Life Sciences Commons^™

Eye Movement, Rem Sleep And Adhd: An Examination Of Eye Movement Patterns During Rem Sleep In Adhd Populations, Elin Marie Grissom

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current study investigates differences in patterns of eye movement and sleep architecture during REM stage sleep in children with a diagnosis of ADHD, compared to those without the diagnosis. Existing studies have found differences in eye movement patterns during waking hours in these two groups (Munoz, Armstrong, Hampton, & Moore, 2003; O'Laughlin, Brubaker, Gay, Deans, & Aaron, 2006) as well as differences in patterns of REM sleep. The current study will focus on the fine structure of eye movement in REM in children with and without ADHD. Using pediatric polysomnographic recordings, the frequency, density, strength, and inferred direction of …

The Effects Of A 40mg Lasik Treatment On The Threshold Frequency Of Electrically Induced Muscle Cramps, Sara F. Bergeron

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Context: Muscle cramps that are caused by exercise can be painful and debilitating to an active individual. One theory to explain the cause of exerciseassociated muscle cramps is dehydration. While dehydration is a popular theory it has 111 yet to be studied as a sole factor to the incidence of muscle cramps. Objective: To examine the effect of mild dehydration on the threshold frequency (TF) of electrically induced muscle cramps (EIMC) in the flexor hallucis brevis.

The Role Of Msa In The Global Regulation Of Virulence In Staphylococcus Aureus, Vijayaraj Nagarajan

Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogen causing life threatening diseases in humans. Previously we showed that msa modulates the activity of sarA (Staphylococcal accessory regulator), which is one of a major global regulator of virulence in S. aureus. The objective of this study is to characterize the role of msa (Modulator of SarA) in the global regulation of virulence in S. aureus. Structure and function predictions were done using several computational tools and approaches to understand the nature of msa. A novel S. aureus microarray meta-database (SAMMD) was designed and developed to compare and contrast other transcriptomes with msa transcriptome. …

Ncaa Division I Head Softball Coaches' Confidence, Openness And Stigma Tolerance Toward Sport Psychology Consultants, Laurie Ann Neelis

Dissertations

This study used a mixed-method to look at NCAA division I head softball coaches confidence, openness, and stigma tolerance about sport psychology principles and consultants, as well as what sport psychology principles, time of year used, and what a Sport Psychology Consultant (SPC) can do to help division I head softball coaches have more success with their teams. These variables were measured through the use of the Sport Psychology Attitudes - Revised Coaches instrument developed by Zakrajsek and Zizzi (2007). For the qualitative component, the researcher developed five inquiries that allowed for a more in-depth response from the coaches concerning …

Biochemical Characterization Of Two Yeast Paralogous Proteins Mth1 And Std1, Satish Pasula

Dissertations

Glucose is the most abundant monosaccharide and preferred carbon and energy source for most cells. Many organisms have evolved sophisticated means to sense glucose and respond to it appropriately. The budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae senses glucose through two transmembrane proteins, Snf3 and Rgt2. In the presence of extracellular glucose Snf3 and Rgt2 generate an intracellular signal that leads to the degradation of Mthl and Stdl, thereby inducing the expression of hexose transporter genes (EXT) by inhibiting the function of Rgtl, a transcriptional repressor of HXT genes. Mthl and Stdl are degraded via the Yckl/2 Kinase-SCFGrrl-26S proteasome pathway triggered by the …

A Meating Of The Minds: Possible Pitfalls And Benefits Of Certified Organic Livestock Production And The Prodigious Potential Of Brazil, Adam Schlosser

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Certified organic food represents the fastest growing segment of food production in both the United States and throughout the entire world. This article examines the issues and opportunities facing both large and small-scale farmers who wish to engage in organic livestock production. Organic regulations cover everything involved in production, starting with the organic certification process and concluding with slaughter and the subsequent shipping and sale of the end organic product. The final section of this article addresses the unique ability of Brazil - described alternatively as "the world's warehouse" and the "world's [future] source of food" - to increase the …

No Acute Effects Of Grape Juice On Appetite, Implicit Memory And Mood, Sara J. Hendrickson, Richard D. Mattes

Botanicals Research Center for Age-Related Diseases Publications

Background: Animal experiments document effects of grape juice on cognitive performance and motor skills, and observational studies in humans suggest an inverse association between flavonoid intake and cognitive decline. These effects may be related to the antioxidant properties of polyphenols. Juice consumption and flavonoid intake may also affect appetite. Objective: To study the acute effects of grape juice consumption on appetite, mood and implicit memory during a time of increased lethargy - the post-lunch dip. Design: Thirty-five participants with a mean age of 26 years who smoked a mean of 11 cigarettes/day for 8 years were included in the study. …

Optimality In A Partitioned Task Performed By Social Insects, Jerome J. Howard

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Biologists have long been aware that adaptations should not be analysed in isolation from the function of the whole organism. Here, we address the equivalent issue at the scale of a social insect colony: the optimality of component behaviours in a partitioned sequence of tasks. In colonies of Atta colombica, a leaf-cutting ant, harvested leaf tissue is passed from foragers to nest workers that distribute, clean, shred and implant the tissue in fungal gardens. In four laboratory colonies of A. colombica, we found that the highest colony-wide rate of leaf tissue processing in the nest was achieved when leaf fragment …

Characterization Of The Ompl1 Gene Of Pathogenic Leptospira Species In China And Cross-Immunogenicity Of The Ompl1 Protein, Haiyan Dong, Ye Hu, Feng Xue, Dexter Sun, David M. Ojcius, Yafei Mao, Jie Yan

All Dugoni School of Dentistry Faculty Articles

Background: The usefulness of available vaccine and serological tests for leptospirosis is limited by the low cross-reactivity of antigens from numerous serovars of pathogenic Leptospira spp. Identification of genus-specific protein antigens (GP-Ag) of Leptospira would be important for development of universal vaccines and serodiagnostic methods. OmpL1, a transmembrane porin of pathogenic leptospires, was identified as a possible GP-Ag, but its sequence diversity and immune cross-reactivity among different serovars of pathogenic leptospires remains largely unknown.

Results: PCR analysis demonstrated that the ompL1 gene existed in all 15 official Chinese standard strains as well as 163 clinical strains of pathogenic leptospires isolated …

Streptococcus Pyogenes: A Versatile Human Pathogen, Maria E. Cevallos

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Streptococcus pyogenes is one of the most medically relevant genera of Gram positive bacteria. S. pyogenes belongs to Group A streptococcus (GAS), the most pathogenic streptococci. S. pyogenes is exclusively a human pathogen that is known for its ability to cause a wide array of infections ranging from superficial pharyngitis and impetigo to invasive life threatening conditions including septicemia, necrotizing fasciitis, and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. The dissemination of S. pyogenes within a human host is dependent upon virulence factors aimed at host immune system evasion leading to infection. More specifically, S. pyogenes’ virulence factors are required for bacterial …

Yersiniae Virulence Factors: Type Iii Secretion System, Jessica Blanco

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

Several Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria have evolved a complex protein secretion system termed the Type Three Secretion System (TTSS) to deliver bacterial effector proteins into host-cells that then modulate host-cellular functions. These bacterial devices are evolutionarily related to the flagellar apparatus. Although the TTSSs are substantially conserved among different species, the effector molecules they deliver are species-unique. There exist three human pathogenic Yersiniae. Yersinia enterocolitica and Yersinia pseudotuberculosis cause self-limiting gastro-enteric diseases and infect mesenteric lymph nodes, while Yersinia pestis is transmitted by fleas and can be aerosolized, causing the lethal disease known as plague (also known as Black Death). The …

Characterization Of Dna Sequences That Confer Complement Resistance In Leishmania Chagasi, Rebecca R. Dahlin-Laborde, Eric J. Scolaro, Nathan M. Romine, Amanda Ramer-Tait, Soi Meng Lei, Jeffrey K. Beetham

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Serial passage of axenically cultured Leishmania chagasi promastigotes results in a progressive diminution in resistance to complement-mediated lysis (CML), whereas high CML resistance is seen in infectious metacyclic promastigotes from the sandfly vector as well as metacyclic-like promastigotes within low-passage cultures at stationary growth phase. As we previously reported, in a screen seeking to identify novel genes involved in CML resistance: (1) a genomic cosmid library derived from DNA of CML-resistant L. chagasi promastigotes was transfected into highpassage (constitutively CML-sensitive) L. chagasi promastigotes; (2) transformants were screened for acquisition of CML-resistance; (3) multiple cosmid-transfectants exhibited partial CML resistance; and (4) …

Shaping The Cross Timbers With Fire And Grazing, John A. Guretzky

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Recently, our agricultural research team has been asked to provide talks during tours of our Oswalt Road Ranch. The Oswalt Road Ranch is a 4,992-acre property in Love County, Okla., willed to us by D. Joyce Coffey. The Noble Foundation took full control of the property in 2000. The ranch is a valuable piece of property because of its unique natural beauty and potential to support livestock production and wildlife habitat. On the tours, we have been showing off our new state-of-the art livestock handling facilities and providing information about results from recent research on by-product feeds, the Noble Foundation …

New Genes Originated Via Multiple Recombinational Pathways In The Β-Globin Gene Family Of Rodents, Frederico Hoffmann, Juan Opazo, Jay F. Storz

Jay F. Storz Publications

Species differences in the size or membership composition of multigene families can be attributed to lineage-specific additions of new genes via duplication, losses of genes via deletion or inactivation, and the creation of chimeric genes via domain shuffling or gene fusion. In principle, it should be possible to infer the recombinational pathways responsible for each of these different types of genomic change by conducting detailed comparative analyses of genomic sequence data. Here, we report an attempt to unravel the complex evolutionary history of the β-globin gene family in a taxonomically diverse set of rodent species. The main objectives were: 1) …

Examination Of Pre-Diabetes And Diabetes Perceptions And Knowledge Using Focus Groups, Caroline Carter

All Theses

A review of worksite interventions revealed the scarcity of worksite interventions for the prevention of chronic diseases for which research data has been collected. Pre-diabetes is a condition that has been identified as an emerging chronic disease threat which is deserving of immediate attention as it precedes type 2 diabetes and it is becoming more common in the United States. The number of individuals with pre-diabetes has been estimated to be 54 million. As the worksite setting provides easy access to a large adult population it was chosen for this research study. A thorough review of prior worksite interventions was …

Presentation Of The 2008 Asp Distinguished Service Award To William C. Campbell, Robin M. Overstreet

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty Publications

Presentation of the 2008 American Society of Parasitologists Distinguished Service Award to William C. Campbell, Dana Fellow for scientists emeriti at Drew University.

Biology And Ecology Of Palmer Amaranth (Amaranthus Palmeri), Prashant Jha

All Dissertations

Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats.) is a troublesome weed of crops in southeastern United States. This research highlights studies on the biology and ecology of Palmer amaranth. Following dispersal in fall, Palmer amaranth seeds require high mean temperatures of 25 to 40 C for germination, which is not likely to occur in South Carolina until the following spring. With dormancy reduction over winter, seeds can germinate at high temperatures (≥25 C) and thermal amplitudes of 15 C during late spring (May) in the presence of light. A majority (>90%) of the non-dormant population in the soil seedbank emerge …

Dwarfing Mechanisms Of Prunus Species As Interstems And Rootstocks On Peach [Prunus Persica (L.) Batsch] Tree Vegetative Growth And Physiology, Antonio Weibel

All Dissertations

The use of small trees in orchard systems reduces manual labor (pruning, thinning and harvesting), and induces precocity, thus making high-density plantations economically advantageous, which has elicited an interest in size-controlling rootstocks. However, the mechanisms involved in the reduction of scion growth by the rootstock are not well understood. The main objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of the dwarfing mechanism induced by size-controlling peach rootstocks. The relationship among different rootstocks (dwarfing to invigorating range) as to stored carbohydrates, tree water status, and interstem and grafting height was evaluated on young and mature `Redhaven' and `Redtop' …

Combining Environmental History And Soil Phytolith Analysis At The City Of Rocks National Reserve: Developing New Methods In Historical Ecology, Lesley Morris

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Historical ecology is an emerging and interdisciplinary field that seeks to explain the changes in ecosystems over time through a synthesis of information derived from human records and biological data. The methods in historical ecology cover a wide range of temporal and spatial scales. However, methods for the more recent past (about 200 years) are largely limited to the human archive and dendrochronological evidence which can be subject to human bias, limited in spatial extent or not appropriate for non-forested systems. There is a need to explore new methods by which biological data can be used to understand historic vegetation …

Evolutionary Genetics Of Tetrodotoxin (Ttx) Resistance In Snakes: Tracking A Feeding Adaptation From Populations Through Clades, Chris R. Feldman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Understanding the nature of adaptive evolution has been the recent focus of research detailing the genetic basis of adaptation and theoretical work describing the mechanics of adaptive evolution. Nevertheless, key questions regarding the process of adaptive evolution remain. Ultimately, a detailed description of the ecological context, evolutionary history, and genetic basis of adaptations is required to advance our understanding of adaptive evolution. To address some of the contemporary issues surrounding adaptive evolution, I examine phenotypic and genotypic changes in a snake feeding adaptation.

Adaptations can arise through fixation of novel mutations or recruitment of existing variation. Some populations of the …

Release Of Roadside Native Perennial Grasses Following Removal Of Yellow Starthistle, Stephen L. Young, Victor P. Claassen

West Central Research and Extension Center, North Platte

The ecological benefits of a roadside native perennial grass stand are compromised when invasive species become established. We evaluated the potential to regenerate existing native perennial grass stands populated with yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis) on a roadside planting in the lowland hills of the interior Coast Range of northern California. The experiment was designed to determine the effects of mowing, burning, or herbicide spraying, alone and in combination, on the vegetative cover and density of native perennial grasses and C. solstitialis. The study site contained blue wildrye (Elymus glaucus) and purple needlegrass (Nassella pulchra) as well as C. solstitialis. Burn, …

Biological Invasions And Biocultural Diversity: Linking Ecological And Cultural Systems, Jeanine Pfeiffer, Robert Voeks

Faculty Publications

Study of the ecological and economic effects of invasive species has paralleled their progressively pervasive influence worldwide, yet their cultural impacts remain largely unexamined and therefore unrecognized. Unlike biological systems, where the ecological consequences of biological invasions are primarily negative, from an ethnoscientific standpoint, invasive species' impacts on cultural systems span a range of effects. Biological invasions affect cultural groups in myriad, often unpredictable and at times contradictory ways. This review groups case studies into a conceptual matrix suggesting three categorically different cultural impacts of invasive species. Culturally impoverishing invasive species precipitate the loss or replacement of culturally important native …

Si Cycle In The Cariaco Basin, Venezuela: Seasonal Variability In Silicate Availability And The Si:C:N Composition Of Sinking Particles, Robert C. Thunell, Claudia Benitez-Nelson, Frank E. Muller-Karger, Laura Lorenzoni, Mary Scranton, Ramon Varela, Yrene Astor, Kent A. Fanning

Marine Science Faculty Publications

A 9‐year time series of water column and sediment trap measurements was used to examine silicon cycling within the anoxic Cariaco Basin. The dynamic hydrographic regime within Cariaco Basin results in strong seasonal changes in nutrient availability and the Si:C:N of sinking particles. Upwelling in early winter injects silicic acid (Si(OH)₄⁼ ) and nitrate (NO₃⁻) rich waters into the photic zone which stimulates primary production and results in opal fluxes in excess of 4 mmol Si m⁻² d⁻¹. However, even during upwelling, surface waters tend to be depleted (<1 μM) in …

Bio Buzz Newsletter, Issue 2, December 2008, Department Of Biology

Biology Buzz Newsletter

Denison University Biology Department newsletter for 2008

Preliminary Perspectives On The Health Needs Of Pastoral Women On The Borana Plateau Using Participatory Approaches, D. Layne Coppock, Seyoum Tezera, Solomon Desta

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Since 2000, the PARIMA project has conducted participatory research and outreach among pastoralists in southern Ethiopia. This has led to notable achievements in terms of forming collective-action groups dominated by women, stimulation of sustainable micro-finance and micro-enterprise activities, and improving linkages of pastoral producers to livestock markets. Despite such gains, there are many other challenges to be addressed. One is poor human health. PARIMA researchers used participatory and qualitative methods to conduct a preliminary assessment of women’s health problems among members of six, well-established collective-action groups from the Borana and Gugi zones in the Oromia Regional State during 2008. Conventional …

Successful Implementation Of Collective Action And Human-Capacity Building Among Pastoralists In Southern Ethiopia: Lessons Learned, 2001-2008, D. Layne Coppock, Seyoum Tezera, Solomon Desta, Getachew Gebru

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Since 2000 the PARIMA project has implemented pilot risk-management activities among poverty-stricken, semi-settled pastoralists in southern Ethiopia. The goal has been to improve human welfare via collective action and capacity building. Outcomes include progress in income generation, asset conservation, and livelihood diversification. The approach has been unique to southern Ethiopia in that a bottom-up, participatory perspective has dominated. It has focused on the priorities and felt needs of local people rather than top-down development of livestock or agricultural technology. Fifty-nine collective-action groups were created. Dominated by women, they have included over 2,300 members and most groups have been recently merged …

Are Cattle Die-Offs Predictable On The Borana Plateau, D. Layne Coppock, Getachew Gebru, Solomon Desta, Sintayehu Mesele, Seyoum Tezerra

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Drought regularly affects rangelands and contributes to high death rates for livestock and poverty for pastoralists. But do livestock losses occur randomly simply when rainfall is low, or are they cyclical and predictable? Previously, PARIMA researchers proposed that high stocking rates—combined with low rainfall—trigger livestock die-offs on the Borana Plateau. It takes about six years for animal numbers to recover, setting the stage for another die-off when a dry year occurs. This “boom-and-bust” cycle is based on observed herd crashes in 1983-5, 1991-3, and 1998-9. Researchers predicted in 2002 that the next major die-off would occur during 2004-06, and one …

What Are Consumers In Moyale, Kenya Willing To Pay For Improved Milk Quality?, D. Layne Coppock, Francis O. Wayua, Mohamed G. Shibia, Moses S. Mamo

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Pastoralists in northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia may be able to diversify income by selling milk to urban residents. However, milk sold in open-air markets is often low in quality because it has been transported long distances without refrigeration and is subject to spoilage, or because milk is adulterated prior to sale to boost volume or enhance appearance. Open-air markets are characterized by low-income consumers who must make choices about milk quality with virtually no information other than their own sensory perceptions. PARIMA researchers used an experimental-auction approach to determine what residents in Moyale, Kenya, are willing to pay (WTP) …

Wild Pig Habitat Use, Substrate Disturbance, And Understory Vegetation At Congaree National Park, Scott Zengel

All Dissertations

Substrate disturbance by wild pigs ( Sus scrofa L.), mainly wild pig rooting, was evaluated bi&ndashmonthly over three years in fixed 1,000 m2 plots at Congaree National Park, South Carolina, USA. The study compared hog substrate disturbance among four habitats: three mature wetland floodplain forest types (mixed bottomland hardwoods, cypress&ndashtupelo swamp, seepage floodplain forest), and successional upland pine flatwoods adjacent to the floodplain (including former pine plantation). New disturbance included fresh signs of hog substrate disturbance. Total disturbance included both new and older hog disturbance still visible on the landscape (equivalent to all disturbance that would be recorded under less …

Utilizing Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification To Detect Novel X-Linked Microduplications Which Cause Intellectual Disability, Dianne Cohn

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT
A number of conditions related to X-linked intellectual disabilities (XLID) are in part due to microduplications that are not visible cytogenetically. With the focus on Rho, Ras and Rab genes, a family of genes known to be associated with intellectual disabilities, were screened for dosage aberrations (Leeuwen, F. N. 1997), (Ng, E. L. 2008), (Gissen, P. 2007), (Gurkan, C. 2005). Cohorts of intellectually disabled ID individuals were explored with new technologies. These new technologies include comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), multiplex ligation dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) (Madrigal, I. 2007), (Hermsen, M. A. 2005), (Morey, J. S. …