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Constructing Depth Through Jane: Contemporary Interactions Between Austen And Interiority, Nicole Catherine Peters

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The world is saturated with Jane Austen. She is in the movies, in bookstores, and in college courses. For years “lowbrow” and “highbrow” readers have fought over the “proper” way to read her work. Ian Watt, a popular literary critic, argued that Austen’s value resides in her use of interiority. For years, interiority was held as the measure of a novel’s worth or depth. Deidre Lynch exposed this interiority Watt spoke of as a cultural taste—one which Austen and Watt emerged from and helped to create.

In this project, I look at two contemporary manifestations of Austen—one that is considered …

Synthesis And Structural Studies Of Calcium And Magnesium Diphosphonate Compounds, Seungmo Suh

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The purpose of this project is to study synthetic methodologies leading to the designing of various calcium and magnesium based diphosphonates with possible applications as bone scaffolding materials. In tissue engineering scaffolds are frequently employed to enhance the growth of new cells, providing the motivation to study alkaline earth metal based diphosphonates as a possible source for scaffold for bone growth.

While the transition metal phosphonates based frameworks are well studied, alkaline earth metal based phosphonates and diphosphonates remain at its infancy. The challenge to the chemistry of the alkaline earth metal phosphonates and diphosphonates based frameworks includes poor solubility …

Dancing With A Literary Devil: The Rushdie Affair In Britain, Arjun Mishra

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This paper studies the Rushdie Affair, which gripped the world from 1988-1990 and at its height included a death sentence from the Ayatollah of Iran to a British subject. The Rushdie Affair was a series of events that began with the publication of The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie, a critically acclaimed British-Indian novelist. The situation spiraled out of control from there, as Muslims throughout the world claimed offense to what they perceived as insults to Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. The Rushdie Affair came to be characterized by violent riots in Pakistan and India, censures throughout the world, and …

Evaluating Offshore Wind Resources And Ecological Conditions In Lake Michigan With A Nomad Buoy And Laser Sensor, Erik Edward Nordman

Presentations

No abstract provided.

Role Of Trp Channels In Mediating The Calcium Signaling Response Of Brain Endothelial Cells To Mechanical Stretch, Jonathan Berrout

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) often results in disruption of the blood brain barrier (BBB), which is an integral component to maintaining the central nervous system homeostasis. Recently cytosolic calcium levels ([Ca²⁺]i), observed to elevate following TBI, have been shown to influence endothelial barrier integrity. However, the mechanism by which TBI-induced calcium signaling alters the endothelial barrier remains unknown. In the present study, an in vitro BBB model was utilized to address this issue. Exposure of cells to biaxial mechanical stretch, in the range expected for TBI, resulted in a rapid cytosolic calcium increase. Modulation of intracellular and extracellular …

Fluorescence-Based Reporter For Gauging Cyclic Di-Gmp Levels In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Morten T. Rybtke, Bradley R. Borlee, Keiji Murakami, Yasuhiko Irie, Morten Hentzer, Thomas E. Nielsen, Michael Givskov, Matthew R. Parsek, Tim Tolker-Nielsen

Biology Faculty Publications

The increased tolerance toward the host immune system and antibiotics displayed by biofilm-forming Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other bacteria in chronic infections such as cystic fibrosis bronchopneumonia is of major concern. Targeting of biofilm formation is believed to be a key aspect in the development of novel antipathogenic drugs that can augment the effect of classic antibiotics by decreasing antimicrobial tolerance. The second messenger cyclic di-GMP is a positive regulator of biofilm formation, and cyclic di-GMP signaling is now regarded as a potential target for the development of antipathogenic compounds. Here we describe the development of fluorescent monitors that can gauge …

Hybrid Carbon-Based Scaffolds For Applications In Soft Tissue Reconstruction, Jarema S. Czarnecki, Khalid Lafdi, Robert M. Joseph, Panagiotis A. Tsonis

Biology Faculty Publications

Current biomedical scaffolds utilized in surgery to repair soft tissues commonly fail to meet the optimal combination of biomechanical and tissue regenerative properties. Carbon is a scaffold alternative that potentially optimizes the balance between mechanical strength, durability, and function as a cell and biologics delivery vehicle that is necessary to restore tissue function while promoting tissue repair. The goals of this study were to investigate the feasibility of fabricating hybrid fibrous carbon scaffolds modified with biopolymer, polycaprolactone and to analyze their mechanical properties and ability to support cell growth and proliferation. Environmental scanning electron microscopy, micro-computed tomography, and cell adhesion …

Parallel Adaptive Algorithms For Sampling Large Scale Networks, Kanimathi Duraisamy

Student Work

The study of real-world systems, represented as networks, has important application in many disciplines including social sciences [1], bioinformatics [2] and software engineering [3]. These networks are extremely large, and analyzing them is very expensive. Our research work involves developing parallel graph sampling methods for efficient analysis of gene correlation networks. Our sampling algorithms maintain important structural and informational properties of large unstructured networks. We focus on preserving the relative importance, based on combinatorial metrics, rather than the exact measures. We use a special subgraph technique, based on finding triangles called maximal chordal subgraphs, which maintains the highly connected portions …

Chinese International Students' Cross-Cultural Adaptation And Online Communication, Chen Wei Wu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explored Chinese international students' computer mediated communication with both Americans and Chinese during their studying in the U.S. based on a Cross-Cultural Adaptation theory. The specific purpose of this study was to test five theorems of the theory with a sample of Chinese international students and to explore how Chinese international students' intercultural transformation, adaptive personality, host communication competence, and their interpersonal and mass communication with both host and ethnic groups associate together.

A Role Of Environmental Components In Autoimmune Vitiligo Of Smyth Line Chickens, Lei Dong

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Smyth line (SL) of chickens is a well-established animal model for the study of spontaneous autoimmune vitiligo, displaying all the characteristics of human vitiligo. In humans, phenolic derivative 4-tertiary butyl phenol (4-TBP) has been shown to trigger vitiligo in susceptible individuals. In vitiligo-prone SL-chickens, live turkey herpesvirus (HVT) infection at hatch was identified as the most effective trigger of SL-vitiligo expression. This dissertation examined the role of the environmental factors 4-TBP and HVT in the etiology of SL-vitiligo. Specifically, the generation of reactive-oxygen-species by melanocyte-containing feather tissue (MC-FT) and cultured melanocytes in response to 4-TBP exposure in vitro (Study …

The Effects Of 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3, Docosahexaenoic Acid And 5-Fluorouracil On Human Breast Cancer Cells, Liv Astri Engelsen

All Master's Theses

It is well documented that vitamin D and DHA have antiproliferative effects on a variety of human cancers, including breast cancer. Studies have shown that a combination approach to cancer treatment is more effective than any one treatment administered alone. In this study, human mammary epithelial cells from the MCF-7 cell line were treated with 25 μM DHA, 1 μM calcitriol, and 15 μM 5-Fluorourocil alone and in multiple combinations for 72 hours. Both DHA and 5-Fluorouracil slowed growth significantly (p < 0.05). In contrast, vitamin D did not inhibit cell growth at 1 μM. The combination of vitamin D and DHA inhibited cell growth slightly more than DHA alone. Interestingly, DHA was just as effective as 5-Fluorouracil at inhibiting cell growth. These results suggest that DHA may be just as efficacious as 5-Fluorouracil in slowing breast cancer progression and therefore may suggest a dietary approach to breast cancer treatment with low toxicity.

The Effect Of Phosphite On Mycorrhiza Formation In American Chestnut (Castanea Dentata), Matthew T. Perkins

Honors Theses

One of the primary hindrances to Castanea dentata restoration in the Southeast is the root rot disease caused by the fungus-like microorganism Phytophthora cinnamomi. Root rot can be combated by the application of mono- and di-potassium salts of phosphorous acid, which are marketed as phosphite fungicides. Despite its value in preventing infection by P. cinnamomi it is also thought that phosphite may impede root colonization by beneficial, ectomycorrhizal fungi. I hypothesized that plants given a routine application of phosphite will display fewer mycorrhizas in the root tips than those plants that were not treated with potassium phosphite. Therefore I attempted …

Cortical Gyrification In Velo-Cardio-Facial (22q11.2 Deletion) Syndrome: A Longitudinal Study, Arun Kunwar, Seethalakshmi Ramanathan, Joshua Nelson, Kevin M. Antshel, Wanda Fremont, Anne Marie Higgins, Robert J. Shprintzen, Wendy R. Kates

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Introduction: Velo-cardio-facial syndrome (VCFS) has been identified as an important risk factor for psychoses, with up to 32% of individuals with VCFS developing a psychotic illness. Individuals with VCFS thus form a unique group to identify and explore early symptoms and biological correlates of psychosis. In this study, we examined if cortical gyrification pattern, i.e. gyrification index (GI) can be a potential neurobiological marker for psychosis.

Method: GIs of 91 individuals with VCFS were compared with 29 siblings and 54 controls. Further, 58 participants with VCFS, 21 siblings and 18 normal controls were followed up after 3 years and longitudinal …

Applications Of Solid State Nmr To Cardiolipin And Elastin., Tatiana Victorovna Krivokhizhina 1981-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation has five chapters. Following an introduction, chapter two describes an investigation of the hypothesis that cardiolipin has a proton storage function in mitochondrial membranes. Chapters three and four present a novel NMR study of the elastic mechanism in elastin. Directions for the future research are given in the last chapter. To investigate the hypothesis that cardiolipin has a proton storage function, we have used 31p, 1H and 13C NMR. A single axially symmetric 31p pattern with reversed anisotropy compared to the static pattern is observed from pH 4 to 9 for tetraoleoyl cardiolipin (TOCL). This confirms that (a) …

Development Of A Hydrogel/Polypyrrole Interpenetrating Network For A Potential Application As An Artificial Cardiac Muscle., James J. Lee 1978-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hydrophilic and conductive characteristics in polymers are mutually exclusive of each other. Hydrophilic polymer properties allow absorption of water up to several magnitudes above their dry weight. However, due to their molecular structure, they are not inherently conductive without the aid of a conductive element. Conductive polymers have molecular structures which permit current transfer via a series of delocalized electrons along the polymer backbone. Conversely, due to their organic nature, they are very hydrophobic and will not readily interact with hydrophilic elements. The motivation of this dissertation was to develop a biocompatible material that could potentially support the muscle like …

Co-Option And Adaptation Of Novel Gene Duplications For Pheromone Activity In A Dusky Salamander., Kari Anne Leichty 1987-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For more than a hundred million years, male plethodontid salamanders have utilized non-volatile, proteinaceous courtship pheromones to regulate female mating receptivity and promote mating success. These pheromones - which are delivered after courtship has commenced and do not act as chemical attractants - are delivered from a male's submandibular (mental) gland to the female salamander either by an olfactory mode or transdermally. For approximately 20 years, research on plethodontid courtship pheromones has focused on those involved in olfaction, using the red-legged salamander (Plethodon shermani) as a model. However, the olfactory system is a relatively recent adaptation (~20 million years ago) …

Learning From Graphically Integrated 2d And 3d Representations Improves Retention Of Neuroanatomy., Farah Naaz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Visualizations in the form of computer-based learning environments are highly encouraged in science education, especially for teaching spatial material. Some spatial material, such as sectional neuroanatomy, is very challenging to learn. It involves learning the two dimensional (2D) representations that are sampled from the three dimensional (3D) object. In this study, a computer-based learning environment was used to explore the hypothesis that learning sectional neuroanatomy from a graphically integrated 2D and 3D representation will lead to better learning outcomes than learning from a sequential presentation. The integrated representation explicitly demonstrates the 2D-3D transformation and should lead to effective learning. This …

Perceptions Of Gender In Young Consumers Of Animated Films., Katherine Barnes 1980-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the gender stereotyping of two animated films by boys and girls (N=25). Based on Bern's (1983) gender schema theory, it was hypothesized that children would stereotype Aladdin as being for males and Pocahontas as being for females, based on the gender of the lead character. Interviews with participants (five to six years old) revealed that they did not gender stereotype the two films. A majority of both boys and girls liked the two films and felt they were for boys and girls. However, they did not think a girl could rescue another …

Parasitic Nematodes In Humans : Exploring The Host-Parasite Dynamic Through Historical, Biological, And Public Health Evaluations Of Infection., Erin Christine Welsh 1987-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigated infection dynamics of parasitic nematodes at both the population and individual levels by exploring evolutionary and historical aspects of infection as well as how host-parasite interactions influence virulence. In particular, this thesis sought to answer questions of how host populations have influenced the spread of infection and how transmission determines infection virulence, with a final goal of understanding how eradication programs for parasites can be developed or improved with this knowledge. The host-parasite dynamic was explored throughout history, with particular focus on the ways host populations have shaped infection distribution in present, historic, and prehistoric times. Then, …

"What Do You Mean I'M A Slut?!?!" : Deconstructing The Definitions Of Promiscuity Of The Collective Conscience Using Concepts From Labeling Theory And Biopower., Joshua O. Corum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The term "promiscuity" is often used in academic literature and pejoratively proliferated among society at large. The definition of promiscuity has not been clearly and consistently defined within research and varies significantly from person to person. However, both research and society continue to utilize this term with the assumption of a universal meaning. This study investigated how individuals construct their personal definition of promiscuity and how the subsequent label is applied to others. This thesis also examined how the definition of promiscuity is constructed within the collective conscience and how social institutions influence that definition. The relationship between the collective …

The Budget Gap : Gender Discrimination In The U.S. Federal Budget Process, 1962-2011., Kevin Fahey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The persistent private sector wage gap between men and women is one of the more intractable deficiencies of modem American society. It may be symptomatic of male privilege, a theory that outlines pervasive, ubiquitous discrimination that favors men from birth until death. However, egalitarian wage laws passed by Congress rigidly enforce equal pay for equal work at the highest echelons of public service, including Congress, the Cabinet, and the presidency. Is male privilege likely to manifest despite such legislation? If we assume that members of the Cabinet are lobbyists or representatives of their agencies, with Congress as the constituent, pervasive …

Visualizing Female Agency : Space And Gender In Contemporary Women's Art In Mexico., Jamie L. Ratliff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation outlines a theoretical model for contextualizing contemporary women's art practice in Mexico within the profound socioeconomic and political events that have taken place since 1968, characterized by the steady breakdown and eventual turnover of the Mexican state. Following the spatial theories outlined by Henry Lefebvre in The Production of Space, this study adopts the logic that social spaces are a direct production of the societies that inhabit them, as well as the social relations, ideologies, and notions of power that are espoused therein. Focusing on the artists Paula Santiago, the collective Polvo de Gallina Negra, Daniela Rossell, Minerva …

Bawdy Badges And The Black Death : Late Medieval Apotropaic Devices Against The Spread Of The Plague., Lena Mackenzie Gimbel 1976-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines a large corpus of enigmatic pilgrimage badges dating from roughly 1350-1500 CE. The badges were brought to light during archaeological excavations of water sites throughout the Schelde Estuary in the Netherlands, the riverbanks of the Seine in France, and the Thames in England. A small selection of the iconography of the corpus includes: ambulant vulvas on stilts, winged and crowned pudenda pilgrims complete with pilgrims' staffs and rosaries, couples having sex, and ambulant winged phalli. The few scholars who have attempted their study have labeled the badges as erotic, obscene, rude, naughty, and pornographic. The advanced study …

Assessment Of Field Effect In The Cancerous Prostate, Christina M. Haaland

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men. Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) is the current indicator of prostate health, and needle core biopsy of the prostate is the standard of cancer diagnosis. However, PSA is not a specific indicator of cancer, and biopsy may miss actual tumor cells, leading to both false positive and false negative results, respectively. Therefore, better indicators of prostate cancer need to be identified. Field effect is the term used to describe the existence of genetically altered, although histologically normal, cells that surround an area of frank cancer. Better understanding and characterization …

Mechanisms Of Hydrogen Sulfide Induced Vasodilation, Olan Jackson-Weaver

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Myogenic tone is an important regulator of blood flow and may contribute to peripheral vascular resistance and blood pressure. Myogenic tone is a luminal pressure-induced constriction of the vasculature that is mediated by a vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) plasma membrane potential (Em) depolarization and Ca2+ influx. Ca2+ sparks, which are ryanodine receptor (RyR) mediated Ca2+ release events, oppose myogenic tone by activating large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels (BKCa) to hyperpolarize VSMC Em. The gaseous signaling molecules (gasotransmitters) NO and CO activate Ca2+ sparks to cause vasodilation. H2S, a third gasotransmitter produced by cystationine γ-lyase (CSE) in the vasculature, activates several …

Antibody-Mediated Protection Against Pulmonary Infection With Virulent Type A Francisella Tularensis, Gopi Mara-Koosham

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Respiratory infections with the virulent type A strains of Francisella tularensis (Ft) cause pneumonic tularemia, an illness which results in high case fatalities in the absence of timely antibiotic treatment. Although immunization is an effective countermeasure, vaccines against pulmonary tularemia are currently unavailable. A better understanding of protective immune components is therefore needed to develop licensable vaccines against pulmonary tularemia. While the indispensability of cell-mediated immunity in protection against this gram-negative intracellular bacterium is well-documented, the protective role of antibodies (Abs) is unclear. Hence we examined the role of humoral immunity by developing a passive immunization model of respiratory tularemia …

Characterization Of G Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor (Gper) In Breast Epithelial Proliferation And Morphogenesis, Allison Layne Scaling

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Estrogen (17β-estradiol, E2) plays an important role in regulating an array of functions in both male and female reproductive physiology. In the mammary gland, E2-induced proliferation, ductal outgrowth and subsequent branching morphogenesis is required for proper development of the breast. In males, E2 is required for proper testicular development, spermatogenesis, and sperm maturation in the epididymis, but can also negatively regulate these functions with inappropriate exposure. The effects of E2 in these organs have long been attributed to classical estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ), due to the observed effects in ER-/- mice; however, GPER is abundantly expressed in male and …

The Role Of Furin In Human Papillomavirus Infection, Sonya Persia Flores

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the causative agent of cervical cancer and infect skin and mucosal membranes. Through wounding the virus establishes infection in the basal layer of human keratinocytes and requires differentiating squamous epithelium to complete the viral life cycle. HPV virions contain two structural viral proteins: the major capsid protein L1 that self-assembles into capsid structures, and the minor capsid protein, L2, that is essential for infection. It is believed that HPV cellular entry occurs via receptor-mediated endocytosis and that the primary attachment factors used by the virus are heparan sulfonated proteoglycans (HSPGs). Most current HPV literature follows an …

Biological Mechanisms And Clinical Implications Of Bcr-Abl-Induced Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress And Cell Survival In Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, Hui Zhang

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), a myeloproliferative disorder, represents approximately 15-20% of all adult leukemia. The development of CML is clearly linked to the constitutively active protein-tyrosine kinase BCR-ABL, which is encoded by BCR-ABL fusion gene as the result of chromosome 9/22 translocation (Philadelphia chromosome). Previous studies have demonstrated that oxidative stress-associated genetic, metabolic and biological alterations contribute to CML cell survival and drug refractory. Mitochondria and NAD(P)H oxidase (NOX) are the major sources of BCR-ABL-induced cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. However, it is still unknown how CML cells maintain the altered redox status, while escaping from the persistent oxidative …

Microrna Regulation Of Prostate Cancer Stem/Progenitor Cells And Prostate Cancer Development, Can Liu

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Most human tumors contain a population of cells with stem cell properties, called cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are believed to be responsible for tumor establishment, metastasis, and resistance to clinical therapy. It’s crucial to understand the regulatory mechanisms unique to CSCs, so that we may design CSC-specific therapeutics. Recent discoveries of microRNA (miRNA) have provided a new avenue in understanding the regulatory mechanisms of cancer. However, how miRNAs may regulate CSCs is still poorly understood. Here, we present miRNA expression profiling in six populations of prostate cancer (PCa) stem/progenitor cells that possess distinct tumorigenic properties. Six miRNAs were identified …