Digital Commons Network^™

Variants Of Monoacylglycerol Lipase (Magl) And An Assessment Of A Spectrophotometric Assay For Magl Activity, Nadine Ulloa

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

Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) is the principal enzyme responsible for hydrolysis of the endocannabinoid, 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG). MAGL is universally expressed as a ~33 kDa protein. However, a ~35 kDa form of MAGL is also expressed in brain and testes while being absent in other tissues. Interestingly, the MAGL mRNA sequence contains two putative translation initiation sites upstream of the start codon originally used for MAGL cloning, which may explain the ~35 kDa form. Examination of whole mouse brain and brain region cDNA revealed the presence of three MAGL transcript sequences. These sequences were isolated and characterized in neuronal and non-neuronal cell …

Spiritualism, Science, And Suspense: Theosophy And The Supernatural Adventure Story, Richard Michael Caputo

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

With Darwin's publication of The Origin of the Species in 1859, the validity of the three major Western religions was called into serious question by science. In the wake of the scientific progress, made at breakneck speed in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century, it seemed as if science and spirituality were increasingly becoming mutually exclusive. However, Theosophy, a hybrid science-religion founded by Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky in 1875, sought to reconcile science and the supernatural by using the former to explain the latter. For Blavatsky, the miraculous and the paranormal did not defy scientific explanation; they simply could not be …

Community Life In Nonmetropolitan Nebraska: Current Perceptions And Future Strategies: 2011 Nebraska Rural Poll Results, Rebecca J. Vogt, Randolph L. Cantrell, Bradley Lubben, Connie Reimers-Hild

Publications from the Center for Applied Rural Innovation (CARI)

Recent community level Census data show that most small communities in Nebraska experienced population decline since 2000. However, most of the larger communities experienced population growth during this same time period. Various economic development strategies could be employed by communities to grow their population and economies. Given these conditions, how do rural Nebraskans feel about their community? Are they satisfied with the services provided by their community? Are they planning to move from their community in the next year? Have these views changed over the past sixteen years? How do rural Nebraskans believe various economic development strategies would impact their …

An Investigation Into Segmenting Traffic Images Using Various Types Of Graph Cuts, Jonathan Dinger

All Theses

In computer vision, graph cuts are a way of segmenting an image into multiple areas. Graphs are built using one node for each pixel in the image combined with two extra nodes, known as the source and the sink. Each node is connected to several other nodes using edges, and each edge has a specific weight. Using different weighting schemes, different segmentations can be performed based on the properties used to create the weights. The cuts themselves are performed using an implementation of a solution to the maximum flow problem, which is then changed into a minimum cut according to …

A Middle School One-To-One Laptop Program: The Maine Experience, David L. Silvernail Phd, Caroline A. Pinkham, Sarah E. Wintle, Leanne C. Walker, Courtney L. Bartlett

Education Technology

Over eight years ago, Maine embarked on a bold new initiative. Entitled the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI), this program funded by the State of Maine, provided all 7th and 8th grade students and their teachers with laptop computers, and provided schools and teachers with a wireless internet infrastructure, technical assistance, and professional development for integrating laptop technology into their curriculum and instruction.

The first full implementation of MLTI began in the Fall of the 2002-03 academic year. At the same time the Maine commissioner of education contracted with the Maine Education Policy Research Institute (MEPRI) to conduct the ongoing …

Changes In Geologic Time Understanding In A Class For Preservice Teachers, Rebecca Teed, William Slattery

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

The paradigm of geologic time is built on complex concepts, and students master it in multiple steps. Concepts in Geology is an inquiry-based geology class for preservice teachers at Wright State University. The instructors used the Geoscience Concept Inventory (GCI) to determine if students' understanding of key ideas about geologic time and Earth history changed between the first and last day of the course. For three of the four GCI questions analyzed in this study, the number of correct student responses increased significantly between the pretest and the post-test, indicating that many of the students were learning the concepts being …

Determination Of Freshwater Algal Biomass And Sulfolipid Content As Functions Of Inorganic Carbon Treatment, Melissa Morella

All Theses

Cultures of mixed freshwater algae were grown in open batch reactors made up of modified BG-11 media that contained 0, 25, 50 or 100% of the suggested inorganic carbon content (0, 0.5, 0.1 and 0.2 g/L Na₂CO₃) to assess the subsequent production of the high-value product, sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol (SQDG). After 25 days of growth, the reactors were composed of primarily Oscillatoria growth. All four reactors exhibited a trend of increasing biomass and alkalinity with time, and an initial increase then decrease in pH. The total inorganic carbon (TIC) in all reactors exhibited a mirrored, opposite trend …

Influence Of Environmental Conditions On Biofilm Formation Of Listeria Monocytogenes, Jing Li

All Theses

L. monocytogenes is a Gram-positive bacterium, ubiquitously distributed in the environment. It is the etiologic agent of listeriosis, a food-borne disease affecting humans and a variety of vertebrates. L. monocytogenes can form biofilm which is a multi-cellular layer of adherent bacteria surrounded by an extracellular polysaccharide matrix. Biofilm bacteria are extremely resistant to sanitizers and are difficult to be eradicated, therefore posing a big challenge to food processing industry and food service department.
In this work, we tested the biofilm formation in a number of L. monocytogenes serotypes under different environmental conditions, such as temperatures, pH and media (BHI, LB, …

Number, Numbers Everywhere! But Whatever Do I Think? 1st Grade Numerical Fluency, Audrey Tan

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This unit is designed as a beginning of the year math unit. Students will have had exposure to number recognition, counting, and patterns.

The unit is designed to help students explore and gain confidence with numbers to 100. Students will understand the relationship between numbers and build a foundation for estimation. They will count, compare, and order numbers. Students will discuss the abundance of numbers that they encounter in their everyday lives and the importance of being able to count accurately.

Throughout the unit students will develop their numerical fluency through games and hands on activities. The unit is centered …

Animal Habitats, Beth Morrow, Anne Peppers

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This unit addresses the Texas Pre-Kindergarten Guideline “Child recognizes, observes, and discusses the relationship of organisms to their environments” (SCVIB3). At the conclusion of this unit, students will know that animals and humans depend on plants and vocabulary related to animal habitats (ie: nest, cave). They will be able to investigate organisms in their natural environments and describe and explain animal behaviors.

Life Is Like A Rollercoaster (Physics), Michelle Hockley

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

The main goal of this unit is for students to formulate a basic understanding of the mechanical physics concepts of force, work, motion and energy. Simple machines were examined in elementary school science so a review of these concepts is included in the unit. Then force, work, motion and energy are introduced with emphasis on lab work during which students will take the information and apply it.

The final assessment of the unit is a performance task in which students will independently design and create a rollercoaster with the requirements that it must be fun, safe and educational. The educational …

Extreme Makeover: Country Edition, Susanna Pierce

Understanding by Design: Complete Collection

This capstone unit in an AP Macroeconomics course pushes students to critically apply the economic skills gained from the semester into practice. As representatives of an NGO, students create a proposal for the World Bank that demonstrates why their development project will stimulate economic growth in their assigned region of the world; ultimately, students will strive to convince the members to subsidize the implementation of this specific project.

In the four-week unit, students will discover the strategies of economic development. First, they will be exposed to shocking statistics and economic indicators that reveal the gravity of poverty worldwide. These numbers …

Senate Bill (A) 52-009 World Watch Animals Kids Earth, University Of South Florida. Student Government Senate

Legislative Branch Publications

Appropriation of Activity and Service Funds for the World Watch Animals Kids Earth Student Organization.

Student Organization Handbook, 2011-2012, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg. Department Of Student Life And Engagement

Student Handbooks

The student organization handbook for the University of South Florida St. Petersburg for the 2011-2012 academic year.

Predator Recognition In The Brown Mouse Lemur (Microcebus Rufus): Experiments In Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar, Anja M. Deppe

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

It is well established that predator avoidance is an important selective force shaping animal behavior. Much has been written on predation in diurnal primates, but almost nothing is known about predator-prey interactions in nocturnal primates. Even though there has been evidence to the contrary, it is widely accepted that nocturnal primates, in contrast to diurnal species, are limited to indirect anti-predation strategies. To investigate whether nocturnal primates make risk assessments based on direct predator cues, I conducted field and laboratory experiments with wild brown mouse lemurs (Microcebus rufus) in the rainforest of Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar, over a four year …

Medically-Derived I-131 As A Tracer In Aquatic Environments, Paula S. Rose

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

Medically-derived 131I (half-life = 8.04 d) has been measured in aquatic environments receiving sewage effluent discharges, yet few published data exist for the radioisotope in sewage effluent; most work has focused on sewage sludge. This work presents 131I concentrations detected in sewage effluent from a small water pollution control plant (WPCP) serving a regional thyroid cancer treatment facility in Stony Brook, NY, USA. The concentrations detected in the Stony Brook WPCP ranged from 1.8 ± 0.3 to 227 ± 2 Bq L-1 in sewage effluent and 61 ± 12 to 2801 ± 32 Bq g-1 in suspended solids > 0.7 Μm …

Duration Of Reambulation Phases As A Modulator Of The Detrimental Impact Of Multiple Disuse Exposures On The Skelton, Surabhi Vijayaraghavan

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

The detrimental effects of unloading on bone have been well-documented. Bone loss experienced by astronauts and bedrest patients can be as high as 3% per month. To design effective countermeasures without significant side-effects, the mechanisms by which unloading reduces tissue quantity and quality need to be understood. To this end, this study investigated whether the length of the reambulation period between successive exposures to unloading can mitigate, at least in part, the detrimental impact on the musculoskeletal system. A genetically diverse adult female mouse population (F2 of BALB/cByJ x C3H/HeJ) was chosen to generalize findings across individuals with distinct genetic …

Settlement And Site Location In The Middle And Upper Paleolithic Of The Vç¸Zçùre Valley, France, Matthew L. Sisk

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

Human settlement is guided by a suite of economic and social decisions. Hunter- gatherer populations are not restricted by extensive ownership and often focus settlement on important resources. Analysis of settlement patterns left by these groups reveals key information about subsistence and sociality. Patterning among modern groups is extremely varied and represents a dynamic and adaptable land-use strategy. The antiquity of this adaptability is unknown, but comparisons with the patterns left by other hominin species often show it as a derived trait of Homo sapiens However, most of these settlement models are built at a species-level resolution and encompass great …

Development Of A Simultaneous Pet-Mri Breast Scanner, Bosky Ravindranath

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

Imaging techniques have played a major role in the diagnosis, treatment and management of breast cancer. A signicant drop in mortality rates among breast cancer patients was observed over the past decade and this has been attributed primarily to widespread screening programs using X-ray mammography. As we advance our knowledge of this disease and move towards more tailored treatment options, it has become apparent that there is a need for more advanced and dedicated imaging techniques that will allow for more thorough evaluation of the disease non-invasively. To address this need, a simultaneous PET-MRI breast scanner was built. Positron emission …

The Third Covenant: People, Animals, And Land In The Jewish And Christian Scriptures, David Dillard-Wright

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Fisheries Occasional Publication No.99 - Review Of The Western Australian Rock Lobster Stock Assessment, Andre E. Punt, Department Of Fisheries Western Australia

Fisheries Occasional Publications

In 2000, the West Australian Rock Lobster (WRL) fishery became the first fishery in the world to be certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). At the annual audit in December 2010, the MSC’s independent certifying body, Scientific Certification Systems, set a number of conditions for ongoing certification. The most important condition under Principle 1, Stock Assessment, was to have an international stock assessment and modelling expert undertake a review of the latest version of the WRL Stock Assessment Report that has been used to provide advice for the management of the fishery, and 2010 stock assessment and 2010/11 management …

Visionary Fall 2011, College Of Optometry

Visionary

No abstract provided.

Technology Use In The Middle School Mathematics Classroom, Heather Prestegord

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This paper will examine the outcomes of using technology in middle school mathematics. The author will find research on how implementing technology affects students’ ability to learn mathematics. The author will also analyze if teachers are incorporating technology effectively and how teachers can be better equipped to successfully use technology in the middle school mathematics classroom.

Origin Of Amphibian And Avian Chromosomes By Fission, Fusion, And Retention Of Ancestral Chromosomes, Stephen R. Voss, D. Kevin Kump, Srikrishna Putta, Nathan Pauly, Anna Reynolds, Rema J. Henry, Saritha Basa, John A. Walker, Jeramiah J. Smith

Biology Faculty Publications

Amphibian genomes differ greatly in DNA content and chromosome size, morphology, and number. Investigations of this diversity are needed to identify mechanisms that have shaped the evolution of vertebrate genomes. We used comparative mapping to investigate the organization of genes in the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), a species that presents relatively few chromosomes (n = 14) and a gigantic genome (>20 pg/N). We show extensive conservation of synteny between Ambystoma, chicken, and human, and a positive correlation between the length of conserved segments and genome size. Ambystoma segments are estimated to be four to 51 times longer than homologous …

The Effect Of Language On Economic Behavior: Evidence From Savings Rates, Health Behaviors, And Retirement Assets, Keith M. Chen

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Languages differ widely in the ways they encode time. I test the hypothesis that languages that grammatically associate the future and the present, foster future-oriented behavior. This prediction arises naturally when well-documented effects of language structure are merged with models of intertemporal choice. Empirically, I find that speakers of such languages: save more, retire with more wealth, smoke less, practice safer sex, and are less obese. This holds both across countries and within countries when comparing demographically similar native households. The evidence does not support the most obvious forms of common causation. I discuss implications for theories of intertemporal choice.

Inhibition Of Neutrophil Apoptosis By Pai-1, Jaroslaw W. Zmijewski, Hong Beom Bae, Jessy S. Deshane, Cynthia B. Peterson, David D. Chaplin, Edward Abraham

Faculty Publications

Increased circulating and tissue levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) are often present in severe inflammatory states associated with neutrophil activation and accumulation and correlate with poor clinical outcome from many of these conditions. The mechanisms by which PAI-1 contributes to inflammation have not been fully delineated. In the present experiments, we found that addition of PAI-1 to neutrophil cultures diminished the rate of spontaneous and TNFrelated apoptosis-inducing ligand-induced apoptotic cell death. The effects of PAI-1 on cell viability were associated with activation of antiapoptotic signaling pathways, including upregulation of PKB/Akt, Mcl-1, and Bcl-xL. Although urokinase-plasminogen activator receptor, lipoprotein …

Role Of Ph In A Nitric Oxide-Dependent Increase In Cytosolic Cl - In Retinal Amacrine Cells, Emily Mcmains, Evanna Gleason

Faculty Publications

Nitric oxide (NO) synthase-expressing neurons are found throughout the vertebrate retina. Previous work by our laboratory has shown that NO can transiently convert inhibitory GABAergic synapses onto cultured retinal amacrine cells into excitatory synapses by releasing Cl - from an internal store in the postsynaptic cell. The mechanism underlying this Cl -release is currently unknown. Because transport of Cl - across internal membranes can be coupled to proton flux, we asked whether protons could be involved in the NO-dependent release of internal Cl -. Using pH imaging and whole cell voltage-clamp recording, we addressed the relationship between cytosolic pH and …

Identification Of Cytochrome P450 2c2 Protein Complexes In Mouse Liver, Bin Li, Peter Yau, Byron Kemper

Faculty Publications

Interactions of microsomal cytochromes P450 (CYPs) with other proteins in the microsomal membrane are important for their function. In addition to their redox partners, CYPs have been reported to interact with other proteins not directly involved in their enzymatic function. In this study, proteins were identified that interact with CYP2C2 in vivo in mouse liver. Flag-tagged CYP2C2 was expressed exogenously in mouse liver and was affinity purified, along with associated proteins which were identified by MS and confirmed by Western blotting. Over 20 proteins reproducibly copurified with CYP2C2. The heterogeneous sedimentation velocity of CYP2C2 and associated proteins by centrifugation in …

Some Low Homogenization Pressures Improve Certain Probiotic Characteristics Of Yogurt Culture Bacteria And Lactobacillus Acidophilus La-K1, T. Muramalla, K. J. Aryana

Faculty Publications

Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus, Streptococcus salivarius ssp. thermophilus, and Lactobacillus acidophilus are dairy cultures widely used in the manufacture of cultured dairy products. Commonly used homogenization pressures in the dairy industry are 13.80 MPa or less. It is not known whether low homogenization pressures can stimulate bacteria to improve their probiotic characteristics. Objectives were to determine the effect of homogenization at 0, 3.45, 6.90, 10.34, and 13.80 MPa on acid tolerance, bile tolerance, protease activity, and growth of L. delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus LB-12, S. salivarius ssp. thermophilus ST-M5, and L. acidophilus LA-K. The cultures were individually inoculated in cool autoclaved …

The University Of New Orleans Mitigation Plan For The University's Off-Campus Locations, Uno-Chart

CHART Publications

No abstract provided.