Digital Commons Network^™

The Diversity Of Quantitative Trait Loci In Yeast Sporulation Efficiency, Kimberly Lorenz

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

A complex trait is one that exhibits continuous phenotypic variation due to genetic variation in many quantitative trait genes: QTGs). The ultimate goal of genetics is to relate genotype to phenotype; in the case of complex traits this requires a better understanding of what types of genes harbor causal natural variation, and what form the variation takes. Here I describe two experiments using the model complex trait of sporulation efficiency in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one to specifically investigate how small effects contribute to a quantitative trait and the other to determine whether certain types of genes are more likely …

Differential Effects Of Endocannabinoid Catabolic Inhibitors On Opioid Withdrawal In Mice, Thomas Gamage

Theses and Dissertations

The effects of cannabinoids in reducing somatic signs of opioid withdrawal have been known for some time. In morphine dependent rodents, opioid withdrawal following precipitation with the mu opioid antagonist naloxone elicits robust withdrawal behaviors including jumps, paw flutters, head shakes, diarrhea and weight loss. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol has been shown to reduce this opioid withdrawal in mice via activation of the cannabinoid type-1 (CB1) receptor and recently it has been shown that inhibition of the catabolic enzymes for endocannabinoids also reduce somatic signs of opioid withdrawal. Specifically, inhibition the enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the catabolic enzyme for the endocannabinoid …

In The News, Jessica Ritsick, Molly Elizabeth Conway, Colin Rettammel

Health Law and Policy Brief

No abstract provided.

Symposium: Does Sexx Really Matter - What A Difference An X Makes: Welcome Remarks, Phyllis Greenberger

Health Law and Policy Brief

No abstract provided.

First Opinion: Artful Baseball In A Book Worthy Of Willie, Peter Carino

First Opinions, Second Reactions

No abstract provided.

Second Reaction: Be Careful What You Wish For, Emily Bible-Ramsey

First Opinions, Second Reactions

No abstract provided.

Spatio-Temporal Visual Information Analysis For Moving Object Detection And Retrieval In Video Sequences, Dianting Liu

Open Access Dissertations

The development of the Internet makes the number of online videos increase dramatically, which brings new demands to the video search engines for automatic retrieval and classification. We propose an unsupervised moving object detection and retrieval framework by exploiting and analyzing spatio-temporal visual information in the video sequences. The motivation is to use visual content information to estimate the locations of the moving objects in the spatio-temporal domain. Compared with the existing approaches, our proposed detection algorithm is unsupervised. It does not need to train models for specific objects. Furthermore, it is suitable for the detection of unknown objects. Therefore, …

The Influence Of Snowmobile Trails On Coyote Movements During Winter In High-Elevation Landscapes, Eric M. Gese, Jennifer L. Burghardt Dowd, Lise M. Aubry

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Competition between sympatric carnivores has long been of interest to ecologists. Increased understanding of these interactions can be useful for conservation planning. Increased snowmobile traffic on public lands and in habitats used by Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) remains controversial due to the concern of coyote (Canis latrans) use of snowmobile trails and potential competition with lynx. Determining the variables influencing coyote use of snowmobile trails has been a priority for managers attempting to conserve lynx and their critical habitat. During 2 winters in northwest Wyoming, we backtracked coyotes for 265 km to determine how varying snow characteristics influenced coyote movements; …

Water Vapor Movement In Freezing Aggregate Base Materials, Maile Anne Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this research were to 1) measure the extent to which water vapor movement results in water accumulation in freezing base materials; 2) evaluate the effect of soil stabilization on water vapor movement in freezing base materials; 3) determine if the corresponding changes in water content are sufficient to cause frost heave during winter; 4) determine if the corresponding changes in water content are sufficient to cause reductions in stiffness during spring; 5) evaluate relationships between selected material properties, freezing conditions, and the occurrence and impact of water vapor movement; and 6) numerically simulate heat and water movement …

Nísia Floresta: Setting A Foundation For Feminist Literature In Brazil, Rachel Davidson Skinner

Theses and Dissertations

Many historians and literary critics recognize the nineteenth-century Brazilian author, Nísia Floresta, as the first feminist in Brazil. "Nísia Floresta é considerada a precursora dos ideais feministas no Brasil. Desde o início de sua carreira literária, a defesa dos direitos femininos foi o tema mais recorrente em sua obra"(Castro 250). Her works, published in Brazil and also in France and Italy, influenced women across borders. This thesis will address the discourse on maternity and education found in her works Opúsculo humanitário, Direitos das mulheres e injustiças dos homens, A mulher, and Conselhos à minha filha. Focusing on gender equality and …

On The Origin Of Phenotypic Variation: Novel Technologies To Dissect Molecular Determinants Of Phenotype, Francesco Vallania

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

This thesis describes the conception, design, and development of novel computational tools, theoretical models, and experimental techniques applied to the dissection of molecular factors underlying phenotypic variation. The first part of my work is focused on finding rare genetic variants in pooled DNA samples, leading to the development of a novel set of algorithms, SNPseeker and SPLINTER, applied to next-generation sequencing data. The second part of my work describes the creation of a reporter system for DNA methylation for the purpose of dissecting the genetic contribution of tissue-specific patterns of DNA methylation across the genome. Finally the last part of …

Post-Fire Interactions Between Soil Water Repellency, Islands Of Fertility, And Bromus Tectorum Invasibility, Kaitlynn Jane Fernelius

Theses and Dissertations

An intrinsic link exists between soil moisture and soil nitrogen. Factors that increase or decrease soil moisture can have a profound effect on soil nitrogen cycling, which may have later repercussions in the plant community. Post-fire soil water repellency is one factor that can limit soil moisture acquisition and may indirectly affect nitrogen cycling and weed invasion in woody islands of fertility. Plots centered on burned Juniperus osteosperma trees were either left untreated or treated with a surfactant to ameliorate water repellency. Two years later, soils were excavated from the untreated and treated field plots. In the greenhouse, half of …

Outcomes Of An Emotion Word Intervention For Children With Social Communication Impairments, Rebecca Cloward Mansfield

Theses and Dissertations

Children with social communication disorders have been found to exhibit deficits in emotional intelligence, including the ability to identify emotions attributed to facial expressions. The purpose of this thesis was to examine the efficacy of a social communication intervention program designed to increase the accuracy of emotion based word use in three elementary school-aged participants with social communication disorders. The participants took part in a multiple-baseline, 20-session treatment including story enactment, journaling procedures, and supplementary activities. The story enactment portion of the intervention centered on Mercer Mayer's A Boy, A Dog, and A Frog (1967) wordless picture book series. Participants' …

Mechanisms Of Dietary Protein-Induced Changes In Calcium Absorption Efficiency, Jessica D. Bihuniak

Doctoral Dissertations

We undertook a randomized, double-blind, crossover study in 14 healthy women who were required to ingest a 6-day low protein diet supplemented with CaSR-AAA (calcium-sensing receptor-activating amino acids), DAA (dibasic amino acids) or methylcellulose capsules (control). All subjects ingested all three diets in random order. Prior to each experimental diet subjects consumed an 11 day adjustment diet. Calcium absorption was measured on day 5 of each dietary intervention using dual-stable calcium isotopes. The clinical trial tested the hypothesis that dietary protein affects the efficiency of intestinal calcium absorption by activating the calcium sensing receptor (CaSR). Supplementation with CaSR-AAA did not …

Exploring Consumer Behavior Using Student Constructed Photographic Essays And Film Projects, Seth Ellis

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Millennials can be characterized by a preference for classroom discussion rather than lecture, working in small collaborative groups, and a desire for structure and steady feedback. This paper describes an undergraduate course, Visual Methods for Exploring Consumer Behavior, where students examine topics in consumer behavior by constructing photographic essays and films as primary research vehicles. We discuss how the course is operationalized, how to encourage and support students in their endeavors, and how to avoid some of the pitfalls we have encountered.

Reflectance And Ultrastructure Of The Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer In Normal And Glaucomatous Retinas, Ye Spector

Open Access Dissertations

Glaucomatous damage to the RNFL usually precedes detectable visual field loss; clinical assessment of RNFL optical properties has been valuable in diagnosis of glaucoma and other neuropathic diseases. In this dissertation, we aimed to improve the understanding of the changes of RNFL reflectance and its underlying ultrastructure under the development of glaucoma. We used simultaneous immunohistochemical labeling and both en face and in-depth confocal imaging to study axonal cytoskeletal alteration of F-actin, MTs and NFs across the retina in the context of glaucoma. We have found that alteration of each cytoskeletal components is different from each other, and different degree …

An Inverse Relationship Between Resistance To 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose And Glucose Starvation In Tumor Cells Under Normoxia, Katherine Beth Philips

Open Access Dissertations

A distinguishing feature of tumor cells is their upregulation of glucose metabolism. This metabolic change from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis creates a selective window that can be exploited for anticancer therapy. Here we investigate mechanisms by which pancreatic cancer cells respond to therapeutic (2-deoxy-D-glucose, 2-DG) and physiologic (glucose starvation, GS) forms of glucose restriction. 2-Deoxy-d-Glucose (2-DG) is a sugar analog of both glucose and mannose and thus has established activities inhibiting glycolysis and interfering with glycosylation, respectively. Due to 2-DG’s dual functions, it has classically been thought of as a glucose deprivation mimetic. Additionally, these roles render 2-DG an …

Openness And Closure In Modernist Cinema: Antonioni/Resnais/Haneke/Martel, Oscar Jubis

Open Access Dissertations

Narrative exposition evokes questions about characters and events. A narrative opens gaps when information necessary to interpret the plot has yet to be offered. Some questions perform what Barthes calls primary or “hinge” functions. Narratives revolve around these presiding questions or gaps while secondary questions serve complementary purposes. The opening of gaps and the timing of their closing are the means by which narratives incite our curiosity, foment our interest, and hold our attention. Most narratives aim to achieve resolution and grant a sense of closure by filling the gaps with sufficient certitude. A degree of ambiguity is present in …

The Epidemic Of Extended-Spectrum-Β-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia Coli St131 Is Driven By A Single Highly Pathogenic Subclone, H30-Rx, Lance B. Price, James R. Johnson, Maliha Aziz, Connie Clabots, Brian Johnston, Veronika Tchesnokova, Lora Nordstrom, Maria Billig, Sujay Chattopadhyay, Marc Stegger, Paal S. Andersen, Talima Pearson, Kim Riddell, Peggy Rogers, Delia Scholes, Barbara Kahl, Paul Keim, Evgeni V. Sokurenko

Environmental and Occupational Health Faculty Publications

The Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131) clone is notorious for extraintestinal infections, fluoroquinolone resistance, and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production, attributable to a CTX-M-15-encoding mobile element. Here, we applied pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and whole-genome sequencing to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the ST131 clone. PFGE-based cluster analyses suggested that both fluoroquinolone resistance and ESBL production had been acquired by multiple ST131 sublineages through independent genetic events. In contrast, the more robust whole-genome-sequence-based phylogenomic analysis revealed that fluoroquinolone resistance was confined almost entirely to a single, rapidly expanding ST131 subclone, designated H30-R. Strikingly, 91% of the CTX-M-15-producing isolates also …

Piperazinylpyrimidine Analogues As Protein Kinase Inhibitors, Wade A. Russu, Hassan M. Shallal

Pacific Patents

The invention provides novel compounds based on piperazinylpyrimidine derivatives to be used as protein kinase inhibitors. The compounds may be useful in treating or preventing different cellular proliferation disorders, such as cancer. The present invention also provides methods of preparing these compounds, and methods of using the same.

Local Cowboy Publishes Book With Graphic Communication Institute At Cal Poly, Public Affairs Office

Press Releases

No abstract provided.

Microbicidal Effects Of Α- And Θ-Defensins Against Antibiotic-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus And Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Kenneth P. Tai, Karishma Kamdar, Jason Yamaki, Valerie V. Le, Dat Tran, Patti Tran, Michael E. Selsted, Andre J. Ouelette, Annie Wong-Beringer

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens threaten public health. Because many antibiotics target specific bacterial enzymes or reactions, corresponding genes may mutate under selection and lead to antibiotic resistance. Accordingly, antimicrobials that selectively target overall microbial cell integrity may offer alternative approaches to therapeutic design. Naturally occurring mammalian α- and θ-defensins are potent, non-toxic microbicides that may be useful for treating infections by antibiotic-resistant pathogens because certain defensin peptides disrupt bacterial, but not mammalian, cell membranes. To test this concept, clinical isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), including vancomycin heteroresistant strains, and ciprofloxacin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Cip^R-PA) were tested for sensitivity to …

Reductions In Serum Igf-1 During Aging Impair Health Span, Zhenwei Gong, Oran Kennedy, Hui Sun, Yingjie Wu, Garry A. Williams, Laura Klein, Luis Cardoso, Ronald W. Matheny Jr, Gene B. Hubbard, Yuji Ikeno, Roger P. Farrar, Mitchell B. Schaffler, Martin L. Adamo, Radhika H. Muzumdar, Shoshana Yakar

Publications and Research

In lower or simple species, such as worms and flies, disruption of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and the insulin signaling pathways has been shown to increase lifespan. In rodents, however, growth hormone (GH) regulates IGF-1 levels in serum and tissues and can modulate lifespan via/or independent of IGF- 1. Rodent models, where the GH/IGF-1 axis was ablated congenitally, show increased lifespan. However, in contrast to rodents where serum IGF-1 levels are high throughout life, in humans, serum IGF-1 peaks during puberty and declines thereafter during aging. Thus, animal models with congenital disruption of the GH/ IGF-1 axis are unable …

Brief Monocular Deprivation As An Assay Of Short-Term Visual Sensory Plasticity In Schizophrenia - "The Binocular Effect", John J. Foxe, Sheralyn Yeap, Victoria M. Leavitt

Publications and Research

Background: Visual sensory processing deficits are consistently observed in schizophrenia, with clear amplitude reduction of the visual evoked potential (VEP) during the initial 50-150 of processing. Similar deficits are seen in unaffected first-degree relatives and drug-naïve first-episode patients, pointing to these deficits as potential endophenotypic markers. Schizophrenia is also associated with deficits in neural plasticity, implicating dysfunction of both glutamatergic and GABAergic systems. Here, we sought to understand the intersection of these two domains, asking whether short-term plasticity during early visual processing is specifically affected in schizophrenia.

Methods: Brief periods of monocular deprivation (MD) induce relatively rapid changes …

Soil Surface Organic Layers In The Arctic Foothills: Development, Distribution And Microclimatic Feedbacks, Carson A. Baughman

Forest Sciences

Accumulated organic matter at the ground surface plays an important role in Arctic ecosystems. These soil surface organic layers (SSOLs) influence temperature, moisture, and chemistry in the underlying mineral soil and, on a global basis, comprise enormous stores of labile carbon. Understanding the dynamics of SSOLs is a prerequisite for modeling the responses of arctic ecosystems to climate changes. Here we ask three questions regarding SSOLs in the Arctic Foothills of northern Alaska: 1) What environmental factors control their spatial distribution? 2) How long do they take to form? 3) What is the relationship between SSOL thickness and mineral soil …

Landfast Sea Ice Formation And Deformation Near Barrow, Alaska: Variability And Implications For Ice Stability, Joshua M. Jones

Geosciences

Climate change in the Arctic is having large and far-reaching effects. Sea ice is declining in annual extent and thinning with a warming of the atmosphere and the ocean. As a result, sea ice dynamic behaviour and processes are undergoing major changes, interacting with socio-economic changes underway in the Arctic. Near Barrow, Alaska, landfast sea ice is an integral part of native lñupiaq culture and impacts the natural resource extraction and maritime industries. Events known as breakouts of the landfast ice, in which stable landfast ice becomes mobile and detaches from the coast, have been occurring more frequently in recent …

Synthesis Of Sphingosine Analogues By Diastereospecific Amination Of Enantiopure Trans-Gamma, Delta-Unsaturated-Beta-Hydroxyesters, Zhipeng Dai, N/A 戴志鹏

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Sphingolipids play critical roles in signal transduction, intercellular membrane trafficking and cell growth. As bioactive sphingolipids, ceramide and sphingosine have been implicated in activating anti-proliferative and apoptotic responses in various cancer cells. Conversely, metabolic conversion of ceramide into sphingosine 1-phosphate, ceramide 1-phosphate and glucosylceramide regulates cell proliferation and suppresses ceramide programmed cell death. Many anticancer drugs and stress-induced agonists have been developed to increase endogenous ceramide levels. Sphingosine/ceramide analogues reportedly enhance antitumor activity and have been proposed as a potential new class of chemotherapeutic agents. Among these, sphingosines with aromatic substituents in the side chain often exhibit stronger biological activity …

Toxicodistribution Of Mercury And Selenium In Pinnipeds Of Alaska, Lucero Correa

Chemistry and Biochemistry

This study is divided into two major parts (chapters) in order to better understand mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) tissue distribution in pinnipeds. The first part of the study focuses on determining total mercury ([THg]) and selenium ([TSe]) concentrations (mass and molar based) among cardiac and renal tissues of ice seals (focus on bearded seals, Erignathus barbatus) as compared to the more traditionally analyzed tissues (e.g. liver, skeletal muscle). Determining Hg distribution within these tissues is essential in establishing sampling methods for biomonitoring, histopathology and biochemistry of Hg. Age was determined to be an important driver of [THg] and Se:Hg …

Glucose Transporter-4 In Mononuclear Cells Of Sled Dogs, Theresia Maria Schnurr

Chemistry and Biochemistry

The glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4) is the glucose transporter most responsive to insulin and has been thought to exist predominately in muscle and adipose cells. There have been findings that the glucose transporter-4 isoform is also expressed in subpopulations of white blood cells such as mononuclear cells. This study was designed to validate the presence of GLUT4 in subpopulations of white blood cells of sled dogs and to investigate whether changes in GLUT4 protein levels in white blood cells might be associated with age and stage of conditioning, as it has been reported in muscle. Our initial results have shown the …

Evolution In A Tropical Archipelago: Comparisons Within And Among 50 Species Of Philippine Birds, Kyle Campbell

Biological Sciences

Tropical islands are hotspots for speciation and the generation of genetic diversity within species. The islands of the Philippines have experienced dynamic biogeographic histories, making them excellent for studying the processes affecting the generation and distribution of genetic diversity. I tested hypotheses about the distribution of population genetic diversity within species and examined levels of genetic and phenotypic divergence within 50 species of Philippine birds. The first study empirically tested two models for the distribution of population genetic diversity (increasing diversity with decreasing latitude and decreasing diversity approaching range edges) and found no support for either model. This was not …