Western Connecticut State University
WestCollections Repository (Western Connecticut State University)Not a member yet
724 research outputs found
Sort by
The Parting of the Seas
No full textIn this short story collection, all the stories are about families living in Milford, CT. They all take place primarily at Silver Sands State Park. I spent many hours walking around the park and exploring the town of Milford taking note of my surroundings. In all three stories the characters go the beach to relax or find peace, but naturally they bring the rest of their troubles with them. Each story can stand on its own as a short story; they are linked by the fact that all three show how individual behavior is altered by crisis or stress
A New Genus of Podostemaceae from Venezuela
No full textThe new genus Autana C. T. Philbrick and species A. andersonii C. T. Philbrick are illustrated and described. The new species is documented from four rivers that drain into the Orinoco River, Amazonas, Venezuela. Autana is distinguished by three characters that do not occur in other Neotropical Podostemaceae. The upper surface of the flattened stem has an anastomosing pattern that is derived from a continuation of leaf margins. When the capsule is mature, the pedicel apex (and receptacle) is swollen and hollow. After anthesis, locations where the deciduous stamens attached become darkened and shaped like an inverted teardrop. Phylogenetic analyses indicate A. andersonii is sister to a clade containing species of Castelnavia Tul. & Wedd., Oserya Tul. & Wedd., Noveloa C. T. Philbrick, and Rhyncholacis Tul., as well as upright stemmed species of Apinagia Tul., and Central American and Mexican species of Marathrum Bonpl
Changes in Mitochondria Properties with the Transdifferentiation of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells into Neuron-like Cells
No full textRecent progress in stem cell research has demonstrated the therapeutic potential for stem cells to repair the damage in humans that results from injury, degenerative disorders, and cellular abnormalities. Researchers frequently culture stem cells for prolonged periods of time and must verify that their stem cell properties are maintained during the extensive culturing. For optimal use of stem cell cultures in studies and therapies, laboratories would benefit from inexpensive, timely indicators of a cell line’s stemness. Using human adult stem cells, specifically human hematopoietic stem cells (hHSCs), this thesis examines two mitochondrial characteristics as possible biomarkers for stemness: perinuclear location of mitochondria within the cytoplasm and low ATP content per cell as compared to differentiated cells. We find that early passage hHSCs are characterized by a perinuclear arrangement of mitochondria. As opposed to 21% of transdifferentiated cells, 98% of the hHSCs (Passage 1 or 2) have perinuclear mitochondrial distribution. Further, we hypothesized that lower ATP content in stem cells could be a biomarker for stemness: however, contrary to this prediction, the transdifferentiated cells, instead, have lower ATP/cell content when compared to the stem cells (1.78 vs. 0.55 pmoles ATP/cell). Though this difference in ATP measures between undifferentiated and differentiated cells is found not to be statistically significant (P=0.07), these findings suggest that a lowering of ATP content could be related to differentiation into neuron-like cells. In this study, we also describe the morphological changes occurring with transdifferentiation of human hematopoietic-derived stem cells into neuron-like cells. In addition, we determine that appropriate cell markers for transdiffenentiation into neurons are the expression of polymerized neurofilaments and the loss of expression of the cell surface glycoprotein CD34, a purported marker of hematopoietic stem cells. This work represents a number of first studies on human adult stem cells, most importantly, 1) the first evaluation of two mitochondrial characteristics as possible biomarkers for stemness, 2) the first report of the ability of hematopoietic-derived stem cells to transdifferentiate into neuron-like cells, 3) the first study to determine that the presence of neurofilament protein alongside the polymerized form of neurofilaments is a biomarker for stemness, and 4) the first report examining whether mitochondrial morphology is related to the potential of stem cells to differentiate.Master of Arts (MA)Biological and Environmental Science
Taking the Scenic Route
No full textThis thesis examines the writer's journey during her first two years of college. Through humor and honesty, this collection of personal essays chronologically documents several experiences that may differ from those of her peers, such as the anxiety of living with new girls, moving across the country to follow love, and learning the importance of human connection through unexpected circumstances
Day Dreamer
No full textThis project is the completed short story, Day Dreamer. Amy Rigby, the story's narrator, uses her wit and imagination to escape from her home life where her lonely father ignores her after the death of her twin sister, Bianca. Amy and her best friend, Jack Kreuger, like to explore behind the old, abandoned insane asylum in town: Cedar Falls. The pair discovers a hole that leads to it, and they find themselves trapped in the institution. Amy is a patient under careful watch, and Jack is a simple orderly. Life in "The Falls" juxtaposes Amy's reality in Elmore, Vermont. Amy needs to decide whether it's better to be crazy, or forgotten. Or, was it just a dream
Normalcy: A Collection of Short Stories
No full textNormalcy is a collection of short stories that explores how human relationships emotionally damage one or both parties. The stories follow the relationships of four people who, on the outside, would be considered "normal" members of society. Just below the normal surface, though, lie devastating wounds that raise the question: are these individuals the ones inflicting damage or are they the damaged ones