Digital Commons Network^™

The Accumulation Of The Cyanobacterial Toxin, Microcystin, In Cherry Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum) And Bush Bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris) Plants, Bethany R. Lefebvre

Center for Freshwater Biology

We aimed to develop a high-sensitivity method to detect microcystin toxins in fruit tissue and to determine if irrigation with water containing toxic cyanobacteria may result in accumulation of microcystin toxins in fruit tissue and affect fruit development. In a greenhouse experiment bush beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum) were grown in the summer under natural light and temperature between the months of September and August. Mature plants received treatments of toxic, Microcystis aeruginosa, applied twice weekly to the soil. To simulate naturally contaminated irrigation water, the M. aeruginosa were applied to plants as a suspension of intact …

Hydraulic Fracturing And Water Management In The Great Lakes, Nicholas Schroeck, Stephanie Karisny

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Evaluating And Training Intraoperative Analysis Of The Mitral Valve, Neil A. Tenenholtz

Link Foundation Modeling, Simulation and Training Fellowship Reports

Mitral valve repair is the recommended method of treating valve incompetency. However, the procedure is quite difficult and, as a result, underperformed due to surgeon’s need to predict the closed valve shape of the patient’s arrested heart. While the interactive process of predicting closed valve shape is achieved by physically manipulating valve tissue (known as valve analysis), surgical training consists of traditional, non-interactive pedagogy (e.g., book-based learning and lectures) followed by an apprenticeship model where the trainee is gradually given hands-on experience, resulting in post-medical school training that is often 10 years or greater. The continuing education of practicing cardiac …

Predicting Underwater Radiated Noise From Offshore Impact Pile Driving, Huikwan Kim

Link Foundation Ocean Engineering and Instrumentation Fellowship Reports

Offshore wind turbines have been installed throughout Europe and are expected to be built in the United States water shortly. Offshore wind is an attractive option because 53% of the nation’s population lives in coastal area where energy cost and demands are high. Offshore winds tend to blow harder and more uniformly than on land [1]. However, structure borne noise and vibration generated by offshore impact pile driving radiate into and propagate through the air, water, and sediment media. The objective of this project is quantitatively predicting noise level around the piling location at sea to estimate the effects of …

Crayfish Cerebral Ganglia Preservation And Sectioning For An Assessment Of Exercise Induced Neurogenesis, Abigail K. Carlson, Daniel A. Bergman

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

Neurogenesis is the formation of new neurons from neural stem cells that occurs throughout adulthood in a variety of animals, including humans. Exercise enhances cell proliferation in mammals, and has been linked to ameliorating age associated declines in memory. Since the nervous system operates under common rules and themes in both vertebrates and invertebrates, our experiment aimed to observe the effects of exercise on the simpler nervous system of invertebrates using BrdU, which labels newly synthesized DNA and indicates cell proliferation. Multiple factors involved in sample preparation, preservation in paraffin, and sectioning via microtome created various challenges early on. Our …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Tibia Of Paralouatta Varonai, An Extinct Cuban Primate, Andrea Morrow

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

Primates inhabited the Caribbean islands for millions of years, from at least the Miocene up until several thousand years ago. One genus, Paralouatta was endemic to the island of Cuba. The fossils of Paralouatta varonai, one of the two known species of that genus, have been well described, including evidence for possible semiterrestriality in the skeletal remains. Currently, all known New World monkeys are arboreal, spending almost all of their time in trees. This work offers additional comparative analyses of the fossilized tibia of Paralouatta varonai, specifically looking at the distal articular surfaces to determine the locomotion of the …

Natural Treatment Systems As Sustainable Ecotechnologies For The Developing Countries, Qaisar Mahmood, Arshid Pervez, Bibi Saima Zeb, Habiba Zaffar, Hajra Yaqoob, Muhammad Waseem, Zahidullah, Sumera Afsheen

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

The purpose of natural treatment systems is the re-establishment of disturbed ecosystems and their sustainability for benefits to human and nature. The working of natural treatment systems on ecological principles and their sustainability in terms of low cost, low energy consumption, and low mechanical technology is highly desirable. The current review presents pros and cons of the natural treatment systems, their performance, and recent developments to use them in the treatment of various types of wastewaters. Fast population growth and economic pressure in some developing countries compel the implementation of principles of natural treatment to protect natural environment. The employment …

Benthic-Pelagic Coupling As A Function Of Changing Organic Inputs In Coastal Ecosystems, Lindsey Fields

Open Access Dissertations

Benthic-pelagic coupling links the sediments and the water column in shallow coastal marine ecosystems. Measurements of benthic-pelagic coupling have been made for decades in shallow, estuarine ecosystems, but relatively few measurements have been made in transitional inner continental shelf areas. Accordingly, the Providence River Estuary and mid-Narragansett Bay have many measurements while ecosystems on the Southern New England inner continental shelf have few. However, even in estuarine areas, the reactions and response times of benthic-pelagic coupling to recent anthropogenic and climate-induced changes are poorly constrained.

Recently, a climate-induced oligotrophication has weakened the relationship between the benthos and the water column …

Saving Prince Peach: A Study Of “Gaymers” And Digital Lgbt/Gaming Rhetorics, M. William Macknight

Open Access Dissertations

This study looks at the tensions surrounding the inclusion and increasing presence of LGBT performances within video games, their surrounding industry and culture, and their related internetworked cyberspaces – an assemblage referred to in this research as the “game-sphere.” By analyzing the rhetorical activity performed within a specific LGBT game cyberspace (the Reddit subforum r/gaymers), this study offers insight into gaming and LGBT culture by answering the following research question: What rhetorical action is performed by LGBT video game players within r/gaymers? Data were collected over a period of two weeks, wherein screen-captures were taken and saved twice a …

East Asian Trade Before/After 1590s Occupation Of Korea: Modeling Imports And Exports In Global Context, Dennis O. Flynn, Marie A. Lee

College of the Pacific Faculty Articles

The purpose of this essay is threefold. First, to highlight research of Seonmin KIM, whose 2006 Ph.D. dissertation elucidates complex relationships among Ming China, Choson Korea, Tokugawa Japan, and mountainous ginsengproducing "borderlands" between Korea and China; her story concludes with the remarkable rise of a borderlands power that overthrew Ming China, thereby establishing dominance that lasted into the 20th century - the Qing Dynasty. A second purpose is to showcase application of a non-standard-model - the Hydraulic Metaphor - that elucidates economic components of Professor KIM's history via visual and intuitive mechanisms designed to be understandable for non-specialists. Last, an …

A Novel Selective Lipid Uptake Pathway Contributing To Ldl-Induced Macrophage Foam Cell Formation, Jason M. Meyer

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

Atherosclerosis is a disease characterized by cholesterol-rich plaques within the intima of medium and large arteries. Cholesterol deposition is thought to occur by infiltration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) into lesions followed by uptake into macrophages, generating lipid-loaded “foam cells.” Foam cells can also be generated in vitro by treatment of macrophages with LDL or oxidized LDL (oxLDL). The purpose of the current investigation was to determine the contribution of selective cholesteryl ester (CE) uptake versus whole-particle uptake during LDL-induced foam cell formation in cultured macrophages. Murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) exhibited significant cholesterol accumulation when treated with LDL as indicated …

Investigating The Role For Il-21 In Rabies Virus Vaccine-Induced Immunity., Corin L Dorfmeier, Evgeni P Tzvetkov, Anthony Gatt, James P Mcgettigan

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

Over two-thirds of the world's population lives in regions where rabies is endemic, resulting in over 15 million people receiving multi-dose post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and over 55,000 deaths per year globally. A major goal in rabies virus (RABV) research is to develop a single-dose PEP that would simplify vaccination protocols, reduce costs associated with RABV prevention, and save lives. Protection against RABV infections requires virus neutralizing antibodies; however, factors influencing the development of protective RABV-specific B cell responses remain to be elucidated. Here we used a mouse model of IL-21 receptor-deficiency (IL-21R-/-) to characterize the role for IL-21 in RABV …

Comparison Of Heterologous Prime-Boost Strategies Against Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Gag Using Negative Stranded Rna Viruses., Tessa M Lawrence, Celestine N Wanjalla, Emily A Gomme, Christoph Wirblich, Anthony Gatt, Elena Carnero, Adolfo García-Sastre, Douglas S Lyles, James P Mcgettigan, Matthias J Schnell

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

This study analyzed a heterologous prime-boost vaccine approach against HIV-1 using three different antigenically unrelated negative-stranded viruses (NSV) expressing HIV-1 Gag as vaccine vectors: rabies virus (RABV), vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV). We hypothesized that this approach would result in more robust cellular immune responses than those achieved with the use of any of the vaccines alone in a homologous prime-boost regimen. To this end, we primed BALB/c mice with each of the NSV-based vectors. Primed mice were rested for thirty-five days after which we administered a second immunization with the same or heterologous NSV-Gag viruses. …

Role Of Nuclear Factor E2 Related Factor 2 (Nrf2) In Development Of Steatosis And Drug Transporter Alterations, Vijay Rs More

Open Access Dissertations

Steatosis is fat deposition in liver arising from conditions like obesity, diabetes, and/or alcohol consumption. It is a benign condition with normal liver function, and can often be reversed. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver steatosis can further progress to irreversible steatohepatitis to cirrhosis and substantial loss of liver function. Nuclear factor E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor known to combat oxidative stress in the cell. The contribution of Nrf2 to other cellular functions, such as lipid homeostasis is emerging. The work herein assessed how enhanced Nrf2 activity impacts progression of hepatic steatosis with long-term high fat diet …

Pharmacodynamic Mechanisms Of Tolfenamic Acid Induced Sp1 Degradation Relative To Alzheimer's Disease Pathology, Lina I. Adwan

Open Access Dissertations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) continues to disrupt the lives of millions of patients and caregivers around the world. The few drugs currently used for AD have modest effects on the symptoms and do not prevent the progression of the disease into total memory loss and death. With the increase in the number of AD cases and the high social and economical costs of the disease, there is a great need to find disease-modifying therapeutics that target the core pathology of the disease as well as improve the symptoms and the patients’ everyday quality of life. Two types of pathological aggregates are …

Examination Of Hippocampal N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptors Following Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Exposure In Vitro, Anna R. Reynolds

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Chronic intermittent ethanol exposure (CIE) is associated with degeneration of hippocampal neurons. The present study used hippocampal cultures to examine the loss of NeuN immunoreactivity, a relaible marker or neuronal density, after 1, 2, or 3 cycles of 5 days EtOH exposure (50 mM), followed by a 24-hour period of EWD or continuous EtOH exposure. NeuN immunoreactivity was decreased by 13%, 19%, and 16% in the CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus after 3 cycles of CIE respectively; thionine staining confirmed significant cellular losses within each hippocampal subregion. Two cycles of CIE in aged tissue cultures resulted in significant decreases in …

Passer Hispaniolensis Subpopulations In Turkey: Allozyme Variations And Brief Ecobiological Notes, Fulya Saygili, Nuri̇ Yi̇ği̇t

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In this study, Spanish Sparrows were recorded in numerous locations and specimens were collected from Samsun, Çorum, and Denizli provinces in Turkey. The breeding subpopulations preferred various nesting sites, including wooded areas and White Stork nests. These sparrows were primarily observed in flocks of variable size and were rarely solitary. The largest flock recorded was found in juniper and pine woods in Denizli. We collected data on 23 allozyme loci to compare the genetic variation among the 3 Spanish Sparrow subpopulations. The low F_{ST} (0.1363) and high Nm (1.5842) values calculated from these data indicated that gene flow among the …

New Records Of Dolichopodidae (Diptera, Empidoidea) From Inner Western Anatolia (Turkey), Alper Tonguç, Murat Barlas, Igor Yakovlevich Grichanov

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Fifteen new records of Dolichopodidae from the inner western Anatolia region resulting from recent expeditions are presented. The following species are recorded from Turkey for the first time: Argyra argyria (Meigen, 1824); Hercostomus griseifrons Becker, 1910; Poecilobothrus principalis (Loew, 1861); Orthoceratium lacustre (Scopoli, 1763); Scellus notatus (Fabricius, 1781); Medetera perfida Parent, 1932; Neurigona abdominalis (Fallén, 1823); Peloropeodes acuticornis (Oldenberg, 1916); Rhaphium albifrons Zetterstedt, 1843; Campsicnemus barbitibia Stackelberg, 1947; Campsicnemus crinitarsis Strobl, 1906; Campsicnemus filipes Loew, 1859; Sympycnus simplicipes Becker, 1908; Syntormon zelleri (Loew, 1850); and Teuchophorus chaetifemoratus Pollet & Kechev, 2007.

Two New Species And 2 First Records Of The Genus Lepidostoma Rambur, 1842 (Trichoptera: Lepidostomatidae) From The Indian Himalayas, Sajad Hussain Parey, Malkiat Singh Saini

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Two new species of the genus Lepidostoma Rambur, 1842 from the Indian Himalayas are described and illustrated, namely Lepidostoma curvatum sp. nov. from Tato (Arunachal Pradesh) and Lepidostoma mechukaense sp. nov. from Mechuka (Arunachal Pradesh). Lepidostoma liber Malicky, 2007 from Loomla (Arunachal Pradesh) and Lepidostoma simplex Kimmins, 1964 from Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand) are first reported from India. With this addition of these 4 species, the genus Lepidostoma is now represented by 45 species from India.

Biodiversity Of Filariae (Nematoda: Filariata), Parasites Of Birds In Uzbekistan, Kalandar Saparov, Firuza Akramova, Djalaliddin Azimov, Vladimir Golovanov, Abdurakhim Kuchboev

Turkish Journal of Zoology

In Uzbekistan, 53 species in 4 families of nematodes of the suborder Filariata Skrjabin, 1915 (Aproctidae [9], Splendidofilariidae [12], Diplotriaenidae [20], Oswaldofilariidae [12]) were found to infect 14 orders of birds. Passeriformes harbored 23, the greatest number of species. The rate of infection was significantly lower in birds confined to aquatic environments.

Justice Kennedy’S “Gay Agenda”: Romer, Lawrence, And The Struggle For Marriage Equality, Lawrence C. Levine

McGeorge School of Law Scholarly Articles

No abstract provided.

Interrupting Life History: Evolution Of A Relationship Within The Research Process, Ronald E. Hallett

Benerd College Faculty Articles

In this paper the author explores how relationships are defined within the context of constructing a life history. The life history of Benjamin, a homeless young man transitioning to adulthood, is used to illustrate how difficult it is to define the parameters of the research environment. During an “ethically important moment” in the research process, the author had to critically analyze his obligation to his participant based upon the relational titles exchanged. As chaos in Benjamin’s life increased, a choice needed to be made about the researcher’s involvement in his life. Should the researcher provide support or simply document events? …

An In-Class Role-Playing Activity To Foster Discussion And Deeper Understanding Of Biodiversity And Ecological Webs, Loren B. Byrne

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

In a general sense, biodiversity is an intuitively simple concept, referring to the variety of Earth’s organisms. Ecologists, however, conceptualize biodiversity in a more nuanced, multidimensional way to reflect the enormous diversity of species, niches, and interspecific interactions that generate spatiotemporal complexity in communities. Students may not fully comprehend or appreciate this deeper meaning if they fail to recognize the full range of species in a community (e.g., the often-ignored microbes and small invertebrates) and how their varied interactions (e.g., mutualism, parasitism) and activities (e.g., ecosystem engineering) affect an ecosystem’s emergent structure (e.g., food webs) and function (e.g., decomposition). To …

Passive Energy Recapture In Jellyfish Contributes To Propulsive Advantage Over Other Metazoans, Brad J. Gemmell, John H. Costello, Sean Colin, Colin J. Stewart, John O. Dabiri, Danesh Tafti, Shashank Priya

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Gelatinous zooplankton populations are well known for their ability to take over perturbed ecosystems. The ability of these animals to outcompete and functionally replace fish that exhibit an effective visual predatory mode is counterintuitive because jellyfish are described as inefficient swimmers that must rely on direct contact with prey to feed. We show that jellyfish exhibit a unique mechanism of passive energy recapture, which is exploited to allow them to travel 30% further each swimming cycle, thereby reducing metabolic energy demand by swimming muscles. By accounting for large interspecific differences in net metabolic rates, we demonstrate, contrary to prevailing views, …

Fluid Interactions That Enable Stealth Predation By The Upstream-Foraging Hydromedusa Craspedacusta Sowerbyi, K. Lucas, Sean Colin, John H. Costello, K. Katija, E. Klos

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Unlike most medusae that forage with tentacles trailing behind their bells, several species forage upstream of their bells using aborally located tentacles. It has been hypothesized that these medusae forage as stealth predators by placing their tentacles in more quiescent regions of flow around their bells. Consequently, they are able to capture highly mobile, sensitive prey. We used digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) to quantitatively characterize the flow field around Craspedacusta sowerbyi, a freshwater upstream-foraging hydromedusa, to evaluate the mechanics of its stealth predation. We found that fluid velocities were minimal in front and along the sides of the bell …

Propulsion In Cubomedusae: Mechanisms And Utility, Sean Colin, John H. Costello, Kakani Katija, Jamie Seymour, Kristen Kiefer

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Evolutionary constraints which limit the forces produced during bell contractions of medusae affect the overall medusan morphospace such that jet propulsion is limited to only small medusae. Cubomedusae, which often possess large prolate bells and are thought to swim via jet propulsion, appear to violate the theoretical constraints which determine the medusan morphospace. To examine propulsion by cubomedusae, we quantified size related changes in wake dynamics, bell shape, swimming and turning kinematics of two species of cubomedusae, Chironex fleckeri and Chiropsella bronzie. During growth, these cubomedusae transitioned from using jet propulsion at smaller sizes to a rowing-jetting hybrid mode …

Uncovering An Obscure Trade: Threatened Freshwater Fishes And The Aquarium Pet Markets, Rajeev Raghavan, Neelesh Dahanukar, Michael F. Tlusty, Andrew L. Rhyne, K. Krishna Kumar, Sanjay Molur, Alison M. Rosser

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

While the collection of fish for the aquarium pet trade has been flagged as a major threat to wild populations, this link is tenuous for the unregulated wild collection of endemic species because of the lack of quantitative data. In this paper, we examine the extent and magnitude of collection and trade of endemic and threatened freshwater fishes from India for the pet markets, and discuss their conservation implications. Using data on aquarium fishes exported from India, we try to understand nature of the trade in terms of species composition, volume, exit points, and importing countries. Most trade in India …

Insulin Treatment Attenuates Renal Adam17 And Ace2 Shedding In Akita Diabetic Mice, Esam Said Busah Salem

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Diabetic patients have a 40%-50% lifetime chance of developing chronic kidney disease, which remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Alterations within renin angiotensin system balance contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease. Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has an endogenous renoprotective role due to its ability to form angiotensin (1-7) (Ang 1-7) by degrading angiotensin II (Ang II). We have shown previously that hyperglycemia increases urinary ACE2 and albumin excretion in db/db diabetic mice. The protease, disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM) 17, is involved in the shedding of several transmembrane proteins, including ACE2 in vitro. Tissue …

Physical Exercise Training But Not Metformin Attenuates Albuminuria And Shedding Of Ace2 In Type 2 Diabetic Db/Db Mice, Hari Krishna Somineni

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Angiotensin II (Ang II), a potent vasoconstrictor cleaved from Ang I, is responsible for renal damage in diabetes. Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is highly expressed in the kidney and has been shown to be renoprotective by degrading Ang II to Ang-(1-7). A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinases (ADAMs) were recently identified as an ectodomain sheddases of transmembrane proteins. ADAM17 mediated shedding of renal ACE2 could contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. In our previous study, rosiglitazone treatment normalized hyperglycemia and improved renal injury by preventing ACE2 shedding. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that improved glucose …

Bioaccumulation And Neuroinflammation Of Gold Nanoparticles In The Central Nervous System, Fahimeh Fallahi

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) possess unique physicochemical properties that may facilitate entry into the central nervous system (CNS) where they may act therapeutically. There is little information on biodistribution or inflammatory effects of GNPs in specific brain regions. Brain Localization and neuroinflammatory response to citrate-capped spherical GNP (10 nm) was determined 24 hours after intravenous (IV) injection in male C57Bl mice. A known inflammogen, lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 2 mg kg-1, SC), was tested as a positive control supplement. Aggregation of GNPs was measured using various Phosphate-Buffered Saline (PBS) concentrations (10, 1, 0.1, 0.01 X) to determine the optimal buffer concentration to maintain …