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Scopolamine-Induced Dry Eye Model In Female Rats, Ryan Alderson

Masters Theses

The objective of this study will be to establish, validate, and characterize a dry eye model in female rats induced by continuous systemic administration of scopolamine via Alzet® osmotic pumps for 28 days. This study will use female rats as a model for dry eye and will be implanted with osmotic pumps that will continuously distribute scopolamine or saline systemically over 28 days. Scopolamine will be used to induce the dry eye condition and saline will be used as a negative control. The clinical signs of dry eye will be evaluated by tear volume measurements with sterilized phenol-red thread (FCI …

"His Head Rolled Forth Onto The Floor:" Women, The Abject, And The Male Gaze In Old English Poetry, Jaime Michelle Myers

Masters Theses

Old English poetry features several female characters who challenge androcentric authority by violently killing men. I argue in this thesis that three of these women—Modthryth, Grendel’s mother, and Judith—are linked together by their rejection or reversal of the male gaze. In their forceful refusal to be visually objectified, each character is portrayed as abject—outside of normal and outcast from community. They cause disorder, illustrate the fragility of androcentric control, and force a confrontation with death. In so doing, they create ambiguity and, at times, reverse the subject/object and masculine/feminine gender binaries.

Activity Of The Beta-Cyanoalanine Synthase Pathway Is Associated With The Response To Abiotic Stress By Arabidopsis Thaliana., Marylou Machingura

Dissertations

Cyanide is produced throughout a plant's life cycle alongside the hormone ethylene by oxidation of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid. Production increases during certain developmental stages such as seed germination, seedling elongation, fruit ripening and senescence. Abiotic stresses increase ethylene production giving rise to `stress cyanide'. Cyanide also comes from metabolism of cyanogenic compounds. Cyanide is however, a toxic chemical which readily binds to metallo-enzymes inhibiting primary metabolic processes. Plants have mechanisms to maintain cyanide homeostasis such as the β-cyanoalanine pathway whereby cysteine reacts with cyanide forming β--cyanoalanine, mediated by β-cyanoalanine synthase and cysteine synthase. A dual nitrilase 4 enzyme then converts the …

‘To Say The Same Thing In Different Words’: Politics And Poetics In Late Victorian Translation From Modern Greek, Semele Assinder

Journal of International Women's Studies

Against a backdrop of Victorian academic gender politics, the woman warrior from War of Independence folk songs emerged in British women’s writings. After a close reading of a translation by Elizabeth Edmonds, Modern Greek is reviewed as a contender for the New Woman’s Classics.

Quantifying The Effect Of Nanoparticles On As(V) Ecotoxicity Exemplified By Nano-Fe2o3 (Magnetic) And Nano-Al2o3, Ji Hu, Demin Wang, Brett E. Forthaus, Jianmin Wang

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nano-Fe₂O₃ (magnetic) and nano-Al₂O₃ are increasingly used in biomedical fields for cellular labeling and drug delivery, and in the industry as catalysts. However, they may also serve as carriers of toxic contaminants and negatively impact the environment and human health. in the present study, Ceriodaphnia dubia was used to assess the toxicity of these nanoparticles (NPs) with and without the presence of background arsenic(V) (As[V]). the results showed that although these NPs alone did not exhibit significant toxicity in the experimental concentration range, they could significantly enhance the toxicity of As(V). the accumulation of …

Effects Of Slash Pile Burning After Restoring Conifer- Encroached Aspen, Christa M. Dagley, John-Pascal Berrill, Stephanie Coppeto, Kyle Jacobson

Aspen Bibliography

Removal of conifers encroaching aspen stands has been advocated and is being practiced in the Lake Tahoe Basin (EIP Project #10080: Aspen Community Restoration Projects). In remote and roadless areas, thinning of conifers is generating large volumes of wood and pile burning is currently being implemented to handle this biomass on site. However, the effects of pile burning on aspen are unknown, and there is an urgent need for guidelines to support design of thinning treatment prescriptions; specifically burn pile size and safe distances from live aspen trees of any size to prevent injury.

Stress-Adaptation And Stress-Induced Changes In Campylobacter Jejuni, Geetha Sanal Kumar-Phillips

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The foodborne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni is one of the leading causes of human gastroenteritis. This bacterium is not a robust organism compared with many other foodborne pathogens and requires special conditions in the laboratory for its growth. In nature, however, this organism is able to survive in very diverse and hostile environments and produce disease in humans. The different mechanisms by which C. jejuni survives stressful conditions in the environment remain unclear. Adhesion and invasion are thought to be important factors for the colonization of C. jejuni in the intestinal tracts of hosts. Previous research in our laboratory showed that …

Changes In Expression Profiles Of Energy Metabolism And Cellular Calcium Balance Genes In The Mammalian Inner Ear During Development, Audrey Freedman

Intersections Fall 2020

The incurable and devastating disease of age-related hearing loss (ARHL) affects a majority of the elderly worldwide. As humans age, their cells of the inner ear, which are responsible for hearing, undergo degenerative aging, as well as apoptosis (programmed cell death). Scientists believe that ARHL may be associated with specific cell types of the inner ear known to be high in mitochondrial concentration. These sensorineural tissues as well as the specific neurons, namely hair cells, spiral ganglion neurons, and cells of stria vascularis, are susceptible to irreversible cellular damage. A decline of mitochondrial function is common in various age-dependent neurodegenerative …

Optimizing Aplysia Californica's Living Conditions, Ruiying Xu

Intersections Fall 2020

The marine mollusk Aplysia californica is an important model organism for neuroscience research. In laboratory aquaria, animal waste may accumulate and harm animals unless water is replaced frequently. To keep animals healthy for longer, we have designed a marine environment that replicates the natural nitrogen cycle. Our animals' holding tanks have two compartments: a main compartment for animals and a refugium for macroalgae. We are studying whether ammonia and nitrate derived from animal waste cause illness in Aplysia, and whether macroalgae can sequester nitrates and reverse illness. We measured increases in nitrate and ammonia in the absence of macroalgae. We …

Determination Of Potential Azotobacter Vinelandii Bacteriophage Gene Sequences: A Bioinformatics Approach, Anish Reddy, Sarah Bagby

Intersections Fall 2020

Microbial communities play a key role in shaping many diverse ecosystems through their biogeochemical contributions. These communities comprise not only bacteria and archaea but also their viruses, whose reproduction profoundly affects host cell biology. While many bacterial species have been well characterized, the challenges of isolation and sequencing have hampered the study of environmental viruses such as bacteriophages. The model organism Azotobacter vinelandii is a common nitrogen-fixing soil bacterium. To our knowledge, no Azotobacter phages currently exist in culture. However, modern bioinformatic and database approaches can be used to identify the metagenomic sequences that may derive from bacteriophages that infect …

Changes In Meiotic Crossover Distribution And Frequency In Response To Chromosome Structural Variants, Christiana Wang, Nicole Crown

Intersections Fall 2020

Meiosis is an important mechanism that generates genetic variation for sexually reproducing organisms through recombination. In order for an organism to successfully propagate its genetic material from one generation to the next, its genome must be properly delivered as gametes. Meiotic crossing over of DNA ensures proper homolog segregation by repairing programmed double-stranded breaks. Meiotic defects caused by chromosome structural variants are detrimental to reproduction. During the interchromosomal effect, heterozygous inversions suppress crossing over between affected chromosomes while increasing crossing over between normal chromosome pairs. These defects in chromosomal dynamics trigger the pachytene checkpoint, leading to a delay in prophase …

Behavioral Observations Surrounding A Diet Change Of Zoo-Housed Matschie's Tree Kangaroos (Dendrolagus Matschiei), Sarah Miller, Noah T. Dunham, Diana Koester

Intersections Fall 2020

The diet of zoo-housed animals has significant implications to many aspects of each species' health and survival. A recent study revealed the diet of free-ranging Matschie's tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus matschiei) to be mostly browse-focused, including plants like leaves, ferns, and orchids. Prior to those findings, zoo-housed tree kangaroos were fed diets, mostly biscuit-based, that differ vastly from that of free-ranging tree kangaroos possibly contributing to widespread issues within zoos concerning obesity and low reproductive success. The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo (CMZ) houses two Matschie tree kangaroos which, in 2019, underwent a significant diet change from a more traditional, baseline, biscuit-heavy diet …

The Relationship Between Behavioral Inhibition System Sensitivity And Neuroticism, Yuhan Zhang, Rock Lim, Amanda R. Merner, Heath A. Demaree

Intersections Fall 2020

Neuroticism is one of the dimensions of the Big Five personality model that measures different personality traits. Individuals who score high on the scale of neuroticism are more likely to experience negative emotions such as anxiety or fear, and these individuals are prone to lacking adaptive coping skills when dealing with stressors (Widiger, 2009). Another method to better appreciate differences in personality is known as the Behavioral Inhibition/Behavioral Activation System (BIS/BAS). Higher BIS scores are associated with increased sensitivity to punishments and increased experience of negative emotions such as anxiety and guilt (Carver &White, 1994). The relationship between neuroticism and …

Wheelchair Athlete Concussion Baseline Data: A Pilot Retrospective Analysis, Jonathan Lee, Michael Harper, Michael Uihlein, Kenneth Lee

Intersections Fall 2020

After a thorough literature search and through experience at adaptive sports events, we identified a lack of established guidelines for Sport-related concussion (SRC) evaluation and management in wheelchair athletes. Wheelchair athletes are a unique population, and certain conventional methods of evaluating SRC in able-bodied sports cannot be used. For example, wheelchair athletes' underlying disabilities restrict the use of standard balance testing protocols. In addition, some wheelchair athletes have concurrent traumatic brain injuries and may have baseline cognitive deficits associated with their disability that mimic the symptoms of a concussion. This research focused on discussing current concussion management guidelines in Adaptive …

Engineering Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles For Bacterial Biofilm Treatment, Massado Ngompe, Yu Hsin Tsai, Nathalie Milbrandt, Zhuoying Jiang, Xiong Yu, Anna Cristina S. Samia

Intersections Fall 2020

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) are non-toxic and biocompatible materials that are used for a wide range of applications such as pigments, sunscreens, cosmetics, and food colorings. TiO2 possesses a large band gap (3.2 eV) which, by heteroatom doping or by molten salt/hydrogen assisted reduction, can be narrowed to allow for activity within the visible light spectrum making them optimal candidates for use in bacterial biofilm eradication. Nitrogen-doped and reduced TiO2 NPs have been explored in this study due to their narrowed band gap. The narrowed band gap allows for the formation of excitons upon the absorption of light within …

Does Diet Breadth Resolve Variation In Climate Driven Range Shifts Of Ohio Butterflies?, Lydia Beera, Angie Lenard, Sarah E. Diamond

Intersections Fall 2020

As a result of recent climate change, many species are rapidly altering their geographic ranges, in a phenomenon known as range shifting. In general, the shifts tend to be geographically poleward or upslope, but there is a lot of variation in the magnitude or direction of contemporary range shifts. Theory suggests that specialization might constrain range shift responses. In this experiment, we examined the relationship between the magnitude and direction of range shift responses and degree of diet specialization of Ohio butterfly larvae. We used a long-term monitoring dataset of butterfly range dynamics to test this relationship. Surprisingly, we did …

Modeling Of Yeast Pheromone Pathway Using Petri Nets, Abhishek Majumdar

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is one of the most widely studied single celled organisms. Mating of yeast cells occur between cells of opposite mating types a and alpha. Pheromone secretion by a cell alerts the corresponding opposite type cell about its presence and eventually facilitates the process of mating between them. The details of how pheromones affect cells can be studied from the pheromone response pathway in a yeast cell. A response pathway typically depicts the chain of interactions that happens between the different proteins in the cells in response to the pheromone. In this thesis we model the …

Identification Of Tcp Protocols, Juan Shao

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Recently, many new TCP algorithms, such as BIC, CUBIC, and CTCP, have been deployed in the Internet. Investigating the deployment statistics of these TCP algorithms is meaningful to study the performance and stability of the Internet. Currently, there is a tool named Congestion Avoidance Algorithm Identification (CAAI) for identifying the TCP algorithm of a web server and then for investigating the TCP deployment statistics. However, CAAI using a simple k-NN algorithm can not achieve a high identification accuracy. In this thesis, we comprehensively study the identification accuracy of five popular machine learning models. We find that the random forest model …

Southeast South Dakota Experiment Farm Annual Progress Report, 2012, Agricultural Experiment Station

Agricultural Experiment Station and Research Farm Annual Reports

This document highlights 23 crop and livestock research and demonstration reports from projects conducted at Southeast Research Farm in 2012. It is published by the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service at South Dakota State University in cooperation with the Southeast South Dakota Experiment Farm Corporation. Reports in this document include information on: weather and climate data, corn production and performance, soybean research and planting, soil testing, alfalfa yield test, fertilizer testing, herbicide research, crop rotation, sorghum, small grains, swine research, and pest and weed control.

Changes In Serum Interleukin-33 Concentration Before And After Treatment With Pegylated Interferon Alfa-2a Plus Ribavirin In Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C Genotype 1b Infection., Bruno Cacopardo, Marilia Rita Pinzone, Filippo Palermo, Giuseppe Nunnari

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: IL-33 is a novel member of the IL-1 family, which has been shown to play an important role in T helper 2 (Th2)-associated immune responses. Recent studies have suggested a possible role for IL-33 in the pathogenesis of liver damage during acute and chronic hepatitis; furthermore, IL-33 may be involved in the development and progression of liver fibrosis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate serum IL-33 levels in a group of patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) genotype 1b at enrolment and after a course of pegylated (PEG)-IFN plus ribavirin.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: 60 patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and 65 …

Density And Diversity Of Penaeid Shrimp And Fish Species In Near-Shore Seagrass Beds Of Northern Biscayne Bay, Florida (Usa), Robin Cascioli

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Seagrass beds serve critical functions in coastal Florida ecosystems. The beds serve as nursery habitat for many juvenile reef fish species and provide protection for many types of benthic organisms found in Biscayne Bay. They help stabilize sediment that would otherwise increase turbidity around coral reefs, filter the water of contaminants, and help support an entire food web. Three species of seagrass were found at the study sites in northern Biscayne Bay: Thalassia testudinum, Halodule wrightii, and Syringodium filiforme. This study focused on understanding the organism habitat interaction by determining the species diversity, seasonal densities, and the …

Bridgewater Review, Vol. 31, No. 2, December 2012

Bridgewater Review

No abstract provided.

Why Snails? How Gastropods Improve Our Understanding Of Ecological Disturbance, Christopher P. Bloch

Bridgewater Review

The concept of equilibrium - the idea that a perturbed system will tend to return to its original state - is the basis for many foundational theories in ecology. Yet, the spatial and temporal dynamics of ecosystems are strongly influenced by disturbance. If a particular disturbance greatly alters local climatic conditions, gastropods should be among the first organisms to show a measurable response. The effects of human alteration of habitats (for example, conversion of forest to agriculture) have much longer-lasting effects than those of natural disturbances.

Relative Stability Of Plant Communities In A South Carolina High Salt Marsh, James O. Luken

Biology

The high marsh in southeast Atlantic coast salt marshes forms a relatively small but ecologically important transition zone between low marsh and the terrestrial shoreline. However, long-term trend data from high marshes are limited to a few studies. Permanent plots established in a high marsh near Waties Island in northeast South Carolina were measured for plant coverage from 2002-2010. At the beginning and at the end of the study, four groups of plots were identified: mixed indicated by Borrichia frutescens, Distichlis spicata, and Fimbristylis castanea; Juncus indicated by Juncus roemerianus; Salicornia indicated by Salicornia virginica; and Spartina indicated by Spartina …

Aging, Narrative, And Performance: Essays From The Humanities, Aagje Swinnen, Cynthia Port

English

No abstract provided.

When Dna Won't Work, Rick Visser, Greg Hampikian

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Within the criminal justice system, DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) evidence has often been heralded as the gold standard of forensic science. In a 2009 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Chief Justice Roberts wrote that "DNA testing has an unparalleled ability both to exonerate the wrongly convicted and to identify the guilty. It has the potential to significantly improve both the criminal justice system and police investigative practices." The phrases “unparalleled ability” and “significantly improve” reflect the high standard that DNA has attained in both forensic science and the entire criminal justice system.

Forensic DNA technology has a major advantage over other forensic …

Understanding And Incentivizing Biosimilars, Jason Kanter, Robin Feldman

UC Law Journal

Congress recently passed the Biosimilars Act in an attempt to replicate the success that generic small molecule drugs have enjoyed under the Hatch-Waxman Act. The Biosimilars Act provides a pathway for biosimilars to achieve quicker and less expensive FDA approval than what is required for a new biopharmaceutical. There is, however, greater uncertainty and cost associated with achieving the coveted biosimilarity status. This reflects the complex production methods of biopharmaceuticals, along with the many factors that can alter the structure and function of such drugs. This Article analyzes the Biosimilars Act and the draft guidances recently released by the FDA. …

Microbiologically Enhanced Mixing Across Scales During In-Situ Bioremediation Of Uranium, Reinaldo E. Alcalde

McNair Scholars Research Journal

Production of nuclear fuels for weapons and electric energy has resulted in groundwater uranium contamination at Department of Energy (DOE) sites. Reduction of uranium by dissimilatory metal-reducing bacteria (DMRB) is an effective approach for in-situ bioremediation of these sites. In this process, an organic electron donor is typically delivered through a well into groundwater in order to promote the biological reduction of soluble and toxic U(VI) to insoluble and less toxic U(IV). A key challenge is mixing the organic electron donor with U(VI) in groundwater where laminar flow conditions prevail. A potential solution is to enhance reaction beyond the scale …

Ghost Tiger Beetle (Cicindela Lepida): Species Conservation Assessment, Melissa J. Panella

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Publications

The primary goal in development of at-risk species conservation assessments is to compile biological and ecological information that may assist conservation practitioners in making decisions regarding the conservation of species of interest. The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project recognizes the ghost tiger beetle, a.k.a. white tiger beetle, (Cicindela lepida) as a Tier I at-risk species of high conservation priority. Some general management recommendations are made here regarding ghost tiger beetles; however, conservation practitioners will need to use professional judgment to make specific management decisions based on objectives, location, and a multitude of variables. This resource was designed to share available knowledge …

A Shell-Neutral Modeling Approach Yields Sustainable Oyster Harvest Estimates: A Retrospective Analysis Of The Louisiana State Primary Seed Grounds, Thomas M. Soniat, John M. Klinck, Eric N. Powell, Nathan Cooper, Mahdi Abdelguerfi, Eileen E. Hofmann, Janak Dahal, Shengru Tu, John Finigan, Benjamin S. Eberline, Jerome F.La Peyre, Megan K.La Peyre, Fareed Qaddoura

Faculty Publications

A numerical model is presented that defines a sustainability criterion as no net loss of shell, and calculates a sustainable harvest of seed (<75 >mm) and sack or market oysters (≥75 mm). Stock assessments of the Primary State Seed Grounds conducted east of the Mississippi from 2009 to 2011 show a general trend toward decreasing abundance of sack and seed oysters. Retrospective simulations provide estimates of annual sustainable harvests. Comparisons of simulated sustainable harvests with actual harvests show a trend toward unsustainable harvests toward the end of the time series. Stock assessments combined with shell-neutral models can be used to …