Digital Commons Network^™

Radiation In The Space Environment, Sally Hermansen, Jennifer Shatts

Aerospace Engineering

No abstract provided.

Utilizing Fishermen Knowledge And Expertise: Keys To Success For Collaborative Fisheries Research, Noëlle Yochum, Richard M. Starr, Dean Wendt

Biological Sciences

Collaborative fisheries research provides a mechanism for integrating the unique knowledge, experience, and skills of fishermen and scientists. It is a joint intellectual endeavor that begins with the inception of a project and continues until its final stages, with each group having mutual investment in—and ownership of— the project. Collaborative fisheries research promotes communication and trust among fishermen, scientists, and managers and can provide much-needed scientifically valid data for fisheries management. It can enhance federal and state management data collection programs, which span broad sections of coastline, by increasing the ability to detect changes in local metapopulations that may be …

Early Childhood/Child Welfare Priority, Nancy Edick, Samantha K. Ammons, Melissa Cast-Brede, Ann Coyne, Karen Falconer Al-Hindi, Shari Hofschire, Lisa Kelly-Vance, Jay Killion, Sajda Qureshi, Bridget O. Ryalls, Peter Simi, Peter Wolcott

Foundational Documents

This is the executive summary of a white paper that describes the context, current capacity, areas of opportunity, and next steps for the UNO Early Childhood/Child Welfare Priority (ECCW). It responds to the need for comprehensive integrated systems of services designed to give all young children (birth through age eight) access to what they need in the early years to succeed in school and in life. In this context, UNO recognizes ECCW as critical to our metropolitan university mission. Further, we must come together with early childhood service providers, P-12 districts, parents, policy makers, other University of Nebraska campuses, community …

Changes In Spirituality Partly Explain Health-Related Quality Of Life Outcomes After Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction., Jeffrey M Greeson, Daniel M Webber, Moria J Smoski, Jeffrey G Brantley, Andrew G Ekblad, Edward C Suarez, Ruth Quillian Wolever

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a secular behavioral medicine program that has roots in meditative spiritual practices. Thus, spirituality may partly explain Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction outcomes. Participants (N = 279; M (SD) age = 45(12); 75% women) completed an online survey before and after an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis that, following Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, the relationship between enhanced mindfulness and improved health-related quality of life is mediated by increased daily spiritual experiences. Changes in both spirituality and mindfulness were significantly related to improvement in mental health. Although the initial mediation hypothesis …

Suppression Of Phospholipase Dγs Confers Increased Aluminum Resistance In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Xuemin Wang, Jian Zhao, Cunxi Wang, Mohamed Bedair, Ruth Welti, Lloyd Sumner, Ivan Baxter

Biology Department Faculty Works

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is the major stress in acidic soil that comprises about 50% of the world's arable land. The complex molecular mechanisms of Al toxicity have yet to be fully determined. As a barrier to Al entrance, plant cell membranes play essential roles in plant interaction with Al, and lipid composition and membrane integrity change significantly under Al stress. Here, we show that phospholipase Dγs (PLDγs) are induced by Al stress and contribute to Al-induced membrane lipid alterations. RNAi suppression of PLDγ resulted in a decrease in both PLDγ1 and PLDγ2 expression and an increase in Al resistance. Genetic …

Female Social Conventions In The Plays Of Eugene O'Neil, Pamela L. Wells

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

This paper explores the plays of Eugene O'Neill through the eyes social conventions. Social conventions are infused within and influence individuals in all walks of life. Authors, as well, record these social conventions in their writing, either consciously or subconsciously. Studying these social conventions can give us a new perspective of man during different periods of history. In the plays Anna Christie, Desire Under the Elms and Mourning Becomes Electra, Eugene O'Neill's female characters display attributes that stray from what society believes as acceptable behavior for woman. These unwritten rules of behavior I call social conventions. This paper examines the …

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 …

Studies On P53: From Discovery Of Nover Functions To Improving P53-Based Therapies, Angelina Vasileva Vaseva

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

p53 is one of the most important and most frequently mutated tumor suppressors in human cancers and as such has been intensively studied for a long time. p53, which also has roles beyond cancer in normal tissues, is a major orchestrator of the cellular response to a broad array of stress types by regulating apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, senescence, DNA repair and genetic stability. These diverse actions of p53 rely on its function as a transcription factor, as well as on its transcription independent cytosolic functions. An example of transcription independent p53 function is the direct mitochondrial p53 pathway where …

A Figura Of Authenticity: Redefining Authentic Living In Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me, Stacy Marie Mckelvey

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

This essay explores the concept of authenticity in Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Never Let Me Go in relation to the ontologies presented in Martin Heidegger's Being and Time and Jean-Paul Sartre's Being and Nothingness. Through a comparison of the three central characters, I argue that Kathy H. reveals an image of authentic living that reflects Heidegger's and Sartre's philosophies, yet also transcends them. Ishiguro, I argue, reconceives the exigencies of authentic self-creation by creating a protagonist who is able to establish her own existential projects, recognize the relationship between the factical and transcendental aspects of her identity, and accept her death …

Suppressed Home Desires In The Refugee Experience: Literary And Pedagogical Approaches To Letters To Montgomery Clift By No?_L Alumit, Alison Marie Peterman

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

This project will be two -fold; it will examine the use of literary devices in queer diasporic themed literature and it will also include a secondary, pedagogical approach to the literature. The first section will be comprised of a critical analysis of the themes and characters and how these aspects work together. Dominant ideology, particularly heteronormativity in terms of gender and sexuality, is often put under a microscope within these works and by encouraging these works in a secondary education classroom, students will be inspired to question. Diasporic journeys to new home spaces and characters' establishments of (new) identities is …

N- And O-Linked Glycosylation Of Tsr6 Promotes Efficient Secretion Of Adamtsl2, Sharee Danielle Sandler

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

Mutations in ADAMTSL2 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin repeats-like 2) are known to cause secretion defects, leading to geleophysic dysplasia. One mutation, G811R, is within the consensus sequence for O-fucosylation of TSR6. Interestingly, this site also contains an N-glycosylation site. It is not known whether TSR6 is modified with O-fucose or N-glycans. We hypothesized that the secretion defect of the G811R mutation is caused by an alteration in glycosylation of TSR6. Using site directed mutagenesis and secretion assays, we demonstrated that mutations in the predicted N-linked glycosylation site or O-fucosylation site resulted in a significant decrease in protein secretion. …

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 …

Structural And Energetic Determinants Of Function In The Heterotrimeric G-Proteins, Noel Carrascal

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

The heterotrimeric G-proteins are important in signal transduction that triggers important biological functions in cells of living organisms. The use of theoretical models to study these proteins gives additional insight into mechanisms of signal transduction and molecular recognition events in the cell. With that objective in mind, molecular dynamics simulations of a heterotrimeric G-protein reveal structural and energetic differences among the states of its signaling cycle. The simulations are stripped explicit waters and analyzed in search of determinants of function with the help of backbone clustering and continuum electrostatic models such as Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) and generalized-Born (GB). The energies are …

Trans-Translation Dependent Degradation Of Mrnas And Proteins, Zhiyun Ge

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

The translation of mRNAs without in-frame stop codons results in the following problems: the ribosomes are stalled and sequestered on the defective mRNA, the incomplete polypeptides produced are potentially toxic to the cells, and the defective mRNA can result in more futile translational cycles. Bacteria have developed a unique system, called trans-translation to resolve all of the above-mentioned problems. The key players of the trans-translation system are tmRNA and its protein cofactor SmpB. One part of my work showed that the system mediates the degradation of non-stop mRNAs by recruiting RNase R to stalled ribosomes through the interaction between the …

Development Of A Single Photon Detector For Fluorescent Spectrometry, Dmytro Gudkov

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

I present a novel single photon spectrometer and discuss its use for ultra-fast and highly accurate detection of quantum dots and micro-beads encoded with compositions of various types of quantum dots. The spectrometer receives a polychromatic light through a fiber input. The received light undergoes color decomposition by a diffraction grating and is further detected by a 32-channel PMT (Hamamatsu, Japan) operating in single photon counting mode. Due to a novel, highly advanced analog/digital circuitry operating in GHz range, the 32-channel single photon detector has a unique performance: it supports detection of up to 108 photon/s/channel, data acquisition rate at …

Gasb-Based Type-I Diode Lasers Operating At 3 Μm And Above, Takashi Hosoda

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

The ultimate goal of the research is the development of the semiconductor lasers operating at room temperature under continuous wave regime at 3 μm and above. This dissertation focuses on room temperature operated GaSb-based type-I diode lasers. The new device design was proposed to reach desirable laser operation wavelength. Besides employing the compressively strained quantum wells (QWs) in the devices active region, the composition of waveguide and barrier material has been modified to optimize the band offsets between quantum wells and the neighboring layers. The use of quinternary AlGaInAsSb alloys for waveguide and barrier layers, leads to the reduction of …

Model-Based Techniques For Dependable Decision Making In Groups Of Agents Operating Autonomously, Meng Wang

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

Massively distributed embedded systems are rapidly emerging as a key concept for many modern applications. Autonomous agents with mobile sensors are breakthrough concept in technology. However, providing efficient and scalable decision making capabilities to such systems is currently a significant challenge, especially to have flexible strategies with predictable performance in hard-to-predict conditions. My thesis first proposes a goal-oriented model to allow automated synthesis of distributed controllers, which implement and interact through models of different semantics. Scalability of descriptions is realized through defining the nature of interactions that can occur among decision modules while leaving to task of optimally implementing these …

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 …

Assessing The Efficacy Of A Modified Therapeutic Community On The Reduction Of Institutional Write-Ups In A Medium Security Prison, Lee Maglinger

Dissertations

This study explored the impact a modified Therapeutic Community (TC) had on reducing institutional disorder as documented by institutional write-ups. Substance abuse treatment programs are typically evaluated in terms of their ability to prevent relapse and reduce recidivism. The current study examined the efficacy of a modified TC in relation to these parameters but also explored its overall impact on prison safety and security for both the inmates and staff of a medium security prison located in Kentucky. Specifically, the number of institutional write-ups exhibited by clients participating in a modified Therapeutic Community was compared with the number of write-ups …

Response To Autism: An Assessment Of Services For Students With Autism In Kentucky's Public Schools, Leigh Anne Roden

Dissertations

The full implementation of school-based autism services has grown in importance over the past few decades. School systems are expected to provide high-quality educational services for students with autism spectrum disorders. Though several organizations provide recommendations for appropriate program components, Kentucky does not supply education agencies with a means of evaluating the current autism services offered within their districts and schools.

This descriptive study examined the current level of implementation of school-based autism services within an educational cooperative in Kentucky. The research was conducted to determine whether or not school districts are fully implementing essential program components as recommended by …

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.

Perceived Gender-Typing Of Successful Managerial Characteristics, Sarah Holtzen

Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Previous research has indicated that the characteristics associated with successful business managers are more often attributed to men in general than to women in general. This paper seeks to examine the current state of perceived gender-typing of the characteristics associated with successful business managers. Using the Schein Descriptive Index (Schein, 1973), undergraduate business students (N=177) were asked to rate women in general, men in general, or successful business managers on a set of 92 descriptive terms. Intraclass correlation coefficients were computed to estimate the ANOVA between groups. Respondents were also asked to describe in their own words what they believe …

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). …

Ole Miss Engineer 2011-2012

Ole Miss Engineer

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 …

Sagestep News, Winter 2011, No. 14, Sagestep

Newsletters

Seasonal newsletter of SageSTEP.

Shady Grove Site (22qu525) Quitman County, Mississippi: Analysis Of Demographics And Mortuary Practices, Stacy Ann Scott

Master's Theses

The Mississippian Period (A.D. 1000-1500) is distinguished by reliance on stable agriculture, sedentary ranked populations, and production of prestige goods. Sociopolitical structure was based on kinship, wealth, and power, and can be revealed through the local mortuary programs. This thesis explores the mortuary practices observed at an ossuary at Shady Grove (22QU525), a small mounded center in Quitman County dating to the Early Mississippian Period, based on demographics, burial mode, cemetery location, and associated grave goods.

The Burial 43 ossuary, excavated in 2010 contained stacked bundle burials of at least 78 individuals. All age groups and both sexes were present. …