Digital Commons Network^™

Mechanism Of Reversion Of Calcium-Induced Differentiation In Keratinocytes, Azadeh Jadali

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Terminal differentiation defines cells that permanently exit the cell cycle in the process of specialization. Under some circumstances, however, this process is reversed as demonstrated by the ability of differentiated keratinocytes to form hair bearing skin epithelia when transplanted onto a suitable environment. To gain insights into the mechanism of reversion of keratinocyte differentiation, a well characterized culture of mouse keratinocytes, in which calcium (Ca2+) concentrations above 0.1 mM induce differentiation was used. A low Ca2+ switch in differentiated cultures triggered culture-wide morphological and biochemical changes indicated by re-initiation of proliferation, de-repression of cyclin D1, and acquisition of basal cell-like …

From Sin To Sickness: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Four Major American Newpapers' Representations Of Alcoholism, Amy Platt

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

AbstractFrom Sin to Sickness: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Four Major American Newspapers' Representation of AlcoholismByAmy PlattSchool of Social Welfare The purpose of this study is to explore how four major American newspapers represent alcoholism. These newspapers are: The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and the Wall Street Journal. Articles were collected over a five year period (2004-2008) using a constructed, random sample. The principal research questions are: (1) How do different newspapers portray alcoholism?, (2) How much emphasis do the articles place on the moral model of addiction? (3) How much emphasis do the articles place …

Chromatin Protein Hmgb2 In Neural Progenitor Cells And Adult Neurogenesis, Ariel Benjamin Abraham

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Neural stem cells (NSCs) and neural progenitor cells (NPCs) are distinct groups of cells present in the embryonic and adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Proliferation of NSCs and NPCs is regulated by several molecular factors including the cyclin dependant kinase inhibitors (CDKI), such as p16Ink4a, and negative regulators of cell cycle, such as p19Arf. Chromatin proteins, including chromatin protein high mobility group A2 (HMGA2), regulate the expression of p16Ink4a and p19Arf in NSCs and NPCs, demonstrating the critical regulatory role that chromatin proteins play in NSC and NPC proliferation. In addition to HMGA2, it is likely that other chromatin …

Life After Beanbag Genetics: Theoretical And Empirical Studies On Epistasis And Penetrance, Joseph Lachance

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Population genetics reduces the description of a population to a set of genotype frequencies. Because of this, it has been called"beanbag genetics.". However, greater complexity and biological realism can be incorporated into this framework. Two examples of this include interactions between different genes (epistasis) and individuals with the same genotype that have different phenotypes (incomplete penetrance). During the course of my Ph.D. work, both of these topics were investigated using theoretical population genetics and Drosophila genetics. One unifying theme was that genes do not exist in isolation: they occur within genetic and environmental contexts. In turn, these contexts were found …

The Specificity Of Vesicle Trafficking During Prospore Membrane Formation In Yeast, Hui-Ju Yang

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

This research focuses on the production of new plasma membranes during gametogenesis in yeast. The initiation of these membranes is started by vesicle fusion at spindle pole bodies (SPBs) during Meiosis II. I have asked how these vesicles specifically fuse at SPBs but not at other locations, and demonstrated that binding interactions between soluble NSF attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) confer one layer of specificity to vesicle fusion at SPBs. Furthermore, I showed that SPBs can actively regulate a Rab GTPase, suggesting a role for SPBs in vesicle docking. My work highlights the ancestral dual roles of centrioles in microtubule organization …

High Level Describable Attributes For Predicting Aesthetics And Interestingness, Sagnik Dhar

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

With the rise in popularity of digital cameras, the amount of visual data available on the web is growing exponentially. Some of these pictures are extremely beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. Unfortunately the vast majority are uninteresting or of low quality. This paper demonstrates a simple, yet powerful method to automatically select high aesthetic quality images from large image collections with performance significantly better than the state of the art. We also show significantly better results on predicting the interestingness of Flickr images, and on a novel problem of predicting query specific interestingness. Our aesthetic quality estimation method explicitly predicts some …

Mésica Criolla: Cultural Practices And National Issues In Modern Peru. The Case Of Lima (1920-1960), Luis Martin G¢Mez

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

My thesis is a historical analysis of a group of musical forms called m£sica criolla in twentieth-century Peru. I analyze the historical relocation of these musical forms as symbols of Peruvianness during the period 1920 to 1960. I argue that the idea of the existence of a national music called m£sica criolla emerged as a product of the urban modernization that had been transforming the landscape of the city of Lima since the second half of the nineteenth century. Faced with this transformation, early twentieth-century Lime¤o intellectuals asserted that Lime¤os displayed distinctive artistic attitudes in their daily lives. For them, …

Modulation Of Monocytic Activation Following Spinal Cord Injury Reduces Secondary Injury And Neurodegeneration, Jaime Ann Emmetsberger

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Spinal cord injury (SCI) sets off a cascade of biochemical and cellular events that destroy neurons, cause demyelination, and trigger an inflammatory immune response. Microglia, the immune-competent cells of the central nervous system, migrate to the site of injury, become activated and are thought to contribute to secondary damage and neurodegeneration following SCI. Conversely, growth factors and cytokines released by activated microglia may promote regeneration. Controversy exists over the neurodegenerative verses the neuroregenerative roles of activated microglia, and which role predominates following SCI. The activation state of microglia determines their neurotoxic and neurotrophic properties that influence the surrounding environment to …

Role Of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 Alpha In Neural Stem/Progenitor Cell Function Following Hypoxia, Kate M. Harms Candelario

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Stroke can be caused by focal ischemia due to cerebral artery occlusion or by global ischemia that occurs when global blood supply to the brain is interrupted. The acute phase of ischemic brain injury is followed by a more prolonged period of revascularization and repair that can last for several months. One hallmark of this repair phase includes an endogenous neural stem/progenitor cell (NSPC) regenerative response that occurs concomitant with angiogenesis. Several studies suggest that the cytogenic response is beneficial for recovery following stroke, however, more studies need to be done to determine whether the beneficial effects are due to …

University Of Dayton Magazine. Winter 2010-11, University Of Dayton Magazine

University of Dayton Alumni Publications

This issue includes the articles "Wine & Family"; "Going My Way?"; and "Citius. Altius. Fortius.".

Bryant 360, December 2010, Bryant University, Office Of Admissions

Bryant 360

No abstract provided.

Corporate Social Responsibility In The Oil And Gas Industry: The Importance Of Reputational Risk, David B. Spence

Chicago-Kent Law Review

Modern oil and gas production takes place in environments that are increasingly challenging, environments that pose very high levels of technical risk, as well as political, social, environmental, heal and safety risks. The people of the oil-rich nations of the world are growing more assertive politically and more sensitive to the environmental, health, and safety risks posed by oil and gas development. Governments, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and local people seek the means to control oil and gas development so as to minimize the risk of harm and provide redress in the event harm is done. Oil and gas companies have …

Of Nesting Dolls And Trojan Horses: A Survey Of Legal And Policy Issues Attendant To Vehicle-To-Grid Battery Electric Vehicles, Bryan Lamble

Chicago-Kent Law Review

2010 will not be remembered as the year when the domestic energy landscape changed, dominated as it was by environmental catastrophe and human calamity and tragedy caused by the search for and extraction of traditional fossil fuels. In fact, clean(er) energy and greater efficiency seem, in some ways, to be less of a reality at the beginning of the second decade of the twenty-first century than many would have predicted (and hoped). Furthermore, a contentious mid-term election season (stoked by fears of massive deficits, rising national debt and ballooning government) dominated the headlines at the expense of what could prove …

Biotech Biofuels: How Patents May Save Biofuels And Create Empires, Adam Wolek

Chicago-Kent Law Review

The United States' primary transportation energy sources are fossil fuels, namely, gasoline and diesel. These products have high environmental, security, and financial costs. A strong emphasis has been placed on biofuels, especially ethanol and biodiesel, to lessen reliance on fossil fuels. Historically, high production costs, lack of infrastructure, return on investment anxieties, and concerns about scaling-up production have slowed the development of these alternative technologies. Today, biotechnological solutions are lowering productions costs and making large scale production more economically feasible. Patents can lessen anxieties about investment as they can provide longer-term protection and market exclusivity for patented technologies. As biofuels …

Twittering Away The Right Of Publicity: Personality Rights And Celebrity Impersonation On Social Networking Websites, Andrew M. Jung

Chicago-Kent Law Review

Within the past couple of years, social networking websites have become an immensely popular destination for people from all walks of life. Websites like Facebook and Twitter now count tens of millions of worldwide users, including world leaders and a number of celebrities. Eventually, users realized that social networking websites lent themselves to the quick and easy impersonation of celebrities through the creation of fake social networking accounts, often as a form of parody. One subject of such impersonation was professional baseball manager Tony La Russa, who took the then-unprecedented step of suing his impersonators and Twitter over the incident. …

Antidiscrimination Rights Of Contingent Workers In The United States, Hyun Joo Kang

Maurer Theses and Dissertations

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits an employer's discriminatory employment practices against an employee on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, or national origin. Most contingent workers in the United States are faced with discriminatory employment practices, such as low wages and low or no benefits, and they are disproportionately women and minorities. Title VII is the focal point, but Title VII has not functioned as a remedy for contingent workers. This dissertation examines why contingent workers suffer discrimination, despite Title VII, and suggests possible solutions.

In the United States, the distinctive interpretation of laws …

Prism Vol. 2, No. 1, Center For Complex Operations

PRISM (Full PDF Issues)

PRISM is published by the National Defense University Press for the Center for Complex Operations. PRISM is a security studies journal chartered to inform members of U.S. Federal Agencies, allies, and other partners on complex and integrated national security operations; reconstruction and nationbuilding; relevant policy and strategy; lessons learned; and developments in training and education to transform America's security and development apparatus to meet tomorrow's challenges better while promoting freedom today.

School-Based Decision Making (Sbdm) Councils And Their Efficacy And Productivity As Perceived By Council Members., Shawna Shrout Stenton 1976-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of Kentucky SBDM council members concerning the productivity and efficacy of the councils. The major variables studied were council member position, council member demographic characteristics, perceived efficacy, and perceived productivity. The research data came from an already completed field survey. This study used the methods of descriptive analysis, causal-comparative analysis, and correlational/predictive research. Statistical procedures included calculation of means and standard deviations, as well as multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), ordinary least squares multiple regression, and random effects analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results of the study showed that, in general, council members had a …

Postwar Sierra Leone : Are Programs Of Reconstruction Addressing The Causes Of War?, Lovetta Anita Thompson 1985-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This multilayered study is an appraisal of some of the ongoing post-conflict reconstruction efforts in Sierra Leone in light of the causes of the conflict, which lasted from 1991-2002. It begins by providing a critical examination of the historical antecedents leading up to the war. The problems of colonialism which brought together different nationalities under one political umbrella by force of arm, along with other motley of issues such as corrupt leadership and inter-ethnic violence led to the outbreak of war in 1991. Although different studies have discussed these factors, very few, if any, have tried to make a connection …

Molecular Engineering Design Of The Sapo-34 And Zif-8 Membranes For Co2 Separation From Ch4 And N2., Surendar Reddy Venna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The separation of C02 from light gases is a very important environmental and energy issue. The state-of-the-art process for the purification of C02 uses amine adsorption, which is a complex, and costly. Membrane technology is far less expensive and requires less energy consumption. Although polymeric membranes can separate CO2, high pressures plasticize them and decrease their separation ability considerably. Zeolite membranes have significant advantages over traditional polymeric membranes, such as high thermal, mechanical, and chemical stability. Furthermore, the development of superior performance membranes for gas mixture separations requires novel materials with fundamentally different structural, adsorption and transport properties than those …

Adriamycin Nephrotoxicity Is Reduced By Metallothionein Over-Expression And Kidney Gene Expression Is Modified By Diabetes In The Ove26 Diabetic Model., Lu Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is divided into two parts below. Part I Adriamycin (ADR) can produce nephrotoxicity in rodents. The underlying mechanism may relate to ADR induced oxidative stress. In this study, we used transgenic mice (NMT3), which over-expressed the antioxidant protein metallothionein (MT) in podocytes, to study MT's protective potential on ADR nephrotoxicity. Urine and kidney samples were collected from control and transgenic mice at multiple time points after ADR injection, whose results showed that MT transgene alleviated ADR damage by reducing albuminuria, decreasing podocyte loss and protecting podocyte ultra-structure. Part II OVE26 mice are a good model of severe diabetic …

The Social And Cultural Constructions Of The Self-Identity Of White American Corporate Businesswomen In Historiography, Literature, And Popular Culture (1963-1985)., Qin Ma 1974-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this cross-disciplinary dissertation is to explore how the epistemic ruptures, such as WWII and the Second Wave Feminism, change the American society between 1963 and 1985. From a humanistic and historical point of view, it focuses on (l) the "self-identity" of modern white American corporate businesswomen (WACB) between 1963 and 1985, (2) the change of their self-identity in comparison with the historical period between 1920 and 1963, and (3) how their self-identity is socially and culturally constructed by analyzing evidence from 3 disciplines-historiography, literature, and popular culture. The major theories used for the hermeneutic interpretation of the …

Tobacco-Induced Changes To Porphyromonas Gingivalis Gene Expression, Phenotype And Host-Pathogen Interactions., Juhi Bagaitkar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tobacco smoke is a strong and independent risk factor for several chronic systemic diseases and also increases susceptibility to a multitude of bacterial infections, including periodontal infections. Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the supporting tissues of the periodontium caused by its chief etiological agent, Porphyromonas gingivalis . Smokers are more prone to persistent infections by P. gingivalis , and harbor higher numbers of P. gingivalis than non-smokers. However, smokers show reduced clinical signs of inflammation compared to non-smokers, making diagnosis of periodontal disease in smokers problematic. While several studies delineate the different mechanisms of how tobacco smoke alters …

Low-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Modulates Evoked-Gamma Power, Event-Related Potentials, And Behavior In Autism Spectrum Disorders., Joshua Matthias Baruth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Evidence suggests that cortical minicolumns are reduced in size and increased in number in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). More specifically minicolumns in individuals with ASD are narrower and contain less peripheral, neuropil space; this may cause an increase in the ratio of cortical excitation to inhibition and adversely affect the functional distinctiveness of minicolumnar activation. A lack of cortical inhibition may cause signal/sensory amplification which can impair functioning, raise physiological stress, and adversely affect social interaction in patients with ASD. Additionally, the DLPFC forms a circuit interconnected with many areas of …

The Trickster, The Griot, And The Goddess : Optimal Consciousness In The Works Of Ntozake Shange, Kara Walker And India. Arie., Tiffany D. Caesar 1985-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The creative expressions of three black women artists--Ntozake Shange, Kara Walker, and India. Arie--are explored using optimal consciousness-an Afrocentric framework by Linda James Myers. This concept advocates that the role of the artist is to provide art that raises the consciousness of the people. An illustration of optimal consciousness will be demonstrated in their works by using the following criteria presented in the theory: authenticity, the fusion of sacred and secular, and positive interpersonal relationships. The creative works utilized for this analysis are Shange's choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow is Enuf, Walker's silhouette narrative …

Distributed Leadership As A Mediator Of Whole School Reform Strategies For Improvement Planning From Data., Jean Elizabeth Pickup 1954-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines how two schools utilized elements of distributed leadership to implement strategies from a reform intervention for whole school and classroom improvement planning from data. The notion of distributed leadership was refined in a conceptual framework that includes mediating variables of procedures and processes, materials and tools, and norms and rules. Strategies were introduced through a specific intervention for reform, Effective Schools for the 21st Century, based on high reliability organizations and co-construction. It utilized professional development sessions and distributed leadership as a vehicle to implement reform strategies in the schools. This was a qualitative study, analyzed through …

Role Of Eukaryotic Sel-1 Like Repeat Containing Genes In Helicobacter Pylori Evolution And Pathogenesis., Kalyani Putty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Helicobacter pylori (Hp) establishes life-long gastric infection in billions of humans, and is often responsible for diseases such as peptic ulcer and gastric cancer. Cumulative actions of genetic drift and natural selection over several millennia sculpted the present Hp population structure, which is characterized by extreme genetic diversity and striking geographic clustering of genotypes. Natural selection is more commonly imprinted in DNA sequences of Hp proteins that interact with host components; however, in most instances biological relevance of selection during Hp infection remains unknown. Here, I attempted to elucidate the consequence of natural selection in two different contexts: (1) …

The Content And Critical Metaphor Analysis Of Illustrated Print Advertisements In China., Chun Jiang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation takes Chinese advertisements as the research subjects to see in what way a quantifiable large number of advertisements with its metaphorical nature and instrumental mission can reflect social cultural change, in specifics, ideology and identity change of China in the last thirty years by combining four methods of research: content analysis, Critical Discourse Analysis, Conceptual Metaphor Analysis and Pictorial Metaphor Analysis. The dissertation goes through the sign or ad interpretation process of linguistic, semiotic and critical analysis of 300 sample illustrated print advertisements collected from popular and award-winning illustrated print advertisements in Chinese media in the three periods …

The Gorilla And The Cuttlefish., Nick Karl 1982-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The new work I have developed while pursuing my Masters in Art at the University of Louisville is strongly based on the narrative. I have always used the imagery in my work as social commentary. The stories and images I develop are to be viewed as a window on the world through my eyes, but for the first time I have focused on one clear concept. In this case, questioning how we developed from a group of hunter-gatherers scouring the land for survival, to modern consumers, destroying the world around us. In order to facilitate this narrative, I wrote a …

Representations Of Homelessness In Four Canadian Newspapers: Regulation, Control, And Social Order, Barbara Schneider, Kerry Chamberlain, Darrin Hodgetts

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article reports on a content analysis of homelessness representations in four Canadian newspapers: two city broadsheets, one city tabloid, and one national newspaper. Clear differences between the papers emerged showing that in general coverage of homelessness in Calgary was much more positive than coverage in Vancouver. It conveyed a stronger sense of crisis or urgency and a stronger sense of optimism that the problem should and can be solved. Experts dominate public discourse about homelessness, with people who experience homelessness themselves marginalized as speakers. Despite these differences, the four papers present a unified narrative of homelessness in which readers …