Digital Commons Network^™

Coxiella Burnetii And Leishmania Mexicana Residing Within Similar Parasitophorous Vacuoles Elicit Disparate Host Responses, Jess A. Millar, Raquel Valdés, Fenil Kacharia, Scott M. Landfear, Eric D. Cambronne, Rahul Raghavan, Lynn Soong, Emilio Luis Malchiodi

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Coxiella burnetii is a bacterium that thrives in an acidic parasitophorous vacuole (PV) derived from lysosomes. Leishmania mexicana, a eukaryote, has also independently evolved to live in a morphologically similar PV. As Coxiella and Leishmania are highly divergent organisms that cause different diseases, we reasoned that their respective infections would likely elicit distinct host responses despite producing phenotypically similar parasite-containing vacuoles. The objective of this study was to investigate, at the molecular level, the macrophage response to each pathogen. Infection of THP-1 (human monocyte/macrophage) cells with Coxiella and Leishmania elicited disparate host responses. At 5 days post-infection, when …

A Poetic Poioumenon: Coterie And Ekphrasis In David Lehman's "The Breeders' Cup", Anna Beth Rowe

Master's Theses

David Lehman’s poem “The Breeders’ Cup” uses cross-generational coterie and ekphrasis to create a poetic poioumenon. When read in terms of art criticism, Lehman’s “The Breeders’ Cup” models creative processes from the past and calls for a rehabilitative ethic in postmodern poetics. Lehman follows the ekphrastic form, which associates a poem with a work of visual art, from his New York School predecessor Frank O’Hara. “The Breeders’ Cup” addresses Édouard Manet’s 1865 painting Olympia through ekphrasis, and the painting of a prostitute becomes a patron saint of parody for postmodern poetics. The poem introduces lust as a metaphor for creative …

Reactive Motions In A Fully Autonomous Crs Catalyst 5 Robotic Arm Based On Rgbd Data, Arad Haselirad

Theses and Dissertations

This study proposes a method to perform velocity estimation using motion blur in a single image frame along x and y axes in the camera coordinate system and intercept a moving object with a robotic arm. It will be shown that velocity estimation in a single image frame improves the system's performance. The majority of previous studies in this area require at least two image frames to measure the target's velocity. In addition, they mostly employ specialized equipments which are able to generate high torques and accelerations.

The setup consists of a 5 degree of freedom robotic arm and a …

Scrap Tire And Water Treatment Residual As Novel "Green" Sorbents For Removal Of Common Metals From Polluted Storm Water Runoff, Ciapha Nade Morris

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Although urbanization brings numerous benefits in our history, it has caused many environmental issues such as polluted urban runoff. A variety of pollutants at high concentrations, such as heavy metals, are present in urban runoff. Given that the polluted runoff is finally discharged into receiving waters and leads to non-point pollution in urbanized areas, appropriate management and treatment of the polluted urban stormwater is highly needed. However, current available best management practices (BMPs) are, to different degrees, restricted by their respective limitations. Therefore, there is an urgent demand in development of innovative, effective, and low-cost treatment methods for heavy metals …

Changes In Tall Shrub Abundance On The North Slope Of Alaska, 2000-2010, Rocio Raquel Duchesne-Onoro

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The observed greening of Arctic vegetation and the expansion of shrubs in the last few decades has likely had profound implications for the tundra ecosystem, including feedbacks to climate. Uncertainty surrounding the magnitude, direction, and implications of this vegetation shift calls for monitoring of vegetation structural parameters, such as fractional cover of shrubs. Due to the extent of the North Slope of Alaska and its extreme environments, remote sensing may be the most suitable tool to produce wall-to-wall fractional shrub cover maps for the entire region, however, most regional maps have relied on vegetation indices or needed many years worth …

Orchestral Instruments In Music Therapy : Developing An Educational Track For Orchestral Musicians In Music Therapy Training, Laura Bunker

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This paper proposes a supplemental educational track for the training of music therapy students who play an orchestral instrument. Containing three courses, this proposed protocol for instruction aims to bridge the gap between standard practices of classical music training, and training related specifically to music therapy in a graduate program. Designed with a focus on improving one’s functional musicianship on his or her orchestral instrument, courses offer opportunities to foster and practice these skills through class workshops, and community outreach and advocacy.

Starting with a detailed review of literature, this paper delves into the use of orchestral instruments in music …

Neurologically-Informed Musicking (Nim) For Relaxation : Process And Effects, Ji Young Cho

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study aimed to look at the effects of client directed therapeutic musical improvisation on relaxation. The protocol used immediate brain wave data to inform a music therapist’s improvisation for the purpose of affecting the client’s state of rest.

Based on prior and existing music therapy techniques, this music therapy method was further developed by the researcher and thesis sponsor, and for the sake of consolidation and brevity, was given the name, Neurologically-Informed Musicking (NIM). The researcher asked the following questions: (1) What form does the NIM process takes when relaxation is a clinical goal? How (if at all) does …

“The Great Speckled Bird”- Early Country Music And The Popularization Of Non-Secular Song, Kris R. Truelsen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perhaps no melody in the country music canon has been as widely recognized and borrowed from as that of the song “The Great Speckled Bird.” This significant song has become resonant and representative of both country music culture and religious culture of the Protestant South.

Through this historiographical study, I have traced the influences that helped shape “The Great Speckled Bird” and in so doing have illustrated distinct movements that led to popularizing the non-secular song through commercial country music. The composer’s use of sentimentality, neo- traditionalism, and religious ideas made it appealing to a rural southern culture struggling with …

Identification Of Genes Required To Synthesize An Antibiotic-Like Compound From The Soil Bacterium Rhodococcus Sp. Mtm3w5.2, Amber L. Ward

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rhodococcus is a soil bacterium, member of the Actinobacteria, and a close relative of the prolific small molecule producer Streptomyces. Recent interest in Rhodococcus as an under investigated source of possible bioactive secondary metabolites is sparked by the discovery of many polyketide synthase and non-ribosomal peptide synthetase genes of unknown function from sequenced Rhodococcus genomes. Rhodococcus species strain MTM3W5.2 was recently shown to produce a strong inhibitory compound with activity against most strains of Rhodococcus and closely related genera. A goal of this investigation is to discover the gene(s) required to synthesize this inhibitory molecule. The engineered Rhodococcus …

Estimating Tiger (Panthera Tigris) Prey Density Using Camera Traps And Fecal Accumulation Rates, Jenifer Bunty

All Theses

The conservation of tiger populations requires the preservation of their prey. Assessing prey populations is therefore important, but challenges arise due to the elusive nature of many prey species. We used two indirect methods to estimate the density of sika deer (Cervus nippon), an elusive tiger prey species, in the Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve in the Russian Far East. The fecal accumulation rate (FAR) is widely used and provides estimates of ungulate density based on the accumulation of fecal pellet groups in previously cleared plots. More recently, the random encounter model (REM) was developed to estimate population density from …

Unquantified Benefits And Bayesian Cost-Benefit Analysis, Jonathan Masur, Eric A. Posner

Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers

No abstract provided.

Empathy And Masculinity In Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird, Richard H. Mcadams

Public Law and Legal Theory Working Papers

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Study Of The Population Dynamics Of Four Amaranthaceae Species, Lauren Michele Schwartz

Dissertations

Some of the most problematic agricultural weeds found in the Midwest United States are found in the Amaranthaceae family, such as Amaranthus palmeri and A. tuberculatus. These summer annual weeds are troublesome due to their competitive ability, high seed production, and resistance to herbicides from several modes of action which complicates management in field crops and has led to significant yield loss. Achyranthes japonica and Iresine rhizomatosa are two perennial species in the same family as A. palmeri and A. tuberculatus that occur in similar habitats as one another, but differ in invasiveness. Achyranthes japonica is a non-native, invasive species …

Computerized Behavioral Skills Training, Selection-Based Instruction, Lag Reinforcement Schedules, And The Emergence Of Topography-Based Responses To Interview Questions, John O'Neill

Dissertations

This investigation evaluated a computerized behavioral skills training package for teaching responses to interview skills by adolescents and young adults with learning disabilities. The package consisted of instructional videos, video-modeling, rehearsal, feedback, and selection-based instruction. Experiment 1 replicated and extended recent research which has suggested that a selection-based protocol operating on a lag schedule of reinforcement is an effective and efficient method for teaching responses to interview questions (O’Neill, Blowers, Henson, & Rehfeldt, 2015; O’Neill & Rehfeldt, 2014). The purpose was to address some of the limitations of these studies while testing the limits of the selection-based protocol in promoting …

Nuestro Mundo A Martiano Exploration Of The Existential Impact Of Climate Change, Alejandro Chester Strong

Dissertations

This work is an account of meaning and value in the time of climate change. I use the findings and predictions of scientists to develop a philosophy of living that fits today's concerns. In essence the ideas put forward come from a single question: If humans can change the planet in such a way that it threatens the possibility of human life on Earth what does this mean for the place of humans on Earth? It is this question, which the every chapter hereafter works to answer. Establishing a philosophy of living and explaining a global ecological crisis is a …

Topological Spatial Verification For Instance Search, Wei Zhang, Chong-Wah Ngo

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper proposes an elastic spatial verification method for Instance Search, particularly for dealing with non-planar and non-rigid queries exhibiting complex spatial transformations. Different from existing models that map keypoints between images based on a linear transformation (e.g., affine, homography), our model exploits the topological arrangement of keypoints to address the non-linear spatial transformations that are extremely common in real life situations. In particular, we propose a novel technique to elastically verify the topological spatial consistency with the triangulated graph through a "sketch-and-match" scheme. The spatial topology configuration, emphasizing relative positioning rather than absolute coordinates, is first sketched by a …

Neural Modeling Of Sequential Inferences And Learning Over Episodic Memory, Budhitama Subagdja, Ah-Hwee Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Episodic memory is a significant part of cognition for reasoning and decision making. Retrieval in episodic memory depends on the order relationships of memory items which provides flexibility in reasoning and inferences regarding sequential relations for spatio-temporal domain. However, it is still unclear how they are encoded and how they differ from representations in other types of memory like semantic or procedural memory. This paper presents a neural model of sequential representation and inferences on episodic memory. It contrasts with the common views on sequential representation in neural networks that instead of maintaining transitions between events to represent sequences, they …

Fatty Acids Linked To Cardiovascular Mortality Are Associated With Risk Factors, Sven O. E. Ebbesson, V. Saroja Voruganti, Paul B. Higgins, Richard R. Fabsitz, Lars O. Ebbesson, Sandra Laston, William S. Harris, John Kennish, Benjamin D. Umans, Hong Wang

School of Medicine Publications

Background. Although saturated fatty acids (FAs) have been linked to cardiovascular mortality, it is not clear whether this outcome is attributable solely to their effects on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) or whether other risk factors are also associated with FAs. The Western Alaskan Native population, with its rapidly changing lifestyles, shift in diet from unsaturated to saturated fatty acids and dramatic increase in cardiovascular disease (CVD), presents an opportunity to elucidate any associations between specific FAs and known CVD risk factors.

Objective. We tested the hypothesis that the specific FAs previously identified as related to CVD mortality are also associated …

Historical Comparisons Reveal Multiple Drivers Of Decadal Change Of An Ecosystem Engineer At The Range Edge, Lb Firth, N Mieszkowska, Lm Grant, Le Bush, Et Al

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Biogenic reefs are important for habitat provision and coastal protection. Long-term datasets on the distribution and abundance of Sabellaria alveolata (L.) are available from Britain. The aim of this study was to combine historical records and contemporary data to (1) describe spatiotemporal variation in winter temperatures, (2) document short-term and long-term changes in the distribution and abundance of S. alveolata and discuss these changes in relation to extreme weather events and recent warming, and (3) assess the potential for artificial coastal defense structures to function as habitat for S. alveolata. A semi-quantitative abundance scale (ACFOR) was used to compare broadscale, …

Mechanisms Of Immunological Tolerance In Central Nervous System Inflammatory Demyelination., Elisabeth R. Mari, Jason N. Moore, Guang-Xian Zhang, A. M. Rostami

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

Multiple sclerosis is a complex autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that results in a disruption of the balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory signals in the immune system. Given that central nervous system inflammation can be suppressed by various immunological tolerance mechanisms, immune tolerance has become a focus of research in the attempt to induce long-lasting immune suppression of pathogenic T cells. Mechanisms underlying this tolerance induction include induction of regulatory T cell populations, anergy and the induction of tolerogenic antigen-presenting cells. The intravenous administration of encephalitogenic peptides has been shown to suppress experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis and induce tolerance …

Relationship Of Human Intrusion On Avian Body Mass: Do Recreationists Hinder Birds’ Abilities To Acquire Fat During Migration?, Laura Marsh

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Many North American landbirds undergo biannual migration, which is energetically costly. Quality stopover sites are crucial to avian survival, as they provide opportunities to quickly replenish fat stores, rest, and avoid predation. One component of habitat quality that is often overlooked is the level of pedestrian activity, which birds interpret as potential predators. If intrusion levels are high, birds will flush readily and may not adequately restore energy reserves, which hinders successful migration. I compared body mass index between birds at different intrusion levels, testing the hypothesis that birds near continuous intrusion are less capable of replenishing body fat. Results …

The Effects Of Triiodothyronine, Glucose, Alanine, And Iodide As Nutrients On The Survival And Successful Metamorphosis Of Aeolidiella Stephanieae Veligers, Bryan Tate

All Theses And Dissertations

During early life stages, nutrients are crucial to the proper development of larval marine invertebrates. Many such larvae are lecithotrophic and therefore do not actively feed; however, a large body of research has shown that lecithotrophic larvae take in dissolved organic material (DOM) including amino acids and sugars, contributing heavily to metabolic requirements. Another dissolved nutrient, iodine, is useful to marine invertebrates for the production of organic compounds. Some of these compounds (thyroid hormones, THs) are historically thought to be used almost exclusively by vertebrates, though studies have shown that THs are also useful to some marine invertebrates for developmental …

The Ecology And Evolution Of Natal Philopatry In Migratory Songbirds Breeding In Managed Habitats, Jenna A. Cava

All Theses And Dissertations

Knowledge of which cues attract natal dispersers back to natal areas is important for conservation because these cues could be used to attract breeders to source habitat or discourage breeders from settling in sink habitat. We examined the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic variables on natal philopatry using two metrics, short-distance natal dispersal and the probability of philopatry to the natal field, in two obligate grassland bird species breeding in an agricultural landscape: the Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) and Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis). We also measured heritability and evolvability of morphological traits in the Savannah Sparrow. During 2002-2014 we detected 90 …

Transport Regimes And Spread Of The Common Reed, Phramites Australis, In The Saco River, Me, Usa, Michelle A. Slater

All Theses And Dissertations

Allee effects are important to species invasions because population growth may be limited by low outcrossing potential in newly founded populations leading to depressed levels of fitness. Non-native Phragmites australis (common reed) has been present in the United States for over 200 years, but has been slow to reach some areas, possibly owing to the Allee phenomenon, whereby young or isolated Phragmites patches with initially low genotypic richness are slow to recruit viable seedlings due to inbreeding, which limits the rate of patch expansion. In order to explore the importance of the Allee effect in a recently invaded system, the …

Rabies In North America, Nicki Frey

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes rabies in North America; symptoms in humans and animals, and what to do if you encounter a suspicious animal.

Finding Bambi - What To Do With Mule Deer Fawns, Nicki Frey

All Current Publications

This fact sheet describes what to do if you encounter mule deer fawns that appear to be abandoned.

A Scalable And Low-Cost Interactive Shape-Changing Display, Amith Mysore Vijaykumar

All Theses

Research in new display technologies has garnered great interest in the recent years. Curved screens and foldable displays have already been commercialized. However a relatively new field of research is in dynamic shape-changing or shape-shifting displays. These displays utilize the ability to change their shape dynamically as another dimension of representing visual data. These displays potentially augmented with colors, can help visualize three dimensional data such as terrains, city and building plans, and medical data. They can also be used in new ways of Human-Computer Interaction by developing user interfaces that transform physically based on the scenario. While there is …

A Systems Approach For Selection Between Manual And Automated Work Zones Within Assembly Lines, Jayavardhan Dhulia

All Theses

Manufacturing firms are continuously looking forward to improve and optimize their processes to meet the requirements of mass production and product customization. In order to meet these demands, the operations on the assembly line need to be allocated with the right level of automation, such that neither the human nor the machine is underutilized With such an emphasis being put on assembly operations within manufacturing enterprises, there is a need for a systematic procedure that helps in identifying appropriate levels of automation (LoA) within different resolutions, such as at the workstation, and the band scales. Based on a literature review, …

Relationships Between Growth Rate And Gene Expression In Ruegeria Pomeroyi Dss-3, A Model Marine Alphaproteobacterium, Nattasha Vinas

All Theses

Microbes are important contributors to ecosystem processes such as biogeochemical cycling. Their activities vary, depending on environmental parameters such as carbon type and concentration, temperature, and salinity. Current estimates of in situ microbial growth is limited to gross estimates or rely on incubation based methods that disturb the natural state of the community. The goal of this master’s thesis is to develop molecular methods to directly assess microbial growth rates in the environment at the level of a taxonomic group. Here we grew Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3 under different temperatures (15 °C or 30 °C) and different carbon sources (yeast extract/tryptone, …

Interkingdom Communication: Study Of Caenorhabditis Elegans And Vibrio Cholerae Interactions, Joseph Angeloni

All Theses

Vibrio cholerae is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is mainly found in water environments, and is the causative agent of the disease cholera in humans. It is critical for this bacterium to communicate via quorum sensing to persist and survive in the environment, as well as cause infection. Recently, it has been shown that eukaryotes are able to sense and respond to certain quorum sensing molecules, known as autoinducers, which are produced by different bacteria. Caenorhabditis elegans is a particularly useful model for studying this interaction. During preliminary experiments, it was noticed that C. elegans were strongly attracted to V. …