Digital Commons Network^™

Phospholipase D- And Phosphatidic Acid-Mediated Signaling In Plant Response To Abscisic Acid And Reactive Oxygen Species, Liang Guo

Dissertations

The Arabidopsis genome has 12 phospholipase D (PLD) genes that are classified into six types, PLDα, PLDβ, PLDγ, PLDδ, PLDε, and PLDζ, based on sequence similarities, domain structures, and biochemical properties. Phosphatidic acids (PA) produced by PLDs have been identified as important lipid signaling molecules in cell growth, development, and stress responses. This study was undertaken to determine the role of PLD and PA in plant response to abscisic acid (ABA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). The lipid mediator PA was found to interact with sphingosine kinases (SPHKs) in Arabidopsis. Two unique SPHK cDNAs were cloned and expressed. Both SPHKs …

Hypoxia/Aglycemia-Induced Endothelial Barrier Dysfunction And Tight Junction Protein Downregulation Can Be Ameliorated By Citicoline, Xiaotang Ma, Huiting Zhang, Qunwen Pan, Yuhui Zhao, Ji Chen, Yanfang Chen

Pharmacology and Toxicology Faculty Publications

This study explores the effect of citicoline on the permeability and expression of tight junction proteins (TJPs) in endothelial cells under hypoxia/aglycemia conditions. Hypoxia or oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) was utilized to induce endothelial barrier breakdown model on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and mouse brain microvascular endothelial cells (bEnd.3s). The effect of citicoline on endothelial barrier breakdown models was determined at either low or high concentrations. FITC-Dextran flux was used to examine the endothelial permeability. The expression of TJPs was measured by immunofluorescence, Real-time PCR and Western Blot methods. Results showed that hypoxia or OGD increased the …

Dog Behavior Co-Varies With Height, Bodyweight And Skull Shape, Paul D. Mcgreevy, Dana Georgevsky, Johanna Carrasco, Michael Valenzuela, Deborah L. Duffy, James A. Serpell

Eidonomy Collection

Dogs offer unique opportunities to study correlations between morphology and behavior because skull shapes and body shape are so diverse among breeds. Several studies have shown relationships between canine cephalic index (CI: the ratio of skull width to skull length) and neural architecture. Data on the CI of adult, show-quality dogs (six males and six females) were sourced in Australia along with existing data on the breeds’ height, bodyweight and related to data on 36 behavioral traits of companion dogs (n = 8,301) of various common breeds (n = 49) collected internationally using the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire …

2013 Fall Engr333 Project Final Report, 2013 Fall Engr333

ENGR 333

During the fall of 2013, the Engineering 333 class was asked the question, “what would it take for Calvin College to operate a biofuel vehicle from campus resources?” The three primary considerations included:

• Determining the optimal biofuel feedstock in terms of availability, transportation, and processing.
• Selecting a biofuel vehicle for conversion or purchase to operate on the selected feedstock.
• Designing the infrastructure and process required for operating the selected biofuel vehicle. The design and research described below proposes an environmentally sustainable and cost-effective method for integrating a biofuel vehicle into Calvin’s existing infrastructure.

Direct Coupling Of Photonic Modes And Surface Plasmon Polaritons Observed In 2-Photon Peem, Robert Campbell Word, Joseph Fitzgerald, Rolf Könenkamp

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We report the direct microscopic observation of optical energy transfer from guided photonic modes in an indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film to surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) at the surfaces of a single crystalline gold platelet. The photonic and SPP modes appear as an interference pattern in the photoelectron emission yield across the surface of the specimen. We explore the momentum match between the photonic and SPP modes in terms of simple waveguide theory and the three-layer slab model for bound SPP modes of thin metal films. We show that because the gold is thin (30- 40 nm), two SPP …

Faith And Doubt As Partners In Mormon History, Gregory A. Prince

Arrington Annual Lecture

No abstract provided.

Studies On Two Polyherbal Formulations (Zpto And Zto) For Comparison Of Their Antidyslipidemic, Antihypertensive And Endothelial Modulating Activities, Nauman Aziz, Malik Hassan Mehmood, Anwarul Hassan Gilani

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background

Cardiovascular disorders (CVDs) are the leading cause of disease burden worldwide. Apart from available synthetic drugs used in CVDs, there are many herbal formulations including POL-10 (containing 10 herbs), which have been shown to be effective in animal studies but POL-10 was found to cause tachycardia in rodents as its side effect. This study was designed to modify the composition of POL-10 for better efficacy and/or safety profile in CVDs.

Methods

To assess the antidyslipidemic, antihypertensive and endothelial modulatory properties of two herbal formulations, (ZPTO and ZTO) containing Z: Zingiber officinalis, P: Piper nigrum, T: Terminalia belerica and …

Family Roots: Sustenance For Samoan And Tongan American Elders, Halaevalu F.O. Vakalahi, Emily S. Ihara, Moana P. Hafoka

Journal of Family Strengths

This article discusses the centrality of the family in supporting cultural responsibilities and in the well-being of Samoan and Tongan-American elders. Informed by the Ho’okele model, this grounded theory study was conducted in the State of Hawaii, the port of entry for most Pacific Islander-Americans migrating to the U.S. and the state in which a majority of Samoans and Tongans reside. Qualitative data was collected from 10 Samoan and 10 Tongan elders, and analysis was conducted by immersion in the data and reading for natural emergence of themes, patterns and categories. Cultural foundation of family relationships, expectations of the keepers …

Using State Wide Child And Family Services Review Data To Analyze Policies To Improve Educational Outcomes Of Children In Foster Care, Corie G. Hebert

Journal of Family Strengths

The poor educational outcomes of foster children is recognized as a national problem. The literature is reviewed to define and illustrate the magnitude of the problem. Steps have been taken to improve the problem with passage of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008; it requires states to ensure the educational stability of foster youth. A description of utilizing state level Child and Family Service Review data to analyze a state’s ability to comply with the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 is provided.

Liquid Core Waveguide Sensors With Single And Multi-Spot Excitation, Lynnell Uilani Wai Yee Zempoaltecatl

Theses and Dissertations

Using silicon based microfabrication and materials, a photonic platform, capable of single bioparticle analysis, has been developed. This platform combines liquid and hollow core waveguides on the micron-scale (5 µm x 12 µm) to isolate femtoliter sized sample volumes. Fluorescence excitation and signals in the visible range are directed into and out of the sample volume at an orthogonal angle to maximize signal-to-noise. In order to guide light in a low-index material antiresonant reflecting optical waveguides (ARROWs) were incorporated into the platform. This thesis reveals the development path of these structures over several device generations including innovations in material, geometries, …

Designing Critical Thinking Based Lesson In Social Studies Education, Kathleen Adelblue

Honors Projects

This paper explains the importance of integrating critical thinking and analysis skills into social studies curriculum. It is designed to show teachers how the process of planning and assessing are essential when considering how to implement the instruction of these skills. I start by explaining how to plan lessons so that they align with skills-based objectives and incorporates the state standards. Then, I outline ways to create lessons focused on developing critical thinking and analysis skills. Because assessment is such an important piece of lesson planning and implementation, the paper has a section dedicated strictly to this topic. It explains …

Model Combustion-Generated Particulate Matter Containing Persistent Free Radicals Redox Cycle To Produce Reactive Oxygen Species, Matthew A. Kelley, Valeria Y. Hebert, Taylor M. Thibeaux, Mackenzie A. Orchard, Farhana Hasan, Stephania A. Cormier, Paul T. Thevenot, Slawomir M. Lomnicki, Kurt J. Varner, Barry Dellinger, Brian M. Latimer, Tammy R. Dugas

Faculty Publications

Particulate matter (PM) is emitted during thermal decomposition of waste. During this process, aromatic compounds chemisorb to the surface of metal-oxide-containing PM, forming a surface-stabilized environmentally persistent free radical (EPFR). We hypothesized that EPFR-containing PM redox cycle to produce ROS and that this redox cycle is maintained in biological environments. To test our hypothesis, we incubated model EPFRs with the fluorescent probe dihydrorhodamine (DHR). Marked increases in DHR fluorescence were observed. Using a more specific assay, hydroxyl radicals ( •OH) were also detected, and their level was further increased by cotreatment with thiols or ascorbic acid (AA), known components of …

Comparison Of Corrosion Of Magnesium And Aluminium In Palm Biodiesel / Chew King Vee, King Vee Chew

Student Works (2010-2019)

Salat is an Islamic prayer ritual that all Muslims must perform five times a day. The salatphysical manoeuvres steps include various motions such as standing, bowing, prostration, and sitting. Recently, the study of salat movements from the perspective of science has been widely investigated. The current study evaluated the impact of salatmovements on the biomechanical response of human muscle using electromyography (EMG). The eight upper-bodymuscles involved were the neck extensors (NE), sternocleidomastoideus (SCM), trapezius (TRP), deltoid (DL), bicepsbrachii (BB), triceps brachii (TB), rectus abdominus (RA), and erector spine (ES) and the four lower-body muscles involved were the rectus femoris (RF), …

Deficiency Of Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Kinase Modulates Cardiac Remodeling Following Myocardial Infarction: Involvement In Fibrosis And Apoptosis, Cerrone R. Foster, Laura L. Daniel, Christopher R. Daniels, Suman Dalal, Mahipal Singh, Krishna Singh

ETSU Faculty Works

Ataxia telangiectasia mutated kinase (ATM) is a cell cycle checkpoint protein activated in response to DNA damage. We recently reported that ATM plays a protective role in myocardial remodeling following β-adrenergic receptor stimulation. Here we investigated the role of ATM in cardiac remodeling using myocardial infarction (MI) as a model. Methods and Results: Left ventricular (LV) structure, function, apoptosis, fibrosis, and protein levels of apoptosisand fibrosis-related proteins were examined in wild-type (WT) and ATM heterozygous knockout (hKO) mice 7 days post-MI. Infarct sizes were similar in both MI groups. However, infarct thickness was higher in hKO-MI group. Two dimensional M-mode …

Structure-Function Relationship In Dual Function Hemoglobin/Dehaloperoxidase From Amphitrite Ornata, Chunxue Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Hemoglobin/dehaloperoxidase (DHP) from Amphitrite ornata, is the first discovered globin which in addition to the oxygen binding has an additional physiological function as an enzyme. In the ferric state it is a dehaloperoxidase, which dehalogenates a wide range of halophenols. DHP evolved from an ancestral oxygen carrier and acquired the peroxidase function in response to environmental pressures. The peroxidase activity of DHP is much higher than that of vertebrate myoglobins (Mb) yet lower than that of typical peroxidases. Also, DHP exhibits about 10-fold lower oxygen affinity than Mb.

The first aim of this research was to identify the halophenolic substrates …

Letting Guilt Within The Walls: Colonial Ideology And Le Guin's Literature Of Resistance, Holiday Lovey

Honors Projects

This essay examines the allegory of colonialism in "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" using postcolonial theory.

Contrast Negation Differentiates Visual Pathways Underlying Dynamic And Invariant Facial Processing, Pamela M. Pallett, Ming Meng

Dartmouth Scholarship

Abstract Bruce and Young (1986) proposed a model for face processing that begins with structural encoding, followed by a split into two processing streams: one for the dynamic aspects of the face (e.g., facial expressions of emotion) and the other for the invariant aspects of the face (e.g., gender, identity). Yet how this is accomplished remains unclear. Here, we took a psychophysical approach using contrast negation to test the Bruce and Young model. Previous research suggests that contrast negation impairs processing of invariant features (e.g., gender) but not dynamic features (e.g., expression). In our first experiment, participants discriminated differences in …

Environmental Regulation Of Tidal Wetland Microbial Communities And Associated Biogeochemistry, Ember Morrissey

Theses and Dissertations

Microbial communities play an essential role in carrying out the biogeochemical cycles that sustain life on Earth, yet we know very little about their ecology. One question of particular interest is how environmental conditions shape microbial community structure (i.e., the types of organisms found in the community and their relative abundance), and whether such changes in structure are related to biogeochemical function. It is the aim of this dissertation to address this question via the examination of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling in wetland ecosystems, which due to their diverse hydrology have a profound influence on biogeochemical cycles. With …

The Impact Of Small Pass-Through Wetlands And Stormwater Retention Ponds On Dissolved Organic Matter, Michael B. Burkett

Theses

Retention ponds and mitigation wetlands have become more common throughout the urban and suburban landscape for stormwater management and nutrient removal. It is well known that wetlands can effectively remove nitrogen and phosphorus, but the effect of wetlands on dissolved organic matter (DOM) and its impact on water quality is often overlooked, in spite of the importance of DOM in aquatic ecosystems. We seasonally sampled the inflow and outflow of five natural wetlands, five created wetlands and ten stormwater retention ponds in the urban and suburban environment of Monroe County, New York, for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved organic nitrogen …

Association Affinity Network Based Multi-Model Collaboration For Multimedia Big Data Management And Retrieval, Tao Meng

Open Access Dissertations

With the rapid development of smart devices and ever-increasing popularity of social media websites such as Flickr, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, we have witnessed a huge increase of multimedia data. Recently, social media technology and big data have converged to provide rich content on what happens around the world via texts, images, videos, audios, etc. Given the enormous volumes of multimedia data, efficient and effective retrieval of relevant information according to users’ needs poses great challenges for traditional text-oriented storage and retrieval systems. Since manually annotating and managing the huge amount of information have become infeasible, data-driven approaches have received …

Late Glacial And Holocene Record Of Climatic Change In The Southern Rocky Mountains From Sediments In San Luis Lake, Colorado, Usa, Fasong Yuan, Max R. Koran, Andrew Valdez

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Large rapid climate changes occurred over the last glacial cycle in the southwestern United States and elsewhere in many regions of the world. Some of these changes were attributed to alternations between stadial and interstadial conditions in the North Atlantic. But intense debate exists on how climate anomalies in the North Atlantic transmit to the southwest. Here we report a sediment record from San Luis Lake in southern Colorado, through analyses of grain size, magnetic susceptibility, Mg/Ca, total inorganic carbon, δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C, to indicate climatic and environmental changes in the southern Rocky Mountains over the …

Animal Health Matters, Russ Daly, Jane Hennings

Animal Health MATTERS Newsletter

[Page] 1- SDSU’s ADRDL Receives Full Accreditation through AAVLD [Page] 2- Director's Message: Being a “Game Changer” [Page] 2- Bailey Herd Health Conference to Focus on Food Animal Vaccination Considerations [Page] 3- SDSU Creates Extension Position for Livestock Stewardship [Page] 3- Development of an Indirect ELISA for Detection of Antibodies Against Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) [Page] 4- ADRDL Bacteriology Section Working at the Cutting Edge [Page] 5- MALDI-TOF Technology Speeds Bacteriology Results [Page] 6- New Hires [Page] 6- Use Computer Spreadsheets or Word Processing for Large Sample Submissions [Page] 6- Tularemia in a South Dakota Cat [Page] 7- Animal …

A Prairie Rendezvous, Vol. 15, No. 4 (Winter 2013), Grand Prairie Friends

Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Commencement Convocation Program, Sarasota - Manatee Campus, December 15, 2013, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

Golden Bull Service & Outstanding Leadership Award - Miriam Fleck; Outstanding Graduate Award - Justin Daniel (J.D.) Lotz; Outstanding Professor - Elaine Augustine and Tricia Hunsader

How Does Climate Change Affect Coral Reefs?, Rachel Goff

Honors Theses

Climate change is a very real phenomenon that currently affects many of the ecosystems on Earth. Climate change occurs on a global scale and can be very detrimental to different environments. This occurrence can cause ocean warming, sea level rise, ocean acidification, and increased storm intensity. According to the EPA, the ocean's temperature has increased 1.4°F over the past century, and sea levels have risen 3.2 millimeters through the past 20 years. These changes to the oceans can greatly affect many of the ecosystems that reside in them. One of the main ecosystems that are being affected by climate change …

Cleft Lip And Palate Repair: Bridging The Gap Between Genetics And Oral Health: An Individual Case Study, Duncan Perry

Honors Theses

Cleft Lip and Palate Syndrome (CL/P) is a condition that occurs in vitro, during fetal development. Because the majority of CL/P cases occur in underdeveloped nations, the families of CL/P patients are typically characterized by impoverished homes. These are the very people who cannot afford to pay for folic acid supplements, or reconstructive and reparative surgeries. Many families struggle under the extreme pressure of raising a child with CL/P. In these nations, the child often cannot receive the proper care they need, and usually are the product of unsuccessful surgeries. The stress of a CL/P patient is incredibly high, both …

Commencement Convocation Program, St. Petersburg Campus, December 15, 2013, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

Regional Chancellor's Award for Civic Leadership - Honorable Rick Baker; Outstanding Graduate - Charles Matthew Hamm;

Alzheimer's Disease And Circadian Rhythms In A Drosophila Model, Lauren Alejo

Honors Theses

Sleep disorders are commonly reported in Alzheimer's disease, a debilitating, age-related neurodegenerative disorder that affects neurons in the brain. Recently, several studies have suggested a role for sleep abnormalities and the internal "body clock" known as the circadian system, in the disease onset and progression. Since most of the data has been collected from mammals with complex neural circuitry, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that integrate the two neural networks are still limited. This study examined the relationship between circadian rhythmicity and Alzheimer's Disease presentation using a Drosophila model. Flies were crossed using the GAL4-UAS system to display Alzheimer's disease …

Catching Companies Who Refuse To Go Green Red-Handed, Wylee Mcgreevy

Honors Theses

Recycling, planting trees, and bringing your own bags to the grocery store are some of the activities people regularly think about when it comes to sustainability. In the grand scheme of life, how much difference can one person make? What if there were stricter standards for corporations which accounted for their emission of pollutants? Environmental Accounting is a branch of accounting that is progressively gaining popularity and has the potential to redefine the standards of sustainability for companies. With integration of past proposals for a carbon tax and a cap and trade system, a new proposal could be formed that …

Using Hydroxyapatite From Fish Scales To Prepare Chitosan/Gelatin/Hydroxyapatite Membrane: Exploring Potential For Bone Tissue Engineering, Yi-Cheng Huang, Hao-Wen Chu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Concerns have recently been raised about the treatment and use of hydroxyapatite, an important component of fish scale. The goal of this investigation is to evaluate the feasibility of using hydroxyapatite extracted from fish scale (FHAP) for bone tissue engineering. FHAP or sintered FHAP (sFHAP) was added to chitosan/gelatin (CS/GEL) mixture to prepare membrane. The effect of FHAP and sFHAP on the physical and chemical properties of the membrane and their affinities towards MG63 cells were studied. Accordingly, the prepared CS/GEL/FHAP membrane was characterized by FTIR (ATRFTIR) and SEM. Following sintering at 800°C for 4 h, the CS/GEL/sFHAP membrane had …