Wheaton College (MA) Digital Repository
Not a member yet
3441 research outputs found
Sort by
In vitro methyl mercury decreases axon abundance.
No full text7 pages; color illustrations.Includes bibliographical references
Patterns of ciliary retraction in echinoid embryos.
No full text74 leaves : illustrations.Bibliography: leaves 71-74.In this study sea urchin embryos were used to investigate how cilia are disassembled and to investigate the role that cilia play in cell division. A retraction mechanism was proposed in which the ciliary axoneme is entirely withdrawn into the cell cytoplasm before it is completely disassembled. This mechanism may be mediated by a cortically-localized, plus-end directed motor protein. To determine biochemical distributions of the axoneme and mitotic spindle, a ratiometric imaging technique was developed. Analysis of ratiometric images suggests that the axoneme is destabilized by a deacetylase enzyme which may function to regulate the levels of alpha-tubulin and acetylated tubulin present in the mitotic spindle. The use of ratiometric imaging will be useful for future experiments that investigate the role of other post-translational modifications to tubulin. This study reports the identification of two distinct retraction modes which appear to be independent of cilia subtype or length
Paradox surrounding the commodifications of Andean quinoa.
No full textIn a world in which populations will only continue to grow, there is a pressing concern to find sustainable, nutritional and affordable food sources. The United Nations deemed 2013 as the International Year of Quinoa, establishing the ancient crop as a key solution to dwindling food security. It is believed that the Andean seed will contribute to food security and sovereignty due to its nutritional quality, genetic variability, low production cost, and adaptability to adverse climate and soil conditions. However, paradoxically, the increasing global demand for quinoa may actually sicken and impoverish the very communities that produce this super food. By using official government data and community case studies, I look at the quinoa paradox from two sides: the extent to which the seed has been managed at the community- and state-levels, and the effect that the growing international commodification of quinoa has had on the economy, environment and overall health of the Andean societies that produce it. Inspired by a series of news articles published earlier this year, this work aims to add depth and clarity to the complicated and multifaceted role that quinoa plays in the world today and what role our decisions as international consumers play in the welfare of those who produce our goods.Bibliography: leaves 119-125.A superfood destined to aid world food security -- Historical management of quinoa -- Conceptualizing the paradox -- The international year of quinoa : a future sown a thousand years ago -- Analyzing the success of the international year of quinoa
Vision's role in the ability of cane toads to absorb landing forces.
No full texti, 49 leaves : illustrations.Bibliography: leaves 47-49.In order to stick a landing, the propulsive forces and acceleration experienced during take off must be completely dissipated as the body completely decelerates. The cane toad (Bufo marinus) is an ideal model for looking at joint kinematics along with coordination upon landing, due to the fact that they control their entire landing using only their fore limbs. Since hopping is the main form of locomotion for anurans, they are frequently using this motor control in order to put together successive hops. Failure to prepare for and dissipate the large landing forces could seriously injure the toad. This study focuses o two main objectives. The first objective is to determine the normal landing force profile of the cane toad. This profile will act as the baseline for the second objective, which is to determine the role of vision in force dissipation during level hops. Both of these objectives were examined using hop experiments along with a three-dimensional force plate to collect the force profiles. I looked at both forelimb and hind limb kinematics during the landing process, along with the anticipatory muscle recruitment used by anurans to determine the motor patterns of each of the six toads used. The optic nerve of each toad was severed in order to test the necessity of vision in the ability to safely land while remaining balanced. Without vision the toads were still able to successfully control the anticipatory tuning of their muscles. Along with muscle recruitment, learning and feedback during takeoff from other sensory systems, including the vestibular and proprioceptive systems, were enough to compensate for the loss in vision
Landfills and their environmental impacts.
No full text4 pages; illustrations.Includes bibliographical references
Portraits of a humdrum life : an exploration of domesticity
No full texti, 41 leaves.Bibliography: leaf 41."My paintings are snapshots of daily life, fleeting moments that are neither tragic nor euphoric. While representing various decades of American family life, they are ordinary. Whether it is my sisters dressed up for Halloween, my father with his first guitar, or my wonderful grandparents attending a party, they all reflect the same notion of simplicity. Through my oil paintings, I hope to display the beauty of real life. They are not dramatic, not quite cookie-cutter, but they are home. Oil paint, in the same sense, can be freeing, frustrating, unpredictable, and therapeutic. With a medium to match, these illustrations identify the imperfect perfection of my family through time. These images fall onto the wall as if spilled from an overflowing shoebox of aged photographs. When the dust settles, the faces and figures take form to create interconnected characters from my life. Their expressions and demeanors make them buzz with a tangible vibrancy. It is this energy I seek to portray, in hopes that the honesty of this collection will inspire viewers to feel familiarity and comfort. With life as complex as the oil paint on the wall, it’s nice to know there will be thousands of humdrum days when life simply is. There is an understated and peaceful equilibrium to be found in those moments. I can only hope that these paintings of home evoke that same harmonious balance.
Antidepressants and the future of changing your brain.
No full text3 pages; illustrations.Includes bibliographical references
Biofouling of artificial structures.
No full text3 pages; illustrations.Includes bibliographical references