Digital Commons Network^™

Defining And Harnessing Nature's Selection Of Geranylation In Rna Modification, Phensinee Haruehanroengra

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Natural RNAs utilize extensive chemical modifications to diversify their structures and functions. Geranylated-2-thiouridine is a special hydrophobic tRNA modification that has been discovered very recently in several bacteria, namely E. coli, E. aerogenes, P. aeruginosa and S. typhimurium by Liu group. It has been found as a post-transcription modification on the wobble position of anticodon of tRNAs specific for glutamic acid, glutamine and lysine. Geranylated-tRNA was shown to correct the frameshifting during the translation of E. coli. However, the reason of the existing of the modification is still largely unclear. To understand why nature incorporates such a hydrophobic group in …

Quantification Of Hemoglobin In Human Blood To Differentiate Individuals From One Another, Audrey Jeanne Auleley

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Blood is one of the principal sources of evidence in crime scene investigations. The level of hemoglobin in human blood is known to hardly fluctuate over time in a healthy adult patient. Using a method like the sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) method for hemoglobin level determination is beneficial because SLS converts any other derivates of hemoglobin into methemoglobin. The amount of hemoglobin would be determined using the linear correlation between the absorbance of methemoglobin and its amount in blood samples. Those curves differ significantly from sample to sample. Therefore, a differentiation can be observed between the blood samples of different …

Behavioral And Socio-Ecological Determinants Of Depression At Different Stages Of The Life Course, Xiao Cong

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background:

Characterization Of A Novel, Stress-Responsive Sexually Dimorphic Corticotropin-Releasing Factor Receptor 1 (Crfr1) Nucleus In The Rostral Anteroventral Periventricular Nucleus Of The Mouse, Zachary Julius Rosinger

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Within the United States, women are at double the risk of men to develop a stress-related mood disorder (e.g., anxiety or depression) during their reproductive years (Kornstein et al., 2000; Kessler et al., 2005). Many factors contribute to the potential sex difference in such disorders, including gonadal hormones (hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis; HPG) and how they interact with the stress response system, or hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signals through binding the GS-coupled receptor, CRF receptor 1 (CRFR1), and activity between CRF/CRFR1 regulates the hormonal and behavioral stress response (Chen et al., 1993; Bale and Vale, 2004; Heinrichs et al., 1995; …

Examining The Mechanisms Of Nucleic Acid Structural Rearrangements Using Nanospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry, Botros Toro

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

RNA’s diverse gene regulatory functions are tied to its ability to adopt and rearrange between an ensemble of three-dimensional structures. This concept is illustrated by the process of genome dimerization in HIV-1 and other retroviruses, which is mediated by the dimerization initiation site (DIS) of viral RNA. This essential stem-loop domain establishes a metastable kissing complex (KC) intermediate that seeds the structural rearrangements necessary to stabilize genome dimerization. Most approaches applied to study RNA structure provide us with a snapshot of RNA at equilibrium, leaving key details on dynamics concealed. This thesis explored the merits of nanospray ionization mass spectrometry …

Assessing The Sustainability Of Collaborations Between Local Health Departments And Nonprofit Hospitals For Population Health, Christopher Mierow Maylahn

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In 2008, New York’s health commissioner asked LHDs and nonprofit hospitals to collaborate with community partners to conduct community health needs assessments, identify two or three health priorities to focus on, and implement evidence-based strategies to address them. The actions taken as part of the New York State Prevention Agenda mirrored the IRS rules and PHAB recommendations that followed. The dearth of published studies on public health-hospital collaborations and the momentum to understand how communities in New York have responded to the IRS rules and PHAB standards are the impetus for this research.

Human Interactions With The Late Holocene Landscape On Martha's Vineyard, Jessica Watson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The role of humans in pre-Contact ecosystems has been a focus of archaeological attention for decades in New England, where Native groups continue to live after over 10,000 years of settlement. On Martha’s Vineyard, a small island off the southern coast of Massachusetts, research has often focused on models of coastal specialization, particularly within the many shell middens that litter the coastline. This dissertation seeks to understand human interactions with this environment from two shell middens: the Frisby Butler and Hornblower II sites, located on the shores of Squibnocket Pond in southwestern Martha’s Vineyard. This study was motivated by three …

Saliva As A Diagnostic Biological Fluid And The Human Salivary Proteome, Jessica Ghassan Emsies

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Saliva is a unique biologic fluid that contains a varying spectrum of proteins, nucleic acids, electrolytes, and hormones.31 It is an exocrine secretion of the salivary glands which is hypotonic in nature with a pH of 7.2-7.4.31 Saliva plays an important role in the oral cavity.33 It lubricates, hydrates, and bathes the oral cavity, therefore, aiding speech and mastication.33 Saliva forms a barrier on the teeth, protects against demineralization, and aids in remineralization.33 Saliva is required for chewing and food bolus preparation, it contains enzymes necessary for digestion, and mediates the sense of taste.33 It also helps wound healing and …

Synthesis And Adsorption Experiments With Metal-Organic Frameworks For High School And Undergraduate Laboratory Settings, Kate Holley

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Seven experiments are described and outlined here that introduce high school and undergraduate students to metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and their applications. The experiments were designed to be completed with basic laboratory equipment and supplies and without the use of expensive characterization instruments, simulating typical high school chemistry laboratory conditions. Students synthesized two well-known MOFs, HKUST-1 and aluminum fumarate, using simple, safe, and rapid methods (fast enough to be performed within the time constrains of a typical high school class). Students then use their synthesized MOFs to explore their inherent sorption properties. In one set of experiments, the synthesized MOFs are …

Tribute From The Underworld : The Historical Ecology Of The Maya Postclassic Fish Trade With Isotopic Analysis Of Otoliths From MayapáN And Caye Coco, Jeffrey Michael Bryant

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation investigates the Maya fish trade through the extensive analysis of fish otoliths (ear stones), from the Postclassic sites of Mayapán, and Caye Coco, and provides an initial foundation for the development of a historical ecology program. Through osteometry, thin-section microscopy of growth rings, and microscale stable isotope analysis (δC13 and δO18), a spectrum of data is produced to characterize the Postclassic fish trade. These data are used to illuminate themes of the seasonality of the fish harvest, diet, biodiversity, fish population demography, environmental change, sustainability, and resilience. The timing of a seasonal intensification of the harvest is viewed …

Premature Rho-Dependent Transcription Termination In Escherichia Coli : Link To Translation And Gene Regulation, Gabriele Baniulyte

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Transcription termination factor Rho is an essential protein in Escherichia coli and related bacteria. The primary function of Rho is to clear unproductive RNA polymerases from the DNA template to minimize negative effects associated with uncontrolled transcription. Although most of the Rho termination events are constitutive, premature Rho-mediated termination was observed at 3% of all affected transcripts indicating active regulation of Rho activity. In this work, we investigated the regulatory mechanism behind premature Rho-dependent transcription termination in two unrelated genes: suhB and topAI. We show that in both cases transcription is terminated inside the coding gene as a consequence of …

Race In The Galactic Age : Sankofa, Afrofuturism, Whiteness And Whitley Strieber, Clifton Zeno Johnson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Octavia Butler asked if black skin was so disruptive a force that the mere presence of it alters a story? In a post-colonial era, skin color remains a polarizing topic. While humans are still redefining perceptions about race, people across planet earth are opening up to the possibility of the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life. This paper explores how the acknowledgment of a galactic presence would transform perceptions of whiteness. The experiences of the best-selling author and proclaimed contactee, Whitley Strieber, are used as case studies to analyze if Amero-European ingrained bias toward melanin would influence the western world’s interactions …

Risk Factors For Gestational Diabetes In Upstate New York Women & Implications For Practice, Margaret Versteegen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a form of diabetes, or abnormal blood glucose (sugar) metabolism, diagnosed during pregnancy. Pregnant, non-diabetic women who are initially noted to experience high blood glucose levels during their pregnancy are considered to have GDM (ADA, 2016b). GDM has significant implications for infant and maternal morbidity and mortality, with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as infant macrosomia, difficult birth requiring cesarean section, and postpartum hemorrhage (Kamana, Shakya, & Zhang, 2015). In the majority of cases, GDM goes away once the baby is born, but around 5-10% of women with GDM go on to have type 2 diabetes …

Developmental Changes In The Activation And Structure Of The Contextual Fear Neural Circuit From Infancy To Adulthood, Anthony John Santarelli

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The contextual fear circuit, centered on the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA), is comprised of projections from the hippocampal formation and prefrontal cortex, and mediates an animals ability to learn and predict associations between the environment and biologically relevant stimuli. While the function and structure of this circuit has been well characterized in adult species, relatively little is known about its development as an animal transitions from infancy to adulthood. Recent evidence has begun to suggest that infants, juveniles, and adolescents may show remarkable heterogeneity in the behavioral, activational, and structural properties of the circuit. In this thesis, I …

Accumulation And Spatial Distribution Of Lead And Other Trace Elements In Keratinized Tissues : Investigations Based On Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, Mina W. Tehrani

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Human biomonitoring for toxic metals such as lead (Pb) provides information about absorbed dose from all exposure routes, and is critical for identifying exposed individuals and assessing health risks. Blood Pb and bone Pb are the primary validated biomarkers for assessing short-term and historical Pb exposures, respectively, while non-traditional matrices, including keratinized tissues, can provide complementary exposure information. Hard keratinized tissues – including hair, nails, hooves, and horns – grow incrementally, potentially preserving chemical exposure histories over a span of days to years. Analytical limitations and poor interlaboratory reproducibility, however, have led to debate around the use of human nails …

The Influence Of Endogenous And Exogenous Uncertainty On Cancer Treatment Decision-Making In Hospital Tumor Boards, Barbara Devivo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

Study Of Small Molecules With Dna Monolayers On Gold Electrodes Using Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance On The Millisecond Timescale, Sarasi Kaushalya Kumari Galagedera

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Biosensors based on DNA self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) combined with electrochemical transducers have shown great potential to serve an important role in simple, accurate and inexpensive genetic analyses relevant to many fields. The most popularly adapted method in designing biosensing platforms is the self-assembly of 5’-alkylthiol-modified single stranded or double stranded DNA on gold surfaces followed by a passivation step using a diluent like mercaptohexanol (MCH). Since analytical performance (sensitivity, selectivity and stability) of such sensors is solely related to the probe surface architecture, methods to characterize and measure the surface density has gained a lot of interest among the scientific …

The Long-Term Consequences Of Adolescents' Comparative Economic Position In School, Kiwoong Park

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The goal of this dissertation project is to investigate how adolescents’ comparative socioeconomic positions within their schools shape their short- and long-term outcomes, including later health, educational expectations and attainment, and the risk of having a nonmarital first birth. Although social comparison theory posits that individual well-being depends on the standings of others with whom one compares oneself, as well as on one’s own absolute standing, the empirical evidence of the theory has been mixed and controversial. This project argues that inconsistent findings may arise from difficulty in measuring reference groups, temporal ambiguity between exposures and outcomes, and methodological limitations.

Computational Modeling As A Tool For Designing Ligands And Receptors, Waqas S. Awan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Computational methods can be used for a wide range of applications, especially regarding DNA and RNA. Interactions such as sugar torsions, receptor-ligand interactions, ligand docking/drug docking, receptor modeling, and drug design are excellent candidates for computational analysis and in silico experiments. The use of molecular dynamics software (GROMACS) coupled with molecular design software (MOE) produce insights that may have been otherwise difficult to assess. All these problems are academic in nature but have practical uses outside of academia. Understanding alternate linkages can lead to antibiotic assays to address potential superbug epidemics. Modeling DNA superstructures can provide insight into how large …

Current And Future Environmental And Human Health Impacts Associated With Biofuel/Biofuel Feedstock Production, Eun Kyung Lee

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: The demand for biobased products, such as food, fuel, and chemicals, has been continuously increasing. Meanwhile, agricultural production, serving as the primary stage of biobased products, is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and nutrient releases. Although assessing spatially and temporally explicit environmental releases and impacts are required to inform a sustainable trajectory for agricultural production, such analyses are largely lacking due to data unavailability and feasibility of data analysis. Moreover, our current understanding of health impacts associated with biofuel production are lacking due to the limited assessment of health impacts resulted from biofuels’ entire …

Migration, Resettlement, And Transition In The Aftermath Of The Maya Collapse : A Case Study Of A Terminal Classic Maya Community In Northern Belize, Josalyn M. Ferguson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

While there is consensus that the processes of decline and abandonment at many sites associated with the Terminal Classic Maya “collapse” (A.D. 750-1050) included the movement of peoples across the Maya lowlands, there has been little focused archaeological research on the resettlement and regeneration of these migrant groups. The movement of peoples across the Maya landscape was partially encouraged by a declining and ever increasingly taxed environment, as well as a revolution in exchange systems, with a notable increase in entrepreneurialism across the Maya subarea. This more integrated economic system focused on a wider range of commodities that served to …

The Cognitive And Contextual Underpinnings Of Food Cravings : A Multi-Method Exploration, Martha Niemiec

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The notion of addiction pervades Western vernacular. While firmly established in the substance and drug literature, the concept of addiction is now increasingly associated with other ingested substances (coffee, chocolate, highly processed foods) and a range of compulsive behaviors (gambling, sex, online social networking, gaming). Addiction is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, and a greater understanding of its etiology has significant public health implications. The physiological mechanisms thought to contribute to the development and maintenance of addiction (tolerance, withdrawal, and, possibly, craving) are widely considered hallmark features and primary treatment targets, while psychological and contextual factors are often underappreciated …

Contrasting Roles Rna Binding Proteins G3bp1 And Hur Influence Zika Virus And A Proposed Mechanism By Which Zika Virus Induces Neurological Complications, Gaston Bonenfant

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Globalization and climate change have contributed to the rampant spread of mosquitos from tropical and subtropical climates into more moderate climates, and thus also the spread of a number of vector-borne viruses. As of 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that of all human infections world-wide, 16% result from vectors such as flies, ticks, and mosquitos. The spread of such viruses has encouraged expedient evolutionary pressures resulting in more pathogenic viruses that continually pose a serious threat to public health. First discovered in 1947, Zika virus (ZIKV) has only recently presented as a detriment to public health. The importance …

Response To "From A Polemic Paradox To A Proper Perspective Of Job Burnout And Job Satisfaction, Eric Laurent, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Renzo Bianchi

Publications and Research

Juárez García and colleagues considered that “part of the conceptual and empirical problem of burnout is that many researchers force it into a biomedical disease model despite its being a psychosocial one.” Problematically, these authors’ scholastic argument a priori excludes biological or bodily factors from psychological conceptualizations. Scientists usually face considerable difficulties when trying to describe complex processes. If the understanding of biological processes sheds light on the complex processes that bear on burnout, then there is no reason to exclude research on those processes.

Proceedings Of Learn X Design 2019: Insider Knowledge, Naz A.G.Z. Börekçi, Dalsu Özgen Koçyıldırım, Fatma Korkut, Derek Jones

DRS Conference Volumes

The Fifth DRS Learn X Design International Conference for Design Education Researchers took place July 9-12, 2019 with the main theme “Insider Knowledge” at Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey. A total of 111 paper submissions, 11 workshop proposals, and 28 PhD Pit-Stop applications were received. In all, 86 papers were presented and six workshops were conducted in a variety of topics, ranging from emerging practices in design education to innovative approaches in bridging design education and society. The conference hosted 150 delegates from 81 institutions in 31 countries.

Assessing The Spatial And Temporal Variability Of The Detroit River And Harmful Algal Blooms In Western Lake Erie, Angela W. Yu

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Despite efforts to reduce the occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in western Lake Erie, blooms recur annually due to agricultural runoff, storms with high winds and heavy rains, and weak lake circulation patterns. The influence from river inputs on the spatial and temporal characteristics of HABs remains relatively unknown. The Detroit River, which contributes about 80% of the basin's total inflow can have a large influence on the spatial and temporal distribution of the bloom. To understand this, optically classified imagery, in situ water measurements, and meteorological and river discharge observations were compiled and synthesized to examine the spatiotemporal …

Data Mining The Effects Of Testing Conditions And Specimen Properties On Brain Biomechanics, Folly Patterson, Osama Abuomar, Mike Jones, Keith Tansey, R. K. Prabhu

Computing Sciences

Traumatic brain injury is highly prevalent in the United States. However, despite its frequency and significance, there is little understanding of how the brain responds during injurious loading. A confounding problem is that because testing conditions vary between assessment methods, brain biomechanics cannot be fully understood. Data mining techniques, which are commonly used to determine patterns in large datasets, were applied to discover how changes in testing conditions affect the mechanical response of the brain. Data at various strain rates were collected from published literature and sorted into datasets based on strain rate and tension vs. compression. Self-organizing maps were …

Winter Commencement, December 15, 2019, Eastern Michigan University

Commencement Programs and Materials

No abstract provided.

Mechanisms Of Trinucleotide Repeat Instability During Dna Synthesis, Kara Y. Chan

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Genomic instability, in the form of gene mutations, insertions/deletions, and gene amplifications, is one of the hallmarks in many types of cancers and other inheritable genetic disorders. Trinucleotide repeat (TNR) disorders, such as Huntington’s disease (HD) and Myotonic dystrophy (DM) can be inherited and repeats may be extended through subsequent generations. However, it is not clear how the CAG repeats expand through generations in HD. Two possible repeat expansion mechanisms include: 1) polymerase mediated repeat extension; 2) persistent TNR hairpin structure formation persisting in the genome resulting in expansion after subsequent cell division. Recent in vitro studies suggested that a …

Volume 28, Issue 3, Winter 2019-2020, Office Of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University

Illinois Wesleyan University Magazine, 2018-present

VOLUME 28 | NUMBER 3 | Winter 2019-2020

ON OUR COVER: Georgia Nugent, who joined Illinois Wesleyan as interim president in August 2019, was named the 20th president of the University on Nov. 14, 2019. Photo by Nick Helten.

12 A Bright Future for IWU. A tireless advocate for higher education with vast experience at elite liberal arts institutions, Georgia Nugent was named Illinois Wesleyan’s 20th president in November 2019.

16 Life of Crime. Associate Professor Amanda Vicary, who brings true crime into her psychology courses at Illinois Wesleyan, has become a highly sought-after expert in the crime community.

20 …