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The Effects Of 17Α-Ethynylestradiol (Ee2) On Gonadal Development And Differentiation In The Estuarine Killifish, Fundulus Heteroclitus, Ibrahim Chehade

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Endocrine disrupting substances (EDSs) comprise a wide variety of chemicals that perturb normal endocrine function including developmental and reproductive processes in vertebrates. The synthetic estrogen 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE₂) is a commonly-used model EDS because of its environmental relevance and its effects on the reproductive endocrine system. Early life-stage exposure of fish to estrogenic EDSs causes effects such as intersex (ovotestes in males) and feminization. This study aims to confirm the period of gonadal differentiation in the estuarine killifish or mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) and to determine the sensitivity of gonadal development to EE₂. Artificially-regressed mummichog were spawned, and …

Effects Of 17Α-Ethinylestradiol (Ee2) On Reproductive Endocrine Status In Mummichog (Fundulus Heteroclitus) Under Differing Salinity And Temperature Conditions, Esteban Gillio Meina

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Waterborne exposure to 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE₂), a synthetic estrogen, has previously been shown to decrease reproductive endocrine status in the estuarine killifish or mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus macrolepidotus; northern subspecies). To evaluate if variations in salinity or temperature holding conditions modify the effects of EE₂ on gonad size, plasma reproductive steroid levels, and gonadal steroidogenesis, mummichog were exposed in vivo for 14 days to 0, 50 and 250 ng/L EE₂ in 0, 16 and 32 ppt salinity at 18°C and to 0 and 250 ng/L EE₂ at 10, 18 and 26°C at 16 ppt salinity. …

The Chronic Toxicity Of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles To The Freshwater Amphipod Hyalella Azteca, Gurkirpal S. Malhi

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

There has been an increased use of metal-oxide nanoparticles in both commercial and consumer products. The use of these products and waste generated during manufacture may ultimately be released into the aquatic environment and the potential for these contaminants to cause impacts must be assessed. This study examines the effect of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles (NPs) on Hyalella azteca. Chronic toxicity exposures were conducted in 400mL of spiked test solution and contained 20 neonates. Samples collected for characterization of Ti in TiO₂ NP exposure solutions were digested using ammonium persulfate as an oxidizing agent and dissolved …

Lipid Raft Formation And Peptide-Lipid Interactions In Myelin Model Membranes, Ashtina R. Appadu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Multiple sclerosis (MS), a demyelinating disease affecting 75,000 Canadians and almost 400,000 Americans, is one of the most prevalent diseases in young adults. Unfortunately, there exist no known cures to date and the pathways involved in the progression of the disease remain relatively obscure. The demyelination process triggered by the onset of MS, affects the lipid composition of the myelin membrane and causes a loss in viable myelin which can in turn greatly impact the proper functioning of the central nervous system (CNS). The cholesterol content of myelin fluctuates during MS and consequently this could affect the fluidity as well …

Proteomic Analysis Of The Highly Detergent Resistant Radial Component Of Myelin, Vatsal M. Patel

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The wrapping of multiple layers of myelin membrane sheets around an axon plays an important role in normal neuronal function. In the central nervous system (CNS), oligodendrocytes are responsible for forming multiple myelin internodes which consist of lipids and proteins. Within these regions, there are various membrane microdomains including the radial component/tight junctions. The radial component is a junctional complex believed to stabilize the myelin membranes in the CNS myelin. In this study, the radial component from bovine and mouse myelin was isolated using differential detergent extraction. A highly detergent resistant fraction, containing previously identified proteins of the radial component …

Physiological & Cellular Mechanisms Of Ammonia Tolerance In The Goldfish (Carassius Auratus), Sanya Sidhu

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Ammonia may increase in the blood and tissues of fishes following feeding or exposure to high concentrations of environmental ammonia arising from the degradation of organic matter in aquatic environments, sewage effluent, and run-off from landfills. Ammonia may be detoxified using the enzyme glutamine synthetase (GS), which catalyzes the conversion of ammonia to glutamine. It has been suggested, however that build-ups of glutamine within the astrocytes of the brain can cause brain swelling by increasing intracellular osmolarity and water uptake by the cells. Using in vivo and in vitro approaches, the goal of this thesis was to determine if: (i) …

Atr-Ftir Studies On The Kinetics Of Dimethylarsinic Acid (Dma) Surface Complexation With Iron(Oxyhydr)Oxides, Julia Tofan-Lazar Miss

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) is an organoarsenical compound that, along with monomethylarsonic acid, poses a health and an environmental risk, and a challenge to the energy industry. Little is known about the surface chemistry of DMA at the molecular level with materials relevant to geochemical environments and industrial sectors. The surface chemistry of phosphorus and arsenic compounds in their organic and inorganic forms is of great interest due to its role in controlling their transport, bioaccessibility and speciation. This thesis reports the first in-situ and surface-sensitive rapid kinetic studies on the adsorption and desorption of DMA to and from Fe-(oxyhydr)oxide films …

Shoreline Changes In Point Pelee, Canada: An Airphoto-Based Analysis, Abdullah Bamasoud

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Shoreline retreat has significant consequences for Point Pelee National Park’s (PPNP) ecological and economic systems. In this study, the shoreline changes of PPNP are examined in terms of their rates, their relationship to natural and anthropogenic influences, and methods for predicting shoreline positions.

The rates of shoreline change are analyzed for the period 1959-2004 using ortho-airphotos. The eastern shoreline of the Park exhibited varying recession in both rising and falling Lake Erie water level, especially in the Northeast Beach, where it averaged -3.14 m˖y-1. The western shoreline of the Park generally exhibited accretion and had an inverse relationship with Lake …

The Effects Of A Valproate Fatty Acid Prodrug On The Inositol Biosynthetic Pathway, Gina Kang

Honors Theses

Bipolar disorder is characterized by alternating episodes of mania and extreme depression. Compounds such as omega-3 fatty acids and valproate individually treat symptons of bipolar disorder, one of which is elevated inositol levels. Lithium and valproate are known to reduce iniositol levels. The goal of this project is to combine linoleic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid substitute) with valproate and observe the prodrug's effects on the inositol biosynthetic pathway using Saccharomyces cervisiae yeast as the model system. Since inositol is required for growth, the effects of the prodrug on the inositol biosynthetic pathway was determined by comparing its impact on …

Never Two Ladies Lov'd As They Do: Queer Theory And As You Like It's Celia, Theron L. Calkins

Honors Theses

Though most performances of William Shakespeare's As you like it focus on the comedy of Ganymede/Rosalind's interactions with Orlando, director Des McAnuff's 2012 Stratford Shakespeare Festival production instead manifests homoerotic tension between Celia and Rosalind. Shakespeare's textual allusions provide ample evidence to support this homoerotic reading which McAnuff actualizes between Cara Rickett's Celia and Andrea Runge's Rosalind through blocking and speech inflection. My analysis encompasses a detailed investigation of this particular production as well as a study of homoerotic desire between women, faciliating a critique of the methods of queer theory by engaging and refining its generalized critical principles.

Reproductive Success Of Gulls In The Larus Glaucescens-Occidentalis Complex On Protection Island, Washington, Libby C. Megna

Master's Theses

Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) and Western Gulls (Larus occidentalis) hybridize extensively where their ranges meet along the coasts of Washington and Oregon, producing a continuum of phenotypic intergrades between the two parental species. Previous work has shown that hybrids can experience greater reproductive success than parental types by combining adaptive behaviors, such as nest site selection, of both parental species, although success of hybrids may be affected by shifts in the ecotone between marine upwelling and non-upwelling environments. I investigated whether there is a correlation between phenotype, reproductive success, and nest site choice for gulls in Protection Island National Wildlife …

Effect Of Velvetleaf Root Exudates On Indole-3-Acetic Acid Production By Rhizobium Rubi At3-4rs/6, Amy Nadane

Honors Theses

Rhizobium rubi AT3-4RS/6 was isolated from the velvetleaf rhizosphere and is being tested as a potential biological control of velvetleaf. The purpose of this research is to test the levels of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) produced by Rhizobium rubi AT3-4RS/6 after exposure to and incubation in velvetleaf root exudates. IAA production has been found in other rhizobacteria that are deleterious to weed growth. Velvetleaf seeds were sprouted and the roots suspended in a sterile mineral solution, which was then recovered and inoculated with R. rubi. Levels of IAA and numbers of viable bacterial colonies were then determined. The average level of …

The Effect Of 4-Aminopyridine On Phonotactic Selectivity In Female Crickets, Lauren Martin

Honors Theses

My research project was designed to explore the effects of 4-aminopyridine (a potassium channel blocker) on phonotactic selectivity in female crickets, Acheta domesticus. These crickets underwent pre-tests for selectivity on a non-compensating treadmill during which their response to a range of male calling songs (30-90ms syllable periods) was recorded. A solution of 9.2 nl of saline or 10(-5)M 4-aminopyridine was nanoinjected into the supraesophageal ganglion. After a ten-minute recovery period, post-tests were performed, identical to the pre-tests. There was no significant effect of 4-aminopyridine on the females' selectivity.

An Evaluation Of Electrical Conductivity As A Practical Tool In Mastitis Detection At Andrews University Dairy, Carrie Mesiar

Honors Theses

An infection in a cow's udder, also known as mastitis, has been a persistent problem for the U.S. dairy community. Mastitis not only decreases milk production, but also shortens the productive life of dairy cattle and can be fatal if left untreated. Mastitis presents in both subclinical and clinical forms - clinical is easy to diagnose and treat, whereas subclinical cases are much harder to detect as they present no physical symptons, yet can still become clinical in time. At the Andrews University Dairy, part of the milking system includes electrical conductivity (EC) determination which measures the ionic composition of …

Developing An Intracellular Neurobiology Lab Sequence For Use In An Interdisciplinary Neurobiology Course, Aleksandra Kozlova-Harris

Honors Theses

The goal of my research was to evaluate procedures currently used in the Intracellular Leech Lab in order to modify the Neurobiology ZOOL475 Lab to increase the rate of successful intracellular recordings for future Neurobiology students. Two approaches were used: the first was to evaluate the possibility of using a less expensive leech species in order to allow students unlimited attempts at recording from ganglia without budget constraints. The second was to evaluate various raising conditions (water, temperature, and age) to optimize the quality of the leech ganglia. Both approaches provided useful information to improve lab success.

The Effects Of Chloro Linoleate Acylal Prodrugs On The Inositol Biosynthetic Pathway In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Steffie-Ann Dujon

Honors Theses

Bipolar disorder is a debilitating mental illness characterized by recurrent episodes of mania and depression. FDA-approved drugs lithium and valproate, are the most common treatments for this disorder. Currently, omega-3 fatty acids are being researched as an alternative treatment, free of the negative side effects valproate and lithium exhibit. The mechanisms by which valproate and lithium work are unclear, however they effectively lower intracellular inositol levels. Valproate and omega-3 fatty acids similarly inhibit yeast cell growth as well as protein kinase C activity. We hypothesize that omega-3 fatty acids can also decrease inositol levels. A prodrug combining structural properties of …

No. 334: A Visual Exploration Of Race And Identity, Naudline Pierre

Honors Theses

Throughout history, humans have invented several methods of classification - most of which are unsettling. The human need to classify is one that is deeply rooted in the search for identity. The need to fit, the need to explain, and the need to rationalize the world around us is a powerful incubator in which the process of human classification takes place. Although this thesis project involves a substantial amount of research, it is essentially a documentation of my journey to finding my identity through the lens of human classification based on physical attributes. Through the research of various human classification …

The Effects Of Pyrilamine On The Selectivity Of Phonotaxis, Kristin Chung

Honors Theses

Hormones modulate phonotactic behaviors of female crickets (Acheta domesticus). This project seeks to observe the changes in phonotactic behavior when anti-histamine is injected in the prothoracic ganglion. The anti-histamine used, pyrilamine, resulted in older, unselective females becoming more selective to the male calling songs. Females injected with saline (controls) remained unselective. The experiments with pyrilamine (anti-histamine) validates histamine's proposed role on phonotactic selectivity by enhancing inhibition of syllable period selective neural circuits in the prothoracic ganglion.

Intraindividual Variation In The Calling Songs Of The Cricket Gryllus Pennsylvanicus, Lauren Van Putten

Honors Theses

The goal of this project was to examine intraindividual variability in the calling song of the male cricket, Gryllus pennsylvanicus. We evaluated syllable period and chirp period lengths under both constant and changing temperature conditions. Significant variability in chirp and syllable period length was found under constant conditions, suggesting males are subject to internal variability without any effects from the environment. Significant variability was also seen in chirp and syllable period length for crickets under changing temperature condtions. There was a two to five minute delay in response to the temperature change.

Mating Patterns And Breeding Success In The Larus Glaucescens-Occidentalis Complex, Protection Island, Washington, Andre E. Moncrieff

Honors Theses

Glaucous-winged gulls (Larus glaucescens) and Western gulls (Larus occidentalis) are found along the Pacific Coast. Where their breeding ranges overlap in Oregon and Washington they hybridize, producing a continuum of phenotypic variation. Whereas most colonies containing these hybrids are found on islands along the coast, several, including a large colony on Protection Island National Wildlife Refuge, WA, are located in the Salish Sea. In 2010 I scored the henotypes of 81 gull pairs at the Protection Island cology using an index based on plumage melanism and bare-part coloration. Gulls from the entire range of phenotypes in the L. glaucescens-occidentalis complex, …

Ethnic Group Affiliation And Social Exclusion In Cornwall; Analysis, Adjustment And Extension Of The 2001 England And Wales Census Data, Kerryn Husk

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

This thesis provides a critical understanding of the size and relative position of the Cornish in Cornwall, a county in the south-west of the UK. Cornwall is a region which has experienced increased levels of disadvantage for a prolonged period of time. The indigenous people, whilst seeing a rise in their inclusion in ethnicity variables in the region, have remained under-researched in terms of their socio-economic position relative to the non-Cornish in the same geographic area. This thesis addresses this gap in the literature and represents the first in-depth examination of the group. The 2001 Census included an option to …

Toward A Holistic Interdisciplinary Model Of Human Being: A Hebraic-Christian Perspective Of The Human Observer And Its Beneficial Impact On The Theology-And-Science Dialogue, Society, And The Environment, Karen K. Abrahamson

Dissertations

Problem

A challenge faced by the theology-and-science dialogue is how to effectively communicate across disciplinary lines. The community assumes that there is a methodology or cluster of methodologies that allows for interdisciplinary conversation to take place. However, the community is not in agreement about how this process should occur or the hermeneutical principles that should guide it. Is it possible to surmount the problem of methodological compatibility and to generate mutually beneficial and fruitful dialogue through seeking a point of commonality between all the disciplines of the theology-and-science dialogue?

Purpose

The purpose of this dissertation is to discover a philosophical …

Temporal Dynamics Of Galapagos Marine Iguna (Amblyhynchus Cristatus) Haulout, Brianna Gale Payne

Master's Theses

Galápagos marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) briefly forage in marine habitats but spend their remaining time hauled out on land. A wide range of diurnal activities, from social and thermoregulatory behaviors to sleep and food processing, occurs during haulout. To understand the dynamics of haulout and foraging in relation to environmental factors, I fit compartmental models derived from ordinary differential equations to field data collected daily from 30 April to 16 May 2011 at two sites—one Sandy and one Rocky—at Cabo Douglas, Isla Fernandina. The best model for haulout at the Sandy site accounts for 77–80% of observed variability and includes …

There Is No Evidence For A Temporal Link Between Pathogen Arrival And Frog Extinctions In North-Eastern Australia., Ben L. Phillips, Robert Puschendorf, Jeremy Vanderwal, Ross A. Alford

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Pathogen spread can cause population declines and even species extinctions. Nonetheless, in the absence of tailored monitoring schemes, documenting pathogen spread can be difficult. In the case of worldwide amphibian declines the best present understanding is that the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has recently spread, causing amphibian declines and extinction in the process. However, good evidence demonstrating pathogen arrival followed by amphibian decline is rare, and analysis of putative evidence is often inadequate. Here we attempt to examine the relationship between Bd arrival and amphibian decline across north-eastern Australia, using sites where a wave-like pattern of amphibian decline was …

The Place Of Law In Ivan Illich's Vision Of Social Transformation, Bruce K. Miller

Faculty Scholarship

This Article discusses Ivan Illich’s direction for social reform that led to his book, "Tools for Conviviality", where Illich targeted development, technology, and the exploitation of nature. Illich identified three key cultural institutions that needed to be reclaimed in order to bring about an inversion of industrial society: science, language, and law. This Article focuses on the rule of law and its central institutional invention—formal adjudication.

The Author suggests that Illich’s idealism can still be found in the law reform litigation effort and identifies the diminished stature of the ideal of disinterested adjudication as a significant threat to Illich’s hopes …

Symposium: Radical Nemesis: Re-Envisioning Ivan Illich's Theories On Social Institutions Foreword, Jennifer L. Levi

Faculty Scholarship

The eight articles in this Symposium issue reflect the divergent topics that Ivan Illich managed to reflect upon in his life’s works. The topics include discussion of prisons, education, family law structures, privatization of welfare services and its impact on labor consciousness, media, and the rule of law.

The Symposium was a daylong conference of ideas that invited the engagement of those who joined. The students of Illich and students of students of Illich shared with those of us who had not studied at his side, his passion for ideas, his insights, and his invitation for anyone with or without …

Resource Restraints: Rethinking Disclosure Of Individual Genomic Findings, Michael Ulrich

Faculty Scholarship

While there has been a seemingly endless debate over whether individual results should be disclosed in genomic research, the role that resources should play in determining a researcher's duty has been left unanswered. This commentary fills this void by fully examining how resource limitations constrain a researcher's duty to disclose. This paper is the first to anchor an obligation in the duty to rescue alone, and as a result, the first to find not only an ethical floor of what must be returned, but also a ceiling of the amount of resources that may be utilized to fulfill this duty. …

Recent Applications Of The Simple Hydrocarbon Cyclooctatetrene As A Starting Material For Complex Molecule Synthesis, Kevin W. Glaeske, William A. Donaldson

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

Cyclooctatetraene [COT], a simple non-aromatic cyclic polyene, is capable of undergoing a variety of oxidation and cycloaddition reactions to afford polycyclic structures. In addition, complexation of COT or the cycloaddition products with transition metals facilitates bond formation. Recent developments in the reactivity of COT and application to the synthesis of naturally occurring and non-naturally occurring compounds is reviewed.

The Overrepresentation Of Minorities In Special Education: A Conceptual Analysis Of A Longstanding Conundrum, Aimee Sargent

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this analysis is to examine the issue of overrepresentation of minorities in special education, with a focus on the varying conceptual and theoretical perspectives among scholars and educators regarding the causes and potential solutions to the problem. Views of the issue will be described by comparing traditional perspectives with nontraditional perspectives. Further scrutiny of these views then leads to an analysis of differing epistemologies, contrasting the realist/objective view with that of non-realist constructivism. Thorough examinations of these issues provide a framework of overrepresentation in light of disability and race conceptualizations and present a new approach for addressing …

Management Of Thyroid Dysfunction During Pregnancy And Postpartum: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline, Leslie De Groot, Marcos Abalovich, Erik K. Alexander, Nobuyuki Amino, Linda Barbour, Rhoda H. Cobin, Creswell J. Eastman, John H. Lazarus, Dominique Luton, Susan J. Mandel, Jorge Mestman, Joanne Rovet, Scott Sullivan

Cell and Molecular Biology Faculty Publications

Objective: The aim was to update the guidelines for the management of thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy and postpartum published previously in 2007. A summary of changes between the 2007 and 2012 version is identified in the Supplemental Data (published on The Endocrine Society's Journals Online web site at http://jcem.endojournals.org).

Evidence: This evidence-based guideline was developed according to the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force, grading items level A, B, C, D, or I, on the basis of the strength of evidence and magnitude of net benefit (benefits minus harms) as well as the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and …