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The Role Of The Methyl Dna Binding Domain Protein 2 (Mbd2) In Breast Cancer, Omar Mian

Theses and Dissertations

Methyl-CpG Binding Proteins (MCBPs) are thought to function as the interpreters of epigenetic information encoded in cytosine methylation. Their ability to translate DNA methylation into local transcriptional repression has sparked interest in the role of Methyl-Binding Domain Proteins (MBDs) in cancer, where repatterning of CpG methylation is common. In this dissertation I summarize and discuss observations made in the Ginder Lab linking MCBPs to the progression of neoplastic disease. It is clear from our work that the Methyl Binding Domain Protein 2 (MBD2) is necessary for the persistent repression of critical tumor suppressor genes in breast cancer. We show that …

Dendritic Spine Density Varies Between Unisensory And Multisensory Cortical Regions, Moazzum Bajwa

Theses and Dissertations

In the brain, the dendritic spine is a point of information exchange that extends the neuronal surface on which synapses occur, as well as facilitates and stabilizes those contacts. Furthermore, dendritic spines dynamically change in shape and number in response to a variety of factors. Dendritic spine numbers are reduced in mental retardation, enhanced during development, sensory enrichment or physical exercise, or fluctuate during the reproductive cycle. Thus, for a given neuron type, it might be expected that dendritic spine number might achieve a dynamic optimum. Indeed, many studies of spine density of pyramidal neurons in sensory cortex indicate that …

Ipla2Β, Alternative Splicing And Apoptosis Of Pancreatic Islets, Bhargavi Emani

Theses and Dissertations

Ceramides are bioactive lipids that can promote splicing of apoptosis-related genes, including caspase 9 and BCL-x. A recent study demonstrated that expression of neutral sphingomyelinase (NSMase), an enzyme that hydrolyzes sphingomyelins to generate ceramide, is regulated by Group VIA phospholipase A2 (iPLA2β)-dependent mechanism during β-cell apoptosis. This prompted us to hypothesize that iPLA2 is upstream of ceramide generation in the process regulating splicing of apoptotic genes. To test this, Jurkat T cells were treated with the selective inhibitor of iPLA2β, bromoenol lactone (BEL), RNA was isolated and converted to cDNA, and caspase 9 and BCL-x mRNA viii species were amplified …

Influence Of Retinal States On The Development And Maintenance Of Retinofugal Projections, Duncan Morhardt

Theses and Dissertations

Vision provides a critical interface with the physical world. This work examines visual development and vision loss in mice to glean the influence of the retinal state on visual connections. I first assessed the impact of retinal activity on the eye-specific segregation of retinal afferents in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of young Gβ5 -/- mice. Gβ5 is the fifth member of the β subfamily of heterotrimeric G proteins. Gβ5 binds and stabilizes the R7 family of regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS), which accelerate Gi/o GTP hydrolysis. Gβ5 -/- mice, which lack R7RGS activity, have malformed synapses in the outer …

Novel Cinnamic Acid-Based Dehydropolymers For Emphysema: In Vitro And In Vivo Assessment Of Their Activities, Bhawana Saluja

Theses and Dissertations

Pulmonary emphysema is a serious worldwide illness, causing progressive and irreversible alveolar wall loss and difficulty in breathing. It is caused mostly by cigarette smoking. However, its unresolved complex and multiple pathogenic mechanisms have left this disease without effective pharmacotherapy. This project hypothesized that cinnamic acid-based dehydropolymers (DHPs), originally discovered as novel anti-coagulants, protect against emphysema through their potent triple inhibitory actions against oxidative stress, inflammation and elastase, some of the pathogenic mechanisms associated with this disease. Three in vitro inhibitory activity assays for oxidative stress, lung inflammation and neutrophil elastase (NE) were developed and used to identify the most …

The Role Of Synaptically Evoked Plateau Potentials In Retinogeniculate Development, Emily Dilger

Theses and Dissertations

We study the activity-dependent refinement of sensory systems by using the mouse retinogeniculate system as a model. Spontaneous retinal waves lead to robust excitatory post-synaptic activity in developing relay cells in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) of the thalamus and are reportedly needed to help guide the segregation of retinal inputs into eye-specific domains as well as for the pruning of extraneous retinal inputs onto single dLGN relay cells. The composition of retinally evoked post-synaptic activity activated by these retinal waves in dLGN is largely unknown, but based on our in vitro recordings, such activity seems well suited to …

Patient Ventilator Dyssynchrony: Types, Frequency And Patterns In Critically Ill Adults, Karen Mellott

Theses and Dissertations

Patient ventilator dyssynchrony (PVD) occurs frequently, but little is known about the types, frequency and patterns of PVD for longer than 30 minutes. Deeper levels of sedation are associated with PVD. Evaluation of ventilator graphics and the ability to identify PVD should assist clinicians to optimize patient ventilator interactions and promote earlier interventions. The purpose of this study was to identify the different types, frequency and patterns of PVD in critically ill adults and determine the effect of sedation level on PVD. Thirty medical and surgical ICU adult patients were enrolled; 27 were used for analysis. Pressure/time and flow/ time …

Altered Interactions, Kristen Rego

Theses and Dissertations

Surrounding materials, signage, and detritus on the daily path offer plenty to look at, if not too much. The eye seeks comfort in its passive vision by ignoring its peripheries. Identification of my personal vision reveals itself through the manipulation of ignored material. I consider hand-made vs. machine made, singular vs. the multiple particularly in plastics, packaging and other utilitarian objects. Industrial processes influence my one-person operation. Understanding the way objects are made allows for an opportunity to connect with them. I’m already surrounded by them, the least I can do is get to know them better.

Dreamfall: The Fleeting-Ness Of Memory, Hon Chen

Theses and Dissertations

My work seeks to simulate the impermanence of memory, through the creation of structures and images that translate the mind’s formless but living past into physical material and sensation. The need to search for the missing six years of my childhood memories in Thailand has been the driving force behind the works, along with the lingering emotions of emptiness and unfulfillment. I create multimedia installations with materials, such as plaster, pvc panels, acrylic, polycrylic and dura-lar, to structurally realize a subject as intangible and elusive as memory. Issues of duality, identity, impermanence and memory are underlying themes for my thesis …

Journeys Into The Unknown: A Series Of Science Architecture Tasks And Events, Space-Bound Explorations And Far-Travels, Discoveries And Misses (Near And Far), Imaginative Space-Gazing And Related Investigations, Observations, Orbits, And Other Repetitious Monitoring Tasks, Leah Beeferman

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis expansively and inclusively puts forth the imaginings, research, processes and experiences behind my two thesis exhibitions, "Journeys into the unknown: a series of science architecture tasks and events, space-bound explorations and far-travels, discoveries and misses (near and far), imaginative space-gazing and related investigations, observations, orbits, and other repetitious monitoring tasks" and "Timed travel: asystematic accounts of regular and geometrical timekeeping, orbital flight, repetitive rotations and other journeys into actual time and slow space." It begins with an abstract interpretation of the dial: a tool not limited to scientific measurement but, instead, a gauge of an object’s overall position …

Intellectual Community Brochure, Curriculum Committee

Curriculum Committee Reports

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of The Effects Of The Human Head On Communication With Implanted Antennas, Michael A. Pecoraro

Theses

Cranially implanted sensors and electrodes have been used in practice for several years; their applications range from the recording of neural signals for use in Brain-Computer Interfaces to help the disabled, to the treatment of diseases and conditions ranging from Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, depression, etc. Current communication methods with implants, however, are lacking; they run the gamut from physical, percutaneous connections that increase the risk of infection, to wireless links that are slow and uncomfortable for patients. The present work focuses on the characterization of the effects of the human head on communication with cranially implanted antennas for its …

The Everyday In America, Janet Bruhn

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract: My vanilla, Grade A, white bread, run-of-the-mill, middle-of-the-road, threadbare, well-worn, moth-eaten, potato sack, butterscotch, grass stained America: Mundane American life is an existence clinging to the ordinary, where a quilt of mass- mediated preferences and ingrained traditions define many people, specifically from north to south and east to west. Yet, the tastes and dialects of people within the mundane are complex. Ideological preferences are rooted in immigrant history and political persuasion. Various modes of realism have been used by American painters such as The Ash Can School, Regionalists of the 1930’s, and Pop Art. The notion of the real …

The Adventures Of A Young Artist, And The Promise Of The Digital Culture In Art, Jonathan Marshall

Theses and Dissertations

An analysis and explanation of my reasons for working in video, painting and drawing, and sculpture, considering the technological developments of the past decade; the possibility to use the internet as a distribution tool for works of art, and to shift the decision-making balance of the art-world; the ways that this approach is a democratic format for output in the arts and within communities of artists; an explanation of my studio practice while a graduate student at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Social Movements And Philanthropy: How Foundations Can Support Movement Building, Barbara Masters, Torie Osborn

The Foundation Review

· As foundations seek to catalyze broad-based social change, there is a need for greater understanding of what social movements are, how they evolve, and how foundations can support them.

· Movement building presents unique challenges to foundations. Because movements, by definition, must be driven by the people who are most affected, foundations cannot determine the goals and timetables of a movement.

· The authors identify five core elements to movement building: organizing an authentic base; leadership; vision and ideas; alliances; and advocacy infrastructure.

· A framework for evaluating movement building is proposed, which can help foundations identify measureable outcomes …

The Erosion Of Nebraska’S Free Exercise Protection: In Re Interest Of Anaya (Anaya Ii), 276 Neb. 825, 758 N.W.2d 10 (2008), Sara Lunsford Kohen

Nebraska Law Review

After the Nebraska Supreme Court’s holding in In re Interest of Anaya (“Anaya II”) in December of 2008, an individual whose religious liberty is burdened by a neutral, generally applicable law has no recourse under the Nebraska Constitution, no matter how extreme the burden is.

The plaintiffs in Anaya II challenged the state’s newborn screening statutes under the free exercise provision of article I, section four of the Nebraska Constitution (hereinafter “Section Four”), claiming that drawing blood from their infant under the newborn screening statutes violated their sincerely held religious beliefs. In so arguing, they cited Palmer v. …

When Selling Your Personal Name Mark Extends To Selling Your Soul, Yvette Joy Liebesman

All Faculty Scholarship

Identifying one’s business with one’s personal name has long been a practice in the United States. As Personal Name Marks have become increasingly commodified, however, bargaining and deal-making has led more and more to transfers of rights which had previously been considered to be closely tied to the individual as a private person. This article posits that freedom of contract doctrine should not allow the complete alienation of all aspects of one’s name, but rather there should be limitations on how far parties may bargain, so that the purchaser cannot acquire the right to control the seller’s private activities. This …

Canaries In The Coal Mine: The Tactical Use Of The National Labor Relations Act To Aid In The Protection Of Non-Union Workers Exposed To Pollutants, Michael C. Duff

All Faculty Scholarship

Canaries were used in times past to alert miners to the presence of dangerous gases in a mine. A canary would die, and the miners would thereby become aware of deadly, but sometimes odorless, gases. Just as canaries have alerted miners to the presence of dangerous gases in mines, workers exposed to dangerous pollutants and conditions in workplaces may function as societal canaries warning the broader public of environmental dangers; but hopefully without having to die in the process. To perform this role, the workers must live to work (and protest) another day. Section 7 of the National Labor Relations …

Diversity's Strange Career: Recovering The Racial Pluralism Of Lewis F. Powell, Jr., Anders Walker

All Faculty Scholarship

Though diversity remains a compelling state interest, recent rulings like Ricci v. DeStefano and Parents’ Involved toll a menacing bell for schools employing racial classifications to admit minority students. Yet, defenders of diversity may find refuge in original meanings, particularly the original meaning of diversity as articulated by Justice Lewis F. Powell, Jr. in Regents v. Bakke in 1978. Virginian by birth, Powell’s interest in “genuine diversity” coincided with a forgotten version of pluralism extant in the American South during thefirst half of the Twentieth Century. Further, Powell’s conviction that diversity distinguished America coalesced during a trip to the Soviet …

The Influence Of Heat Production Relative To Drill Wear During Osteotomy Preparation By Different Implant Drill Systems: A Comparison Study Between Ceramic And Conventional Implant Drill Systems, Waleed Alyassin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Repeated use of implant drills progressively increases their wear and decreases their efficiency, thus producing more frictional heat. Multiple factors have been linked to heat production during surgery including drill sharpness. The purpose of this research is to focus on the heat generated by an implant drill and how the wear factor and the material of the drill effect the heat generated by that drill when drilling through bone.;Two implant drill Systems were evaluated in vitro using bovine back rib bones. Two implant drill system were used. System A was stainless steel surgical drills sizes 2.3, 2.8 and 3.4 mmD …

Role Of Protein Kinase Ck2 And Phosphatase Pp2a In Notch-Mediated Lateral Inhibition, Anasua Bose

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Notch signaling pathway is highly conserved in vertebrates and invertebrates and regulates binary cell fate specifications in diverse developmental contexts. In a process termed lateral inhibition, Notch signaling restricts a particular cell fate to a single cell from a group of multi-potential cells. This mechanism ensures precision in cell fate assignations, which are vital for histogenesis and organogenesis. Studies during Drosophila neurogenesis, specifically development of the compound eye and the mechanosensory bristles, have provided the most detailed insights into the underlying mechanisms. During this process, Notch signaling results in the selection of single R8 photoreceptors or bristle sensory organ …

Selenium Removal By Nano-Magnetite Impregnated Diatomaceous Earth, Isabel Cardona

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to remove selenium from aqueous solution using nano-magnetite impregnated diatomaceous earth (DE) as an adsorbent. The adsorbent was prepared at the laboratory with a ratio of magnetite/DE of 10%. Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of pH, temperature, adsorbent concentration, selenium speciation, contact time and presence of competing anions on selenium removal efficiency in conjunction with studies on adsorption kinetics, isotherms, and adsorptive thermodynamics. Rapid adsorption occurred within 30 min and selenium uptake decreased with increase in temperature. Low pH values (i.e. 2--4) favored selenium adsorption as expected for anion adsorption …

Extraction Of Metal Sensitizers Under Physiologically Relevant Conditions, Matthew G. Duling

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Metal and metal alloys are critical components of high-tech applications. Beryllium (Be), chromium (Cr), and nickel (Ni) are among the most economically important metals for high-tech applications because of their extraordinary physical properties. These metals pose two different problems for workers who work with them: (1) allergic contact dermatitis from exposure to Cr and Ni, which is widely accepted to account for a significant percentage of occupational skin irritations and (2) possible systemic sensitization from skin contact with airborne Be. Proper assessment of skin contact with allergenic metals during work is difficult. Current practices for the assessment of skin exposure …

Site Characterization Of Hemlock Stands At Allegheny National Forest, Daniel Farcas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Eastern Hemlock Tsuga canadensis is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec, and from the southern Appalachian Mountains to northern Georgia and Alabama.;This majestic tree is threatened with elimination by an invasive species Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) Adelges tsugae introduced in the USA in 1924, which is believed to be a native of Asia. HWA reduces shoot growth, provokes branch dieback, and eventually tree death.;One strategy to help mitigate the fast spread of HWA is to determine what may cause host potential resistance to HWA and how to use this …

You Are And You Ain't: Redneck Literature And The Imposition Of Identity, Matthew Joseph Ferrence

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Redneck images pervade contemporary American culture and provide a pattern for national behavior. As globalization and multiculturalism change the demographics of the nation, covert Redneck codes enforce previous hegemonies of race, class, and gender. Imbued with incontestable American character, the Redneck becomes an ideological force capable of defending the nation from destabilizing cultural incursions. The maintenance of these Redneck codes relies on the continued reassertion of Southern and Appalachian stereotypes, since these regions must be maintained as authentic homelands for the identity character.;In this project, I locate a literary genealogy for the American Redneck and examine the roots and function …

The Influence Of Anxiety, Depression, And Negative Affect On Recall Of Dental Pain, Brandon N. Kyle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Research suggests mood can influence recall of emotionally-relevant information. Yet, despite multiple studies examining the association of anxiety and exaggerated prediction and recall of dental pain, the influence of other moods on prediction and recall of dental pain remains poorly investigated. Further, the potential moderation and mediation effects for dental fear, fear of pain, and mood state have not been properly researched. The present study investigated variables associated with predicted pain (pain expected during the dental procedure) and recalled pain in oral surgery patients. Data were provided by a sample of 157 patients undergoing tooth extraction under local anesthetic. Patients …

Phospholipid Enhanced Separation With Capillary Electrophoresis, Ruijuan Luo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Phospholipids were used as an additive in capillary electrophoresis to enhance the separation of glycans derived from alpha1-acid glycoprotein, fetuin, and ribonuclease B. The properties of phospholipid preparations were dependent upon composition, hydration, and temperature. Separation performance was evaluated as a function of these variables. A preparation of 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) and 1,2-dihexanoyl-snglycero-3-phosphocholine (DHPC), with [DMPC]/[DHPC] = 2.5, in 10% lipid/aqueous buffer at 25 °C provided the best separation efficiency at an electric field strength of 400 V/cm. Resolution was enhanced with the additive as well.;Phospholipids were also investigated as an additive for capillary electrophoresis separation of DNA molecules. Lipid preparations …

Essays On Risk Management Applications To Appalachian Grass -Fed Beef, Maitreyi Mandal

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The study area of this dissertation is the Appalachian state of West Virginia, where pasture-based livestock has traditionally dominated the state's agricultural production sector. Enhanced production risk has been identified as one of the key risk factors in grass fed beef production. This study aims to look into various risk management options that are available to grass-fed beef producers. One such management option is the various livestock insurance and rangeland, forage and grass land protection policies recently introduced and marketed by the Risk Management Agency (RMA) of USDA. The Livestock Risk Protection Plan (LRP) has been available to West Virginia …

A Ten-Year Evaluation Of Structural And Compositional Development In Unmanaged Central Appalachian Clearcuts, Jonathan R. Marden

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The varied growing conditions, fractured topography, and diversity of woody species in the Central Appalachians ensure that the harvest response of forest stands in the region will never be easily predictable. Clearcutting exposes the seedbed and freshly cut stumps of a harvested forest to full sunlight, encouraging the regeneration of the greatest number of species possible for that region. Gathering information on stand response to a complete removal in the mixed mesophytic forests of West Virginia will add valuable information to the silvicultural database for the most complex hardwood ecosystem in North America.;Beginning in 1998, U.S. Forest Service personnel installed …

Chemotherapy-Induced Damage Of The Bone Marrow Microenvironment, Stephanie Lynne Rellick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The bone marrow microenvironment is characterized as the anatomical site including specialized niches that support stem cells. In addition, these niches also provide both soluble and physical cues leading to the differentiation of stem cells into all the cells of the blood. The studies in this dissertation focus on two supportive niches in the bone marrow microenvironment, osteoblasts (HOB) and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC), in the setting of high dose chemotherapy and the potential damage that chemotherapy treatment causes to the cells of the bone marrow microenvironment.;In the first study, we investigated the effects of melphalan and Etoposide (VP-16) …