Digital Commons Network^™

Neural Basis Of Functional Connectivity Mri, Jingfeng Li

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The brain is hierarchically organized across a range of scales. While studies based on electrophysiology and anatomy have been fruitful on the micron to millimeter scale, findings based on functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) suggest that a higher level of brain organization has been largely overlooked. These findings show that the brain is organized into networks, and each network extends across multiple brain areas. This large-scale, across-area brain organization is functionally relevant and stable across subjects, primate species, and levels of consciousness.This dissertation addresses the neural origin of MRI functional connectivity. fcMRI relies on temporal correlation in at-rest blood oxygen level …

Screening Protein Ligand Interactions Using Microelectrode Arrays, Sakshi Uppal

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

G proteins comprising of α subunit and βγ dimer are signaling proteins that play essentialroles in various pathological conditions. Direct modulation of these G proteins (specifically Gα subunit) using small chemical probes to elucidate their acute function is of great value. YM-254890 is a small molecule which is the first selective inhibitor of a class of G proteins, Gαq. However, despite its biological importance, this molecule is not available to researchers. In addition, the complex core structure of this cyclic depsipeptide has thwarted efforts to obtain a series of analogs by total synthesis. Moeller lab sought to overcome this obstacle …

Host Immune Signals Regulate Blood-Brain Barrier Function During Central Nervous System Infection And Autoimmunity, Brian Daniels

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

A major hallmark of neuroinflammatory diseases is the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). This barrier between the hematogenous circulation and the parenchyma of the central nervous system (CNS) is a multicellular interface made up of endothelial cells joined by tight and adherens junctions (TJs and AJs), along with pericytes and the endfeet projections of astroglia. Together, these cells tightly restrict the movement of solutes and cells from the circulation into the CNS in a manner crucial for proper CNS homeostasis. Regulation of BBB function occurs dynamically during neuroinflammatory diseases such as infection and CNS autoimmunity, resulting in both protective …

Atypical Cadherin Dachsous Regulates The Cytoskeleton And Gastrulation Movements During Zebrafish Development, Nanbing Li

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Dachsous (Dchs), an evolutionarily conserved atypical cadherin, regulates planar cell polarity, tissue size, and cell adhesion in Drosophila. However, its functions in vertebrates are just beginning to be elucidated. Inactivating one of two murine homologs, Dchs1, leads to multi-organ defects and postnatal lethality. Recent studies in humans suggest that mutations in DCHS1 cause pleiotropic Van Maldergem syndrome. My thesis work focuses on the functional characterization of zebrafish dchs1b and dchs2 genes. Mutations in dchs1b and dchs2 genes affect several aspects of embryogenesis, including gastrulation. Unexpectedly, dchs1b is also essential for the earliest vertebrate developmental stage, egg activation. We show that …

Spatial And Epigenetic Regulation Of T-Cell Receptor Beta Gene Assembly, Kinjal Majumder

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The adaptive immune system endows mammals with a sophisticated mechanism to recognize foreign proteins via surface antigen receptors that are expressed on the surface of all lymphocytes. This defense network is generated by V(D)J recombination, a set of sequentially controlled DNA cleavage and repair events that assembles functional antigen receptor genes from distally located Variable (V), Diversity (D) and Joining (J) gene segments. However, the recombination process must be stringently regulated to prevent formation of chromosomal translocations, which can lead to tumors. The process of V(D)J recombination is controlled at the levels of tissue, stage and allele specificity by a …

Manipulating Electron Transfer Reactions From Micro- To Preparative Scale, Matthew Duane Graaf

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The utilization of electron transfer reactions has allowed the transformation of a variety of substrates from polymer surfaces to highly functionalized organic molecules. The intricacies of these electron transfer reactions have been utilized to develop a new platform for building and studying addressable molecular libraries as they interact with biological targets. As a low cost, reusable alternative to other methods of these studying binding interactions, microelectrode arrays are beginning to gain traction with the scientific community as we continually push the limits of their potential. Additionally, the electron transfer techniques used to build the molecular libraries can be expanded to …

A Novel Cholesterol-Independent Mode Of Binding Promotes Cytolysin-Mediated Translocation And Pore Formation By Streptolysin O, Cara Mozola Forsberg

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Effector translocation is a common strategy used by bacteria to promote pathogenesis via disruption of the immune response, prevention of phagocytosis, or induction of toxicity in the infected cell. The Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes utilizes a unique effector translocation system termed cytolysin-mediated translocation (CMT) to introduce the NAD+ glycohydrolase SPN into host cells during infection, resulting in cytotoxicity. Host cell membrane recognition by the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin (CDC) Streptolysin O (SLO) is a requisite step in this process, but the canonical cholesterol-dependent pore-forming activity of SLO is unnecessary, indicating that SLO is a bifunctional toxin. SLO exhibits extensive homology to other …

The Role Of Tmem178 In Regulation Of Osteo-Immune Activation And Inflammatory Bone Loss, Corinne Elaine Decker

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Pathological bone loss in human disease such as arthritis is largely due to excessive osteoclast recruitment as a consequence of localized inflammation. Innate immune cells, namely neutrophils and macrophages, infiltrate the joint space and release pro-inflammatory cytokines as well as proteases to drive local tissue damage and inflammation. Importantly, IL-1 and TNF-a in particular act on the synovial fibroblasts as well as directly on osteoclast precursors to potently augment osteoclast differentiation and thus bone resorption. Current therapeutics to treat pathological bone loss are widely unsuccessful at targeting both the resorptive and inflammatory components of disease. We have previously demonstrated that …

Social Networking Website Use And Eating Pathology: Relations, Moderators, And Motivation To Improve, Michelle S. St. Paul

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Social networking website (SNW) use has been found to be associated with decreased body image or esteem and increased eating disorder (ED) symptoms. In turn, SNW use may also be associated with decreased motivation to improve body image (BI) and reduced self-efficacy in one’s ability to do so. However, the impact of SNW use on motivation or self-efficacy to improve BI has not yet been studied. Also, particular moderators of the relationships between SNW and eating pathology have not yet been evaluated. This study aimed to: 1) replicate past literature by examining the relation between SNW use and eating pathology, …

Neural Mechanisms Of Working Memory Cortical Networks, Charalampos Papadimitriou

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is aimed at understanding the cortical networks that maintain working memory information. By leveraging patterns of information degradation in spatial working memory encoding we reveal new neural mechanisms that support working memory function and challenge existing models of working memory circuits.First we examine how interference from previous memoranda influences memory of a currently remembered location. We find that memory for a currently remembered location is biased toward the previously memorized location. This interference is graded, not all-or-none. Interference is strongest when the previous and current targets are close and activate overlapping populations of neurons. Contrary to the attractive …

Genetic Factors That Contribute To The Pathogenesis Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Janet Elizabeth Cady

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is fatal neurodegenerative disease for which there is no cure. The only treatment available extends survival by only a matter of months. There are over 20 genes that are known to cause ALS. Over half of the ALS cases with a family history of disease (FALS) can be explained by mutations in known ALS genes with hexanucleotide repeat expansions in C9ORF72 accounting for 40% of families. However roughly 90% of cases have no family history of disease (sporadic ALS or SALS) and a much smaller proportion (10%) of these cases can be explained by mutations in …

The Role Of Reversible Palmitoylation In Regulating Diverse Biological Processes, Mohammad H. Maktabi

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

It is well established that covalent lipid-modification of proteins can play an important role in the spatial and temporal organization of many intracellular signaling proteins. In particular, protein palmitoylation, the thioester linkage of a palmitate moiety to a cysteine residue, plays a critical role in promoting membrane binding. It also serves as a versatile sorting signal for membrane trafficking and precise microdomain partitioning. Classical studies using metabolic labeling have revealed that palmitoylation is dynamic, in which many substrates undergo palmitate cycling, and that turnover is regulated by extracellular signals. As such, the kinetics of palmitoylation cycling is dependent on the …

Adaptive Mechanisms Of Niche Remodeling In Streptococcus Pyogenes, Elyse Paluscio

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The Gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes is a remarkably successful pathogen, capable of infecting numerous tissue sites within its human host. The ability of S. pyogenes to invade these different niches is, in part, due to the species’ ability to monitor various physical and chemical signals in its environment and alter its transcriptional profile in response to these differential conditions. As a member of the lactic acid bacteria, S. pyogenes has a simple fermentative metabolism and relies exclusively on a combination of homo-lactic and mixed acid fermentation as a means of generating energy in the cell. As a consequence of its …

Never Again: The Genocide Convention In Review, William Chalmers

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was supposed to, as its title states, prevent any further genocides from occurring. In the event the United Nations could not prevent genocide the convention obligates all member States to intervene and punish those perpetrating the crime. Despite the existence of the Genocide Convention the world has witnessed several more cases of genocide, some of which the perpetrators have either not been punished or have been punished long after they have committed the crime of genocide. With a lack of prevention and punishment critics of the Genocide …

Artificial Infinite, Brandon Daniels

Graduate School of Art Theses

This thesis examines the complex history of the sublime, specifically the sublime Void of the Romantics and the newer concept of the technological sublime. From there, I examine the genre of science fiction and it relationship to the sublime, the Void and the grotesque. I use specific examples such Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker, and a few others to better understand and apply these concepts. Beginning with these examples, I start to posit what role special effects play in how these films embody these philosophical concepts.

Building on this foundation of research, I go on to …

Influence Of Raisin Starter Syrup Concentrations On The Properties Of Sourdough And Sourdough Bread, Jean-Yu Hwang, Yung-Shin Shyu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The present study evaluates the effects of syrup concentrations of natural raisin microflora culture on the characteristics of sourdough and sourdough bread. The original total titratable acidity (TTA) of the starter solutions were between 10.30 and 10.45 mL, after 96 hours of incubation, the TTA of the starter solution increased to 11.30-11.85 mL. The greatest pH decrease and TTA increase occurred in the RS50 group. The microstructure of the control bread was rougher and contained more ungelatinized starch particles than bread made with sourdough. The overall acceptability and flavor of bread made using sourdough with the 150 g/L syrup solution …

Characterization Of A Recombinant L-Ribose Isomerase From Geodermatophilus Obscurus Dsm 43160 And Application Of This Enzyme To The Production Of L-Ribose From L-Arabinose, Xing-Guang Hung, Ming-Yuan Yu, Yu-Chun Chen, Tsuei-Yun Fang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

L-Ribose isomerase (L-RI) catalyzes the aldose-ketose isomerization between L-ribose and L-ribulose. In this study, a putative L-RI gene of Geodermatophilus obscurus DSM 43160 was cloned by PCR into pET-15b and pET-21b, respectively. The cloned target gene was expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant N-His-tagged and C-His-tagged proteins exhibited L-RI activity. Both N- and C-His-tagged L-RIs were purified from cell-free extracts by metal-affinity and ionexchange chromatography. The purified N-His-tagged L-RI demonstrated its optimal activity at 30-40°C and pH of 9 (in glycine-NaOH buffer). The enzyme was stable at pH 7-9 and more than 90% activity was retained after incubation at 40°C …

Cpue Standardization And Catch Estimate Of Blue Shark By Taiwanese Large-Scale Tuna Longline Fishery In The North Pacific Ocean, Wen-Pei Tsai, Chi-Lu Sun, Kwang-Ming Liu, Shyh-Bin Wang, Nancy C. H. Lo

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The blue shark, Prionace glauca, is a pelagic species with a circum-global distribution in tropical to temperate waters. It is the top by-catch shark species for the Taiwanese large-scale tuna longline (LTLL) fishery. However, its population status in the North Pacific Ocean is still little known. In the present study, the blue shark catch and effort data from observers' records of Taiwanese LTLL fishing vessels operating in the North Pacific Ocean from 2004 to 2012 were analyzed. Due to the large percentage of zero blue shark catch, the catch per unit effort (CPUE) of blue shark, as the number of …

Variation And Plasticity Of Dna Methylation In Genome Regulation, Junchen Gu

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

DNA methylation is an important and well-studied epigenetic mark. It plays a pivotal role in imprinting, X-chromosome inactivation and genome stability and regulation in many normal development processes. DNA methylation, along with histone modifications, orchestrates the cell type- and developmental stage-specific chromatin landscapes and influences gene expression in vertebrates. In this thesis, I utilized the latest next-generation sequencing based methods to map DNA methylation levels at a genome-wide scale to investigate two areas of interest: the variation of DNA methylation across a large number of sample types and its functional potentials; the plasticity of DNA methylation in response to environmental …

Bound To Aim At Good Generally: A Sidgwickian Argument For Rational Impartialism, Tyler Stephen Paytas

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation I defend an unorthodox theory of practical reason called Rational Impartialism. According to this view, one ought to have equal fundamental concern for the equal good of everyone. Central to my argument for Rational Impartialism are two of Henry Sidgwick’s axioms of ethics. According to the axiom of Equal Good, one ought to have equal fundamental concern for equal portions of the good. According to the axiom of Personal Irrelevance, the equal good of any two individuals is exactly similar qua portions of universal good. Sidgwick claims that from these two axioms we can deduce a principle …

Functional Characterization Of Putative Rab Geranylgeranyltransferase Subunits In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Wan Shi

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Protein prenylation is one of the posttranslational lipid modifications that facilitate protein-membrane association and protein-protein interactions. Three types of heterodimeric protein prenyltransferases, protein farnesyltransferase (PFT), protein geranylgeranyltransferase-I (PGGT-I), and protein geranylgeranyltransferase-II or Rab geranylgeranyltransferase (Rab-GGT), are present in all eukaryotes. In Arabidopsis there are two putative genes encoding Rab-GGT α subunits, termed RGTA1 and RGTA2, and two putative genes encoding β subunits, RGTB1 and RGTB2, but little is known about Arabidopsis Rab-GGT activity. In this dissertation, I demonstrate that four different heterodimers can be formed between RGTA1, RGTA2, RGTB1, and RGTB2, but only RGTA1-RGTB1 and RGTA1-RGTB2 exhibit bona fide Rab-GGT …

Programming The Myocardium: The Notch-Wnt Axis, Benjamin S. Gillers

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Heart related deaths are the number one cause of death in the United States. While heart failure and other mechanical issues are common, arrhythmias account for the majority of these deaths. By understanding the genetic architecture that patterns the normal cardiac conduction system, we can further deepen our understanding of how arrhythmias arise and develop targeted therapies to treat this deadly class of disease. I have found that canonical Wnt signaling is necessary for development of the atrioventricular junction. Furthermore, absence of myocardial Wnt signaling leads to tricuspid atresia. Overexpression of Wnt signaling leads to development of ectopic atrioventricular junction …

Structural And Functional Analysis Of The Reaction Center Complexes From The Photosynthetic Green Sulfur Bacteria, Guannan He

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The reaction center (RC) complex of the green sulfur bacterium Chlorobaculum tepidum is composed of the Fenna-Matthews-Olson (FMO) antenna protein and the reaction center core (RCC) complex. The RCC complex has four subunits: PscA, PscB, PscC, and PscD. The structure of the intact and functional FMO-RCC complex was studied by chemically cross-linking the purified sample followed by biochemical and spectroscopic analysis. The interaction sites of the cross-linked complex were also studied using LC-MS/MS. A structural model is proposed based on those results. In addition, the RCC complexes were purified, both the PscA-PscC complex from the Chlorobaculum tepidum and the PscA-PscB …

Counseling Training For Audiology Students: Using Standardized Patients, Catherine Schroy

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The implementation of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening (UNHS) has resulted in earlier diagnosis of hearing loss in children. Research shows that early diagnosis of hearing loss results in better outcomes in speech and language, socio-emotional, and cognitive development. Early diagnosis, however, often comes as a surprise to parents of newborns. When parents are told their child has a hearing loss, it is often before they have been able to observe behaviors that would lead to the suspicion of hearing loss. Parents are usually told about the hearing loss diagnosis by an audiologist and are often dissatisfied with how the news …

Structure And Function Of Cytochrome Containing Electron Transport Chain Proteins From Anoxygenic Photosynthetic Bacteria, Erica Lois-Wunderlich Majumder

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines the structure and function of photosynthetic proteins that contain c-type heme cofactors that function in the electron transport chains of anaerobic phototrophic bacteria. The diversity and range of these cytochromes proteins was explored. Then, individual proteins were studied in detail. The diheme cytochrome c from Heliobacteria modesticaldum was studied using hydrogen deuterium exchange mass spectrometry and homology modeling. A structural model of the protein and a mechanism for the cytochrome bc complex was proposed. Next, the monoheme cytochrome c subunit from the Alternative Complex III from the Filamentous Anoxygenic Phototrophs was studied using biochemistry and found to …

Mechanisms Underlying Memory Deficits Following West Nile Virus Neuroinvasive Disease, Michael John Vasek

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Neurocognitive sequelae are observed in >50% of patients who survive neuroinvasive infections with encephalitic arboviruses, such as the mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV). Early diagnosis and high survival rates from WNV neuroinvasive disease (WNND) (>90%) have thus led cumulatively to approximately ten thousand patients living with neurocognitive impairments, with 1-3000 cases accruing yearly, yet underlying mechanisms responsible for these deficits have not been investigated.Within the last 15 years, studies have begun uncover many pathways which are utilized both by the developing CNS as well as the immune system, including the use of cytokines in the regulation of progenitor cell …

Shape Optimization Of Busemann-Type Biplane Airfoil For Drag Reduction Under Nonlifting And Lifting Conditions Using Genetic Algorithms, Yi Tian

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The focus of this thesis is on the shape optimization of the Busemann-type biplane airfoil for drag reduction under both nonlifting and lifting conditions using genetic algorithms. The concept of the Busemann-type biplane airfoil was first introduced by Adolf Busemann in 1935. Under its design condition at a specific supersonic flow speed, the Busemann biplane airfoil eliminates all wave drag due to its symmetrical biplane configuration; however it produces zero lift. Previous research has shown that the original Busemann biplane airfoil design has a poor performance under off-design conditions as well. In order to solve this problem of zero lift …

Cfd Simulation And Shape Optimization Of Supersonic Ejectors For Refrigeration And Desalination Applications, Liju Su

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the detailed flow field inside the supersonic ejector using numerical methods and to optimize the ejector’s mixing chamber wall shape to obtain a maximum entrainment ratio (ER) in order to obtain the highest possible efficiency that can be attained by the ejector. A steam ejector applied in the cooling industry is first studied to determine the most accurate turbulence model for its supersonic jet flow field simulation with mixing with the entrained steam in the mixing chamber. A commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) package FLUENT 14.5 along with the meshing tool ICEM …

Growth Factor Gradient Formation And Release From Peg Microspheres For Nerve Regeneration., Jacob Roam

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Many biological processes depend on concentration gradients in signaling molecules. Thus, introduction of spatial patterning of proteins, while retaining activity and releasability, will be critical for the field of regenerative medicine. In particular, the area of nerve regeneration is in need of innovations to improve outcomes. Only about 25% of surgical patients with peripheral nerve damage (~200,000 surgical interventions performed each year) regain full motor function with less than 3% regaining sensation. The use of nerve guidance conduits (NGC’s) which are filled with biomimetic scaffolds is one treatment being explored. These scaffolds, however, lack the spatial patterning of proteins found …

Sustained Dual Drug Delivery Of Anti-Inhibitory Molecules For Spinal Cord Injury Treatment, Thomas Wilems

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Regeneration of lost synaptic connections following spinal cord injury (SCI) is limited due to local ischemia, cell death, and an excitotoxic environment, which leads to the development of an inhibitory glial scar surrounding a cystic cavity. Myelin-associated inhibitors (MAIs) and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) are major inhibitors to axon growth inhibition found within the glial scar and limit functional recovery. The NEP1-40 peptide competitively binds the Nogo receptor and partially blocks inhibition from MAIs, while chondroitinase ABC (ChABC) enzymatically digests CSPGs, which are upregulated at the site of injury. The first part of this work develops drug delivery systems which …