Digital Commons Network^™

Interplay Between Francisella Tularensis And Hepatocytes, Huaixin Zheng

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

Francisella tularensis is the bacterial cause of tularemia and has been designated as a potential bioweapon due to its high infectivity and virulence. F. tularensis infects the liver of its mammalian hosts and replicates in hepatocytes, the major cells of the liver, both in vivo and in vitro. However, the factors that govern adaptation of F. tularensis to the intra-hepatocytic niche have not been identified. Using cDNA microarrays, we determined the transcriptional profile of the live vaccine strain (LVS) of F. tularensis growing in the FL83B murine hepatocytic cell line. Expression of 53 genes was up-regulated more than 2-fold compared …

Signaling Interactions During Early Zebrafish Development, Fatma Olcay Kok

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

During early embryonic development, a collection of mechanisms regulate the formation of complex structures by temporally and spatially controlling cell fate decisions. This control is largely mediated by intercellular signaling pathways and secreted molecules. In this dissertation, I studied the molecular mechanisms regulating two important patterning processes, somitogenesis and neurogenesis, during vertebrate development. Somitogenesis is a highly controlled process which segments the mesoderm and outlines the vertebrate body axis. The Notch pathway is vital for the regulation of synchronized gene expression while FGF signaling regulates the ability of presomitic mesoderm to mature and form segment boundaries. It is important to …

Imperial Education And The Crisis Of Political Leadership In Postcolonial Kenya, Mwangi D. Njagi

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

This dissertation examines how imperial education contributed to the crisis of Kenya's postcolonial political leadership. It argues that the system of education inaugurated by the agents of European imperialism, having banished imaginative political leadership of pre-colonial African society and embedded itself as the superior alternative, fashioned African political elite who could not be relied upon to spearhead modernization of their societies. Instead, these elite became more adroit at preserving the same instruments of colonial state that had been used to subjugate Africans. The study reassesses our understanding of colonial education in the context of African colonialism, showing that the common …

Characterization Of Intracranial Pulsatility In A Rat Model Of Communicating Hydrocephalus: An Mri And Two-Photon Microscopy Study, Shams Rashid

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

Introduction Communicating hydrocephalus (CH) is a severe neurodegenerative disorder characterized by an increased volume of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within enlarged cerebral ventricles. Previous studies have found that pulsatile CSF flow in the human cerebral aqueduct is elevated in CH, and have suggested that the causes of CH may be related to this increased pulsatility, as opposed to the traditionally accepted view of CSF malabsorption at the arachnoid villi. However, this has yet to be proven. In this dissertation, our goal was to investigate the significance of elevated aqueductal pulsatility in CH. We hypothesized that pulsatile CSF flow is a significant …

Human Enteric Viruses In Recreational Coastal Waters, Alexandra Valdes Wochinger

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

Human enteric viruses (HEV) are recognized by the CDC as common etiological agents for waterborne outbreaks and they have been detected in recreational waters in the US and around the world. Current concentration and detection methods present challenges to study of HEV in coastal waters and have prevented the routine monitoring of HEV in recreational or shellfish harvesting waters. In this dissertation, various methods of concentrating viruses from water were investigated. A two-step viral concentration method that included viral adsorption-elution and ultrafiltration was found to be effective for the concentration of total viruses and improved detection limits for HEV in …

A Correlated Behavioral And Biochemical Analysis Investigating Gonadal Influence On Prefrontal Cortical Function Through Modulation Of Nmda Receptor Trafficking, Surya Bhamidipaty

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

Neuronal activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) underlies working memory processes in the brain. Reports have suggested critical roles for gonadal steroid modulation of this PFC function in adult male rats (Kritzer et al 2007), yet the exact mechanisms have yet to be defined. Given the clinical implications of male PFC vulnerability with schizophrenia, this is an important question to be addressed. This thesis seeks to gain insight as to whether hormone control over NMDA-receptor mediated glutamate signaling may be part of the way hormones influence the PFC's complex operations. This will be accomplished in interrelated studies using gonadally intact …

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Symptoms And Its Relationship To Corticosteroid Dysregulation, Michelle Bylicky

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

Stress is the subjective experience of encountering or being affected by psychological or physical threats. Depending on the situation and the individual's ability to adapt to the particular event will affect how the individual continues to function. Memory can be both adaptive and maladaptive to the individual recovering from the stress of the event. It is known that part of successful adaptation is remembering the important events of a trauma in order to better decide how to react in possible, similar future events. However, certain individuals can develop Post traumatic Stress disorder (PTSD) as a response to an event. PTSD …

Hablo Por Mi Diferencia The Rebirth Of Lemebel From Los Incontables To Manifiesto, Maria Celleri

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

All of Lemebel's works have been studied, analyzed, and critiqued, while Los incontables has been either forgotten or unheard of, which is why I attempt a queer reading of these texts. This investigation reaches beyond a need to "rescue" more of Lemebel's works than he has chosen to do by himself; they are analyzed as destabilizing tools of subversion. At the same time, a reworking of Lemebel's stories written and published during Pinochet's dictatorship gives testament to a form of memory hitherto little explored, one that rewrites the official story of the military regime of Chile from the perspective of …

Nanoscale Metal - Organic Ligand Interactions For Applications In Environmental Remediation And Catalysis, Prashant Kumar Jha

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

Ever since the proposal of correct structure of CoCl3*6NH3 by Alfred Werner in 1893 the field of coordination chemistry has only grown and has become the center of chemical science owing to wide ranging applications in the fields of catalysis, medicine, biochemistry and organometallic chemistry. This dissertation deals with novel application of coordination chemistry from three different perspectives. The first explores the fate of a known contaminant (uranyl ion) in ground water with natural organic matter (NOM) using simple analogous aromatic and aliphatic molecules (catechol and oxalic acid). It was found that not only the immediate complex formed, long term …

Emotion And The Work Of Writing: The Making Of Modern Literature In Media History, Wentao Jiang

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

This dissertation investigates a history of representation of emotions in the British long eighteenth century and in the context of a rising textual culture. I do so by tracing the trope of sympathy, which is pervasive in eighteenth-century writings such as aesthetic treatises, moral philosophy, and Romantic poetry. Sympathy builds sociality through the communication of feelings and is enacted in the practices of reading, writing and representation, all of which were changing drastically as everyday life was increasingly saturated with textual media. In the process, individual emotions have to be "flattened" (Adam Smith's word) so as to be communicable, while …

Mechanism Of Yopj-Induced Cell Death And Capase-1 Activation In Macrophages Infected With Yersinia, Ying Zheng

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

Pathogenic Yersinia species encode a Type III Secretion System (T3SS) that translocates a group of effectors termed as Yersinia outer proteins (Yops) into target cells to disrupt eukaryotic host signaling pathways. YopJ is an acetyltransferase, which prevents MAP Kinase Kinase (MKK) and I?ÂB Kinase ? (IKK? ) phosphorylation and activation and causes Toll like receptor 4 (TLR4)-directed apoptosis in macrophages. YopJ isoforms encoded by different Yersinia strains exhibit a range of cytotoxic activities. In previous work, a YopJ isoform in Y. pestis strain KIM5 (YopJKIM) was shown to cause enhanced cytotoxicity, caspase-1 activation and interleukin-1? (IL-1? ) release in infected …

Aimé Césaire : Un Être De Papier Dans Le Roman Antillais Contemporain, Édouard Mokwe

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

This paper aims to scrutinize various aspects in which Aimé Césaire is represented in the Caribbean novel as a personage, on the basis of Théorie et fiction by Milagros Ezquerro. We discover that, because of the great halo and notoriety of the eminent cultural and political figure that he was, Aimé Césaire has been put on stage by several Caribbean novelists. So Césaire has become a literary material, as well as a theme with various patterns.

The Blend Of Traditional And Modern Medicine: Case Studies From Latin America As Lessons For The United States, Jessica Worley

World Languages, Literatures and Cultures Undergraduate Honors Theses

Through the examination of the interactions between modern and alternative healthcare practices in five Latin American countries (Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Mexico, and Cuba), this thesis explores the strengths of a variety of indigenous medical practices while laying the foundation for building bridges to the modern medical establishment in the United States as a means to benefit the health of both immigrants and native citizens.

Redemption Of A Common Life, Blythe L. Hunt

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Caudill College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts by Blythe L. Hunt in December of 2011.

Land Systems Of The Kimberley Region, Western Australia, A L. Payne, N Schoknecht

Technical Bulletins

The Land Systems of the Kimberley Region Report describes and maps the landscapes, soils and vegetation of the Kimberley region. This report is a consolidation of surveys carried out by different organisations, across different areas of the Kimberley, since the 1940s. The Kimberley region, as defined in this bulletin, covers 330 070km². The report categorises the Kimberley region into 111 land systems. Under each land system, the report identifies the vulnerabilities of those areas, and provides recommendations on how to achieve sustainable use. The report also publishes pasture types for the entire region and the grazing potential for each pasture, …

Bacterial Interactions Of Inoculated Price's Potato Bean (Apios Priceana): A Biological Study, Rhonda Walker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Apios priceana is a native endangered species plant found in the Southeast United States. It is characterized as a leguminous species that bears wisteria like clusters with pea like flowers, a large tuberous root and four to six inch long seed pods. It is believed the Native Americans and early European settlers relied on this species as a source of protein and utilized the seeds for cultivation of the tuberous “potato” which formed. Apios priceana contains an average of 13% fiber, 6.9% protein, 71% carbohydrate and 9 of the 11 essential amino acids needed in human diets (Walter et al.,1986). …

Dayton Lawyer, Winter 2011-12, University Of Dayton

Dayton Lawyer

No abstract provided.

Stock Assessment For The Shark Bay Scallop Fishery, Mervi Kangas, Errol Brown, Marie Shanks, Arani Chandrapavan, Adrian Thomson

Fisheries Research Reports

The Shark Bay scallop fishery is based on a single species Amusium balloti and is the most valuable scallop fishery (AUD 10-57 million) in Western Australia. This species is short-lived, has fast growth and highly variable recruitment which is primarily environmentally driven. The scallop fishery consists of two classes of licences, A and B. There are fourteen Licensed Fishing Boats with A Class licences that target scallops and account for approximately 70% of the catch. There are twenty-seven Class B licences, which primarily fish for prawns (in the Shark Bay Prawn Managed Fishery) with scallops a secondary target species. Restructuring …

Physicochemical And Microbiological Quality Of Water From A Pilot Domestic Rainwater Harvesting Facility In Ireland., Sean O'Hogain, Liam Mccarton, Niamh Mcintyre, Jenny Pender, Anna Reid

Articles

DTC Research Group, Dublin Institute of Technology personnel were commissioned in 2005 by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in Ireland to assess the feasibility of utilising harvested rainwater to replace treated mains water, for non-potable uses. A pilot project was set up. The project involved the design, installation, commissioning and monitoring of rainwater harvesting facilities in a rural housing development. A monitoring program was carried out to examine the physico-chemical and microbiological quality of the harvested rainwater. Harvested rainwater was sampled monthly and tested. Analysis of the harvested rainwater quality showed a consistently high quality of raw …

A Comparison Of Current Anuran Monitoring Methods With Emphasis On The Accuracy Of Automatic Vocalization Detection Software, Jacob Douglas Eldridge

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Currently, a variety of methods are available to monitor anurans, and little standardization of methods exists. New methods to monitor anurans have become available over the past twenty years, including PVC pipe arrays used for tree frog capture and Automated Digital Recording Systems (ADRS) used to remotely monitor calling activity. In addition to ADRS, machine-learning computer software, automated vocalization recognition software (AVRS), has been developed to automatically detect vocalizations within digital sound recordings. The use of a combination of ADRS and AVRS shows the promise to reduce the number of people, time, and resources needed for an effective call survey …

Multiple Storm Event Impacts On Epikarst Storage And Transport Of Organic Soil Amendments In South-Central Kentucky, Sean M. Vanderhoff

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The groundwater in agricultural karst areas is susceptible to contamination from organic soil amendments and pesticides. During major storm events during 2011, dye traces were initiated using sulphorhodamine-B, fluorescein and eosine in a groundwater recharge area where manure was applied to the ground. Fecal coliform samples were collected from significant storm events from January-September 2011. Water samples and geochemical data were collected every four hours before, during, and between the storm events from a waterfall in Crumps cave flowing from the known recharge area to track the transport and residence time of the epikarst water and organic soil amendments during …

Scopophobia, Kristin Eller

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

[First paragraph of Preface]

I set out to write an essay three years ago that started with the line “I always find God in the bathroom—don’t ask me why,” which is entirely true and says so much while explaining so little. Within a page and a half I briefly introduced a scene, a memory,where I had sequestered myself in a toilet stall in the bathroom on my sorority’s dorm floor at Eastern Kentucky University. I mentioned the scenario—I was hiding from a serial rapist who, for some reason, decided I’d be a good target—in just a few paragraphs and moved …

Effects Of Synthetic Cortical Bone Thickness And Force Vector Application On Temporary Anchorage Device Pull-Out Strength As Related To Clinical Perspectives Of Practicing Orthodontists, Ira Rothstein

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

December 2011.

A thesis submitted to the College of Dental Medicine of Nova Southeastern University of the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry.

Background: Temporary anchorage devices (TADs) provide a versatile means by which orthodontic anchorage can be established without the need for patient compliance and complex force systems. Their use is predicated on their ability to remain stable throughout the course of treatment in which they are needed. This has been shown to be the result of "primary stability" which is achieved through mechanical interlocking of the screw threads with the surrounding bone immediately upon placement. Therefore, evaluating …

Lack Of Fire Has Limited Physiological Impact On Old-Growth Ponderosa Pine In Dry Montane Forests Of North-Central Idaho, Eric Keeling, Anna Sala, Thomas H. Deluca

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Reduced frequency of fire in historically fire-adapted ecosystems may have adverse effects on ecosystem structure, function, and resilience. Lack of fire increases stand density and promotes successional replacement of seral dominant trees by late-successional, more shade-tolerant species. These changes are thought to increase competition for limited resources among trees and to increase physiological stress of dominant, fire-adapted species. However, there has been little effort to directly investigate effects of lack of fire on the physiological status of old trees, especially in unlogged, protected forests. At four remote sites in the Selway-Bitterroot region of Idaho, we tested whether the physiological status …

Skeletal Muscle Function, Morphology, And Biochemistry In Ts65dn Mice: A Model Of Down Syndrome, Patrick Michael Cowley

Exercise Science - Dissertations

A common clinical observation of persons with Down syndrome at all developmental stages is hypotonia and generalized muscle weakness. The cause of muscle weakness in Down syndrome is not known and there is an immediate need to establish an acceptable animal model to explore the muscle dysfunction that is widely reported in the human population. Using a combination of functional, histological, and biochemical analyses this dissertation provides the initial characterization of skeletal muscle from the Ts65Dn mouse, a model of Down syndrome. The experiments revealed that Ts65Dn muscle over-expresses SOD1 protein but this did not lead to oxidative stress. Ts65Dn …

49th Conference On Senior Engineering Design, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

Senior Engineering Design Conference

The 49th Conference on Senior Engineering Design Projects was held on December 6, 2011 at the College of Engineering and applied Sciences on the Parkview Campus of Western Michigan University. The college sponsors the conference to showcase the work of its graduating seniors, who are required to complete a capstone project that puts into practice what they have learned. Many of the projects are sponsored by business and industry.

Immunization With Porphyromonas Gingivalis Enolase Induces Autoimmunity To Mammalian Α-Enolase And Arthritis In Dr4-Ie-Transgenic Mice, Andrew J. Kinloch, Saba Alzabin, William Brintnell, Elizabeth Wilson, Lillian Barra, Natalia Wegner, David A. Bell, Ewa Cairns, Patrick J. Venables

Bone and Joint Institute

Objective To examine the hypothesis that the subset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) characterized by antibodies to citrullinated α-enolase is mediated by Porphyromonas gingivalis enolase in the context of DR4 alleles. Methods Recombinant human α-enolase and P gingivalis enolase, either citrullinated or uncitrullinated, were used to immunize DR4-IE-transgenic mice and control mice (class II major histocompatibility complex-deficient [class II MHC -/-] and C57BL/6 wild-type mice). Arthritis was quantified by measurement of ankle swelling in the hind paws and histologic examination. Serum IgG reactivity with α-enolase and citrullinated α-enolase was assayed by Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antibodies to peptide …

Specific Contributions Of Ventromedial, Anterior Cingulate, And Lateral Prefrontal Cortex For Attentional Selection And Stimulus Valuation., Daniel Kaping, Martin Vinck, R Matthew Hutchison, Stefan Everling, Thilo Womelsdorf

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Attentional control ensures that neuronal processes prioritize the most relevant stimulus in a given environment. Controlling which stimulus is attended thus originates from neurons encoding the relevance of stimuli, i.e. their expected value, in hand with neurons encoding contextual information about stimulus locations, features, and rules that guide the conditional allocation of attention. Here, we examined how these distinct processes are encoded and integrated in macaque prefrontal cortex (PFC) by mapping their functional topographies at the time of attentional stimulus selection. We find confined clusters of neurons in ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) that predominantly convey stimulus valuation information during attention shifts. …

A General Target For Mvps: Unsupported And Unnecessary, Curtis H. Flather, Gregory D. Hayward, Steven R. Beissinger, Philip A. Stephens

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

In a recent article in TREE [1], we reviewed evidence for a consistent standardized estimate of minimum viable populations (MVPs) across taxa [2–4] and found that the universal MVP of 5000 adults advocated by Traill et al. [5] was unsupported by reanalyses of their data. We identified shortcomings in the original analyses, and found substantial uncertainty in standardized MVP estimates, both within populations of the same species and among species. We concluded that neither data nor theory supported a generally applicable MVP.

No evidence refuting the technical problems that we identified in their original analyzes was presented by Brook …

Son Of A Thousand Fathers, Colter Patterson Cruthirds

Dissertations

The following collection, which explores the often tenuous relationships between fathers and sons, was written by the author between 2008-2011.