Digital Commons Network^™

Physiological Consequences Of Compensatory Growth: A Look At Snake Species Exhibiting Differential Sexual Size Dimorphism, Kaitlyn Pettingill

Biology Theses

Although many life-history traits are inflexible, extrinsic factors are likely responsible for variation in attributes such as growth rates and ultimately adult body size. Nutritional stress during natal periods, in particular, has significant long-term consequences for adult characteristics. It is thought that poor natal nutrition leads to either the diversion of subsequent energy intake into compensatory growth or delayed maturation. Diversion of energy, to achieve compensation, however does not come without consequence; immune defense is a resource-demanding activity, which can trade- off with traits such as growth. Relatively little is known about the intra- or interspecific variation in immunological capabilities, …

High Occurrence Of Functional New Chimeric Genes In Survey Of Rice Chromosome 3 Short Arm Genome Sequences, Chengjun Zhang, Jun Wang, Nicholas C. Marowsky, Manyuan Long, Rod A. Wing, Chuanzhu Fan

Biological Sciences Faculty Research Publications

In an effort to identify newly evolved genes in rice,we searched the genomes of Asian-cultivated rice Oryza sativa ssp. japonica and its wild progenitors, looking for lineage-specific genes. Using genome pairwise comparison of approximately 20-Mb DNA sequences from the chromosome 3 short arm (Chr3s) in six rice species, O. sativa, O. nivara, O. rufipogon, O. glaberrima, O. barthii, and O. punctata, combined with synonymous substitution rate tests and other evidence, we were able to identify potential recently duplicated genes, which evolved within the last 1 Myr. We identified 28 functional O. sativa genes, which …

Ultrasound Enhancement Of Drug Release Across Non-Ionic Surfactant Membranes, Elizabeth Hood, Joel A. Strom, Michael Vanauker

USF Patents

A method of targeted drug delivery and imaging using nonionic surfactant vesicles (niosomes) in combination with ultrasound is presented. Niosomes have potential applications in targeted drug delivery and imaging because of their ability to encapsulate therapeutic agents and their enhanced uptake by physiological membranes. The niosomes may be administered to the subject via catheter. Ultrasound may be used to mediate delivery non-invasively by altering the niosome membrane structure. Niosomes composed of polyoxyethylene sorbitan monostearate (Tween 61), cholesterol, and dicetyl phosphate were synthesized via a thin film hydration technique and used for encapsulation studies. Carboxyfluorescein dye (CF) was used as a …

Effective Treatment Of Tumors And Cancer With Triciribine And Related Compounds, Jin Q. Cheng, Said M. Sebti

USF Patents

The inventors have determined, contrary to the prior art and experience, how to successfully use triciribine to treat tumors and cancer 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.

A Social Network Analysis Of Hamadryas Baboons, Christian Treat

Honors Theses

The study of animal sociality investigates the immediate and long-term consequences that a social structure has on its group members. Typically, social behavior is observed from interactions between two individuals at the dyadic level. However, a new framework for studying social behavior has emerged that allows the researcher to assess social complexity at multiple scales. Social Network Analysis has been recently applied in the field of ethology, and this novel tool enables an approach of focusing on social behavior in context of the global network rather than limited to dyadic interactions. This new technique was applied to a group of …

Naturalis Historia, Reconstructed, Sarah Briland

Theses and Dissertations

When Pliny the Elder wrote Naturalis Historia around 70 A.D., the idea of natural history contained and connected biology, geology, and mineralogy with the history of painting and sculpture. Art was an extension of the natural world as its materials were extracted from plants, animals, and, particularly, mined and quarried pigments, stone, and metals. In my developing body of work, Incidents of Naturalis Historia, Reconstructed, I combine wasps’ nests, architectural fragments, and other found objects excavated from my surrounding environment with elements of glass that resemble lichen, crystallization, and geologic specimens. These works simulate artifacts of an alternative history; one …

The Design And Validation Of A Computational Model Of The Human Wrist Joint, Afsarul Mir

Theses and Dissertations

Advancements in computational capabilities have allowed researchers to turn towards modeling as an efficient tool to replicate and predict outcomes of complex systems. Computational models of the musculoskeletal system have gone through various iterations with early versions employing dramatic simplifications. In this work, a three-dimensional computational model of the wrist joint was developed. It accurately recreated the skeletal structures of the hand and wrist and represented the constraints imposed by soft tissue structures like ligaments, tendons, and other surrounding tissues. It was developed to function as a tool to investigate the biomechanical contributions of structures and the kinematic response of …

Peace Corps Plans Take Shape For Trio Of Seniors, St. Norbert College

St. Norbert College Magazine 2013-2018

Volunteer abroad and love doing it. Three St. Norbert graduates-to-be have accepted this challenge through their nominations to the Peace Corps.

Key Genes For Modulating Information Flow Play A Temporal Role As Breast Tumor Coexpression Networks Are Dynamically Rewired By Letrozole, Nadia M. Penrod, Jason H. Moore

Dartmouth Scholarship

Genes do not act in isolation but instead as part of complex regulatory networks. To understand how breast tumors adapt to the presence of the drug letrozole, at the molecular level, it is necessary to consider how the expression levels of genes in these networks change relative to one another. Using transcriptomic data generated from sequential tumor biopsy samples, taken at diagnosis, following 10-14 days and following 90 days of letrozole treatment, and a pairwise partial orrelation statistic, we build temporal gene coexpression networks. We characterize the structure of each network and identify genes that hold prominent positions for maintaining …

Trends In Citations To Books On Epidemiological And Statistical Methods In The Biomedical Literature, Miquel Porta, Jan P. Vandenbroucke, John P. A. Ioannidis, Sergio Sanz, Esteve Fernandez, Raj Bhopal, Alfredo Morabia, Cesar Victora, Tomàs Lopez

Publications and Research

Background There are no analyses of citations to books on epidemiological and statistical methods in the biomedical literature. Such analyses may shed light on how concepts and methods changed while biomedical research evolved. Our aim was to analyze the number and time trends of citations received from biomedical articles by books on epidemiological and statistical methods, and related disciplines. Methods and Findings The data source was the Web of Science. The study books were published between 1957 and 2010. The first year of publication of the citing articles was 1945. We identified 125 books that received at least 25 citations. …

Volume 110, Number 25 - Tuesday, May 7, 2013, Saint Mary's College Of California

The Collegian

No abstract provided.

Examining The Relations Between The Mental Health And Physical Health Of Caregivers Of Ms In A Mexican Sample, Gillian Leibach

Theses and Dissertations

Evidence suggests that caregiver health affects patient health. Consistent with the Biopsychosocial Model, mental health (anxiety, depression, satisfaction with life, self-esteem), physical health (bodily pain, general health, performance in physical role, physical functioning), burden, and social support were examined in the present study to understand the relations between these variables and the overall health of 81 caregivers of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Mexico. The relation between mental health and physical health was significant. Canonical correlations revealed that depression and general health emerged as primary variables and these were entered into a series of analyses with burden and social …

Biochemical, Nutrient And Inhibitory Characteristics Of Streptomyces Cultured From A Hypersaline Estuary, The Laguna Madre (Texas), Luis E. Espinoza, Anita L. Davelos Baines, Kristine L. Lowe

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Streptomyces are common soil bacteria that produce secondary metabolites, including several antibiotics; however, the characteristics of marine Streptomyces are largely unknown. Sediment samples were taken from 3 sites in the Laguna Madre to isolate marine Streptomyces. Sediment was diluted, spread onto synthetic seawater media to estimate the total bacterial density of the samples and spread onto starch casein agar to isolate Streptomyces. Isolated Streptomyces were tested for salinity tolerance and optimal growth pH. Isolates were assayed using API 20E® test strips and BIOLOG™ plates to construct biochemical profiles and assess nutrient utilization abilities of the bacteria, respectively. Individual Streptomyces were …

Occurrence Of Meloidogyne Fallax In North America, And Molecular Characterization Of M. Fallax And M. Minor From U.S. Golf Course Greens, Claudia Nischwitz

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Trimble V. Gordon: An Unstated Reversal Of Labine V. Vincent?, John A. Boyd

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

California's Response For Wrongful Death Of A Stillborn Fetus: Justus V. Atchison, Phyllis A. Dow

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Moore V. City Of East Cleveland, Ohio: The Emergence Of The Right Of Family Choice In Zoning, Margaret Anne Macfarlane

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Equal Protection For Unmarried Cohabitors: An Insider's Look At Marvin V. Marvin , Marvin M. Mitchelson, William J. Glucksman

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Developing Virus-Like Particles As High-Density Photoreporting Platforms Using Noncanonical Amino Acids And Click Chemistry, Mark T. Smith, Bradley C. Bundty

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Light-based imaging and microscopy techniques are compelling diagnostic tools that provide straightforward data. Furthermore, single-particle targeting and tracking has the potential to provide new insight on myriad phenomenon, such as small particle diffusion, particle-membrane interaction, single-particle microfluidics, and many aspects of microbiology and physiology. However, limitations exist in current technologies’ ability to achieve tracking of individual nanoparticles due to inability to sufficiently label or stain single targets with traditional probes. This work proposes a method to overcome probe density by creating individual probes based on virus-based nanoparticles densely decorated with many reporter probes. We present the steps to produce such …

Connecting To The Data-Intensive Future Of Scientific Research, Lafe G. Conner, Richard A. Gill, Rory O'Connor

Utah Space Grant Consortium

In recent years enormous amounts of digital data have become available to scientific researchers. This flood of data is transforming the way scientific research is conducted. Independent researchers are in serious need of tools that will help them managed and preserve the large volumes of data being created in their own labs. Data management will not only help researchers get or keep a handle on their data, it will also help them stay relevant and competitive in increasingly strict funding environments. This paper provides summaries of best practices and case studies of data management that relate to three common data …

Mechanobiology Of The Intervertebral Disc: Influences Of Static And Dynamic Compressions On Energy Metabolism, Chong Wang

Open Access Dissertations

Low back pain (LBP) is the leading reason for people to miss work and chief complaint of 5% people who visit doctors. Although it has a high impact in society, the causes of LBP cannot always be clarified. However, intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration has been reported to be a possible leading source for LBP. Since IVD is the biggest avascular tissue in human body, nutrition supply plays very important role for IVD degeneration. IVDs are under mechanical load all the time in vivo, it is also been revealed by in vitro studies that mechanical loadings can alter cellular activities including …

Developing Recent Mortality As An Ecosystem Indicator To Enhance Coral Monitoring: A Case Study For Southeast Florida Reefs, Nathan P. Formel

Open Access Theses

This study developed percent recent mortality to be used as a community-wide indicator of coral reef stress response. Ecosystem indicators are tools used to simplify the monitoring of processes on coral reefs, such as stress response, as well as simplify the communication of these results to the public. Percent recent mortality is a metric used in some of southeast Florida’s long-term reef monitoring projects and shows great promise as an ecological indicator of coral stress response and, inversely, coral health. To develop percent recent mortality for use as an ecological indicator on south Florida reefs, the metric was evaluated using …

David Cordie Senior Experience Exhibited At Uw-Fox’S Valley’S Weis Earth Science Museum, Lawrence University

Press Releases

As part of his Senior Experience, Lawrence University senior biology major David Cordie is curating an exhibition of fossils detailing climate change that will be featured at UW-Fox’s Valley’s Weis Earth Science Museum beginning Wednesday, May 8.

The exhibition features a dozen plant fossils from the Mazon Creek fossil bed in northern Illinois. Cordie also created several posters to accompany the fossils, explaining what they reveal about the region’s climate approximately 350 million years ago. It will be on display until mid-July. Cordie began the project last summer as part of an internship with Weis Museum director Joanne Kluessendorf. …

The Statesman, V. 56, I. 28, Stony Brook University

Stony Brook Statesman-Sucolian

v. 56, i. 28

Nos Ancêtres, Les Pervers: Reading Queerly And Constructing The Homosexual Before The Closet (1810-1830), Gary C. Kilian Mr.

Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Honors Projects

Homosexuality is, popularly imagined, a twentieth-century phenomenon wherein medicine created homosexual identity and society worked to stigmatize it. Yet the proto-homosexual role can be traced to several notable historical figures before the rise of medicine at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, especially through literature, and this is most apparent in France, which had been the first country to decriminalize same-sex relations in private after the adoption of the Napoleonic Code. But how do we understand same-sex desire and homosexuality before the homosexual existed as such while respecting the oftentimes-unclear nuances of human …

Current, May 06, 2013, University Of Missouri-St. Louis

Current (2010s)

No abstract provided.

Ability And Willingness To Change Among African Immigrant Patients At Akwaaba, Marianne Sarkis, Temitayo Akinbola, Charise Canales, Hana Chamoun, Jacqueline Leaf, Elisabeth Nebie

Local Knowledge: Worcester Area Community-Based Research

What are the challenges faced in treating Hypertension in the Worcester African Immigrant Community?

This study investigates the relationship between the understanding of high blood pressure, and the ability and willingness to modify behavior among African patients at Akwaaba, a free health clinic in Worcester, Massachusetts. In this research, our team specifically explores how the understanding of lifestyle risk factors of hypertension, such as diet, exercise, and levels of stress, influence the willingness and ability to modify behavior among African born patients at Akwaaba. What become clear was that language barriers, cultural differences, and approach to health care within the …

Ground-Truthing Maxent In East Texas Rivers, David F. Ford

Biology Theses

Unionid mussels are a guild of freshwater, sedentary filter-feeders, which play a critical role in freshwater systems. Mussels are currently experiencing a global decline in both species richness and abundance, due to invasive species, human alteration of water systems, and climate change. In North America, which is considered to have the highest global diversity of bivalve species, native mussels are currently declining rapidly with at least 37 species considered to already be extinct. If extant mussel species are to be preserved, then it is vital that conservation efforts be prioritized towards areas in which they are likely to be found. …

Alum In Alaska Legislature Fights Genetically Modified Frankenfish, Ohio University College Of Arts & Sciences

All Forum Articles

No abstract provided.

After Prometheus, Are Human Genes Patentable Subject Matter?, Douglas L. Rogers

Duke Law & Technology Review

On April 15, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc. on the question, “Are human genes patentable?” This article argues that human genes are not patentable and that isolating a gene from its surroundings in a human body—or creating synthetically what exists in nature as DNA—does not cause the DNA to become patentable subject matter. The isolated DNA segments of claim 1 have the identical nucleotide sequence and the same function as native DNA, and the isolated DNA of claim 1 do not reflect the marked changes required under Chakrabarty, …