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Layer And Cell Type Specific Functional Properties Of Gustatory Cortex Neurons, Gulce Nazli Dikecligil

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The primary gustatory cortex is the cortical region devoted to processing taste. The gustatory cortex receives a wide range of projections from brain regions involved in sensory, limbic and cognitive functions. The functional properties of gustatory cortical neurons reflect this complex anatomical connectivity, encoding taste, sensorimotor, hedonic and anticipatory components of taste stimuli. No study to date has addressed whether there are differences in the functional properties of cortical neurons belonging to distinct layers and cell types. To address this question, I have performed a series of experiments using tract tracing and extracellular electrophysiological methods in mice. I demonstrate that …

Novel Cyclopropenes For Studying Biological Systems, Sining Li

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Click and bioorthogonal chemistry has been employed in the analysis of many biological systems, but has yet to be extended to the analysis of neural connectivity1. One popular bioorthogonal chemical reporter is the functionalized cyclopropene, which reacts with tetrazines through an inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction2. Here, I describe a strategy for leveraging the cyclopropene-tetrazine ligation for analysis of neural systems and a novel photo-activatable cyclopropene for controlling reactivity in space and time. My first project employs a dopamine analog consisting of a neurotransmitter attached to a cyclopropene tag to study the dopaminergic neural circuit. I designed and synthesized three different …

Nonlinear Analyses Of Functional Mri Time-Series In Brain-Based Disorders, Sanja Nedic

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a non-invasive neuroimaging modality used to measure brain activity in vivo, capable of providing three-dimensional coverage of the brain at a high spatial resolution. While fMRI has advanced our understanding of the brain, it has had limited applications in medical practice due to 1) analytic approaches predominantly focused on either contrasting signal amplitudes from clearly defined conditions in simplistic task stimuli (to localize “activations”) or on computing time-course cross-correlations between pairs of brain regions to infer the strength of functional “connectivity” between them in resting-state fMRI studies, and 2) low signal-to-noise ratio/difficulty separating signal …

The Development And Retention Of Articular Cartilage, Disrupted By Metabolic Stressors, Is Protected By Low Intensity Vibration, Tee Jonathan Pamon

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Obesity and chronic alcohol consumption have been associated with an elevated risk of osteoarthritis (OA). We examined here whether the administration of metabolic stressors in the form of diet compromised cartilage morphology or biochemistry, and whether low intensity vibration could mitigate any of the degenerative effects observed. First, we investigated if high fat diet, in young mice, compromised the attainment of articular cartilage thickness. Further, we sought to determine if low intensity vibration (LIV) could enhance the formation of articular cartilage in a mouse model of diet induced obesity. Five-week-old, male, C57BL/6 mice were separated into 3 groups (n = …

Ringtailed Lemur Social Networks And Their Role In Pathogen Transmission, Gena Christine Sbeglia

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Many of the pathogens that cause disease are transmitted through physical contact, which makes patterns of social behavior potential routes of transmission. Questions about socially facilitated transmission are best addressed by combining data on the observed contacts of the host and the haplotype-level genetic differentiation of the pathogen because individuals must harbor the same or related haplotypes of a particular pathogen for transmission to be deduced. However, few studies simultaneously collect data on both the behavior of the host and the genetics of the pathogen and those that do are limited by their use of culture-based methods. Culture-based methods involve …

The Centriolar Distal Appendage Proteins Cep164 And Chibby1 Coordinate Multiple Steps In The Formation And Maintenance Of Airway Multicilia, Saul Sylvan Siller

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Multicilia are microtubule-based cellular projections that provide the motive force to propel mucus and debris out of our airways, cerebrospinal fluid in our nervous system, and the ovum in the female reproductive tract. Dysfunctional multicilia have been linked to genetic disorders, such as primary ciliary dyskinesia and cystic fibrosis, and been implicated in the pathologenesis of chronic respiratory diseases, including emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, and asthma. While multicilia play an absolutely essential role in human health, very little is known about how multicilia form and function. However, work from primary cilia, which are responsible for cellular signaling, as well …

Cruel Paris: Transnational Feminist Approaches To Banlieue Cinema, Joy Carolann Schaefer

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

This dissertation explores films that represent the Parisian banlieue (suburban ‘ghettos’) as a transnational space in two distinct periods: the early 1960s, when U.S. popular culture and French colonialism in North Africa acutely affected the banlieue; and the post-9/11 period, in which Islamophobic discourses and policies proliferated in the West, rendering the banlieue an increasingly stigmatized space. “Cruel Paris” investigates how films invoke intertexts and re-inscribe genres to narrate the banlieue as a site of transnational negotiation, telling local stories that impel the spectator to envision France as a (post)colonial, transcultural community. Far from a utopian representation, this depiction critiques …

Design, Synthesis And Sustainable Applications Of Animal Protein-Based Thermoset Polymers And Covalent Organic Frameworks, Xiaoyan Yu

All Dissertations

Extensive research has been undertaken in recent times on finding suitable, alternative, non-feed and non-fertilizer applications for proteinaceous materials in the animal rendering industry. In this regard, use of such proteins to derive plastics, especially thermoplastics and derived composites, has emerged as a potentially acceptable choice. However, the widespread use of such proteins for aforementioned applications is limited by their poor mechanical properties, high moisture absorption and their inherent odor. In this study, we have engineered, for the first time, high-strength, toughened thermoset polymers from proteinaceous materials obtained from the rendering industry so that they can be employed in high …

Real-Time Observation Of Dynamic Sarcomeric Addition In An In Vivo-Like Cardiomyocyte Culture Model, Zhonghai Wang

All Dissertations

Cardiac hypertrophy is the enlargement of individual cardiac muscle cell (cardiomyocyte) in both size and mass, which is achieved by addition of sarcomeres, the basic contractile unit. Cardiomyocytes elongate by adding sarcomeres in series and thicken by adding sarcomeres in parallel. Though it is generally accepted that sarcomeric addition can be initiated by increased mechanical loading, the sarcomeric addition process under various mechanical overloads on molecular level remains largely unknown. Previous research on sarcomeric addition largely rely on animal models of induced cardiac hypertrophy; those experiments provide little direct evidence for sarcomeric addition process as a response to increased mechanical …

Latent Data Modeling With Biostatistical Applications, Yan Liu

All Dissertations

This dissertation consists of three projects that make use of latent variable modeling techniques. One of the focuses of this dissertation research has been in the area of spatial and spatio-temporal modeling. The specific topics and motivating problems in this study have been fully supported and motivated by the Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC). In particular, the CAPC has developed a rather extensive database, which houses several common dog disease data sets collected throughout the conterminous United States. This data exists at a county level and was collected monthly over a span of 5 consecutive years, and exhibits strong spatial …

Proteinaceous Resin And Hydrophilic Encapsulation: A Self-Healing-Related Study, Ting Zheng

All Dissertations

Inspired by living organisms, self-healing materials have been designed as smart materials. Their automatic healing nature is achieved through the use of capsule in which the healing agent is encapsulated. The occurrence of cracks leads to ripping of the capsule, along with crack propagation and release of the healing agent that wets the crack surface to eventually heal (bond) the crack. Such automatic repair of the crack significantly extends the service life of the material. A vast majority of existing self-healing systems have been designed for the epoxy matrix - the most common commercially used thermoset - that possesses low …

Nanowired Human Cardiac Spheroids For Cardiac Regenerative Medicine, Yu Tan

All Dissertations

3D scaffold-free spherical micro-tissue (spheroids) holds great potential in tissue engineering as building blocks to fabricate the functional tissues or organs in vitro. To date, agarose based hydrogel molds have been extensively used to facilitate fusion process of tissue spheroids. As a molding material, agarose typically requires low temperature plates for gelation and/or heated dispenser units. Here, we developed an alginate-based, direct 3D mold-printing technology: 3D printing micro-droplets of alginate solution into biocompatible, bio-inert alginate hydrogel molds for the fabrication of scaffold-free tissue engineering constructs. Specifically, we developed a 3D printing technology to deposit micro-droplets of alginate solution on calcium …

A Mixed Cation And Anion Exchange Resin System For The Simultaneous Removal Of N-Nitrosodimethylamine And Trihalomethanes Precursors From Water, Wilson Beita Sandi

All Dissertations

Drinking water utilities are relying more than ever on water sources impacted by wastewater effluents. Disinfection of these waters during water treatment may lead to the formation of several disinfection by-products, including the probable human carcinogen N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and the regulated trihalomethanes (THMs). The main objectives of this dissertation work were to investigate i) the potential of ion exchange resins to remove simultaneously both NDMA and THMs, ii) the factors (i.e., pH and competing ions) that may influence the capability of ion exchange resins, and iii) the effect of bromide on the formation of NDMA. Two ion exchange resins were …

Survival, Recovery, And Inactivation Of Human Norovirus Surrogates, Feline Calicivirus And Murine Norovirus, On Carpets, David Buckley

All Dissertations

Worldwide, enteric viruses are the main cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE). Among these viruses, human noroviruses (HuNoV) are leading cause of AGE and account for ca. 20% of all diarrheal cases, a top-five cause of death worldwide. In humans, these viruses spread via person-to-person contact, food, water, and/or the environment. Person-to-person contact is the most common mode of HuNoV transmission. Yet, environmental transmission has been linked to several outbreaks and prolonged others. HuNoV survival and inactivation on hard environmental surfaces have been extensively studied. However, nonlaunderable soft surfaces, such as carpet, have received little attention despite epidemiological evidence suggesting their …

Synthesis And Characterization Of A Novel Ligand And Its Silver(I) And Palladium(Ii) Complexes: An Incidental Discovery Of Halogen Bonding In Three Structures Of Iodoimidazoles, Chideraa Iheanyi Nwachukwu

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Ligand design is a vital component of coordination chemistry, and the use of ligands for complexation of metal cations have been explored for many years. Several metal complexes of silver and palladium have been reported in literature and these complexes have been fully studied. I chose to study silver and palladium, because these metals are precious and are used in several industries such as electronics and jewelry industry and also in catalysis. In addition to economic incentives to recover these metals, it should be noted that these heavy metals often pose both environmental and health hazards. For example, low levels …

Geochemical Fractionation, Speciation, And Bioavailability Of Heavy Metals In Stream Sediments In Aurora, Mo, Miles Pearson

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Stream sediments from Chat Creek in Aurora, MO, part of the former Tristate Mining District, were digested via a sequential extraction procedure modeled after the Tessier method. Prior sampling had shown elevated levels of zinc, lead, and cadmium in sediments located near former chat piles. Metals in sediments were divided into four geochemical fractions: 1) easily exchangeable, 2) carbonate-bound, 3) iron-manganese oxides-bound, and 4) organic matter-bound. The distribution of the metals within these fractions can help predict the bioavailability and speciation of said metals. The majority of metals were contained in the third and to a lesser extent the fourth …

Functionalization Of Indium-Based Quantum Dots For Use As A Non-Viral Gene Therapy Vector, Nicholas A. Mundt

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This work aims to develop functionalized, water-soluble indium-based quantum dots (QDs) as a non-viral gene therapy vector. The QDs were solubilized in water by exchanging native hydrophobic surface ligands with 11-mercaptoundecanioc acid (MUA); an amphiphilic ligand providing terminal carboxylate groups that impart water solubility to the QDs. The aqueous QDs were then functionalized with a terminal tertiary amine to impart a positive surface charge, allowing negatively-charged DNA to complex with the nanoparticles. The QDs were characterized via electrophoresis to determine their ability to bind DNA. Results show that further work is needed to optimize DNA binding. In addition, this work …

The Efficacy Of Pressure Ulcer Treatment With Cathodal And Cathodal-Anodal High-Voltage Monophasic Pulsed Current: A Prospective, Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trial, Anna Polak, Luther C. Kloth, Edward Blaszczak, Jakub Taradaj, Agnieszka Nawrat-Szoltysik, Tomasz Ickowicz, Ewa Hordynska, Andrzej Franek, Cezary Kucio

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Background. Studies show that anode and cathode electrical stimulation (ES) promotes the healing of wounds, but specific protocols for both electrodes are not available.

Objective. To compare the effectiveness of cathodal versus cathodal+anodal ES in the treatment of Category II-IV pressure ulcers (PrUs).

Design. Prospective, randomized, controlled, clinical study.

Setting. Three nursing and care centers.

Patients. Sixty-three participants with PrUs were randomly formed into a cathodal ES group (CG: N = 23; mean age of 79.35; SD 8.48), a cathodal+anodal ES group (CAG: N = 20; mean age of 79.65; SD 11.44) and a placebo ES group (PG: N = …

Exploring The Development Of Core Teaching Practices In The Context Of Inquiry-Based Science Instruction: An Interpretive Case Study, Jill Mcnew-Birren, Leigh A. Van Den Kieboom

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

This paper describes our reflection on a clinical-based teacher preparation program. We examined a context in which novice pre-service teachers and a mentor teacher implemented inquiry-based science instruction to help students make sense of genetic engineering. We utilized developmental models of professional practice that outline the complexity inherent in professional knowledge as a conceptual framework to analyze teacher practice. Drawing on our analysis, we developed a typography of understandings of inquiry-based science instruction that teachers in our cohort held and generated a two dimensional model characterizing pathways through which teachers develop core teaching practices supporting inquiry-based science instruction.

The Whole Is Not The Sum Of Its Parts: Specific Types Of Positive Affect Influence Sleep Differentially, Sarah D. Pressman, Brooke N. Jenkins, Tara L. Kraft, Heather Rasmussen, Michael F. Scheier

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Given the known detrimental effects of poor sleep on an array of psychological and physical health processes, it is critical to understand the factors that protect sleep, especially during times of stress when sleep particularly suffers. Positive affect (PA) arises as a variable of interest given its known associations with health and health behaviors and its ability to buffer stress. In two studies, we examined which types of PA (distinguished by arousal level and trait/state measurement) were most beneficial for sleep and whether these associations varied depending on the stress context. In Study 1, college students (N = 99) reported …

Punishing On A Curve, Adi Leibovitch

Northwestern University Law Review

Does the punishment of one defendant depend on how she fares in comparison to the other defendants on the judge’s docket? This Article demonstrates that the troubling answer is yes. Judges sentence a given offense more harshly when their caseloads contain relatively milder offenses and more leniently when their caseloads contain more serious crimes. I call this phenomenon “punishing on a curve.”

Consequently, this Article shows how such relative sentencing patterns put into question the prevailing practice of establishing specialized courts and courts of limited jurisdiction. Because judges punish on a curve, a court’s jurisdictional scope systematically shapes sentencing outcomes. …

The Body Mends Itself, Hannah Elizabeth Dow

Dissertations

The following poems were completed by the author between September 2014 and April 2017.

Effect Of Protease Supplementation In Broiler Feed On Growth Performance, Carcass Yield And Total Nitrogen Retention In Fecal Matter And Litter, Jawad Al-Juboori

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of protease supplementation on commercial broiler performance, carcass yield, and nitrogen retention in fecal matter and litter. Total of 4,800 female (Ross 708) birds split into 96 floor pens, and randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups. Birds were placed within 96, 5’x10’ floor pens in a randomized-block design at the SFASU Poultry Research Center. Birds were randomly divided among the pens at a stocking density of 1.00 ft2/bird (50 birds/pen*24 pens/treatment=1200 birds/treatment), and reared for 49 days on used pine shavings. The target average weight for the …

Comparative Phytochemical Screening And Antioxidant Activities Of Calligonum Comosum And Calligonum Crjnitum, Khalfan Mohamed Abdulla Ai Naqbi

Theses

Medicinal plants are vital source of present day prescription and the majority of the recommended modern medications contain their subsidiaries. Calligonum comosum and Calligonum crinitum are perennial shrub plants growing in the United Arab Emirates, and are being utilized as a part of traditional medicinal system of UAE. The aims of proposed study were to evaluate and compare the phytochemical and antioxidant properties of these two plants. The extraction and fractionation were conducted by using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol. The extracts were tested for their antioxidant activity. Phytochemical studies with total phenolics and flavonoid contents were …

The Effects Of Frondoside A In Acute Leukemia, Fatma Hussain Sajwani

Theses

Among hematological malignancies, acute leukemia is the major cause of mortality. Despite improvement of survival with current chemotherapies, some patients still diefrom the disease or the treatment side effects. Thus, new therapeutic agents are needed. Anti-cancer drugs derived from natural products are of interest. Frondoside A is a triterpenoid glycoside form the sea cucumber, Cucumaria frondosa that has shown potent antitumor effects in various cancers. Previous studies in acute leukemia are limited. The current study investigated the effects of frondoside a in acute leukemia cell lines alone and in combination with drugs currently used for this malignancy. This study is …

The Behavioral Effects Of Feeding Enrichment On A Zoo-Housed Herd Of African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana), Caroline Marie Driscoll

Graduate Theses

A comprehensive study on the behavioral effects of feeding enrichment was conducted on six African elephants housed at the North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro, NC. The herd is comprised of are two adult males, three adult females, and one subadult female. The study was conducted over a 10-month period and consisted of focal sample observations across three conditions. Observations were recorded during the baseline condition (June to September) and continued through the introduction of feeding enrichment. Behavioral data were also collected when enrichment items were present but food presentation followed the historical husbandry routine, known as the experimental control …

Analyzing The Relationship Between Human Behavior And Indoor Air Quality, Beiyu Lin, Yibo Huangfu, Nathan Lima, Bertram Jobson, Max Kirk, Patrick O’Keeffe, Shelley N. Pressley, Von Walden, Brian Lamb, Diane J. Cook

Computer Science Faculty Publications

In the coming decades, as we experience global population growth and global aging issues, there will be corresponding concerns about the quality of the air we experience inside and outside buildings. Because we can anticipate that there will be behavioral changes that accompany population growth and aging, we examine the relationship between home occupant behavior and indoor air quality. To do this, we collect both sensor-based behavior data and chemical indoor air quality measurements in smart home environments. We introduce a novel machine learning-based approach to quantify the correlation between smart home features and chemical measurements of air quality, and …

Plant Size And Competitive Dynamics Along Nutrient Gradients, Deborah E. Goldberg, Jason P. Martina, Kenneth J. Elgersma, William S. Currie

Faculty Work

Resource competition theory in plants has focused largely on resource acquisition traits that are independent of size, such as traits of individual leaves or roots or proportional allocation to different functions. However, plants also differ in maximum potential size, which could outweigh differences in module-level traits. We used a community ecosystem model called mondrian to investigate whether larger size inevitably increases competitive ability and how size interacts with nitrogen supply. Contrary to the conventional wisdom that bigger is better, we found that invader success and competitive ability are unimodal functions of maximum potential size, such that plants that are too …

Democratizing Criminal Law: Feasibility, Utility, And The Challenge Of Social Change, Paul H. Robinson

Northwestern University Law Review

There are good reasons to be initially hesitant about shaping criminal law rules to track the justice judgments of ordinary people. People seem to disagree about many criminal law issues. Their judgments, at least as reflected in many aspects of current law such as three strikes and high penalties for drug offenses, seem harsh to many. Effective crime control would seem to require the expertise of trained experts and scholars who understand the complexities of general deterrence and the identification and incapacitation of the dangerous.

But this brief Essay, which reviews some previous studies and analyses, argues that distributing criminal …

Racing Abnormality, Normalizing Race: The Origins Of America's Peculiar Carceral State And Its Prospects For Democratic Transformation Today, Jonathan Simon

Northwestern University Law Review

For those struggling with criminal justice reform today, the long history of failed efforts to close the gap between the promise of legal equality and the practice of our police forces and prison systems can seem mysterious and frustrating. Progress has been made in establishing stronger rights for individuals in the investigatory and sanctioning stages of the criminal process; yet, the patterns of over-incarceration and police violence, which are especially concentrated on people of color, have actually gotten worse during the same period. Seen in terms of its deeper history however, the carceral state is no longer puzzling: it has …