Of R. V. B. (D.) And C. (A.) V. Manitoba, Cheryl L. Milne

The Supreme Court Law Review: Osgoode’s Annual Constitutional Cases Conference

This paper discusses the Supreme Court’s characterization of adolescence in R. v. B. (D.) and its application of the criteria established by the Court as to what constitutes a principle of fundamental justice. The author also discusses implications of the decision on a subsequent case which focused on the nature of adolescent decision-making in the child health and welfare context, C. (A.) v. Manitoba (Director of Child and Family Services), and addresses the evidentiary aspects of the Court’s taking judicial notice of the psychological underpinnings of its decision in both cases. Ultimately, both cases establish a relatively consistent view of …

Csbs Statements, V11, Winter 2009, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Social And Behavioral Sciences.

CSBS Statements

Contents:

-- From the desk of the (Interim) Dean...
-- Sabin Hall Renovation Set to Begin
-- 100th Anniversary Celebration
-- New Editorial Effort in CSBS
-- GeoTREE
-- College and Department Briefs
-- CSBS faculty take the lead on women's and gender Issues
-- Faculty Briefs
-- New Faculty
-- Faculty Awards
-- Digging In
-- Dressed for Success
-- Denmark's the Spot
-- Student Briefs
-- Field of Opportunities
-- Greetings from campus!
-- Donor Spotlight: Tim Hilby
-- The Gift of a Lifetime
-- CSBS Alumni Updates
-- In Memoriam
-- Stay United with UNI
-- We've …

Age Estimation Of Fetal Skeletal Remains From The Forensic Context, Jennifer Ellen Sanders

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study tested the efficacy of the traditional method (Fazekas and Kosa, 1978) of aging fetal remains from the forensic context against ultrasound (Chevernak et al., 1998)and radiographic (Sherwood et al., 2000) methods to determine which was most accurate. Two data sets were used in this study. The first consisted of measurements from historic (1902-1917) fetal remains of known age. The second consisted of measurements from modern fetal remains of known age from the forensic context. Using these samples in the different prediction models for aging fetal remains, the accuracy of each was determined.

Long Term Impacts Of Short Rotations, Travis Beckett, Amanda Shiffler, Bryan Hopkins, Pamela Hutchinson, Saad Hafez, Nora Olsen

Library Research Grants

No abstract provided.

Preface To Lesser Known Large Dsdna Viruses. Current Topics In Microbiology And Immunology 328, James L. Van Etten

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Several large dsDNA-containing viruses such as poxviruses (smallpox) and herpes viruses are well known among the scientific community, as well as the general populace, because they cause human diseases. The large dsDNA insect-infecting baculoviruses are also well known in the scientific community because they are used both as biological control agents and as protein expression systems. However, there are other large dsDNA-containing viruses, including the giant 1.2-Mb mimivirus, which are less well known even though all of them play important roles in everyday life. Seven of these virus families are reviewed in this book.

Institutional Assessment Report, 2009, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of The Provost

University of Montana Planning and Assessment Reports, 1969-2016

The University of Montana 2009 Institutional Assessment Report, issued by the Office of the Provost.

Effects Of Increased Pco2 And Temperature On The North Atlantic Spring Bloom. Iii. Dimethylsulfoniopropionate, Peter A. Lee, Jamie R. Rudisill, Aimee R. Neeley, Jennifer M. Maucher, David A. Hutchins, Yuanyuan Feng, Clinton E. Hare, Karine Leblanc, Julie M. Rose, Steven W. Wilhelm, Janet M. Rowe, Giacomo R. Ditullio

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

The CLAW hypothesis argues that a negative feedback mechanism involving phytoplankton- derived dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) could mitigate increasing sea surface temperatures that result from global warming. DMSP is converted to the climatically active dimethylsulfide (DMS), which is transferred to the atmosphere and photochemically oxidized to sulfate aerosols, leading to increases in planetary albedo and cooling of the Earth’s atmosphere. A shipboard incubation experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of increased temperature and pCO₂ on the algal community structure of the North Atlantic spring bloom and their subsequent impact on particulate and dissolved DMSP concentrations (DMSP_p and DMSP_{d …}

Hyaluronidase Activity Of Human Hyal1 Requires Active Site Acidic And Tyrosine Residues, Ling Zhang, Alamelu G. Bharadwaj, Andrew Casper, Joel Barkley, Joseph J. Barycki, Melanie A. Simpson

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Hyaluronidases are a family of endolytic glycoside hydrolases

that cleave the β1–4 linkage between N-acetylglucosamine and

glucuronic acid in hyaluronan polymers via a substrate-assisted

mechanism. In humans, turnover of hyaluronan by this enzyme

family is critical for normal extracellular matrix remodeling.

However, elevated expression of the Hyal1 isozyme accelerates

tumor growth and metastatic progression. In this study, we used

structural information, site-directed mutagenesis, and steady

state enzyme kinetics to probe molecular determinants of

human Hyal1 function. Mutagenesis of active site residues

Glu¹³¹ and Tyr²⁴⁷ to Gln and Phe, respectively, eliminated activity

at all hyaluronan concentrations (to 125 …

Mechanistic Details Of Glutathione Biosynthesis Revealed By Crystal Structures Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Glutamate Cysteine Ligase, Ekaterina I. Biterova, Joseph J. Barycki

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Glutathione is a thiol-disulfide exchange peptide critical for

buffering oxidative or chemical stress, and an essential cofactor

in several biosynthesis and detoxification pathways. The ratelimiting

step in its de novo biosynthesis is catalyzed by glutamate

cysteine ligase, a broadly expressed enzyme for which limited

structural information is available in higher eukaryotic species.

Structural data are critical to the understanding of clinical glutathione

deficiency, as well as rational design of enzyme modulators

that could impact human disease progression. Here, we

have determined the structures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae glutamate

cysteine ligase (ScGCL) in the presence of glutamate and

MgCl2 (2.1 Å; R …

Functional Characterization Of A Higher Plant Sphingolipid Δ4-Desaturase: Defining The Role Of Sphingosine And Sphingosine-1-Phosphate In Arabidopsis, Louise V. Michaelson, Simone Zäuner, Jennifer E. Markham, Richard P. Haslam, Radhika Desikan, Sarah Mugford, Sandra Albrecht, Dirk Warnecke, Petra Sperling, E. Heinz, Johnathan A. Napier

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The role of Δ4-unsaturated sphingolipid long-chain bases such as sphingosine was investigated in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Identification and functional characterization of the sole Arabidopsis ortholog of the sphingolipid Δ4-desaturase was achieved by heterologous expression in Pichia pastoris. A P. pastoris mutant disrupted in the endogenous sphingolipid Δ4-desaturase gene was unable to synthesize glucosylceramides. Synthesis of glucosylceramides was restored by the expression of Arabidopsis gene At4g04930, and these sphingolipids were shown to contain Δ4-unsaturated long-chain bases, confirming that this open reading frame encodes the sphingolipid Δ4-desaturase. At4g04930 has a very restricted expression pattern, transcripts only being detected in …

Modulation Of The Heme Electronic Structure And Cystathionine Β-Synthase Activity By Second Coordination Sphere Ligands: The Role Of Heme Ligand Switching In Redox Regulation, Sangita Singh, Peter Madzelan, Jay Stasser, Colin L. Weeks, Donald F. Becker, Thomas G. Spiro, James Penner-Hahn, Ruma Banerjee

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

In humans, cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) is a hemeprotein, which catalyzes a pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent condensation reaction. Changes in the heme environment are communicated to the active site, which is ~20 Å away. In this study, we have examined the role of H67 and R266, which are in the second coordination sphere of the heme ligands, H65 and C52 respectively, in modulating the heme's electronic properties and in transmitting information between the heme and active sites. While the H67A mutation is comparable to wild-type CBS, interesting differences are revealed by mutations at the R266 site. The pathogenic mutant, R266K, is moderately …

Heme Regulation Of Human Cystathionine Β-Synthase Activity: Insights From Fluorescence And Raman Spectroscopy, Colin L. Weeks, Sangita Singh, Peter Madzelan, Ruma Banerjee, Thomas G. Spiro

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) plays a central role in cysteine metabolism, and malfunction of the enzyme leads to homocystinuria, a devastating metabolic disease. CBS contains a pyridoxal 5′- phosphate (PLP) cofactor which catalyzes the synthesis of cystathionine from homocysteine and serine. Mammalian forms of the enzyme also contain a heme group, which is not involved in catalysis. It may, however, play a regulatory role, since the enzyme is inhibited when CO or NO are bound to the heme. We have investigated the mechanism of this inhibition using fluorescence and resonance Raman spectroscopies. CO binding is found to induce a tautomeric shift …

The Majority Of The Type Iii Effector Inventory Of Pseudomonas Syringae Pv. Tomato Dc3000 Can Suppress Plant Immunity, Ming Guo, Fang Tian, Yashitola Wamboldt, James R. Alfano

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

The Pseudomonas syringae type III protein secretion system (T3SS) and the type III effectors it injects into plant cells are required for plant pathogenicity and the ability to elicit a hypersensitive response (HR). The HR is a programmed cell death that is associated with effector-triggered immunity (ETI). A primary function of P. syringae type III effectors appears to be the suppression of ETI and pathogen-associated molecular pattern–triggered immunity (PTI), which is induced by conserved molecules on microorganisms. We reported that seven type III effectors from P. syringae pv. tomato DC3000 were capable of suppressing an HR induced by P. fluorescens …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Zinc-Based Quantum Dot Materials With Blue To Green Fluorescence From An Aqueous-Based Synthetic Method, Heather Durkee

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Blue to green fluorescence is exhibited by zinc-based quantum dot (QD) materials capped with sodium polyphosphate and L-cysteine. The factors governing this final fluorescence and intensity were explored using kinetic studies. Fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy were used to monitor relative size of QDs and fluorescence intensity as a function of time. Fluorescence data shows gradual formation of an emission peak at 520 nm, and shows shifting of this emission peak to 480 nm over a 24 hr time period. Fluorescence results suggest that zinc oxide is forming on the surface of the ZnS nanocrystals and during early heating stages may …

Fact Book 2009-2010, Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Fact Books

• General Information
• Enrollment Information
• Institutional Comparison
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• Budgets and Resources

Faculty Senate Yearbook, 2009-10, Wmu Faculty Senate

WMU Faculty Senate Yearbooks

No abstract provided.