Digital Commons Network^™

Lumensecity: Objects Illuminated In Time, Kourtney Keller

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the evolution of my work in graduate school. Upon entering into this course of study my artistic expression was polarized into realms of 2 and 3-Dimensional tactile works and experiments in 4-Dimensions (time) in the form of animations and short films. The content and context of these works have interwoven but their presentations remained polarized. In my masterʼs studies I have attempted to synergize the mediums of my artworks in order to achieve more realized and formal presentations. Following this course, I hope for my work to further evolve.

Prospectus, August 4, 2010, Josh Grube, Chuck Shepherd, Isaac Mitchell

Prospectus 2010

COLLEGE FOR KIDS LENDS A LEARNING HAND; The so-called gap year between high school and college is just what some students need; Chuck Shepherd’s News of the Weird; Prospectus Pick: Inception; Growing number people growing their own groceries; Digital alarmists are wrong; Plugging a Web tax loophole; A Parkland student’s farewell; Climate change could affect migration to the U.S.; State Fair rides: Thrills, chills and chaos theory made real; Blogging tips for those who love to share their love of food; The past week in sports; Dorm do's and don'ts

Oil And Gas Impacts In The Big Cypress Ecosystem: An Analysis Of Impacts Associated With Proposed Activities In The Nobles Grade Area, William Conner, Stephen E. Davis Iii, Kirsten N. Hines, John J. Cox, Dale E. Gawlik, Jerome A. Jackson, James O. Jones, Fernando Miralles-Wilhelm, Jennifer H. Richards

Publications

No abstract provided.

Extracellular Glutamate, Glutamine, And Gaba In The Hippocampus And Cortex Of Refractory Epilepsy Patients, Jonathan Romanyshyn

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Antiepileptic drug (AED) resistance affects one third of patients with epilepsy and is associated with significant disability. Brain microdialysis studies on the epileptogenic hippocampus of patients with medication refractory epilepsy have identified elevations in extracellular glutamate, the primary brain excitatory neurotransmitter, both acutely during seizures and chronically during the interictal periods. Whether extracellular glutamate, along with the metabolites glutamine and the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), are elevated in other cortical regions is unknown. In addition, the effect of the administration of AEDs on the extracellular levels of these neurochemicals in patients with medication-refractory epilepsy is also unknown. Microdialysis samples …

Diaphragm Weakness And Mechanical Ventilation – What's The Critical Issue?, Leigh Ann Callahan, Gerald S. Supinski

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

While animal studies indicate that controlled mechanical ventilation (MV) induces diaphragm weakness and myofiber atrophy, there are no data in humans that confirm MV per se produces diaphragm weakness. Whether or not diaphragm weakness results from MV, sepsis, corticosteroids, hyperglycemia, or a combination of these factors, however, is not the most important issue raised by the recent study from Hermans and colleagues. This study makes an important contribution by providing additional evidence that many critically ill patients have profound diaphragm weakness. If diaphragm weakness of this magnitude is present in most mechanically ventilated patients, a strong argument can be made …

Construction And Use Of A Calorimeter To Estimate The Anaerobic Contributions To Metabolism, Mark S. Burger, Frank Van Breukelen

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Metabolism is derived from the Greek word metabole which translates to change. Metabolism is the sum total of chemical reactions that take place in an organism. Some reactions are exothermic (heat-producing) whereas others are endothermic (heat-absorbing). By measuring heat production (calorimetry), one can estimate metabolic rate. Historically, such measurements of direct calorimetry were difficult. As a result, most studies utilize indirect calorimetry wherein oxygen consumption and/or carbon dioxide production are measured. One limitation to this approach is that anaerobic metabolism is ignored. No commercially-available calorimeter is available for whole animal metabolic studies. We hypothesized that small rodent hibernators may experience …

The Effects Of The Ground Reaction Force On The Muscle-Tendon Systems About Guinea Pig Joints, Theresa Schill, Kevin Mailland, David V. Lee

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Each limb of the limb joints of a quadruped is used differently during locomotion, and it is necessary to recognize the mechanical role each plays. The effects of the ground reaction force on the ankle, knee, and hip joints of Hartley albino guinea pigs were studied in uphill, downhill, and level situations to determine the spring-like capacity of the muscle-tendon systems that act about the limb joints.

Impact Of Historical Climate Change On The Genetic Structure Of The Great Basin Pocket Mouse, Perognathus Parvus, Ashwitha Francis, Mallory E. Eckstut, Brett R. Riddle

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

The dynamics of genetic patterns, such as genetic differentiation within and between populations and the geographic distribution of genetic lineages, are often influenced by historical events (such as climatic changes) that have substantially impacted regional biodiversity (the study of phylogeography; Avise, 20001). The magnitude of genetic differentiation among populations is often increased if suitable habitat is reduced, because there is restricted migration among populations. When migration is restricted, the populations may become genetically differentiated from conspecific populations and, over time, may become independent lineages that follow distinctive evolutionary trajectories (Stebbins, 19523; Nevo & Beiles, 19892; Thomas et al., 19984). In …

3d Micro-Mr And Micro-Ct Models For Determining In-Vivo Function In The Guinea Pig Knee Model Of Osteoarthritis (Oa), Kristoffer W. Dean

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating disease that affects an estimated 27 million adults in the United States. OA causes damage to cartilage in the joints resulting in bones that rub together. This creates pain, swelling, loss of motion of the joint, and bone spurs. As the number of adults above 65 grows (an estimated 72 million people by 2030) even more people will be at high risk for OA. It is the most common type of arthritis by far yet very little is known about it including relationships between joint structure and function. In 2004, the NIH created the Osteoarthritis …

Effects Of Starvation Selection On Nutrient Allocation And Fecundity In Drosophila Melanogaster, Bryan Penalosa, Allen Gibbs

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

The life cycle of holometabolous insects is distinctly divided into three life stages: the larval, pupal, and adult stages. During the larval stage, animals accumulate energy stores in the larval fat body to be later used in the pupal and adult stages. I determined how this accumulated energy is stored in adult Drosophila melanogaster that have been selected for resistance to starvation for >40 generations. I assayed carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids and found that 0 day old starvation selected flies have almost four times as much lipid content, twice as much carbohydrate, and a fairly equal amount of protein versus …

Ubiquitin Dependent Proteolysis In The Frozen Wood Frog, Michael Ulrich, Ken Storey, Frank Van Breukelen

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

Wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) freeze during the winter. One might presume that homeostatic processes like protein synthesis and degradation cease during freezing. However, few data are available. In collaboration with Dr. Ken Storey (Carelton University, Canada), we are investigating the primary mode of proteolysis in wood frogs representing different points of the freeze-thaw cycle.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program 2010, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)

The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) cultivates and supports research partnerships and invites undergraduates to work as the junior colleagues of faculty. The program offers the opportunity to work on cutting edge research—whether you join established research projects or pursue your own ideas. As participants, undergraduates engage in each phase of standard research activity: developing research plans, writing proposals, conducting research, analyzing data. and presenting research results in oral and written form. The projects take place over the summer, and research can be done in any academic department or interdisciplinary laboratory. Projects can last for an entire semester, and many …

Intelligent Software For Ecological Building Design, Jens G. Pohl, Hisham Assal, Kym J. Pohl

Collaborative Agent Design (CAD) Research Center

Building design is a complex process because of the number of elements and issues involved and the number of relationships that exist among them. Adding sustainability issues to the list increases the complexity of design by an order of magnitude. There is a need for computer assistance to manage the increased complexity of design and to provide intelligent collaboration in formulating acceptable design solutions. Software development technology today offers opportunities to design and build an intelligent software system environment that can serve as a reliable intelligent partner to the human designer.

In this paper the authors discuss the requirements for …

Preconference Proceedings On Advances In Adaptive Planning Capabilities, Jens G. Pohl

Collaborative Agent Design (CAD) Research Center

No abstract provided.

Polyphenol Proteasome Inhibitors, Synthesis, And Methods Of Use, Q. Ping Dou, Tak-Hang Chan, David M. Smith

USF Patents

The present invention relates to synthetic green tea derived polyphenolic compounds, their modes of syntheses, and their use in inhibiting proteasomal activity and in treating cancers. The present invention is also directed to pharmaceutical compositions useful in methods of inhibiting proteasomes and of treating cancers.

Plastid Genetic Engineering Via Somatic Embryogenisis, Henry Daniell, Shashi Kumar, Shashi Kumar

UCF Patents

A method of transforming plant plastids and regenerating fertile transplastomic plants by somatic embryogenesis is disclosed. The method involves transforming a plant plastid in a plant cell capable of being regenerated through somatic embryogenesis with a plastid expression cassette comprising one or more selectable marker genes that express in both green and non-green tissue and in light and dark conditions wherein the selectable marker plant cell is cultured in the presence of the plant cell to a selection agent. The transplastomic plant cell is cultured in the presence of the selection agent under conditions to cause the formation of a …

Cross-Reactivity Of Antibodies Against Leptospiral Recurrent Uveitis-Associated Proteins A And B (Lrua And Lrub) With Eye Proteins, Ashutosh Verma, Pawan Kumar, Kelly Babb, John F. Timoney, Brian Stevenson

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Infection by Leptospira interrogans has been causally associated with human and equine uveitis. Studies in our laboratories have demonstrated that leptospiral lipoprotein LruA and LruB are expressed in the eyes of uveitic horses, and that antibodies directed against LruA and LruB react with equine lenticular and retinal extracts, respectively. These reactivities were investigated further by performing immunofluorescent assays on lenticular and retinal tissue sections. Incubation of lens tissue sections with LruA-antiserum and retinal sections with LruB-antiserum resulted in positive fluorescence. By employing two-dimensional gel analyses followed by immunoblotting and mass spectrometry, lens proteins cross-reacting with LruA antiserum were identified to …

Volumetric Growth Model Of Human Medulloblastoma In The Nude Mouse Cerebellum, Thomas Gavigan

Theses and Dissertations

Medulloblastoma is the most common brain tumor in children, accounting for 10-20% of primary central nervous system (CNS) neoplasms and approximately 40% of all posterior fossa tumors. It is a highly invasive embryonal neuroepithelial tumor that typically arises in the cerebellar vermis and has a tendency to disseminate throughout the CNS early in its course. The molecular mechanisms of the disease largely remain uncharacterized, as the clinical treatment is still associated with mortality and severe side effects. The development of a clinically relevant in vivo model is important not only to further understand the disease but also to provide a …

Cal Poly Students' Annual Performance And Ranch Horse Sale Is Aug. 28, Public Affairs Office

Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Solving The Data Deluge Problem, Jens G. Pohl

Collaborative Agent Design (CAD) Research Center

The paper postulates that the information technology revolution that is commonly referred to as the Information Age is currently in a transition stage between data-processing and knowledge management that should be more aptly referred to as the Data Age. Symptoms of this transition stage are a data deluge problem that is evidenced by the inability of human computer-users to effectively analyze and draw useful conclusions from the overwhelming volume of data that is being collected, the increasing complexity of networked systems, and the acknowledged vulnerability of virtually all existing digital systems to cyber security threats.

The author suggests that the …

Ada News - 08/02/2010, American Dental Association, Publishing Division

ADA News

Established in 1970 as the official newspaper of the American Dental Association, the ADA News serves practicing dentists and others allied to the dental profession in the U.S. and internationally. It is the No. 1 source of news and information about the many benefits and services the ADA delivers to members daily as well as timely information on scientific, social, political and economic developments affecting dentistry and health care.

A Potential Tolerogeneic Role Of Skin Grafts In Previously Tolerant Animals, Joshua Weiner

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

A POTENTIAL TOLEROGENEIC ROLE OF SKIN GRAFTS IN PREVIOUSLY TOLERANT ANIMALS Joshua Weiner, Kazuhiko Yamada, Joseph Scalea, Yoshinori Ishikawa, Masayoshi Okumi, Adam Griesemer, Atsushi Hirakata, Justin Etter, Akira Shimizu, and David H. Sachs. Transplantation Biology Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. (Sponsored by Sukru H. Emre, Department of Surgery, Section of Transplantation and Immunology, Yale University School of Medicine). We have previously shown that long-term tolerance to class I disparate renal allografts in miniature swine is induced by a short course of Cyclosporine A (CyA). In these tolerant animals (TOL), the tolerance has been shown to …

In Vivo Analysis Of Ccm3, A Gene Involved In Cerebral Cavernous Malformation Development, Aimee Two

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

IN VIVO ANALYSIS OF CCM3, A GENE INVOLVED IN CEREBRAL CAVERNOUS MALFORMATION DEVELOPMENT. Aimee Two, Angeliki Louvi, and Murat Gunel. Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs), one of the most common vascular malformations of the central nervous system (CNS), occur due to both sporadic and familial mutations in any of the three CCM genes: CCM1, or KRIT1; CCM2, or malcavernin; and CCM3, the Programmed Cell Death 10 gene. As the most recently discovered of these genes, CCM3 remains poorly understood. In vitro analysis has suggested a role for it in apoptosis, …

Evidence For Association Of Non-Acetylated Histones With Newly Replicated Epstein-Barr Virus Dna, Sungeeta Agrawal

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) has two states of infection, latent and lytic. During the latent state the viral genome remains stable in cells as episomes and replicates with cellular DNA. During the lytic cycle the viral DNA becomes amplified and packaged in newly formed virions. An unsolved problem is whether newly replicated EBV DNA produced upon lytic cycle activation is associated with histones, and if so, whether these histones are acetylated. This question has biological significance as knowing the chromatin structure of genes is important in determining their function and expression profile. Our hypothesis is that newly synthesized EBV lytic DNA …

A Coupled Finite Element-Boundary Element Method For Modeling Diffusion Equation In 3d Multi-Modality Optical Imaging, Subhadra Srinivasan, Hamid R. Ghadyani, Brian W. Pogue, Keith D. Paulsen

Dartmouth Scholarship

Three dimensional image reconstruction for multi-modality optical spectroscopy systems needs computationally efficient forward solvers with minimum meshing complexity, while allowing the flexibility to apply spatial constraints. Existing models based on the finite element method (FEM) require full 3D volume meshing to incorporate constraints related to anatomical structure via techniques such as regularization. Alternate approaches such as the boundary element method (BEM) require only surface discretization but assume homogeneous or piece-wise constant domains that can be limiting. Here, a coupled finite element-boundary element method (coupled FE-BEM) approach is demonstrated for modeling light diffusion in 3D, which uses surfaces to model exterior …

Effects Of Duration Of Proton Pump Inhibitor (Ppi) Therapy On Markers Of Bone Health In Men And Postmenopausal Women, Zarina Maria Pabin

Theses and Dissertations

This observational study compared bone health biomarkers, bone mineral density (BMD),dietary habits, and physical activity levels of men (n=31) and non-estrogen supplementing postmenopausal women (n=23) divided according to duration of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy; more than 5 years (n=16), less than 5 years (n=15), and no PPI therapy (n=23). The shortest duration of PPI therapy was 2 months and the longest duration of PPI therapy was 25 years with a mean duration of 7.5 years. No significant differences were found between measures of spine BMD, urinary deoxypyridinoline (bone resorption), urinary calcium and magnesium, serum osteocalcin (bone formation), serum parathyroid …

Factors Affecting Gingival Excess, Altered Passive Eruption And Recession In The Mandibular Anterior And Premolar Sites, William Bohlen

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract FACTORS AFFECTING GINGIVAL EXCESS, ALTERED PASSIVE ERUPTION AND RECESSION IN THE MANDIBULAR ANTERIOR AND PREMOLAR SITES By William F Bohlen, D.M.D. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Major Director: Thomas Waldrop, DDS, MS Program director, Department of Periodontics, Virginia Commonwealth University AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting gingival excess, altered passive eruption and recession. METHODS: 100 subjects were examined clinically and models of their mandible were fabricated. Demographic, periodontal and cast measurements were …

Klf2/Klf4 Double Knock-Out Mouse Embryos Show Cranial Bleeding With Endothelial Disruption Of The Primary Head Vein, Benjamin Curtis

Theses and Dissertations

Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) are a family of 3 Cys2/His2 zinc finger transcription factors with a diverse set of roles in cellular differentiation, cell cycle regulation, tumor suppression, erythropoiesis, angiogenesis, and other processes. During embryonic development, KLF2 has a role in vessel maturation. Adult conditional KLF4 knockout mouse embryos have thickened arterial intima follow vascular injury. Breeding KLF2+/- and KLF4+/- mice resulted in the generation of KLF2/KLF4 double knockout (DKO) embryos. KLF2/KLF4 DKO embryos died by E10.5 with cranial bleeding. Using immunohistochemistry, embryo whole-mounts were examined for differences in gross vascularization between wild-type (WT), KLF2-/- and KLF2/KLF4 (DKO embryonic day 9.5 …

Novel Roles For Reelin In Retinogeniculate Targeting, Cheryl Haner

Theses and Dissertations

In the developing visual system, the axon of a pre-synaptic cell must be guided to a post-synaptic partner. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in the eye are an excellent model to study this process. Multiple classes exist that respond to specific types of light input, and these project to different destinations in the brain that process distinct types of information. The RGC axons that navigate to the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) do so in a class-specific manner. Axons from RGCs that mediate non-image forming functions innervate the ventral LGN (vLGN) and the intergeniculate leaflet (IGL). Axons from RGCs that process image-forming …

Barley For Brewing: Characteristic Changes During Malting, Brewing And Applications Of Its By-Products, Mahesh Gupta, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam, Eimear Gallaghar

Articles

Barley is the basic raw material for brewing. Its chemical composition, brewing, and technological indices are highly determinative for the beer quality and the economical efficiency of the brewing process. Barley is rich in protein, carbohydrates, dietary fibers, minerals, and vitamins. The presence of non starch polysaccharides as mixed linkage (1-3),(1-4)-β-D-glucans and arabinoxylans together with the enzymes are responsible for barley modification. Malting is a complex process that involves many enzymes; important ones are α-amylase, β-amylase, α-glucosidase, and limit dextrinase. During the process of malting and brewing, the by-products left after separation of the wort are rich in protein, fibers, …