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Epigenetics: A Possible Mechanism Of Memory, Aliza Grossman Rubenstein

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The following is an excerpt from the introduction to this article: The mind-body connection has fascinated philosophers and scientists for centuries. How is it possible that consciousness arises from a lump of matter known as the brain? How does neurons’ firing affect choice and beliefs? How do the electrochemical properties of the brain allow for the memory of events long after they’ve occurred? One of the most studied of these areas is that of memory. Researchers seek to understand the biological basis behind memory and how that biology is affected in individuals suffering from memory disorders.

Full Issue: Volume 5, Issue 2

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

No abstract provided.

Genetically Modified T-Cells Expressing Chimeric Antigen Receptors In The Treatment Of Cancer, Efrat Bruck

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Carl June and his colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania have succeeded in treating patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia using gene therapy. Two of the three patients treated sustained a complete remission and one a partial remission. The procedure involved transducing the patients’ T cells to express chimeric antigen receptors which target a particular protein found on both healthy and cancerous B cells. Following infusion of the newly transduced T cells, each patient developed clinical symptoms associated with an intense immune response. Shortly thereafter, tumors were completely eliminated in two of the patients and partially eliminated in the third. …

Molecular Mechanism Of Xy Gonadal Dysgenesis, Griendy Indig-Weingarten

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

One of the fundamentals of human sociology is the characterization of the people around us based on gender. We tend to think of gender as a strict binary system where the option is clear: boy or girl. Although society usually honors this dichotomy, biology allows more flexibility to the definition of male versus female. Estimates state that one in every 2000 births is one with a disorder of sex development (The Intersex Society of North America 2006). Some of the disorders are visually obvious while others are only discovered later on in life. Regardless of when the disease first becomes …

Quest For Vaccines To Treat Addiction, Rachel Florence

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Drug addiction is a prime example of biochemical psychology. When people use drugs such as nicotine, they trigger dopamine receptors in the brain, causing a pleasurable sensation. People want to repeat the feeling and thus get addicted to the drug. With the development of a vaccine to treat addiction, researchers attempt to prevent drugs from crossing over the bloodbrain barrier and triggering the dopamine receptors. Experiments and clinical trials prove the efficacy of the nicotine vaccine. However, Phase III trials and additional research are necessary before the vaccine can be launched for public use.

Modified-Release Drugs, Chedva Farkas

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The following is an excerpt from the introduction to this article: Ever since the discovery of bacteria and their role in the disease process in the mid-1800s, scientists have been heavily involved in the discovery and development of drug therapies and their mechanism of action in the human body. Shortly after the initial discovery came the era of drug discovery of the late 1800s-early 1900s, also known as the “drug revolution” (Dash and Cudworth 1998). Although the drug revolution led to the rapid discovery of many new drugs, pharmacological factors such as dosage forms, drug delivery systems, plasma drug levels, …

Imatinib Resistance In Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, Rivky Kops

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a disorder of blood stem cells in bone marrow, which leads to a rapid production of white blood cells. Of the patients diagnosed with CML, 95% have the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome, which means that chromosome 22 is smaller than regular (22 q-). Historically, the median survival time for chronic phase CML patients was four to five years, while the accelerated and blast (profusion of immature red blood cells in circulation) phases had a much shorter survival time. Recently, due to the revolutionary new drug imatinib, CML patients diagnosed early have a higher survival rate. Nevertheless, …

How Biological And Non-Biological Disease Modifying Drugs Are Used In The Treatment Of Rheumatoid Arthritis, Esther Mantel

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The following is an excerpt from the introduction to this article: Rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term disease that leads to chronic inflammation of the joints and the surrounding tissue. Effects of the inflammation are pain and destruction of the bone and cartilage, which leads to severe disability and, possibly, shorter life expectancy. That is why early diagnosis and aggressive treatment is a fundamental strategy to stop the progression of the disease and suppress the inflammation before the damage is irreversible.

Functional Electrical Stimulation In Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, Meir Hildeshaim

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The following is an excerpt from the introduction to this article: Spinal cord injury is defined as a “disconnection syndrome” that results in a loss of ability of the spinal cord to communicate ascending and/or descending impulses (Hamid and Hayak 2008). Due to its role as the primary conduit of motor and sensory impulses, spinal cord injury is widely regarded as one of the most catastrophic, survivable injuries a person can suffer. Depending on the severity and placement of the injury, the patient can experience a wide range of disability or death. A mild injury may result in the patient …

Full Issue: Volume 6, Number 1

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

No abstract provided.

The Development Of The Self-Efficacy Of Balance Scale (Sebs): Investigation Of Psychometric Properties In Female Basketball Players, Carrie Silkman Baker

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Lower extremity injuries are the most common sports related injury. Many steps have been taken to attempt to identify individuals who might be at a higher risk for sustaining a lower extremity injury. Resource and time intensive screening techniques have been used previously to attempt to identify such individuals. However these techniques have focused heavily on postural control and landing mechanics in athletes, no psychological measure has been used to identify individuals who might be at a higher risk of lower extremity injury.

Self-efficacy of balance can be defined as how capable an individual feels he or she can balance …

Cooperation-What Is It And Why Do It?, David J. Waxse

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Litigation is a method of resolving disputes that is too costly and time consuming for most parties involved. As a Federal Magistrate Judge involved in case management on a day-to-day basis, I often see evidence of this. I also participated in the 2010 Conference on Civil Litigation held at Duke Law School and sponsored by the Federal Judicial Conference Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure. The conference explored “the current costs of civil litigation in Federal Court, particularly discovery, and discuss[ed] possible solutions.” As part of the conference, the Federal Judicial Center presented4its research findings on its study …

Introduction: Contains Cover, Table Of Contents, Letter From The Editor, And Masthead, Ian Lambeets

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The Richmond Journal of Law and Technology is proud to present the fourth and final issue of the 2011-2012 academic year. This issue includes a dedication to Professor John Carroll written by Rick Klau, the Journal’s founder.

Dna To Play: Major League Baseball's Use Of Dna Testing On Central And South American Prospects In The Age Of The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act Of 2008, Nicholas Pompeo

Health Matrix: The Journal of Law-Medicine

No abstract provided.

A Tale Of Three Families: Historical Households, Earned Belonging, And Natural Connections, Allison Anna Tait

Law Faculty Publications

The work of this Article is to present a new and synthetic reading of cases about wives, illegitimate children, and unwed fathers that follows these three logics, revealing how they weave together and why earned belonging provides the strongest support for Ginsburg's original vision of an equalized household.

Education Is Positively Associated With Macular Pigment: The Irish Longitudinal Study On Ageing (Tilda), John Nolan, Joanne Feeney, Rose Anne Kenny, Hilary Cronin, Claire O'Regan, George Savva, James Loughman, Ciaran Finucane, Eithne Connolly, Katie Meagher, Stephen Beatty

Articles

The three carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin, are found at the macula and referred to as macular pigment (MP). This study was undertaken to investigate determinants of MP in a large randomly selected sample from the Republic of Ireland (as part of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing [TILDA]).

METHODS:

MP optical density (MPOD) was measured using customized heterochromatic flicker photometry in 4373 participants. Sociodemographic and self reported health data was obtained using computer assisted personal interview (CAPI).

RESULTS

Mean (SD) MPOD for the study group was 0.203 (0.156) with a range of 0 to 1.01. MPOD was higher for …

Sustainable Riparian Restoration - The Utilization Of Sewage Effluent To Construct Wetlands Along The Rio Grande: A String Of Pearls Approach To Replenishment, Michael Earl Landis

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Rio Grande, from Elephant Butte Dam to El Paso, has been transformed from a free-flowing wild river into a highly engineered irrigation system. The Rio Grande Project, authorized by Congress in 1905, mandated the Bureau of Reclamation to store and deliver water exclusively to farmers. The river, maintained by the International Boundary and Water Commission, has been straightened and channelized between levees. The laws and policies governing the use of the waters of the Rio Grande are prohibitive to ecological restoration. Prior Appropriation doctrine allows for the exclusive use of these waters.

One sustainable tactic for replenishing the denuded …

The Application Of Fuzzy Granular Computing For The Analysis Of Human Dynamic Behavior In 3d Space, Murad Mohammad Alaqtash

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Human dynamic behavior in space is very complex in that it involves many physical, perceptual and motor aspects. It is tied together at a sensory level by linkages between vestibular, visual and somatosensory information that develop through experience of inertial and gravitational reaction forces. Coordinated movement emerges from the interplay among descending output from the central nervous system, sensory input from the body and environment, muscle dynamics, and the emergent dynamics of the whole neuromusculoskeletal system.

There have been many attempts to directly capture the activities of the neuronal system in human locomotion without the ability to clarify how the …

Sustainable Wastewater Management For Paso Del Norte Border Communities, Mariana Chew

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

At the binational level, there is no enforceable formal or informal agreement for approval of a water or wastewater discharge from the United States or Mexico. The communities along the U.S.-Mexico border are included in the cooperative activities of: (1) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region VI, (2) Mexico Secretarí­a de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT), (3) the binational Border Environment Cooperation Commission (BECC) and Comisión de Cooperación Ecológica Fronteriza (COCEF), (4) the binational North American Development Bank (NADBANK) and Banco de Desarrollo de América del Norte (BDAN), and (5) the binational International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC) and …

Impact Of Nutrition Education In High School Students, Leticia Cortez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The diet of adolescents is typically high in calories, fat, and saturated fat and often fails to meet the daily recommended amounts of fruits, vegetables, and calcium-rich foods. The frequent consumption of unhealthy diets in combination with the lack of physical activity has resulted in a high prevalence of obesity worldwide. Approximately 17% of adolescents in the United States are obese. Obesity is a common risk factor for the development of chronic disease such as heart disease and diabetes. In the last few decades and along with a high prevalence of obesity there has also been an increased prevalence of …

Mobilizing Subdominant Hiv-Specific Ctls As A Novel Vaccine Strategy, Margaret Christina Costanzo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

To overcome the extreme antigenic diversity of HIV, there is increasing interest in developing vaccines that target CD8 T cell responses to conserved regions of the viral proteome. Understanding the immunogenic potential of these domains is therefore critical for the success of this vaccine strategy. CD8 T cell responses to conserved domains restricted by the "neutral" and highly prevalent HLA-A2 allele have not been extensively characterized. Here we describe a novel essentially invariant 10-mer epitope in HIV Gag (p2414-23, RTLNAWVKVV (RV10)) in that it is expressed by the majority HIV isolates from all clades. Here we examined the character of …

The Impact Of Solar Radiation On The Distribution Of The Red Imported Fire Ant, Solenopsis Invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Audrey Marie Hernando

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the role of solar radiation on Solenopsis invicta, the red imported fire ant. This ant is considered a serious invasive pest in the southern United States. Four Texas cities where fire ants are found were studied: San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Wichita Falls, and the outlier, Lubbock. Shade angles were measured in eight compass directions within plots located along eight transect directions around buildings. Using the shade angle, solar radiation for different times of day and seasons were calculated. All of the cities were on the same precipitation isocline with the exception of Lubbock, Texas. The number of …

Evaluation Of Protection Induced By Dna Vaccine Candidate Against Leishmania Mexicana In Balb/C Mice Model, Rosina Rodarte

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background and Significance. The leishmaniases are a diverse group of diseases with four major clinical manifestations: cutaneous, mucocutaneous, visceral, and diffuse. Approximately 21 Leishmania species and 30 sandfly vectors have been implicated in human leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis is endemic in 88 countries, 72 are developing countries. Currently, 350 million people live in leishmaniasis-endemic areas around the world. The true incidence of the disease is not known. However, the estimated incidence for visceral leishmaniasis is 500,000 cases per year, and for cutaneous and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis 1.5-2 million cases per year. Visceral leishmaniasis causes 70,000 deaths each year. In the Americas region, …

Characterization Of The Behavioral, Biochemical And Molecular Indices Of Stress Produced By Nicotine Exposure And Withdrawal In Male And Female Rats, Oscar Valentin Torres

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Introduction: Tobacco use is a major economic and health problem. Particularly concerning is that women consume more tobacco products, have a more difficult time quitting, and are less likely to benefit from cessation therapies than men. As a result, women are at higher risk of developing tobacco-related diseases. Women are generally more susceptible to stress and are more likely to cope with stress by smoking as compared to men. During abstinence, women also experience intense anxiety as compared to men and report that the anxiety-reducing effects of smoking are the main reason for continued use and relapse. Thus, stress produced …

A Generalized Cholera Model And Epidemic-Endemic Analysis, Jin Wang, Shu Liao

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

The transmission of cholera involves both human-to-human and environment-to-human pathways that complicate its dynamics. In this paper, we present a new and unified deterministic model that incorporates a general incidence rate and a general formulation of the pathogen concentration to analyse the dynamics of cholera. Particularly, this work unifies many existing cholera models proposed by different authors. We conduct equilibrium analysis to carefully study the complex epidemic and endemic behaviour of the disease. Our results show that despite the incorporation of the environmental component, there exists a forward transcritical bifurcation at R₀ = 1 for the combined human-environment epidemiological …

Alternatives To Mixture Model Analysis Of Correlated Binomial Data, N. Rao Chaganty, Roy Sabo, Yihao Deng

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

While univariate instances of binomial data are readily handled with generalized linear models, cases of multivariate or repeated measure binomial data are complicated by the possibility of correlated responses. Likelihood-based estimation can be applied by using mixture distribution models, though this approach can present computational challenges. The logistic transformation can be used to bypass these concerns and allow for alternative estimating procedures. One popular alternative is the generalized estimating equation (GEE) method, though systematic errors can lead to infeasible correlation estimates or nonconvergence problems. Our approach is the coupling of quasileast squares (QLSs) method with a rarely used matrix factorization, …

Response: And Baby Makes How Many - Using In Re M.C. To Consider Parentage Of A Child Conceived Through Sexual Intercourse And Born To A Lesbian Couple, Nancy Polikoff

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

No abstract provided.

Teaching Students A Foreign Language Through Authentic Culture Lessons In Connection To The American Council For The Teaching Of Foreign Languages (Actfl), Amy Renguso

Honors Capstones

Due to theStandards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century created by the Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL),culture in the classroom has become an increasing concern to foreign language educators. Culture is defined as the physical manifestations, behaviors, actions, and thoughts of a certain group of people. To completely understand a foreign language culture needs to be incorporated in the curriculum because it provides context and meaning for the students. In order to achieve communicative learning, which is the bases of ACTFL'smission, authentic materials and a solid framework must be provided to students. By understanding the …

Overcoming Barriers To Rehabilitation: The Significance Of Nueromuscular Electrical Stimulation In Treatment Plans, Felicia Calvin

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Nitric Oxide Synthase Encapsulation In Liposomes: A Potential Delivery Platform To (Nitric Oxide)-Deficient Targets, Reshani H. Perera, Pubudu M. Peiris, Serban F. Peteu, Mekki Bayachou

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Nitric oxide (NO) is a freely diffusible, gaseous free radical, associated with many physiological and pathological processes: such as neuronal signaling, immune response and inflammatory response. In mammalian organisms, NO is produced from L-arginine in an NADPH-dependent reaction catalyzed by a family of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymes. Typically, large NO fluctuations in biological systems under/over a critical limit is associated with problems that range from transient dysfunctions to severe chronic disease states. In this regard, we explore the development of a potential delivery and release method of nitric oxide to NO-deficient sites using liposomes as vehicles. Liposomes have already …