Out of Sight, Out of Mind: A Historical Fiction Detailing the Trauma of Mental Institutions in the mid 1940’s

Out of Sight, Out of Mind is a historical fiction that details the trauma of one character, Francie, when she is admitted to a mental institution against her will in mid-1940’s America. Francie suffers from severe bipolar depression, which was poorly understood and had little treatments during this time. Different characters take turns narrating this piece, demonstrating how different perspectives can provide insight into the same circumstance. Francie’s family must cope with complicated family relationships and mental illness throughout this narrative, which serves as the first segment of a future novel

Teen tendencies

Adolescents sort their choices, discovering appeals, perils and payoffs.Story by Dawn Klingensmith ; illustrations by Elizabeth Brandt

Rancorous rose

Sarah McClendon, White House correspondent and self-professed "East Texas Rose," is downright thorny in her dealings with presidents

The next generation

Parents hand down their college of choice to the next generation.Story by Dawn Klingensmith ; photos by Rob Hil

99mTc-DTPA and 131I-hippuran findings in liver transplant recipients treated with cyclosporin A.

The effects of cyclosporin A (CyA), an immunosuppressive agent that is potentially nephrotoxic, on the kidneys of 9 liver transplant recipients were studied with serial 99mTc-DTPA and 131I-hippuran scans. In addition, renal function was determined by measuring serum creatinine levels during the second postoperative week in the 9 unselected CyA-treated patients and, retrospectively, in a control group of 29 liver transplant recipients who had not been treated with CyA and who were selected because they had survived for at least 3 months postoperatively. The early postoperative creatinine level was significantly greater in the CyA group. Eight of the 9 CyA patients showed imaging abnormalities in all preoperative and postoperative studies. Five of the 8 patients showed a pattern similar to that of acute tubular necrosis (relatively preserved perfusion) in at least one study. Lowering the dosage of CyA permitted the continuation of therapy, and all 9 patients are alive after 8 to 14 months

Nitrogen dynamics in primary successional soils on the Tanana River of interior Alaska

Thesis (Ph.D.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1988As succession determines the patterns of ecosystem development, it also provides a temporal framework in which to investigate the controls of nitrogen-cycling. The object of this study was to examine patterns of nitrogen-cycling within primary successional soils. Estimates of N mineralization, nitrogen fixation, and denitrification were made within open shrub, alder, and white spruce stands, representing early, mid-, and late successional stages, respectively. Net NH\sb4\sp+ mineralization and net nitrification, measured using the polyethylene bag technique, were significantly different between sites and among forest floors and mineral soils. The alder forest floor had the highest observed mineralization rates, $<$1-21 ug N $\cdot$ g dry soil\sp{-1} $\cdot$ d\sp{-1}, with the white spruce forest floor exhibiting rates of $<$1-2 and mineral soils $<$1. Seasonal patterns of N mineralization were more pronounced in the alder forest floor: high net NH\sb4\sp+ mineralization in early summer and high net nitrification in late summer. Immobilization of nitrogen was observed at all sites. Laboratory studies indicate temperature as a limiting factor of N mineralization in early and mid-successional stages, while both temperature and moisture were limiting in later succession. Laboratory studies suggest heterotrophic nitrification may be important in the alder forest floor. Denitrification activity was low to undetectable at all sites, the highest observed rate was in alder forest floor samples, 220 g N $\cdot$ ha\sp{-1} $\cdot$ d\sp{-1}. Potential denitrification was low, the alder forest floor exhibited the highest rate, 3.4 Kg N $\cdot$ ha\sp{-1} $\cdot$ d\sp{-1}. Laboratory studies indicated denitrification was more limited by carbon and NO\sb3\sp- than temperature or moisture. Nonsymbiotic nitrogen fixation was low to undetectable and highly variable. The highest observed nitrogenase activity was associated with alder root nodules, 163 Kg N $\cdot$ ha\sp{-1} $\cdot$ yr\sp{-1}

Investigating the Role of Mechanical Properties in Biological Systems

There is considerable interest in measuring, with nanoscale spatial resolution, the physical and material properties of biological membranes and whole cells because of their role in the physiology of living systems. The atomic force microscope (AFM) has proven to be particularly well-suited for biological studies because samples can be maintained in near physiological conditions to preserve sample integrity (such as in a buffer solution at a physiologically relevant pH or temperature), and the imaging process is relatively nondestructive. In this work, the mechanical properties of supported lipid bilayers and neurons were examined using AFM-based techniques. Specifically, tapping mode AFM-based techniques were used to investigate the influence of lipid composition and temperature fluctuations on the physicomechanical properties of supported lipid bilayers. Topographic images were produced by tapping mode AFM, while additional compositional contrast and mechanical information was gained from phase contrast imaging, higher harmonic imaging, and scanning probe acceleration microscopy (SPAM). Importantly, all of this data was acquired simultaneously during the tapping mode AFM imaging process and the same imaging parameters were used for each experiment so that fair mechanical comparisons could be made across experiments. Lastly, force-distance curves and force volume imaging were used to better understand the effect of microtubule disruption or stabilization on the toxic ability of amyloid-beta1-42 aggregates, which are implicated in the development of Alzheimer\u27s disease. Overall, the work presented in this dissertation improved techniques for studies in mechanobiology and examined how biologically relevant factors affect the mechanical properties of lipid membranes or whole cells

Sediment nitrification, denitrification, and nitrous oxide production in an arctic lake

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 198