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The Effects Of Hypoxia And Temperature On Developing Embryos Of The Annual Killifish Austrofundulus Limnaeus, Skye N. Anderson

Dissertations and Theses

Little is known about the physiology or biochemistry of hypoxia (reduced levels of oxygen) tolerance during development in vertebrate embryos. In most species, relatively brief bouts of severe hypoxia are lethal or teratogenic. An exception to such hypoxia intolerance is the annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus, in which populations persist in hypoxic environments. This species inhabits seasonal ponds in Venezuela, surviving through the dry season in the form of diapausing embryos. Embedded in the pond sediment, embryos of A. limnaeus are routinely exposed to hypoxia and anoxia (lack of oxygen) as part of their normal development. Here, we exposed embryos to …

Let's Try To Change It: Psychiatric Stigmatization, Consumer/Survivor Activism, And The Link And Phelan Model, María Jimena Alvarado Chavarría

Dissertations and Theses

Stigma has been described as the most significant obstacle to quality of life for individuals with major psychiatric diagnoses (Sartorious, 1998). Much of the psychological literature on stigma focuses on individual attributes and interactions at the micro level, rather than macro level dynamics. In critiquing this traditional focus, Link and Phelan (2001) present a model in which stigma ensues when labeling, stereotyping, separation, status loss, and discrimination co-occur in a situation of power imbalance. Even as the model fills a gap in conceptualizing stigma, its emphasis on power is unidirectional and fails to account for power as a form of …

Relative Heart Ventricle Mass And Cardiac Performance In Amphibians, Gregory Joseph Kluthe

Dissertations and Theses

This study used an in situ heart preparation to analyze the power and work of spontaneously beating hearts of four anurans (R. marina, L. catesbeianus, X. laevis, P. edulis) and three urodeles (N. maculosus, A. tigrinum, A. tridactylum) in order to elucidate the meaning of relative ventricle mass (RVM) in terms of specific cardiac performance variables. This study also tests two hypotheses: 1) the ventricles of terrestrial species (R. marina, P. edulis, A. tigrinum) of amphibians are capable of greater maximum power outputs (P_max) compared to aquatic species (X. laevis, A. tridactylum, N. maculosus, L. catesbeianus) and, 2) …

Genomic Amplification Of An Endogenous Retrovirus In Zebrafish T-Cell Malignancies, J. Kimble Frazer, Lance A. Batchelor, Diana F. Bradley, Kim H. Brown, Kimberly P. Dobrinski, Charles Lee, Nikolaus S. Trede

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Genomic instability plays a crucial role in oncogenesis. Somatically acquiredmutations can disable some genes and inappropriately activate others. In addition, chromosomal rearrangements can amplify, delete, or even fuse genes, altering their functions and contributing to malignant phenotypes. Using array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), a technique to detect numeric variations between different DNA samples, we examined genomes from zebrafish (Danio rerio) T-cell leukemias of three cancerprone lines. In all malignancies tested, we identified recurring amplifications of a zebrafish endogenous retrovirus. This retrovirus, ZFERV, was first identified due to high expression of proviral transcripts in thymic tissue from larval and adult fish.We …

The Role Of Notch Signaling In The Pathogenesis Of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia, Nicole Grieselhuber

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

The t(15;17) translocation is found in nearly 98% of acute promyelocytic leukemia: APL, FAB subtype M3) cases and results in the fusion of the promyelocytic leukemia: PML) gene with the retinoic acid receptor alpha: RARA) gene. The fusion product, PML-RARA, encodes a functionally altered transcription factor that is the initiating event in APL. To better understand the transcriptional changes associated with APL pathogenesis, we compared the gene expression profiles of APL samples to those of other acute myeloid leukemia FAB subtypes and of enriched normal human promyelocytes. We identified a signature of genes that are specifically dysregulated in APL relative …

Joint Functions Of Mett-10 And Dynein In The Caenorhabditis Elegans Germ Line, Maia Dorsett

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

During normal development as well as in diseased states such as cancer, extracellular "niches" often provide cues to proximal cells and activate intracellular pathways. Activation of such signaling pathways in turn instructs cellular proliferation and differentiation. In the C.elegans gonad, GLP-1/Notch signaling instructs germ line stem cells to self renew through mitotic cell division. As germ cells progressively move out of the niche, they differentiate by entering meiosis and eventually form gametes. Using this model system, I uncovered a cooperative role for the METT-10 putative methyltransferase and the dynein motor complex in regulating the balance between germ cell proliferation and …

Allosteric Modulation Of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 As A Treatment For Pain, Michael Montana

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5: mGlu5) has been suggested to play a role in the development and maintenance of chronic pain. mGlu5 is expressed at synapses throughout the pain neuraxis where it is believed to modulate the function of ion channels that underlie nociceptive transduction and transmission. Injections of mGlu5 agonists cause hypersensitivity or nocifensive behavior when administered peripherally, intrathecally, and centrally. In addition, pharmacological antagonism of mGlu5 has been suggested to be analgesic in a variety of animal pain models. Unfortunately, the selectivity of antagonists used in these studies has been called into question, suggesting that at least some of …

Exploring The Role Of Wolbachia Endobacteria In The Biology Of Filarial Nematode Parasites, Samantha Mcnulty

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Filarial nematodes are vector borne parasitic worms that cause a variety of disfiguring and disabling diseases, including lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis. Many filarial species require Wolbachia endobacteria: family: Rickettsiaceae) to carry out their life cycle. Studies using antibiotics to target the endobacteria, thereby interfering with worm fertility and viability, have generated interest in using Wolbachia as an antifilarial drug target. However, the exact mechanisms underpinning this interesting mutualistic interaction are poorly understood. Wolbachia-dependence is not ubiquitous in the filarial family. Some species are able to survive in the absence of an endosymbiont. The inconsistent patterns of Wolbachia-dependence and independence seen …

Type B Presentation From Hel Protein In The Context Of Inflammation, Beverly Strong

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Peptides from the model antigen hen egg white lysozyme: HEL) are capable of binding MHC II in multiple conformations. Resting antigen presenting cells: APC) load peptide in early endosomal compartments where multiple conformations of a given pMHC pair are allowed, generating both type A and B pMHC complexes. Protein traffics to the late endosomal compartment and is loaded onto nascent MHC II in the presence of the editor H2-DM where type A pMHC conformers are selectively formed, generating exclusively type A pMHC from protein. Previous work demonstrated that type B pMHC are also generated when HEL is administered in vivo …

Calcium-Stimulated Adenylyl Cyclases Are Critical Modulators Of Fear Learning And Experience-Dependent Plasticity, Lindsay Wieczorek

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Stress can exacerbate psychiatric disease, often resulting in cognitive deficits. Consequently, a better understanding of what modulates stress-facilitated memory processing will help identify new targets for possible therapeutic intervention. Recent evidence suggests a role of the Ca2+-stimulated adenylyl cyclases: AC), AC1 and AC8, in modulating fear memory. Ca2+-stimulated AC activity couples neuronal activity and intracellular Ca2+ increases to the production of cAMP, and therefore, can very tightly regulate signal transduction after learning; yet, the details by which this occurs are not well understood. In this dissertation, I first investigated the temporal and regional importance of Ca2+-stimulated AC activity during different …

Modulation Of Ly49a+ Natural Killer Cell Licensing By Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I Alleles, Anna Jonsson

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Natural killer: NK) cells are innate immune lymphocytes that react to cells lacking self-MHC: major histocompatibility complex) class I molecules, such as transformed or virally infected host cells and allogeneic bone marrow. This reactivity is mediated by inhibitory receptors for MHC class I that block the ability of activation receptors to stimulate NK cells. Since many NK cells lack receptors that recognize self-MHC, the inhibitory receptors also mediate a second function, termed NK cell licensing, to protect against autoreactivity. To become licensed, i.e. functionally competent to be triggered through its activation receptors, an NK cell must engage host MHC class …

Reenactment Season And Other Poems, Heather Overby

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

Wasp Ode, Ran Wang

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

A collection of poems.

Transposing The Urban To The Mall: Routes, Relationships, And Resistance In Two Santiago, Chile, Shopping Centers, Joel Stillerman, Rodrigo Salcedo

Peer Reviewed Articles

Scholars understand shopping malls as central commercial and social settings. Some argue that malls’ designs attract and seduce consumers, while others contend that mall authorities exclude vulnerable groups and prohibit free expression. Ethnographic studies, by contrast, document how consumers interpret and shape malls as social settings. Drawing on qualitative research in two Santiago, Chile, malls, we contend that Santiago’s patterns of socioeconomic segregation and ample public transport facilitate cross-class interactions in malls. These characteristics encourage visitors to transpose practices and meanings from other public settings to the mall, drawing on rules for public interaction. Residents adapt mall infrastructures for noncommercial …

Possible Effects Of The Presence Of Common Household Chemicals In The Environment: The Growth Of An Aquatic Bacterial Species On High Concentrations Of Caffeine, Adrienne M. Gibson, Roderick M. Morgan, Nick Macdonald, Alexey G. Nikitin

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

Caffeine is a prevalent chemical in the environment, often being found in aquatic ecosystems. Past studies have shown that some bacterial species can metabolize caffeine, but little research has been done to study the effect of different caffeine concentrations on the growth of the bacteria. The goal of the current study is to gain a better understanding of how aquatic bacteria, which have been selected for growth on caffeine, utilize caffeine as a source of carbon. To study the effect of caffeine concentrations on bacterial growth, we isolated a bacterium from an aquarium that had been exposed to caffeine. The …

Comparison Of Neurobehavioral Effects Of Methylmercury Exposure In Older And Younger Adult Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Xiaojuan Xu, Daniel Weber, Michael J. Carvan Iii, Ryan Coppens, Crystal Lamb, Stefan Goetz, Lillian A. Schaefer

Open Access Publishing Support Funded Articles

It is widely recognized that the nature and severity of responses to toxic exposure are age-dependent. Using active avoidance conditioning as the behavioral paradigm, the present study examined the effect of short-term methylmercury (MeHg) exposure on two adult age classes, 1- and 2-year-olds to coincide with zebrafish in relatively peak vs. declining health conditions. In Experiment 1, 2-year-old zebrafish were randomly divided into groups and were exposed to no MeHg, 0.15% ethanol (EtOH), 0.01, 0.03, 0.1, or 0.3 mM of MeHg (in 0.15% ethanol) for 2 weeks. The groups were then trained and tested for avoidance responses. The results showed …

The Nature Of Social Support: Self-Efficacy In Overweight And Obese Adolescents, Jenna Bastianello, Matt Epkey, Katy Mcmullin

Mental Health

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to describe the relationship between self-efficacy and social support among overweight and obese adolescents at a weight-management camp. Twenty-three participants completed a pre- and post-camp questionnaire based on modified versions of the GSE Scale and the SSQSR. Additionally, seven females and six males engaged in focus group discussion at the beginning and at the end of camp. Statistical analysis of the modified GSE Scale and SSQSR surveys was completed. Dialogue and field notes from focus group discussions were transcribed and analyzed by the researchers to develop themes. Throughout discussion, participants identified the …

Interpretive Contestation And Legal Correctness, Matthew D. Adler

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Slavery In The United States: Persons Or Property?, Paul Finkelman

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Case Management In The Circuit Courts, Marin K. Levy

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Transplanting The European Court Of Justice: The Experience Of The Andean Tribunal Of Justice, Laurence R. Helfer, Karen J. Alter, Osvaldo Saldias

Faculty Scholarship

Although there is an extensive literature on domestic legal transplants, far less is known about the transplantation of supranational judicial bodies. The Andean Tribunal of Justice (ATJ) is one of eleven copies of the European Court of Justice (ECJ), and the third most active international court. This article considers the origins and evolution of the ATJ as a transplanted judicial institution. It first reviews the literatures on legal transplants, neofunctionalist theory, and the spread of European ideas and institutions, explaining how the intersection of these literatures informs the study of supranational judicial transplants. The article next explains why the Andean …

Communication Effectiveness And The Emerald Ash Borer Mitigation Campaign, Jonathon Heide

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Environmental risk communication is scrutinized by several research fields including, as Herndl and Brown (1996) show, technical communications. This technical communications thesis rhetorically analyses how large and small government agencies in the State of Minnesota communicate a specific environmental risk: emerald ash borer (EAB). EAB is an insect native to Asia and arrived in Detroit on a cargo ship sometime in the 1990s (Cappaert 2005, 153; Poland 2011, 46). By 2012, it spread to the 15 states and two Canadian provinces (USDA--APHIS 2012). EAB's life cycle will causes tree decline in Minnesota, the state with the most ash (MNDNR 2012). …

Contents, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Natural Antioxidants On Conjugated Linoleic Acid Yield During The Photoisomerization Of Soy Oil Linoleic Acid, Camille Schaffner, Andy Proctor

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is known to be effective in avoiding many obesity related diseases. Conjugated linoleic acid is a product of ruminant fermentation and 3.4 g/day are needed to obtain the clinical benefits. However, it is difficult to obtain sufficient CLA to realize these benefits from a healthy diet containing dairy and beef products, without increasing levels of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat. A 20% CLA soy oil with low saturated fat and no cholesterol has been produced by photoisomerization of linoleic acid in the triacylglyceride oil. Further increasing the CLA yields has been possible by addition of …

Instructions For Authors, Discovery Editors

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Stress And Cytokinic Profiles On Cognitive Performance In Older Adults, Kerri S. Rawson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

With aging, changes in the immune system, makes cognitive performance, and the prevalence of stressors can lead to poorer overall functioning. Within the immune system, a balance should exist between cytokines regulating Th1 and Th2 immune responses; however, age-related declines in the endocrine and immune systems can disrupt this equilibrium. Several studies report higher levels of Th1 associated cytokines in inflammatory conditions of the brain, whereas fewer studies remark on Th2 associated cytokines and cognitive functioning. Declining cognitive abilities are a common concern that accompanies advancing age and some research has suggested the prevalence and impact of stressors lead …

The Influence Of Head-Teacher’S Leadership Practices On Ensuring Students’ Retention Through School Feeding Programme: A Case Of A Community Secondary School In Moshi Rural District, Iddi Swalehe

Master of Education

Tanzania has embarked a major programme of constructing community secondary schools in each ward to expand access to secondary education. Since the introduction of Secondary Education Development Plan in 2004, large numbers of students were enrolled in these schools in rural areas. However, in some of these schools students’ dropout was reported to be a critical problem. This implies that students’ retention was not given its due attention. Head-teachers in some schools introduced school feeding programmes through parents’ contributions for children to get porridge and lunch at school as a means to improve students’ attendance and learning. This study was …

Salute To Faculty Scholarship 2012, Clark University

Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Microfinance - Is There A Solution: A Survey On The Use Of Mfis To Alleviate Poverty In India, Jesse Fishman

Denver Journal of International Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Drinking Water Is A Significant Predictor Of Blastocystis Infection Among Rural Malaysian Primary Schoolchildren, Awatif Mohamed Abdulsalam, Init Ithoi, Hesham Mahyoub Al-Mekhlafi, Abdulhamid Ahmed, Johari Surin, Joon Wah Mak

Research Publications (2011 to 2015)

Blastocystis infection has a worldwide distribution especially among the disadvantaged population and immunocompromised subjects. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence and the association of Blastocystis infection with the socio-economic characteristics among 300 primary schoolchildren, living in rural communities in Lipis and Raub districts of Pahang state, Malaysia. Stool samples were collected and examined for the presence of Blastocystis using direct smear microscopy after in vitro cultivation in Jones' medium. The overall prevalence of Blastocystis infection was found to be as high as 25·7%. The prevalence was significantly higher among children with gastrointestinal symptoms as compared to asymptomatic …