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Tracking Fish And Human Response To Abrupt Environmental Change At Tse-Whit-Zen: A Large Native American Village On The Olympic Peninsula, Washington State, Kathryn Anne Mohlenhoff

Dissertations and Theses

Evidence of large earthquakes occurring along the Pacific Northwest coast is reflected in coastal stratigraphy from Oregon to British Columbia, where there also exists an extensive archaeological record of Native American occupation. Tse-whit-zen, a large Native American village dating between 1824 and 54 cal B.P. located on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State, was excavated with exceptionally fine stratigraphic control allowing for precise comparison of natural and cultural records. Here I report on the >10,000 fish remains from one 2x2 m excavation block; this assemblage spans one earthquake event, allowing study of changes in relative taxonomic abundance through time that …

Methods And Products For Biasing Cellular Development, Kiminobu Sugaya, Angel Alvarez, Amelia Marutle

UCF Patents

Methods are described that bias cells, such as potent and multipotent stem cells, by transfection with a nucleic acid sequence, to differentiate to a desired end-stage cell or a cell having characteristics of a desired end-stage cell. In particular embodiments, human neural stem cells are transfected with vectors comprising genes in the homeobox family of transcription factor developmental control genes, and this results in a greater percentage of resultant transformed cells, or their progeny, differentiating into a desired end-stage cell or a cell having characteristics of a desired end-stage cell.

Can Acartia Spp. Adapt To Climatic Warming? Heritable Within-Population Genetic Variation In Life History Traits, Benjamin L. Cournoyer

Master's Theses

To predict the response of the biota to environmental change requires information on intrapopulation variation in life history traits and the proportion of phenotypic variation attributable to genes, heritability. Yet, knowledge of these parameters in marine populations is very limited. In the present study, I consider phenotypic plasticity and heritability of temperature-dependent, fitness-related life history traits in two coastal copepod species, Acartia tonsa and Acartia hudsonica, from Long Island Sound, a temperate estuary on the east coast of the USA. Acartia hudsonica is a purportedly cold-adapted species and A. tonsa a warm-adapted one. I used a full-sibling, split family design …

The Drug Facts Box: Improving The Communication Of Prescription Drug Information, Lisa M. Schwartz, Steven Woloshin

Dartmouth Scholarship

Communication about prescription drugs ought to be a paragon of public science communication. Unfortunately, it is not. Consumers see $4 billion of direct-to-consumer advertising annually, which typically fails to present data about how well drugs work. The professional label—the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) mechanism to get physicians information needed for appropriate prescribing—may also fail to present benefit data. FDA labeling guidance, in fact, suggests that industry omit bene

Low Seroprevalent Species D Adenovirus Vectors As Influenza Vaccines, Eric A. Weaver, Michael A. Barry

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Seasonal and pandemic influenza remains a constant threat. While standard influenza vaccines have great utility, the need for improved vaccine technologies have been brought to light by the 2009 swine flu pandemic, highly pathogenic avian influenza infections, and the most recent early and widespread influenza activity. Species C adenoviruses based on serotype 5 (AD5) are potent vehicles for gene-based vaccination. While potent, most humans are already immune to this virus. In this study, low seroprevalent species D adenoviruses Ad26, 28, and 48 were cloned and modified to express the influenza virus A/PR/8/34 hemagglutinin gene for vaccine studies. When studied in …

The Impact Of Brief Clinical Interventions On Cardiovascular Reactions To Acute Stress, Katherine O'Leary

Doctoral Dissertations

The Impact of Brief Clinical Interventions on Cardiovascular Reactions to Acute Stress

Katherine Elizabeth O’Leary

University of Connecticut, 2013

Stress is a major public health concern due to its’ harmful effects on physical and mental health. An important goal for clinical health practitioners is to help patients reduce the psychological and physiological burden of stress. The present study sought to examine the impact brief clinical interventions have on cardiovascular reactions to acute stress. Additionally, we explored how depressive and anxiety symptomatology influence cardiovascular reactivity and recovery, and their moderating effects on treatment response to interventions. To address these aims, subjects …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Polypyrrole-Metal Complexes As Electrocatalysts, Nandan K. Peddi

Theses and Dissertations

Modern fuel cells convert chemical energy to electrical energy due to the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen to produce water using a platinum electrocatalyst. The scarcity and high cost of platinum have led to the development of various less expensive and efficient electrocatalysts. Polypyrrole-cobalt (CoPPy) complex has been developed as a nonplatinum electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and potential application as a cathode in fuel cells. The complex was synthesized by refluxing pyrrole monomer and cobalt acetate tetrahydrate in dimethylformamide (DMF) for two hours followed by vacuum distillation to collect the solid electrocatalyst. Cyclic voltammetry, rotating disk electrode voltammetry …

Breastfeeding: An Analysis And Community-Based Curriculum For The Contemporary Central Arkansas Audience, Jennifer Susan Atkins-Gordeeva

Theses and Dissertations

Contemporary society includes many features that impede women's decision-making about infant feeding. The Central Arkansas community is particularly affected by those features. Because informed decision-making involves an acknowledgment of the risks of formula use, breastfeeding advocates must talk about risk. This curriculum offers one way to discuss risks of formula and challenges and supports within the community, to create a supportive environment for making informed decisions, and to commit to a lactation plan, inside a supportive, community-based setting.

Vitamin Enhanced Cancer Chemotherapy Using 13-Cis- Retinoic Acid, Vitamin E Succinate And 5-Fluorouracil, Marcus C. Neuffer, Dr. Byron K. Murray

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Recent studies have suggested that vitamins and vitamin derivatives can enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs (2,3). In this study the combination of 13-cis-Retinoic Acid (RA), a Vitamin A derivative, and Vitamin E Succinate (VES) are used with the chemotherapeutic agent 5-Fluorouracil (5FU). Previous studies have suggested that the RA and VES combination have a synergistic effect on inhibiting the growth of the HT-29 human colon adenocarcinoma cell line (1). The RA and VES combination also caused the cells to go through morphological and biochemical changes indicative of apoptosis. The purpose of this study was to treat the HT-29 cell …

Angiotensin Ii-Mediated Switching Of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone To Arginine Vasopressin In The Paraventricular Nucleus Under Chronic Stress Conditions, Jason T. Rich, Dr. James D. Porter

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The purpose of my study was to quantify the effects of angiotensin II on young rats under extreme stress. We hypothesized that we would observe an angiotensin II-mediated switch in brain hormonal expression from corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) to arginine vasopressin (AVP). Ten rats were equipped with osmotic ventricular pumps. Five rats received losartan (an angiotensin II antagonist) and the other five received a saline solution. Three rats where left untreated, to act as a control for the experiment. Two losartan treated rats and one saline treated rat died during the stressing period. However the losartan pumps were salvaged and implanted …

Proton Conductance Through The Membrane Protein Gramicidin M, Jason D. Merrell, David D. Busath

Journal of Undergraduate Research

After discussion with my faculty mentor, together we decided that my original ORCA proposal would not best suit the needs of the laboratory in which I am allowed to work. Upon reaching this conclusion, a new research plan was organized. The following outlines the progress of this new plan and demonstrates the on-going research that was facilitated via my ORCA scholarship.

Effect Of Phytoestrogens On Brain Development And Function, Jacob C. Ong, Dr. Edwin D. Lephart

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like compounds derived from plants such as the soy plant and can mimic the function of the human estrogen hormone by binding to estrogen receptors. Estrogen plays a major role in the prevention of osteoperosis and cardiovascular disease in woman. Evidence also suggests that estrogen influences various parts of the memory process and that its impact on an organism is dependent on the developmental stage at which exposure occurs [1].

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Regulation Of Cell Death By Transfer Rna., Ya-Ming Hou, Xiaolu Yang

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

SIGNIFICANCE: Both transfer RNA (tRNA) and cytochrome c are essential molecules for the survival of cells. tRNA decodes mRNA codons into amino-acid-building blocks in protein in all organisms, whereas cytochrome c functions in the electron transport chain that powers ATP synthesis in mitochondrion-containing eukaryotes. Additionally, in vertebrates, cytochrome c that is released from mitochondria is a potent inducer of apoptosis, activating apoptotic proteins (caspases) in the cytoplasm to dismantle cells. A better understanding of both tRNA and cytochrome c is essential for an insight into the regulation of cell life and death.

RECENT ADVANCES: A recent study showed that the …

Retreat Schedule, 2013, Augustana College

Campus and Faculty Retreat

No abstract provided.

Multi Scale Interactions In Biological Motion Perception, Zsolt Palatinus

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the potential contribution of fractal fluctuations of head sway in the time evolution of visual recognition in biological motion perception. The first experiment found no difference in recognition times when point light display (PLD) activities are shown either from a fixed or a moving point of observation. The second experiment, using head tracking, multifractal analyses, and geometrical manipulations in the PLDs found that (1) the multi-scale fractality of head sway is different before and after recognition, and (2) the time-evolution of the multifractal spectra predicts recognition. The third experiment manipulated both the geometrical qualities of PLDs and …

Prevalence Of Shiga-Toxin Producing E. Coli On Cattle Farms Located In The Arkansas Delta Region, Monica Nicole Yarbrough

Student Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of E. coli STEC on small (30- 40 head) cattle farms in the Arkansas Delta. Samples were collected between 6 September and 25 November 2012 (average air temperature = 16.9oC) from 180 randomly selected beef cows located on 18 farms in five counties (Clay, Craighead, Greene, Poinsett and St. Francis). Samples collected included: 30 rectal swabs from ten cows per farm (3 samples from each cow), three soil samples, three water samples, and when available, three feed samples. The rectal swabs were transferred to 5 ml sterile modified Trypticase Soy …

Phylogenetic Utility Of The Astacin Gene In Crayfish, Crystal Komm, Dr. Keith Crandall

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Phylogenetic analyses are used to examine evolutionary relationships among crayfish species at different taxonomic levels. Nuclear genes provide genetic information from independent loci which, when analyzed, can be compared to mitochondrial DNA sequences. Astacin is a nuclear gene encoding a digestive protein in crayfish. This was the focus of this study’s analyses. In this study we had the following five aims:

Analysis Of A Constitutively Active Phob Mutant Protein, Chad C. Lowe, Dr. William R. Mccleary

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Within the cellular environment, the processing of essential nutrients required for cellular growth and metabolism are tightly regulated. When these essential nutrients become limited in the cells surroundings, cellular stress responses are induced. This enables the cell to maintain life in less than ideal environmental conditions.

Childbirth Experience Of Chinese Women, Robin Kartchner, Dr. Lynn C. Callister

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Women across the world share in the same biological process of childbirth. However, their experience with childbirth can vary widely depending on their cultural and spiritual background. The quality of care a woman receives during and after her pregnancy is deeply influenced by the understanding of these factors that the nurse brings to their interaction (1). This research built on previous studies of women from other cultures (2) by interviewing Chinese women in China about their childbirth experience.

The Molecular Basis For Prostate Cancer Risk Reduction By Selenium, Josie Johnson, Dr. Merril J. Christensen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in American men.1 Results from a cancer prevention trial performed by Clark et.al.2 show that selenium (Se) supplementation in male subjects reduced cancer incidence by 75%. The molecular basis for the chemopreventive effect of Se merits attention in molecular biology research. For the past six months, my research has focused on the impact of Se-supplemented medium on gene expression of transformed human prostate epithelial cells (entitled LNCaP cells) grown in culture. Through differential display methods, tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes that are either upregulated …

Determining Homology Of Turkey Round Heart Disease Marker Sequences: A Computer-Based Study, Ryan D. Mcallister, Dr. David Kooyman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Round heart disease (RHD) is a spontaneous occurring cardiomyopathy in turkeys. The domestic turkey Meleagris gallopavo is affected by low body weight and premature death due to congestive heart failure from RHD (1). RHD results in decreased profitability for the animal agriculturists and higher prices for turkey products. DNA markers have been identified for both normal turkeys and for turkeys affected by RHD. These genetic markers have been amplified using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis (2). 16 DNA marker sequences amplified by RAPD have now been determined (3). Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) is a computer program designed …

Comparison Of Gramicidin A And Gramicidin M Channel Properties In Kcl, Nacl, And Hcl, Jeffrey C. Markham, David D. Busath

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The oligopeptide gramicidin is one of the simplest proteins which can form channels in cell membranes to conduct ions into or out of a cell. The peptide is produced by the bacteria Bacillus brevis. It can also be synthesized by scientists for research purposes. By producing slightly modified variants of the standard gramicidin structure, conclusions can be drawn about structurefunction relationships based on experimentation with the variants.

Comparing The Effects Of Interactive And Noninteractive Complementary Nutrients On Growth In A Chemostat, James P. Braselton, Martha L. Abell, Lorraine Braselton

Mathematical Sciences: Faculty Publications

We compare the effects of interactive and noninteractive complementary nutrients on the growth of an organism in the chemostat. We also compare these two situations to the case when the nutrients are substitutable. In previous studies, complementary nutrients have been assumed to be noninteractive. However, more recent research indicates that some complementary nutrient relationships are interactive. We show that interactive complementary and substitutable nutrients can lead to higher population densities than do noninteractive complementary nutrients. We numerically illustrate that if the washout rate is high, an organism can persist at higher densities when the complementary nutrients are interactive than when …

Separate Spheres Or Common Domestic Ground: Gender Ideology In Parenting Manuals From 1820 - 1860, Jacqueline Henke

Student Theses and Dissertations

A number of historians have described 1820-1860 as a period of rigid gender ideology, a period of two "spheres". During this time, American men were active in the capitalist marketplace of the public sphere, while American women were confined to the domestic cares of the private sphere. Since childcare is a duty of private sphere, this gender-bifurcated narrative alleged that childrearing was a responsibility which inherently devolved upon the 1820-1860 mother. While research has demonstrated support for this model, so, too, has research provided support for a conflicting model. An alternative narrative portrays nineteenth-century childrearing as common domestic ground, a …

A Hybrid Approach To Calculating Coulombic Interactions: An Effective And Efficient Method For Optimization Of Simulations Of Many Ions In Quadrupole Ion Trap Device With Simion, Kenichiro Saito

Student Theses and Dissertations

An efficient algorithm is needed to handle space charge driven processes in the large number of ions limit. We have developed a "hybrid" algorithm that lightens the computational load required for these simulations by calculating total dynamical forces by efficiently and effectively approximating two-body Coulomb interactions. We took one step further and applied the algorithm in massively parallel general-purpose computing with GPU (GPGPU) to test its performance. In this study, we tested the parallel hybrid algorithm with a couple of basic models and analyzed the performances by comparing it to that of the original, fully-explicit method written in serial code. …

Early Innate Immunity Determines Outcome Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Pulmonary Infection In Rabbits, Selvakumar Subbian, Nirmalya Bandyopadhyay, Liana Tsenova, Paul O'Brien, Viraj Khetani, Nicole L. Kushner, Blas Peixoto, Patricia Soteropoulos, Joel S. Bader, Petros C. Karakousis, Dorothy Fallows, Gilla Kaplan

Publications and Research

Background: Pulmonary infection of humans by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), results in active disease in 5-10% of individuals, while asymptomatic latent Mtb infection (LTBI) is established in the remainder. The host immune responses that determine this differential outcome following Mtb infection are not fully understood. Using a rabbit model of pulmonary TB, we have shown that infection with the Mtb clinical isolate HN878 (a hyper-virulent W-Beijing lineage strain) leads to progressive cavitary disease similar to what is seen in humans with active TB. In contrast, infection with Mtb CDC1551 (a hyper-immunogenic clinical isolate) is efficiently …

Calpain-2 Compensation Promotes Angiotensin Ii-Induced Ascending And Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms In Calpain-1 Deficient Mice, Venkateswaran Subramanian, Jessica J. Moorleghen, Anju Balakrishnan, Deborah A. Howatt, Athar H. Chishti, Haruhito A. Uchida

Saha Cardiovascular Research Center Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Recently, we demonstrated that angiotensin II (AngII)-infusion profoundly increased both aortic protein and activity of calpains, calcium-activated cysteine proteases, in mice. In addition, pharmacological inhibition of calpain attenuated AngII-induced abdominal aortic aneurysm (AA) in mice. Recent studies have shown that AngII infusion into mice leads to aneurysmal formation localized to the ascending aorta. However, the precise functional contribution of calpain isoforms (-1 or -2) in AngII-induced abdominal AA formation is not known. Similarly, a functional role of calpain in AngII-induced ascending AA remains to be defined. Using BDA-410, an inhibitor of calpains, and calpain-1 genetic deficient mice, …

State V. Stadtmiller Appellant's Brief Dckt. 40513

Not Reported

No abstract provided.

Microdevices For Isolating Single Axons For The Study Of Axonal Transport In Dopaminergic Neurons, Xi Lu

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Axonal degeneration plays an important role in the etiology of major central nervous system: CNS) neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease: PD) but investigations into the mechanisms underlying this important process has been limited. The goal of this dissertation was to design and demonstrate the use of a compartmented microdevice which allows for the isolation and study of axonal processes such as mitochondrial transport away from cell neuronal bodies. To achieve this goal, a PDMS microdevice comprised of two large chambers connected by a parallel array of microchannels successfully achieved separation of axons from the soma and allows tracking of …