Digital Commons Network^™

Interview With Cynthia Venables - Oh 278, Cynthia Venables

Winthrop University Oral History Program

In her July 3, 2013 interview with Martha Manning, Cynthia Burris Venables shares her experiences at Winthrop from 1985-1989, as well as her career teaching English. Discussed is Venables coursework as an English major and the rigor of her studies. Additionally, Venables talks about Latin and Biology courses and who her favorite professors were. Venables details what it is like teaching in the 21^st Century, her opinions on technology and teaching, and her accomplishments as an educator.

Evolution And Allometry Of Calcaneal Elongation In Living And Extinct Primates, Doug M. Boyer, Erik R. Seiffert, Justin T. Gladman, Jonathan I. Bloch

Publications and Research

Specialized acrobatic leaping has been recognized as a key adaptive trait tied to the origin and subsequent radiation of euprimates based on its observed frequency in extant primates and inferred frequency in extinct early euprimates. Hypothesized skeletal correlates include elongated tarsal elements, which would be expected to aid leaping by allowing for increased rates and durations of propulsive acceleration at takeoff. Alternatively, authors of a recent study argued that pronounced distal calcaneal elongation of euprimates (compared to other mammalian taxa) was related primarily to specialized pedal grasping. Testing for correlations between calcaneal elongation and leaping versus grasping is complicated by …

Exclusivity Or Exclusion? A Case Study Of Sustainability In Glenmore Park, Alyssa Markle

Cities in the 21st Century

No abstract provided.

Benefit Finding In Women With Breast Cancer: Assessment And Relations With Cortisol, Lisa M. Gudenkauf

Open Access Theses

Despite the stress associated with the diagnosis of breast cancer, many women are able to find benefits in the experience. Recent work has characterized benefit finding (BF) as a multidimensional construct with perceived benefits found in a variety of distinct domains, including family relations and world view, among others (Weaver, Llabre, Lechner, Penedo, & Antoni, 2008). However, factor analysis results from the Benefit Finding Scale (BFS; Antoni et al., 2001; Tomich & Helgeson, 2004) have been mixed, demonstrating the need for further examination of the question. Increased BF after psychological intervention has predicted improvements in physical health-related measures in breast …

The Proton Pump Inhibitor Lansoprazole Improves The Skeletal Phenotype In Dystrophin Deficient Mdx Mice, Arpana Sali, Gina M. Many, Heather Gordish-Dressman, Jack Van Der Meulen, Aditi Phadke, Christopher F. Spurney, Avital Cnaan, Eric P. Hoffman, Kanneboyina Nagaraju

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

Background

In Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), loss of the membrane stabilizing protein dystrophin results in myofiber damage. Microinjury to dystrophic myofibers also causes secondary imbalances in sarcolemmic ion permeability and resting membrane potential, which modifies excitation-contraction coupling and increases proinflammatory/apoptotic signaling cascades. Although glucocorticoids remain the standard of care for the treatment of DMD, there is a need to investigate the efficacy of other pharmacological agents targeting the involvement of imbalances in ion flux on dystrophic pathology.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We designed a preclinical trial to investigate the effects of lansoprazole (LANZO) administration, a proton pump inhibitor, on the dystrophic muscle …

Perceptions Of English Proficiency Levels: The Unspoken Expectations Of Native English Speakers, Alison Divett Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the relationship between nonnative English speaker (NNES) proficiency level and native English speaker (NES) level of comfort interacting with NNES. The purpose of this study was to discover at what proficiency level NESs feel comfortable interacting with NNES. This study also looked at how communicative task and NES demographic variables affected the proficiency expectations NNESs have for NESs. Participants included 120 NESs and 7 NNESs. The NESs listened to sound clips from the 7 NNESs and rated how comfortable they would feel (on a scale of 0-10, 10 indicating very comfortable) interacting with the speaker in a …

Nitrogen Cycling, Forest Canopy Reflectance, And Emergent Properties Of Ecosystems, Scott V. Ollinger, Peter B. Reich, Steve Frolking, Lucie Lepine, David Y. Hollinger, Andrew D. Richardson

Earth Sciences

No abstract provided.

Mindfulness Meditation: Effects Of A Brief Intervention On Cardiovascular Reactivity During Acute Stress, Dustin Lamar Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Mindfulness has historically been cultivated via formal meditation practice and the majority of meditation research examines individuals with extensive training or participants in Mindfulness based stress reduction programs that require considerable expense, a trained facilitator, and take approximately 8 weeks to complete. However, current literature does not speak directly to those who do not have the time or ability for such commitments. Formal mindfulness meditation practice and interventions reduce stress in various populations; however, the outcomes of a one-time intervention are relatively unknown. This study aims to examine whether a one-time (20-min) mindfulness meditation intervention would improve cardiovascular variables during …

Automated Conserved Non-Coding Sequence (Cns) Discovery Reveals Differences In Gene Content And Promoter Evolution Among Grasses, Gina Marie Turco, James C. Schnable, Brent S. Pedersen, Michael Freeling

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Conserved non-coding sequences (CNS) are islands of non-coding sequence that, like protein coding exons, show less divergence in sequence between related species than functionless DNA. Several CNSs have been demonstrated experimentally to function as cis-regulatory regions. However, the specific functions of most CNSs remain unknown. Previous searches for CNS in plants have either anchored on exons and only identified nearby sequences or required years of painstaking manual annotation. Here we present an open source tool that can accurately identify CNSs between any two related species with sequenced genomes, including both those immediately adjacent to exons and distal sequences separated by …

New Tool To Help Define Role Of Mystery Appendage In Everything From Development To Obesity, Jim Bakken

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Apolipoprotein E Mediates Attachment Of Clinical Hepatitis C Virus To Hepatocytes By Binding To Cell Surface Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycan Receptors, Jieyun Jiang, Xianfang Wu, Hengli Tang, Guangxiang Luo

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Our previous studies demonstrated that the cell culture-grown hepatitis C virus of genotype 2a (HCVcc) uses apolipoprotein E (apoE) to mediate its attachment to the surface of human hepatoma Huh-7.5 cells. ApoE mediates HCV attachment by binding to the cell surface heparan sulfate (HS) which is covalently attached to the core proteins of proteoglycans (HSPGs). In the present study, we further determined the physiological importance of apoE and HSPGs in the HCV attachment using a clinical HCV of genotype 1b (HCV1b) obtained from hepatitis C patients and human embryonic stem cell-differentiated hepatocyte-like cells (DHHs). DHHs were found to resemble primary …

Effective Treatment Of Esophogeal Adenocarcinoma Using Triciribine And Related Compounds, Jin Q. Cheng

USF Patents

The inventors have determined, contrary to the prior art and experience, how to successfully use triciribine to treat esophogeal adenocarcinoma by one or a combination of (i) administering triciribine only to patients which according to a diagnostic test described below, exhibit enhanced sensitivity to the drug; (ii) use of a described dosage level that minimizes the toxicity of the drug but yet still exhibits efficacy; or (iii) use of a described dosage regimen that minimizes the toxicity of the drug.

Control Of Harmful Algal Blooms By Induction Of Programmed Cell Death, John H. Paul, Iii, David John

USF Patents

The subject invention pertains to compositions, apparatus, and methods for controlling harmful algae and harmful algal bloom (HAB) based on the induction of the programmed cell death (PCD; apoptosis) pathway in the harmful algae, and to kits for determining algal susceptibility to PCD induction.

Characterization Of The Mechanical Properties Of Freestanding Platinum Thin Films, Khawar Abbas

Mechanical Engineering ETDs

Many MEMS devices utilize nanocrystalline thin metallic films as mechanical structures, in particular, micro switching devices where these films are used as Ohmic contacts. But the elastic and plastic properties of these thin films (thickness < 1μm) are significantly different from those of the bulk material. At these scales the volume fraction of material defects such as: grain boundaries, dislocations and interstitials become quite significant and become a chief contributor to the physical and mechanical material properties. In order to effectively design MEMS devices it is important that these material properties are explored and mechanical behavior of the structure they form be characterized. Popular thin film materials used in MEMS devices are Aluminum (Al), Copper (Cu), Nickel (Ni) and Gold (Au). Platinum has traditionally gained acceptance into the MEMS industry because of its chemical inertness and high temperature stability. However the mechanical properties of platinum remains the least exploited. Platinum has a high Youngs Modulus (164 GPa, for bulk) and high melting temperature (1768 oC) and therefore can be used as a 'thin film' structure (cantilever, a bridge or a membrane) in high temperature environments with high resistance to mechanical failure. The physical size of these thin film structure make it very difficult to handle them and employ traditional mechanical testing methodologies and techniques and therefore require custom test platforms. One such recently developed platform is presented in this dissertation. The test platform is comprised of a microfabricated cascaded thermal actuator system and test specimen. The cascaded thermal actuator system is capable of providing tens of microns of displacement and tens of milli-Newton forces simultaneously while applying a relatively low temperature gradient across the test specimen. The dimensions of the platform make its use possible in both the SEM/TEM environments and on a probe station under an optical microscope. Digital image correlation was used to obtain similar accuracy (~10 nm) for displacement measurements in both an SEM and under an optical microscope. The mechanical behavior of nanocrystalline thin film structure has been the subject of extensive research in recent years. Mainly, the focus has been on the effects of the film thickness with only a few researchers mentioning anything about the grain sizes of their polycrystalline films. The effect of thin film cross sectional morphology on the mechanical behavior of a thin film structure has never been studied directly. Presented in this dissertation is experimental evidence that these thin film structures are composite structures of various grain morphologies and the overall mechanical behavior exhibited by them is the combined effect of individual contributions of each of these grain morphologies.'

Not Your Everyday Story Of Cuttlefish, St. Norbert College

St. Norbert College Magazine 2013-2018

On the fast track to superstardom in saltwater aquaria through his work with the fragile cuttlefish, Bret Grasse ’08 has found his methods so successful that he has become the world’s go-to expert in culturing generations of cuttlefish.

Navarro V. State Appellant's Brief Dckt. 40469

Not Reported

No abstract provided.

The Social Transformation Of Health Inequities: Understanding The Discourse On Health Disparities In The United States, Sonia Bettez

Sociology ETDs

Discourse in the United States characterized health disparities' as the disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality suffered by racial, ethnic and other disadvantaged populations. This dissertation contributes a theory of social construction that transformed health inequalities and inequities into 'health disparities,' a hegemonic (dominant) concept that prevented structural analysis of root causes and effective solutions. Consequently health disparities remain. My study focuses on the discourse during the latter part of President Clinton's administration (1999-2001), when eliminating 'health disparities' became a major objective. Anchored by hegemony and racial formation theories, and using critical discourse analysis as the principal research method, I …

Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus: Identification Of M Protein-Binding Peptide Ligands With Antiviral And Diagnostic Potential, Hao Zou, Dante S. Zarlenga, Karol Sestak, Siqingaowa Suo, Xiaofeng Ren

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The membrane (M) protein is one of the major structural proteins of coronavirus particles. In this study, the M protein of transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) was used to biopan a 12-mer phage display random peptide library. Three phages expressing TGEV-M-binding peptides were identified and characterized in more depth. A phage-based immunosorbent assay (phage-ELISA) capable of differentiating TGEV from other coronaviruses was developed using one phage, phTGEV-M7, as antigen. When the phage-ELISA was compared to conventional antibody-based ELISA for detecting infections, phage-ELISA exhibited greater sensitivity. A chemically synthesized, TGEV-M7 peptide (pepTGEV-M7; HALTPIKYIPPG) was evaluated for antiviral activity. Plaque-reduction assays revealed that …

Humanitarianism And The Anthropology Of Hunger, Kate Klein

Undergraduate Theses—Unrestricted

While the early view of hunger as the product of a world population too large to sustain has largely been eliminated, and the mainstream international community has come to accept that food insecurity results from issues of distribution rather than an insufficient global food supply, the emphasis on biotechnology in agriculture, humanitarianism in international aid, and social justice in international human rights law in the contemporary era has contributed to other barriers that prevent hunger alleviation.

In this thesis, I argue that these previous contemporary developments have had the capacity to hide hunger. My analysis of technology and humanitarian aid …

The Relief Society And President Spencer W. Kimball's Administration, Carrie L. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the relationship between ideology generated by advocates of the Women's Liberation Movement and President Kimball's purposes of using Relief Society to strengthen Latter-day Saint (LDS) women. Navigating women through the societal attack on womanhood, President Kimball, and other general Church leaders during his administration (1973-1985), taught LDS women of their privilege and duty to the organization and the importance of generating strength through a sisterhood focused on service. Relief Society programs, procedures, and curriculum were evaluated, adjusted, and reinforced to deepen women's commitment to divinely established roles, to enhance women's doctrinal confidence, and expand the influence of …

The Distribution Of Fruit And Seed Toxicity During Development For Eleven Neotropical Trees And Vines, Noelle G. Beckman

Biology Faculty Publications

Secondary compounds in fruit mediate interactions with natural enemies and seed dispersers, influencing plant survival and species distributions. The functions of secondary metabolites in plant defenses have been well-studied in green tissues, but not in reproductive structures of plants. In this study, the distribution of toxicity within plants was quantified and its influence on seed survival was determined in Central Panama. To investigate patterns of allocation to chemical defenses and shifts in allocation with fruit development, I quantified variation in toxicity between immature and mature fruit and between the seed and pericarp for eleven species. Toxicity of seed and pericarp …

Neurophysiological Processing Of Emotion And Parenting Interact To Predict Inhibited Behavior: An Affective-Motivational Framework, Ellen M. Kessel, Rebecca F. Huselid, Jennifer M. Decicco, Tracy A. Dennis

Publications and Research

Although inhibited behavior problems are prevalent in childhood, relatively little is known about the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that predict a child's ability to regulate inhibited behavior during fear- and anxiety-provoking tasks. Inhibited behavior may be linked to both disruptions in avoidance-related processing of aversive stimuli and in approach-related processing of appetitive stimuli, but previous findings are contradictory and rarely integrate consideration of the socialization context. The current exploratory study used a novel combination of neurophysiological and observation-based methods to examine whether a neurophysiological measure sensitive to approach- and avoidance-oriented emotional processing, the late positive potential (LPP), interacted with observed …

The Effects Of Gain Of Function Mutant P53 And P63 On Eps8 And Cxcl5 Expression In Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Rubana Masood

Theses and Dissertations

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the ten most common cancers worldwide, with a survival rate of less than 50%. A class of mutant p53, known as gain of function (GOF) mutant p53, has been found to be expressed in tumors in these patients. GOF mutant p53 not only loses the wild type tumor suppressor functions, but also gains aberrant functions that have been linked to tumorigenesis. In this current study, we utilized a model system consisting of cells derived from HNSCC tumors in order to investigate our hypothesis that GOF mutant p53 enhances, and p63 …

Dominant Inheritance Of Field-Evolved Resistance To Bt Corn In Busseola Fusca, Pascal Campagne, Marlene Kruger, Rémy Pasquet, Bruno Le Ru, Johnnie Van Den Berg

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Transgenic crops expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxins have been adopted worldwide, notably in developing countries. In spite of their success in controlling target pests while allowing a substantial reduction of insecticide use, the sustainable control of these pest populations is threatened by the evolution of resistance. The implementation of the "high dose/refuge" strategy for managing insect resistance in transgenic crops aims at delaying the evolution of resistance to Bt crops in pest populations by promoting survival of susceptible insects. However, a crucial condition for the "high dose/refuge" strategy to be efficient is that the inheritance of resistance should be functionally …

July 2, 2013, The Daily Mississippian

Daily Mississippian (all digitized issues)

No abstract provided.

Cognitively Normal Individuals With Ad Parents May Be At Risk For Developing Aging-Related Cortical Thinning Patterns Characteristic Of Ad, Derin J. Cobia, Katherine Reiter, Kathryn I. Alpert, Mary J. Kwasny, John C. Morris, John G. Csernansky, Lei Wang

Faculty Publications

Children of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients are at heightened risk of developing AD due to genetic influences, including the apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) allele. In this study, we assessed the earliest cortical changes associated with AD in 71 cognitively healthy, adult children of AD patients (AD offspring) as compared with 69 with no family history of AD (non-AD offspring). Cortical thickness measures were obtained using FreeSurfer from 1.5T magnetic resonance (MR) scans. ApoE genotyping was obtained. Primary analyses examined family history and ApoeE4 effects on cortical thickness. Secondary analyses examined age effects within groups. All comparisons were adjusted using False Discovery …

About The Authors, No Author

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

No abstract provided.

Wolf Reintroduction Into Yellowstone National Park, Erin Quartley

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

" ... My, what big eyes you have grandmother. 'All the better to see you with, my dear.' My, what big teeth you have grandmother. 'All the better to eat you with, my dear. ' ... " The story of Little Red Riding Hood is one that commonly surfaces when people talk about and picture wolves. The negative image that has been placed upon wolves originates from folklore, fairy tales, and Hollywood. This same falsified image is one that has greatly contributed to the past and present plight of …

Pediatric Oncology: Causes, Treatments, And The Role Of Integrated Medicine, Maria Furnari

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

Cancer is responsible for approximately 10%-12% of childhood deaths, and is second only to accidents as the leading cause of death in individuals over age 14 (Rape & Bush, 1994). There are various forms of cancer that can afflict a child and numerous ways to combat the disease. While it is important to fight the physical aspects of the disease to increase the child's chance of survival, it is also important to deal with the psychological issues that accompany pediatric oncology. Various psychological treatments are available to help a child endure the emotional and physical stresses associated with chemotherapy and …

Editors' Note, Sarah Landas, Erin Quartley

The Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Student Research

No abstract provided.