Digital Commons Network^™

Improving The Detection Limit Of Tau Aggregates For Use With Biological Samples, Emily Rickman Hager

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The protein Tau is found in neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease and over 20 other neurodegenerative diseases. An assay has been developed to detect minute amounts of fibrils from human brain tissue. This assay subjects brain tissue extract and recombinant Tau to several rounds of sonication and incubation. Incubation allows recombinant Tau to add itself to the ends of the existing fibrils in brain tissue extract. Sonication breaks the existing fibrils in the brain tissue extract offering more ends for Tau to add onto. Cycles of sonication and incubation have been shown to allow for amplification of Tau fibrils from …

Relationship Between Tdp-43 Toxicity And Aggregation In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Martin Anthony Aguilar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Protein aggregation and inclusion body formation are hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). These neurodegenerative diseases share a common pathology in that all include accumulation of insoluble protein aggregates in the brain. TAR-DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) is the major component found in the pathological inclusions of two of these diseases, ALS and frontotemporal lobar degeneration with ubiquitin-positive inclusions (FTLD-U). This thesis focuses upon the biophysical basis for TDP-43 aggregation in S. cerevisiae. Current in vitro evidence indicates that TDP-43 is a natively dimeric protein and that binding to RNA inhibits aggregation. Corresponding …

The American Dental Association Announces Hiring Of Michelle Hoffman, American Dental Association

News Releases

This collection includes standard news releases, information kits and other documents distributed for publicity, information, announcements of events, etc. as issued from the ADA. Items included in this collection are archival and any costs, links, contact information, or other figures may be out of date. Please contact the ADA to verify information.

Underachievement Of Creatively Gifted High School Students, Jennie M. Mizrahi

Teaching and Learning Sciences: Doctoral Research Projects

Underachievement is a pervasive problem for gifted students, and creatively gifted students may be at greater risk for underachievement due to personality traits, lack of challenge in strength areas, a mismatch between school environment and student needs, low status associated with creative achievements and behaviors in the school system, and other factors. This study focused on six creatively gifted, underachieving high school students from an urban-cluster area in the western United States. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to gather data in the form of interviews with underachieving, creatively gifted students, their parents, and teachers; observation of classrooms; and creative …

The Paralysis Paradox And The Untapped Role Of Science In Solving “Big” “Environmental Problems, Jan G. Laitos, Christopher Ainscough

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

Part I considers the daunting scope and extent of the environmental problem addressed by the article. The “problem” consists of an enormous number of abandoned mines and AMLs in the West, affecting numerous rivers and watersheds, where the cost of mine cleanup seems astronomical, and the source of the money to pay for the cleanup elusive. In Part I, probability theory is used to assess the true scope of the AML problem, by estimating the impacts and risks to people and their environment. Part II addresses the state of current law as it applies to abandoned hardrock mines. A review …

The Acculturation Gap: Investigating The Relationship Between Inter-Partner Acculturation Discrepancy And Parenting Quality, Casiana Warfield

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Parenting and relational factors have been investigated thoroughly in previous literature. However, considering the proliferation of multiracial individuals in the United States, it is concerning that many cultural components of American families have been neglected, including the impact of acculturation on parenting negotiation. In particular, the acculturation gap describes differences in acculturation and enculturation levels between family members. The acculturation-gap-distress model postulates that when members within a family context acculturate at different rates, to different degrees, or in different ways than other members, this discrepancy results in conflict. The present study evaluated the relationship between inter-partner acculturation discrepancy and perceptions …

An Exploration Of The Relationships Between Mindfulness And Obesity-Related Eating Behaviors, Jennifer Battles

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Little research has explored the basic relationships between different components of mindfulness and eating behaviors associated with obesity even though mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been widely utilized to treat eating behaviors. This study explored these relationships in order to inform more effective MBIs for obesity. Participants (N = 533) from a mixed community and undergraduate sample completed an online battery of assessments. All components of mindfulness were related to eating behaviors as would be expected, with the exception of trait mindful awareness. A series of multiple hierarchical regressions showed that mindful eating was a unique predictor of eating behaviors …

Towards A Physio-Cognitive Model Of Slow-Breathing, Chris Dancy

Faculty Conference Papers and Presentations

How may controlled breathing be beneficial, or detrimental to behavior? Computational process models are useful to specify the potential mechanisms that lead to behavioral adaptation during different breathing exercises. We present a physio-cognitive model of slow breathing implemented within a hybrid cognitive architecture, ACT-R/Φ. Comparisons to data from an experiment indicate that the physiological mechanisms are operating in a manner that is consistent with actual human function. The presented computational model provides predictions of ways that controlled breathing interacts with mechanisms of arousal to mediate cognitive behavior. The increasing use of breathing techniques to counteract effects of stressors makes it …

Towards A Physio-Cognitive Model Of The Exploration Exploitation Trade-Off., David M. Schwartz, Christopher L. Dancy

Faculty Conference Papers and Presentations

Managing the exploration vs exploitation trade-off is an important part of our everyday lives. It occurs in minor decisions such as choosing what music to listen to as well as major decisions, such as picking a research direction to pursue. The dilemma is the same despite the context: does one exploit the environment, using current knowledge to acquire a satisfactory solution, or explore other options and potentially find a better answer. An accurate cognitive model must be able to handle this trade-off because of the importance it plays in our lives. We are developing physio-cognitive models to better understand how …

From Icon Of Empire To National Emblem: New Evidence For The Fallow Deer Of Barbuda, Sophia Perdikaris, Allison Bain, Sandrine Grouard, Karis Baker, Edith Gonzalez, A. Rus Hoelzel, Holly Miller, Reaksha Persaud, Naomi Sykes

School of Global Integrative Studies: Faculty Publications

Barbuda and Antigua’s national animal is the fallow deer, Dama dama dama, a species native to the eastern Mediterranean that has been transported around the world by people during the last 8000 years. The timing and circumstances by which fallow deer came to be established on Barbuda are currently uncertain but, by examining documentary, osteological and genetic evidence, this paper will consider the validity of existing theories. It will review the dynamics of human–Dama relationships from the 1500s AD to the present day and consider how the meaning attached to this species has changed through time: from a …

Elevated Potential For Intraspecific Competition In Territorial Carnivores Occupying Fragmented Landscapes, Pranav Chanchani, Brian D. Gerber, Barry R. Noon

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

The distribution of mammals is determined by a suite of endogenous and exogenous factors. In territorial, polygynous species like tigers (Panthera tigris), males often center their space-use around female territories, repelling competitors from these areas. Competition among males for females leads to increased mortality of both sexes and infanticide of unrelated cubs, which can lead to population declines. We hypothesized that increased territorial overlap among adult male tigers and elevated levels of inter and intra-sex competition would be manifest in populations with male-biased adult sex ratios (ASR). We also assessed whether inter-sex variation in adult survival or degree …

Living In The Big City: Preference For Broad Substrates Results In Niche Expansion For Urban Anolis Lizards, Andrew C. Battles, Malcolm Moniz, Jason J. Kolbe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Persistence of animals in urban habitats, a stark environmental contrast to natural habitats, can be explained through evaluating the mechanisms behind organism-habitat interactions. One of the most notable effects of urbanization is the change in structural habitat; vegetation is removed and modified, favoring large trees and adding artificial structures in cities, which may alter how organismal preferences for aspects of the habitat are realized. We evaluated the mechanisms by which structural habitat changes associated with urbanization alter the available vegetation and substrates on which two species of Anolis lizards perch in urban and natural forest sites in Miami, FL. We …

Structure/Function Relationships In The Rosette Cellulose Synthesis Complex Illuminated By An Evolutionary Perspective, Candace H. Haigler, Alison Roberts

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Cellulose microfibrils are a key component of plant cell walls, which in turn compose most of our renewable biomaterials. Consequently, there is considerable interest in understanding how cellulose microfibrils are made in living cells by the plant cellulose synthesis complex (CSC). This remarkable multi-subunit complex contains cellulose synthase (CESA) proteins, and it is often called a rosette due to its six-lobed shape. Each CSC moves within the plasma membrane as it spins a strong cellulose microfibril in its wake. To accomplish this biological manufacturing process, the CESAs harvest an activated sugar substrate from the cytoplasm for use in the polymerization …

Chronic Impacts Of Invasive Herbivores On A Foundational Forest Species: A Whole‐Tree Perspective, Claire M. Wilson, Robert N. Schaeffer, Mauri L. Hickin, Chad M. Rigsby, Amanda F. Sommi, Carol S. Thornber, Colin M. Orians, Evan L. Preisser

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Forests make up a large portion of terrestrial plant biomass, and the long‐lived woody plants that dominate them possess an array of traits that deter consumption by forest pests. Although often extremely effective against native consumers, invasive species that avoid or overcome these defenses can wreak havoc on trees and surrounding ecosystems. This is especially true when multiple invasive species co‐occur, since interactions between invasive herbivores may yield non‐additive effects on the host. While the threat posed by invasive forest pests is well known, long‐term field experiments are necessary to explore these consumer‐host interactions at appropriate spatial and temporal scales. …

Miami Heat: Urban Heat Islands Influence The Thermal Suitability Of Habitats For Ectotherms, Andrew C. Battles, Jason J. Kolbe

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The urban heat island effect, where urban areas exhibit higher temperatures than less‐developed suburban and natural habitats, occurs in cities across the globe and is well understood from a physical perspective and at broad spatial scales. However, very little is known about how thermal variation caused by urbanization influences the ability of organisms to live in cities. Ectotherms are sensitive to environmental changes that affect thermal conditions, and therefore, increased urban temperatures may pose significant challenges to thermoregulation and alter temperature‐dependent activity. To evaluate whether these changes to the thermal environment affect the persistence and dispersal of ectothermic species in …

Speciation Theory Of Carcinogenesis Explains Karyotypic Individuality And Long Latencies Of Cancers, Ankit Hirpara, Mathew Bloomfield, Peter Duesberg

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Student Professional Publications

It has been known for over 100 years that cancers have individual karyotypes and arise only years to decades after initiating carcinogens. However, there is still no coherent theory to explain these definitive characteristics of cancer. The prevailing mutation theory holds that cancers are late because the primary cell must accumulate 3–8 causative mutations to become carcinogenic and that mutations, which induce chromosomal instability (CIN), generate the individual karyotypes of cancers. However, since there is still no proven set of mutations that transforms a normal to a cancer cell, we have recently advanced the theory that carcinogenesis is a form …

Traumatic Brain Injury And A Divergence Between Moral And Criminal Responsibility, Paul Litton

Duquesne Law Review

No abstract provided.

Bloom-Forming Macroalgae (Ulva Spp.) Inhibit The Growth Of Co-Occurring Macroalgae And Decrease Eastern Oyster Larval Survival, Lindsay A. Green-Gavrielidis, Fiona Mackechnie, Carol S. Thornber, Marta Gomez-Chiarri

Natural Resources Science Faculty Publications

Macroalgal blooms have increased in frequency worldwide due to anthropogenic activities. Algal blooms can disrupt recreational activities, interfere with fisheries, and deplete oxygen during decomposition. Narragansett Bay has experienced macroalgal blooms dominated by blade-forming macroalgae of the genus Ulva for over a century. Evidence from other systems has suggested that Ulva can negatively impact other organisms. The first objective of this study was to determine whether bloom-forming U. compressa and U. rigida inhibit the growth of co-occurring macroalgae—Gracilaria vermiculophylla, Cystoclonium purpureum, and Chondrus crispus—during co-culture via laboratory based assays. We found that U. compressa and U. …

Simulating Human-Ai Collaboration With Act-R And Project Malmo, Zachary M. Brill, Christopher L. Dancy

Faculty Conference Papers and Presentations

We use the ACT-R cognitive architecture (Anderson, 2007) to explore human-AI collaboration. Computational models of human and AI behavior, and their interaction, allow for more effective development of collaborative artificial intelligent agents. With these computational models and simulations, one may be better equipped to predict the situations in which certain classes of intelligent agents may be more suited to collaborate with people. One can more tractably understand and predict how different AI agents affect task behavior in these situations. To simulate human-AI collaboration, we are developing ACT-R models that work with more traditional AI agents to solve a task in …

Microdisk Resonator With Negative Thermal Optical Coefficient Polymer For Refractive Index Sensing With Thermal Stability, Tao Ma, Jinhui Yuan, Feng Li, Lei Sun, Zhe Kang, Binbin Yan, Qiang Wu, Xinzhu Sang, Heng Liu, Fang Wang, Bo Wu, Chongxiu Yu, Gerald Farrell

Articles

In this paper, we propose a microdisk resonator with negative thermal optical coefficient (TOC) polymer for refractive index (RI) sensing with thermal stability. The transmission characteristics and sensing performances by using quasi-TE01 and quasi-TM01 modes are simulated by a three-dimensional finite element method. The influences of the TOC, RI, and thickness of the polymer on the sensing performances are also investigated. The simulation results show that the RI sensitivity Sn and temperature sensitivity ST with different polymers are in the ranges of 25.1-26 nm/RIU and 67.3-75.2 pm/K for the quasi-TE01 mode, and 94.5-110.6 nm/RIU and 1.2-51.3 pm/K for the quasi-TM01 …

Organizational Learning For Libraries At For-Profit Colleges And Universities: A Manual, Julie Evener

Walden Faculty and Staff Publications

The purpose of this manual is an introduction to the concept of organizational learning for librarians working in for-profit colleges and universities, though the suggestions and ideas herein are applicable to librarians working in a variety of institutions. Information in this manual was collected through a literature review, as well as the author’s original research focusing on organizational learning in libraries of for-profit colleges and universities in the United States. The content of the manual includes why organizational learning is important for libraries, factors that contribute to organizational learning, challenges to organizational learning and strategies to overcome the challenges, and …

Assessing Working Memory In Mild Cognitive Impairment With Serial Order Recall., Sheina Emrani, David J Libon, Melissa Lamar, Catherine C Price, Angela L Jefferson, Katherine A Gifford, Timothy J Hohman, Daniel A Nation, Lisa Delano-Wood, Amy Jak, Katherine J Bangen, Mark W Bondi, Adam M Brickman, Jennifer Manly, Rodney Swenson, Rhoda Au, Consortium For Clinical And Epidemiological Neuropsychological Data Analysis (Cenda)

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Working memory (WM) is often assessed with serial order tests such as repeating digits backward. In prior dementia research using the Backward Digit Span Test (BDT), only aggregate test performance was examined.

OBJECTIVE: The current research tallied primacy/recency effects, out-of-sequence transposition errors, perseverations, and omissions to assess WM deficits in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

METHODS: Memory clinic patients (n = 66) were classified into three groups: single domain amnestic MCI (aMCI), combined mixed domain/dysexecutive MCI (mixed/dys MCI), and non-MCI where patients did not meet criteria for MCI. Serial order/WM ability was assessed by asking participants to repeat …

Identification Of 4-Isopropyl–Thiotropolone As A Novel Anti-Microbial: Regioselective Synthesis, Nmr Characterization, And Biological Evaluation, Mohamed Elagawany, Mohamed Elagawany, Lamees Hegazy, Feng Cao, Maureen Donlin, Nigam Rath, John Tavis, Bahaa Elgendy, Bahaa Elgendy

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

We have synthesized and separated tosylated thujaplicin isomers for the first time, and elucidated their structures using 1D, 2D-NMR techniques and X-ray crystallography. The tosylated isomers were used to synthesize 4-isopropyl–thiotropolone and 6-isopropyl–thiotropolone in a regioselective manner. 1H and 13C Chemical shifts of synthesized isomers were fully assigned using several NMR experiments, and their isotropic magnetic shielding was calculated using the GIAO (Gauge Including Atomic Orbitals) method and the B3LYP def2-TZVPP level of theory. The calculated chemical shift values were in a good agreement with the experimental results. The biological activity of all synthesized compounds was evaluated against the fungal …

Clemmer College Extramural Funding Research Impact Report - 2018, Clemmer College, East Tennessee State University

Clemmer College Research Impact Reports

No abstract provided.

How Do Mindfulness Practitioners Describe Pausing? A Qualitative Interview Study, Benjamin Feldman

Undergraduate Review

Stress is something all of us face in the day-to-day events of our lives, and which at times makes us do things that are regrettable, such as snapping at a loved one or driving recklessly to get somewhere on time. The literature on stress and stress reactivity tends to focus on the fight or flight reactions we have to stressors, aiming to change thoughts or behaviors to diminish the longevity and magnitude of sympathetic nervous system responses. While we cannot change our physiological stress reaction, we can change our responses to stressors or, in other words, our reactivity. Mindfulness practice …

Itching For A Reason: Understanding Mechanisms Of Itch, Andrea K. Lapira

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

This poster for the Natural Sciences Poster Session at Parkland College introduces theories regarding why we itch (intensity, labeled line and selectivity) and identifies the two distinct pathways to transmit itch signals: histaminergic and non-histaminergic.

Plant Algae Ecosystems, Arturo Hernandez

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

This poster for the Natural Sciences Poster Session at Parkland College reports on the student's experiment with algae found in a terrarium and the different effects that light can have on it.

Gettysburg: Our College's Magazine Winter 2018, Communications & Marketing

Gettysburg: Our College’s Magazine

From the President Janet Morgan Riggs '77

Table of Contents

Virtual Dissection Tables to Enhance Study of Anatomy

Prof Notes: Jennifer Bloomquist (Professor Jennifer Bloomquist)

Life's Lessons Learned from Sports & Science (Sarah Hansen '17, Alex Posch '14)

The 411: Allison Meckley '05

For the Love of Data (Svet Semov '11, Shannon Brobst '15)

Snapshots

They Inquire, They Inspire

Gettysburgreat: The Campaign for Our College

Media Notes (Professor John B. Zinn)

Conversations

The Best of Both Worlds Andrew Milone '18

Metamorphosis: Professor Kay Etheridge Carina Sitkus

Our Endowment and Why It Matters Mike Baker

Hope is in …

The Igf2/Igf1r/Nanog Signaling Pathway Regulates The Proliferation Of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Stem Cells., Dan-Dan Xu, Ying Wang, Peng-Jun Zhou, Shu-Rong Qin, Rong Zhang, Yi Zhang, +Several Additional Authors

Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine Faculty Publications

Acute myeloid leukemia is an aggressive disease characterized by clonal proliferation and differentiation into immature hematopoietic cells of dysfunctional myeloid precursors. Accumulating evidence shows that CD34+CD38- leukemia stem cells (LSCs) are responsible for drug resistance, metastasis, and relapse of leukemia. In this study, we found that Nanog, a transcription factor in stem cells, is significantly overexpressed in CD34+ populations from patients with acute myeloid leukemia and in LSCs from leukemia cell lines. Our data demonstrate that the knockdown of Nanog inhibited proliferation and induced cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis. Moreover, Nanog silencing suppressed the leukemogenesis of LSCs in mice. …

Mlk Book Read 2018 (Research Materials), Holy Cross Libraries

Library Resources for Campus Events

A bibliography of resources available through the Holy Cross Libraries which provide additional information related to the MLK Winter Book Read, based on the best-seller “The Immortal LIfe of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skoot.