Digital Commons Network^™

The Development Of The Basal Ganglia In Capuchin Monkeys (Cebus Apella), Kimberley A. Phillips, C. A. Sobieski, V. R. Gilbert, C. Chiappini-Williamson, Chet C. Sherwood, P. L. Strick

Psychology Faculty Research

The basal ganglia are subcortical structures involved in the planning, initiation and regulation of movement as well as a variety of non-motor, cognitive and affective functions. Capuchin monkeys share several important characteristics of development with humans, including a prolonged infancy and juvenile period, a long lifespan, and complex manipulative abilities. This makes capuchins important comparative models for understanding age-related neuroanatomical changes in these structures. Here we report developmental volumetric data on the three subdivisions of the basal ganglia, the caudate, putamen and globus pallidus in brown capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella). Based on a cross-sectional sample, we describe brain …

Use(Ful In(Form)Ation, Dustin Lapray

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

I cleaned my room early in the spring of 2009, sorted laundry and cleaned off my oft-cluttered desk. In the process I found an old Mead Composition Notebook from a Film and Literature course I took at the College of Southern Idaho. Inside the back cover I discovered a page of useful information. The charts and measurements included: a multiplication table, 12 other tables intended to measure everything from paper, drugs, liquid and time, metric nomenclature and, finally, conversion tables from the metric system into American standard systems of measurement. I tore the back cover from the notebook and tacked …

Does Mean Osteon Size Change With Age, Sex Or Handedness? Analysis Of The Second Metacarpal In A 19th Century Sample From Belleville, Ontario, Canada, Bridget Jennifer Denny

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Histological analysis of cortical bone can be used to provide information on age at death, health status, and the influence of biomechanical forces on bones. Specifically, a better understanding of the variation in mean osteon size can increase our knowledge about the influence of factors such as age and sex associated changes and their effects on bone metabolic functions. Previous studies suggest that these influences are bone specific and have produced varying results regarding the association between osteon size and the variables mentioned above. To date, no research has focused on mean osteon size in metacarpals. The purpose of this …

The Effects Of Interaction On Adolescent Reading Motivation, Greg A. Hoetker

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study had two main purposes: One, to discover the nature of interactions that motivate adolescent students to read; and two, to follow how adolescents’ views of interaction and reading motivation evolve over time. The study’s research question was: What do student artifacts and interviews within both middle and high school contexts reveal about adolescents' perceptions of interactions with peers, teachers, and family and their motivation to read? The concept of interaction used within this study was based on a collaborative group-process learning context (Webb & Palincsar, 1996) and a social constructivist conceptualization of intrinsic motivation for literacy learning …

Cell(F), Nicole Lynn Herden

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

I see the human experience as composed of both objectivity and subjectivity. Objectivity in that science has helped us better understand our physicality, such as defining biological processes within our body. Empirical knowledge has provided a level of truth in explaining a foundation for our existence.

Subjective experiences materialize as we engage within the environment. Walking in the park or purchasing food seem to be similar experiences for everyone in that we can envision the process of doing it; however, that process is an individual process composed of unique characteristics and perspectives. A subjective experience is as unique as one’s …

An Updated History Of The Teratology Society., Thomas H Shepard, Mason Barr, Robert L Brent, Andrew Hendrickx, Devendra Kochhar, Godfrey Oakley, William J Scott, John M Rogers

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The 49-year history of the Teratology Society is reviewed. An abbreviated history is outlined in table form, with listings of the Warkany Lectures, the Continuing Education Courses, and officers of the society. The original article was updated to include the years 2000 to 2010.

METHODS: A year-by-year description of the events is given, including the scientific and social content of the annual meetings and changes in the business of the society, in many cases using comments from the past presidents. The valuable and unique diversity of the members is discussed and illustrated, presenting the disciplines and main research areas …

A Proposed Method For Evaluation Of Morphological Changes In The Condyle And Glenoid Fossa By Cone Beam Computed Tomography, Michael R. Munn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The difficulty with three-dimensional analyses remains with the myriad of data that is possible to derive from a volume. The goal of this study is to report 3D changes in the temporomandibular joint in a reliable and quantifiable way. The approach included plotting specific referents on the mandibular condyle and tracking them in magnitude (mm) and direction (°) on a reference plane after superimposing the cone beams three-dimensionally on the inferior alveolar nerve canal and the lower contour of the third molar tooth germ. Two sets of measurements were compared for reliability and each measurement showed varied correlation. Linear measurements …

Formation Of Testosterone's 5alpha-Reduced, Versus Aromatized, Products Can Have Beneficial Cognitive And Anti-Anxiety Effects Without Negative Effects On Prostate Or Sexual Behavior Of Male Rats, Daniel Dacosta

Biological Sciences

Testosterone (T) can alter sexual, social, anxiety-like, and/or cognitive behavior of male rodents and exert trophic effects on the prostate. However, whether these effects are due to actions of T, or its 5-reduced and/or aromatized metabolites, is of interest. We tested the hypothesis that T’s effects to enhance prostate proliferation, sexual, social, cognitive and/or anti-anxiety-like behavior require formation of 5-reduced and/or aromatized metabolites. Gonadectomized (GDX) or gonadally-intact rats were administered T-containing, or empty, silastic capsules in conjunction with a 5-reductase inhibitor (finasteride; Experiment 1) or an aromatase inhibitor (formestane; Experiment 2). The performance of rats in sexual, cognitive (object recognition, …

Neural Crest Contributions To Dental Pulp Stem/Progenitor Cells And Craniofacial Structures: Alveolar Processes, Tongue And Temporomandibular Joint, Vinay Jain

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Background: The cranial neural crest, a transient embryonic structure in vertebrates, is crucial to craniofacial and dental development. Populations of multipotent stem cells have been identified in various dental tissues including dental pulp. Hence, identification of multipotent cells of neural crest lineage within dental pulp and delineation of neural crest contributions to various craniofacial tissues may be a step towards utilizing the potential of neural crest progenitor cells for therapeutic applications.

Objective: The overall purpose of the study was to identify a population of dental pulp stem/progenitor cells of neural crest lineage and demonstrate their neural differential potential and to …

Cephalometric Evaluation Of Mara Therapy In The Treatment Of Class Ii Malocclusions, Tiffany Rachelle Mcclaran

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The effectiveness of functional appliances is a debatable topic in the orthodontic literature, primarily because the benefits have not been consistently reproduced among clinical studies. The present study was a retrospective cephalometric analysis of patients with Class II, division 1 malocclusions at the start of treatment. There were 51 children treated by a single clinician with a MARA in combination with Edgewise appliances. The comparison group consisted of subjects treated with fixed Edgewise appliances only from the University of Tennessee, Department of Orthodontics. Subjects in the two treatment groups were matched on a one-to-one basis for sex and for five …

The Anti-Epileptic Drugs Phenytoin And Valproate Produce Reproductive Endocrine Dysfunction Among Reproductive Endocrine Dysfunction Among Female Rats Through Its Effects On Progesterone And Its 5 Alpha-Reduced Metabolites, Fareed Haddad

Biological Sciences

Background: Many people with seizure disorder experience reproductive endocrine dysfunction (RED). The extent to which RED is due to intrinsic aspects of seizure disorder, and/or therapies used to manage epilepsy, is not well understood. Many anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs), such as phenytoin or valproate, can have effects that alter endocrine status. Phenytoin is a cytochrome p450 enzyme-inducing drug. Valproate is a cytochrome p450 enzyme-reducing AED. Objective: To evaluate the effects and mechanism of some AEDs on RED in a rodent model. Hypothesis: If AEDs produce RED in part by altering the activities of cytochrome p450 enzymes, then AEDs that disrupt estrous …

Cut Off From(One's) People_Punitive Expulsion In The Torah, G Thomas Hobson

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

Hobson, G. Thomas. “‘Cut Off From (One’s) People’: Punitive Expulsion in the Torah.” Ph.D. diss., Concordia Seminary, 2010. 245 pp.

This dissertation argues that the Torah’s penalty “cut off from (one’s) people” (kareth) is normally a form of expulsion from the community of Israel, in contrast to the view that this penalty is a threatened divine extermination curse, a view reflected in the LXX and rabbinic traditions. The author traces a punitive expulsion interpretation from the fifth century B.C.E. Jewish community, to Maccabean-era practice as described by Josephus, to expulsion at Qumran. The use of the verb כדת is examined, …

A History Of The American Film Institute, Deborah Jae Alexander

Dissertations

The American Film Institute (AFI) is a highly politicized, powerful organization. To date, most historical documentation and recording of AFI events and activities has been disseminated to the mass media from within the organization through its own publications or in other historical documentation as incidental history in relation to another topic. This dissertation, written as an overview, is the first comprehensive, independent historical examination of the AFI. The examination begins with an exploration of the development, activities and decline of the American Council on Education‟s original AFI and other film organizations that existed prior to the present day AFI. It …

Cryptid, Phillip Jarett Underwood

Dissertations

Cryptid is a term from the field of cryptozoology, which ostensibly presents itself as the study of creatures that may or may not exist, such as – but not limited to – Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Jersey Devil. The term itself, cryptid, refers to one of these unknown creatures. The novella presented here concerns a half-Native American man and his struggle to know not only his dead parents, but himself and his place in the world. While cryptids play a minor role within the boundaries of the narrative itself, the novella concerns itself more with the ways …

Angel Walking: A Documentary, Jesse F. Garza

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This creative thesis is divided into two parts: “The Critical Introduction” & “Angel Walking: A Documentary Screenplay.” In the “Critical Introduction to Angel Walking: A Documentary” I define the modes used and how similar documentaries and movies have helped me formulate a stronger story to showcase cerebral palsy from a 12 year old Latino’s perspective. I discuss how filming the documentary was an engaging process and led me to find a connection with the subject. This leads to how the development of writing the screenplay is somewhat of a “backward-process.” Therefore, the second half of this creative thesis is the …

Ethnobotanical History And Seed Oil Chemistry Of The Physic Nut, Jatropha Curcas, Nathan M. Leclear

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Jatropha curcas L., Euphorbiaceae, is a small tree native to the neotropics. Despite renewed economic interests in Physic Nut, mainly for biodiesel production, a comprehensive analysis of the ethnobotanical history of J. curcas is lacking. An account of the pre-Columbian neotropical distribution of this species and its historical uses are presented. Using capillary gas chromatography, studies were conducted to quantify the natural variation in seed oil content and fatty acid composition of the seed oil from several species of Jatropha, including assessment of how these parameters change during seed maturation. Natural variation in seed oil content was detected (F7,93 = …

Does The Manipulation Of Tail Position Facilitate Extinction Of Canine Phobic Behavior?, Rebecca A. Zarate

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The phobic behavior of interest is tail tucking which is indicative of submission. In this study the tail was physically manipulated by the use of a custom made harness to hold the tail up in a dominant position to ideally extinguish phobic behavior through reciprocal inhibition. The harness did not hold the tail up the entire duration of the interventions, although it still held the base of the tail up. The intervention did not appear to have an affect on the two of the five subjects. The three more phobic canines did display some behavioral changes, although the changes noticed …

Reel Talk: Deconstructing Communication Disorders In A Sampling Of Modern Films, Lisa M. Beccera

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study focused on films that depicted characters that had a communication disorder or characters that have a disability which resulted in a communication disorder. This study examined types of communication disorders depicted in films and the accuracy to which communication disorders are portrayed in films. Thirty films were used in this study and 32 characters were found to have communication disorders. The author used qualitative methods and quantitative methods to examine and deconstruct the depiction of communication disorders in modern films. This paper also illustrates the effective and efficient manner films can be used to educate society and college …

Does Tactile Stimulation Attenuate The Adverse Effects Of Maternal Separations In Rats?, Nancy I. Salinas

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Handling has been used as a stressor and a stress-protector in research on development in rats. Tactile stimulation (TS), on the other hand, has consistently been shown to favorably affect the performance and exploratory behaviors of stressed rats in novel environments and this effect is usually interpreted as evidence of attenuating the developmentally-related emotional consequences of stress. In the present study, the effects of TS during maternal separation (MS) were explored during a critical period of development in rats. An open-field task to measure exploratory behavior was used as a dependent measure of anxiety at a pre-pubertal period. It was …

Interrogating Iqbal: Intent, Inertia, And (A Lack Of) Imagination, Victor C. Romero

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Qualified Immunity And Interlocutory Fact-Finding In The Courts Of Appeals, Mark R. Brown

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

The Supreme Court's Legislative Agenda To Free Government From Accountability For Constitutional Deprivations, Gary S. Gildin

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Proposal For An Evidence -Based Management Plan For An Electronic Patient Record System, Mary Elizabeth Durant

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The goal of this change project was to improve the diagnosis and management of women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) through the use of an electronic patient record system. PCOS is one of the top ten missed or delayed diagnoses as well as an inconsistently or mismanaged women's health issue in primary care.;The chronic care model, known pathophysiology, and evidence-based research composed the framework used in developing the diagnosis and management plan for an electronic record system in a free health care clinic.;The project was evaluated based on the following four objectives: (1) To provide an educational session at a …

Effects Of Prenatal Stress On Lever-Press Acquisition, Delay Discounting, And Ethanol Self -Administration In Rats, Natalie R. Bruner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

It is well established in animal research that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis plays a central mediating role in the detrimental effects of prenatal stress in mother and offspring. The prenatally stressed (PS) rat exhibits a number of behaviors indicative of increased HPA activity relative to control (CON) rats. Because of these behaviors, PS rats may learn novel responses more quickly than CON rats. However, there are mixed findings in the literature as to whether prenatal stress facilitates or impedes learning. Experiment 1 was designed to examine effects of prenatal stress on lever-press acquisition using 10-s delays to food pellet delivery …

Aging-Dependent Effects Of Repetitive Loading Exercise And Antioxidant Supplementation On Oxidative Stress In Skeletal Muscle, Michael J. Ryan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Aging is associated with a reduced ability to buffer oxidants along with an increase in oxidant production, resulting in chronic oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a putative factor responsible for reducing function ability of skeletal muscle and increasing oxidative damage. The objective of this set of investigations was to evaluate the efficacy of reducing oxidative stress on improving muscle function the adaptive response of skeletal muscle to repetitive loading exercise in aging rodents. To achieve this objective, three methods of reducing oxidative stress were utilized; the antioxidant vitamins E&C were used to buffer oxidants, the nutraceutical resveratrol was used to …

Ve-Cadherin Expression And Regulation Of Sensitivity To Apoptosis In Philadelphia Chromosome Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Heather A. O'Leary

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The bone marrow microenvironment serves as the primary site for post-natal hematopoiesis allowing for HSC development and maturation. More specifically, B lineage cells rely on key signals from both the physical and soluble components of the marrow for their survival and maturation. In addition to normal hematopoiesis the bone marrow has been shown to be a sanctuary for leukemic cells, as well as other tumors, that can interact with cues from the microenvironment allowing for their protection during chemotherapy. The studies described in this dissertation focus on two supportive components of the bone marrow microenvironment, osteoblasts and bone marrow stromal …

Molecular Characterization Of The Murf Gene Family: Potential Role In Rainbow Trout Muscle Degradation, Jiannan Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As United States and world seafood demand increases, aquaculture production becomes more important. Limited knowledge of molecular regulation of muscle growth and flesh quality hinders genetic improvement of these important traits in fish. Our goal is to enhance muscle growth and fillet quantity in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Muscle growth is determined primarily by rate of protein turnover. Unlike mammals, rapidly growing fish have reduced protein degradation rather than increased protein synthesis. Studies in mammals showed that muscle atrophy results from increased protein breakdown, and is associated with activation of the ubiquitin proteasome pathway including induction of the muscle-specific ubiquitin …

Cytochrome P450 1a-Ligand Interactions: Implications For Substrate Specificity And Inhibitor Susceptibility, Qingbiao Huang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cytochromes P450 are heme-containing enzymes that are involved in the metabolism of a variety of clinically important drugs, endogenous and exogenous compounds, including a number of procarcinogens. P450 1A subfamily has two members: 1A1 and 1A2. P450 1A1 and 1A2 show high sequence identity (>70%), but display different substrate specificity and inhibitor susceptibility. P450 1A2 is one of the major hepatic P450s, which metabolizes more than 11% of drugs currently on the market. Thus, we focused our attention on studies of this particular P450.;The five key active site residues that are different between P450 1A1 and 1A2 have been …

Effects Of Level Of Concentrate Supplementation On Milk Production And Ruminal Ph In Lactating Cows On Pasture, Gatha R. Clevenger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The effects of concentrate supplementation on milk production and ruminal fermentation was evaluated in six ruminally cannulated lactating Holstein dairy cows in a Latin rectangle design. Cows were fed 4 (C4), 8 (C8), and 12 (C12) kg DM/d of a concentrate supplement. Increasing amounts of concentrate supplement decreased pasture intake, but increased overall dry matter intake (DMI) and increased milk production without changing milk composition. Daily mean and minimum ruminal pH was similar for all treatments. Increasing supplementation increased time spent below pH 5.8, and resulted in a reduction in the in situ degradability of DM and NDF at 24 …

Designing A Face Detection Captcha, Adam C. Day

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Completely Automated Tests for Telling Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHAs) are quickly becoming a standard for security in every online interface that could be the subject to spam or other exploitation. The majority of today's CAPTCHA technologies rely on text-based images, which present the user with a string of distorted characters and asks the user to type out the characters. The problem with CAPTCHAs is that they are often difficult to solve and can generally be successfully defeated using techniques such as segmentation and optical character recognition. We introduce an image face recognition based CAPTCHA which presents the user with …