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2011

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C.Elegans Host Cell Factor (Cehcf) Associates With Sir-2.1 To Mediate Target Specificity Of Daf-16 And Lifespan, Yao Yao Aug 2011

C.Elegans Host Cell Factor (Cehcf) Associates With Sir-2.1 To Mediate Target Specificity Of Daf-16 And Lifespan, Yao Yao

All Theses

The programmed aging process, controlled by a complex gene network, exists in all living organisms. In past decades, studies on the model organism, the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), have revealed some highly conserved molecular pathways involved in lifespan regulation. After entering nucleus, DAF-16 cooperates with corresponding cofactors to achieve its specificity and triggers the transcription of certain subsets of its targets. Here we report that a novel DAF-16 co-factor CeHCF (C.elegans Host Cell Factor) mediate lifespan by regulating NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase, SIR-2.1.
Lifespan assay using Cehcf RNAi revealed that the lifespan extension caused by loss of Cehcf could …


Extracting Depth Information From Stereo Vision System, Using A Correlation And A Feature Based Methods, Mahmoud Abdelhamid Aug 2011

Extracting Depth Information From Stereo Vision System, Using A Correlation And A Feature Based Methods, Mahmoud Abdelhamid

All Theses

This thesis presents a new method to extract depth information from stereo-vision acquisitions using a feature and a correlation based approaches. The main implementation of the proposed method is in the area of Autonomous Pick & Place, using a robotic manipulator. Current vision-guided robotics are still based on a priori training and teaching steps, and still suffer from long response time.
The study uses a stereo triangulation setup where two Charged Coupled Devices CCDs are arranged to acquire the scene from two different perspectives. The study discusses the details of two methods to calculate the depth; firstly a correlation matching …


Electrokinetic Transport And Manipulation Of Particles In Curved Microchannels, Junjie Zhu Aug 2011

Electrokinetic Transport And Manipulation Of Particles In Curved Microchannels, Junjie Zhu

All Dissertations

The investigation of electrokinetic particle transport in confined microchannels has practical significances in a variety of applications ranging from traditional gel electrophoresis to electrokinetic microfluidics-based lab-on-a-chip devices. To date, however, studies on particle electrokinetics have been limited to primarily theoretical or numerical analyses in straight microchannels of simple geometries. Very little work has been done on electrokinetic particle motions in real microchannels which usually consist of one or multiple turns. This thesis is dedicated to the fundamental and applied studies of electrokinetic transport and manipulation of particles in various curved microchannels using a combined experimental, theoretical, and numerical method.
First, …


Bridging The Gap Between Structures And Properties: An Investigation And Evaluation Of Students' Representational Competence, Sonia Underwood Aug 2011

Bridging The Gap Between Structures And Properties: An Investigation And Evaluation Of Students' Representational Competence, Sonia Underwood

All Dissertations

The heart of learning chemistry is the ability to connect a compound's structure to its function; Lewis structures provide an essential link in this process. In many cases, their construction is taught using an algorithmic approach, containing a set of step-by-step rules. We believe that this approach is in direct conflict with the precepts of meaningful learning. From a sequential, mixed methods study, we found that students have much difficulty constructing these structures and that the step-by-step rules do not make use of students' relevant prior knowledge. This causes students to develop 'home grown' rules when unsure of how to …


Population Genetics And Species Interactions: From Theory To Agro-Ecosystems, Cynthia Climer Aug 2011

Population Genetics And Species Interactions: From Theory To Agro-Ecosystems, Cynthia Climer

All Dissertations

Population genetics is the study of allele frequency distributions and changes due to evolutionary processes such as selection, adaptation, genetic drift and gene flow to understand how these processes impact populations over space and time. Population genetics theory can be utilized to understand not only population level interactions, but also interactions among closely related species. In this dissertation I have utilized population genetics in three conceptually related projects. Utilizing genome-wide gene coding markers, I have tested the impact of population size changes on the genetic diversity of coding genes in a model system (Arabidopsis lyrata subsp. petraea). This study tests …


Semifluorinated Aromatic Ether Polymers Segmented With Polyethylene Glycol (Peg), Dakarai Brown Aug 2011

Semifluorinated Aromatic Ether Polymers Segmented With Polyethylene Glycol (Peg), Dakarai Brown

All Dissertations

Aromatic trifluorovinyl ether (TFVE) monomers are the precursors for perfluorocyclobutyl (PFCB) aryl ether polymers and fluoroethylene/vinylene alkyl/aryl ether (FAE) polymers. PFCB aryl ether polymers are prepared by 2π + 2π cycloaddition of aromatic TFVE monomers. FAE polymers are prepared by nucleophilic addition of dual functional aryl or alkyl alcohols to aryl TFVE monomers. PFCB aryl ether and FAE polymers are amorphous, have excellent processability, high thermal stability, optical clarity, and tunability using a variety of (co)monomers. In this dissertation several novel monomers, polymers, and blends were prepared by incorporation of polyethylene glycol (PEG) or PEG precursors.
Chapter 1 contains the …


Biological And Ecological Responses To Carbon-Based Nanomaterials, Tatsiana Ratnikova Aug 2011

Biological And Ecological Responses To Carbon-Based Nanomaterials, Tatsiana Ratnikova

All Dissertations

Nanotechnology has been undergoing tremendous development in recent decades, driven by realized perceived applications of nanomaterials in electronics, therapeutics, imaging, sensing, environmental remediation, and consumer products. Along with these developments there have been increased evidences that engineered nanomaterials are often associated with hazardous effects they invoke in biological and ecosystems through intentional designs or unintentional discharge. Consequently there is a crucial need for documenting and understanding the interactions between nanoparticles and biological and ecosystems. This dissertation is aimed at bridging such a knowledge gap by examining the biological and ecological responses to carbon nanoparticles, a major class of nanomaterials which …


Investigations Of The Ppi-Dependent Acetate Kinase From The Parasite Entamoeba Histolytica, Matthew Fowler Aug 2011

Investigations Of The Ppi-Dependent Acetate Kinase From The Parasite Entamoeba Histolytica, Matthew Fowler

All Dissertations

Acetate, a short-chain fatty acid that plays a key role in all domains of life, can be utilized as a carbon source or excreted as a product of metabolism. Acetate kinase (ACK), a member of the acetate and sugar kinase-Hsp70-actin (ASKHA) enzyme superfamily, is responsible for the reversible phosphorylation of acetate to acetyl phosphate utilizing ATP as the phosphoryl donor. Acetate kinases are ubiquitous in the Bacteria, found in one genus of Archaea, and are also present in microbes of the Eukarya. A partially purified ACK which can utilize pyrophosphate (PPi) as the phosphoryl donor in the acetyl …


Lentiviral-Mediated Rnai Knockdown Yields A Novel Mouse Model For Studying Cyp2b Function, Basma Damiri Aug 2011

Lentiviral-Mediated Rnai Knockdown Yields A Novel Mouse Model For Studying Cyp2b Function, Basma Damiri

All Dissertations

The Cyp2b subfamily contains five members (Cyp2b9, Cyp2b10, Cyp2b13, Cyp2b19, and Cyp2b23) of which three (Cyp2b9, Cyp2b10, Cyp2b13) are hepatic enzymes involved in xenobiotic detoxification. In this study, we made a Cyp2b-knockdown mouse using lentiviral-promoted shRNA homologous to all five Cyp2b subfamily members in FVB/NJ mouse to characterize Cyp2b's role in xenobiotic detoxification. We assessed the in vivo function of Cyp2bs in the toxicity from pesticides (i.e. parathion) and drugs (i.e. zoxazolamine). We demonstrated that Cyp2b isoforms play a key role in parathion and Zoxazolamine metabolism and toxicity. In addition, we in partially phenotyped and characterized Cyp2b-KD model and assessed …


Effect Of Goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis) On Bacterial Multi Drug Resistant Efflux Pumps, Jyothi Rangineni Aug 2011

Effect Of Goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis) On Bacterial Multi Drug Resistant Efflux Pumps, Jyothi Rangineni

All Dissertations

Multi-Drug Resistance (MDR) efflux pumps have been increasingly reported in Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria. These efflux mechanisms pump out a wide variety of structurally unrelated antimicrobials thus leading to a low susceptibility due to lowered intracellular concentrations. The activity of such antimicrobials can be restored by the inhibition of the multi drug efflux pumps. Several MDR pump inhibitors which inhibit the efflux mechanisms in bacteria have been identified. Reserpine and verapamil are two such inhibitors, showing considerable effect on the MDR pumps. But the concentrations required to achieve these effects are too high to be clinically relevant. Reserpine …


Conjugated Polymers And Inter-Chromophore Interactions: Synthesis, Photophysical Characterization And Application, Anshuman Mangalum Aug 2011

Conjugated Polymers And Inter-Chromophore Interactions: Synthesis, Photophysical Characterization And Application, Anshuman Mangalum

All Dissertations

Ever since the discovery of conducting polymers (CPs)in the late 1970s, organic conjugated materials and polymers is one of the most popular and fascinating research area among the scientists due to the remarkably unique properties and broad range of applications of (CPs), notably organic photovoltaic (OPVs), organic or polymer based light emitting devices (OLEDs / PLEDs), field effect transistors (FETs), nonlinear optical (NLO) devices and sensor for biologically relevant analytes, metal ions and anions. Optical properties of these materials depend on intra / interchromophoric interaction, geometry and relative orientation in space. Detailed study of such materials can also help us …


Influence Of The Postharvest Environment On The Storage Potential And Propagation Performance Of Unrooted Cuttings Of Herbaceous Ornamentals, Amy Enfield Aug 2011

Influence Of The Postharvest Environment On The Storage Potential And Propagation Performance Of Unrooted Cuttings Of Herbaceous Ornamentals, Amy Enfield

All Dissertations

Plants propagated from vegetative cuttings have become an increasingly important market in the United States. Significant economic losses occur annually due to poor performance, damage or death of cuttings. This occurs in large part due to the industry's lack of knowledge of the proper postharvest environments to provide to cuttings. This project was conducted to improve the understanding of the postharvest physiology of unrooted cuttings in order to optimize performance and longevity. Experiments were conducted to quantify the effect of temperature on respiration and ethylene production rates of unrooted cuttings. Additionally, the effect of the stock plant environment on the …


Biohydrogenation Of Docosahexaenoic Acid, Catherine Klein Aug 2011

Biohydrogenation Of Docosahexaenoic Acid, Catherine Klein

All Dissertations

Pathways of docosahexaenoic (DHA) biohydrogenation are not known; however, DHA is metabolized by ruminal microorganisms. The addition of DHA to the rumen alters the fatty acid profile of the rumen and milk and leads to increased trans-18:1 isomers, particularly trans-11 18:1 and 22 carbon fatty acids. This study included four in vitro experiments to identify if these are produced from DHA or if they come from other sources that are affected by DHA. In each experiment, ruminal microorganisms collected from a lactating Holstein cow were incubated in batch cultures for 0, 6, 24, and 48h and a uniformly 13C DHA …


Anticancer Effects Of Red Raspberries On Immune Cells And Blood Parameters, Jannet Romero Aug 2011

Anticancer Effects Of Red Raspberries On Immune Cells And Blood Parameters, Jannet Romero

All Dissertations

There is an abundance of research correlating diets rich in fruits and vegetables to the reduction or prevention of chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Plants extracts have also been claimed to possess antiviral, antibacterial, and immunological properties. This study focused on the in vitro and in vivo effects of a water extract from lyophilized Meeker red raspberries on tumor cell viability and immune parameters. A large number of studies have demonstrated the cytotoxic effect of different fruit juices and extracts against tumor cell lines in vitro. However, studies also show that the blood plasma levels of berry …


Molecular Dynamics Simulations Reveal The Protective Role Of Cholesterol In Β-Amyloid Protein-Induced Membrane Disruptions In Neuronal Membrane Mimics, Liming Qiu, Creighton Buie, Andrew Reay, Mark W. Vaughn, Kwan H. Cheng Aug 2011

Molecular Dynamics Simulations Reveal The Protective Role Of Cholesterol In Β-Amyloid Protein-Induced Membrane Disruptions In Neuronal Membrane Mimics, Liming Qiu, Creighton Buie, Andrew Reay, Mark W. Vaughn, Kwan H. Cheng

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Research

Interactions of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides with neuronal membranes have been associated with the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, the molecular details remain unclear. We used atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the interactions of Aβ40 and Aβ42 with model neuronal membranes. The differences between cholesterol-enriched and depleted lipid domains were investigated by the use of model phosphatidylcholine (PC) lipid bilayers with and without 40 mol % cholesterol. A total of 16 independent 200 ns simulation replicates were investigated. The surface area per lipid, bilayer thickness, water permeability barrier, and lipid order parameter, which are sensitive indicators …


August 2011 Commencement Program, Bowling Green State University Aug 2011

August 2011 Commencement Program, Bowling Green State University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.


The Orienting Of Spatial Attention To Backward Masked Fearful Faces Is Associated With Variation In The Serotonin Transporter Gene, Joshua M. Carlson, Lilianne R. Mujica-Parodi, Eddie Harmon-Jones, Greg Hajcak Aug 2011

The Orienting Of Spatial Attention To Backward Masked Fearful Faces Is Associated With Variation In The Serotonin Transporter Gene, Joshua M. Carlson, Lilianne R. Mujica-Parodi, Eddie Harmon-Jones, Greg Hajcak

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.


Using Discrete Event Computer Simulation To Analyze The Effects Of Proposed Changes To Personnel In A Hospital Medical Laboratory, Gerardo Morales Aug 2011

Using Discrete Event Computer Simulation To Analyze The Effects Of Proposed Changes To Personnel In A Hospital Medical Laboratory, Gerardo Morales

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

A discrete event computer simulation is used to model a portion of the medical laboratory at Doctors Hospital at Renaissance in order to assess the current situation as well as to review the planed personnel changes. The area under observation is the section in which the processor(s) receive, label and distribute the patient samples. There are four cases modeled in the simulation: The main focus is to determine if one or two processors are needed per shift and if the high level of phone calls poses a significant delay to the processors’ workflow. The simulation results indicate that having two …


The First-Integral Method For Duffing-Van Der Pol-Type Oscillator System, Xiaochuan Hu Aug 2011

The First-Integral Method For Duffing-Van Der Pol-Type Oscillator System, Xiaochuan Hu

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

In this thesis, we restrict our attention to nonlinear Duffing–van der Pol–type oscillator system by means of the First-integral method. This system has physical relevance as a model in certain flow-induced structural vibration problems, which includes the van der Pol oscillator and the damped Duffing oscillator etc as particular cases. Firstly we apply the Division Theorem for two variables in the complex domain, which is based on the ring theory of commutative algebra, to explore a quasi-polynomial first integral to an equivalent autonomous system. Then through a certain parametric condition, we derive a more general first integral of the Duffing–van …


Mmp9 Cleavage Of The Β4 Integrin Ectodomain Leads To Recurrent Epithelial Erosions In Mice, Sonali Pal-Ghosh, Tomas Blanco, Gauri Tadvalkar, Ahdeah Pajoohesh-Ganji, Arpitha Parthasarathy, James D Zieske, Mary Ann Stepp Aug 2011

Mmp9 Cleavage Of The Β4 Integrin Ectodomain Leads To Recurrent Epithelial Erosions In Mice, Sonali Pal-Ghosh, Tomas Blanco, Gauri Tadvalkar, Ahdeah Pajoohesh-Ganji, Arpitha Parthasarathy, James D Zieske, Mary Ann Stepp

Anatomy and Regenerative Biology Faculty Publications

Integrin α6β4 is an integral membrane protein within hemidesmosomes and it mediates adhesion of epithelial cells to their underlying basement membrane. During wound healing, disassembly of hemidesmosomes must occur for sheet movement-mediated cell migration. The mechanisms of disassembly and reassembly of hemidesmosomes are not fully understood. The current study was initiated to understand the underlying cause of recurrent corneal erosions in the mouse. Here, we show that in vivo: (1) MMP9 levels are elevated and β4 integrin is partially cleaved in epithelial cell extracts derived from debridement wounded corneas; (2) the β4 ectodomain is missing from sites where erosions develop; …


The Disclosure Process Of An Invisible Stigmatized Identity, Jessica Hudson Aug 2011

The Disclosure Process Of An Invisible Stigmatized Identity, Jessica Hudson

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

This study tested a model of the antecedents to disclosure of an invisible stigmatized identity. The antecedents to disclosure included characteristics of the specific stigma, individual level factors, environmental factors, and perceived consequences of disclosure. Four invisible stigmatized identity types were selected: mental health problems, learning disability, low social class background, and lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB). A total of 254 undergraduate college students completed an on-line survey including questions about the disclosure of their identities and the various proposed predictors to disclosure. The best fitting models included the identity combined model, the mental illness only model, and the LGB …


The Roma Of Romania, Oana Oprean Aug 2011

The Roma Of Romania, Oana Oprean

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

In order to meet the strict conditions of EU membership, Romania was required to undertake drastic reforms in its political and economic systems. European Council in Copenhagen, in June 1993, identified as the Copenhagen Criteria for Memberships: Political Criteria, Economic Criteria and Ability to assume the obligations of membership. However, what the EU failed to do is guide the Eastern European countries along in the process of how they were to fulfill the Copenhagen Criteria.


Beyond The Prototypical: Developing A Behavioral Screening Tool Of Same-Gender Male Intimate Partner Violence., Marco Armando Hidalgo Aug 2011

Beyond The Prototypical: Developing A Behavioral Screening Tool Of Same-Gender Male Intimate Partner Violence., Marco Armando Hidalgo

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

In the United States, intimate partner violence (IPV) is estimated to be among the top three health issues impacting gay and bisexual males. Previous studies of IPV prevalence in this population result in epidemiological inconsistencies largely due to unreliable measurement. Behavioral tools employed in research and in clinical settings often apply a heterosexist and prototypical model to IPV screening; thereby, failing to contextualize occurrences of violence in a same-gender IPV relationship. Despite the estimated impact of IPV among gay/bisexual men, no known literature has attempted to create a behavioral screening tool that accounts for contextual factors in same-gender relationships characterized …


Institutional Data Book 2010-2011, University Of Minnesota, Morris Office Of Institutional Research Aug 2011

Institutional Data Book 2010-2011, University Of Minnesota, Morris Office Of Institutional Research

Institutional Effectiveness and Research Reports

No abstract provided.


Influence Of Vineyard Floor Management Practices On Soil Aggregate Stability, Total Soil Carbon And Grapevine Yield, Kimberly Ellen Adams Aug 2011

Influence Of Vineyard Floor Management Practices On Soil Aggregate Stability, Total Soil Carbon And Grapevine Yield, Kimberly Ellen Adams

Master's Theses

Soil aggregates provide pore spaces of various sizes supplying water, gases and nutrients to plant roots and microorganisms, and facilitate moisture retention and availability. Soil aggregate stability is indicative of soil biological and structural health, and is increased by soil carbon derived from plant roots and the soil microbial biomass. Aggregate stability and soil carbon can be enhanced by increasing organic matter through compost additions or by planting cover crops. Additionally, aggregate stability is enhanced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) that form a symbiotic association with plant roots, and consolidate soil particles into aggregates through hyphal networks and through the …


Genotypic And Phenotypic Variation Of The Florida Scrub Lizard (Sceloporus Woodi), Derek B. Tucker Aug 2011

Genotypic And Phenotypic Variation Of The Florida Scrub Lizard (Sceloporus Woodi), Derek B. Tucker

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In my 1st chapter I investigate the phenotypic variation of the Florida scrub lizard by examining sprinting and jumping ability. These are key performance measures that have been widely studied in vertebrates. The vast majority of these studies, however, use methodologies that lack ecological context by failing to consider the complex habitats many animals live in. Here, I filmed running lizards to address how behavioral and performance strategies change as lizards approach obstacles of varying height. Obstacle size had a significant influence on both behavior (e.g. obstacle crossing strategy, intermittent locomotion) and performance (e.g. sprint speed, jump distance). Researchers should …


Does Sabp2 Exist As A Dimer?, Mir Ashad Hossain Aug 2011

Does Sabp2 Exist As A Dimer?, Mir Ashad Hossain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Salicylic acid binding protein 2 (SABP2) is one of the key enzymes in salicylic acid-dependent plant defense pathway. SABP2 is a 29 kDa protein present in extremely low abundance in plants and it catalyzes the conversion of signaling molecule methyl salicylate into salicylic acid. Although it has been shown that 6x His-tagged SABP2 over expressed in E. coli is a homodimer, its exact conformation in planta is still unknown. Therefore, we proposed to determine if SABP2 exist as a dimer and/or monomer under natural condition. To verify the exact conformation of native SABP2 protein in plant, SABP2 was purified from …


Phylogenetic Analysis Of Serine Proteases From Russell's Viper (Daboia Russelli Siamensis) And Agkistrodon Piscivorus Leucostoma Venom, Pattadon Sukkapan, Ying Jia, Issarang Nuchprayoon, John C. Pérez Aug 2011

Phylogenetic Analysis Of Serine Proteases From Russell's Viper (Daboia Russelli Siamensis) And Agkistrodon Piscivorus Leucostoma Venom, Pattadon Sukkapan, Ying Jia, Issarang Nuchprayoon, John C. Pérez

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Serine proteases are widely found in snake venoms. They have variety of functions including contributions to hemostasis. In this study, five serine proteases were cloned and characterized from two different cDNA libraries: factor V activator (RVV-V), alpha fibrinogenase (RVAF) and beta fibrinogenase (RVBF) from Russell's viper (Daboia russelli siamensis), and plasminogen activator (APL-PA) and protein C activator (APL-C) from Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma. The snake venom serine proteases were clustered in phylogenetic tree according to their functions. KA/KS values suggested that accelerated evolution has occurred in the mature protein coding regions in cDNAs of snake venom …


Tunable Micro-Electro Mechanical Fabry Perot Etalon, Annette Rivas Aug 2011

Tunable Micro-Electro Mechanical Fabry Perot Etalon, Annette Rivas

Theses

Many different devices capable of spectral wavelength collection exist. The device we propose is an array of individually tunable MEMS Fabry Perot etalons capable of scanning from 400nm to 750nm as commanded. Typically when Fabry Perot devices are used additional etalons are placed in series to reject extra modes that would otherwise be passed by a single etalon. The device that is examined rejects the extra modes without the need for an extensive filtering scheme because the optical path length is held to ½ wavelength. The device proposed is thermally actuated. It has been modeled in COMSOL and shows even …


Structural Basis For Sequence Specific Dna Binding And Protein Dimerization Of Hoxa13, Yonghong Zhang, Christine A. Larsen, H. Scott Stadler, James B. Ames Aug 2011

Structural Basis For Sequence Specific Dna Binding And Protein Dimerization Of Hoxa13, Yonghong Zhang, Christine A. Larsen, H. Scott Stadler, James B. Ames

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Chemistry)

The homeobox gene (HOXA13) codes for a transcription factor protein that binds to AT-rich DNA sequences and controls expression of genes during embryonic morphogenesis. Here we present the NMR structure of HOXA13 homeodomain (A13DBD) bound to an 11-mer DNA duplex. A13DBD forms a dimer that binds to DNA with a dissociation constant of 7.5 nM. The A13DBD/DNA complex has a molar mass of 35 kDa consistent with two molecules of DNA bound at both ends of the A13DBD dimer. A13DBD contains an N-terminal arm (residues 324 - 329) that binds in the DNA minor groove, and a C-terminal helix (residues …