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Laboratory And Field Performance Of The Biosand Point Of Use Water Filtration System In The Artibonite Valley, Haiti, Andrew John Sisson

Masters Theses

The research presented here is summary two years of studying the Biosand filter (BSF) both in Haiti during March 2011 and in the laboratory. In Chapter 2, we examined the long term use and sustainability 55 BSF systems near Deschapelles, Haiti and 47% were found to be no longer in use. Interviews with BSF owners revealed problems related to intermittent filter use. A review of 17 BSF field studies also was included to compare and substantiate observations made in Haiti. Together, previous field studies and our observations point toward the importance of providing culturally appropriate technologies and education materials explaining …

Impact Of Rearing Conditions On The Microbiological Quality Of Retail Poultry Meat, Bridgshe Hardy

Masters Theses

Poultry and poultry products are a leading source of foodborne pathogens and illnesses. The rearing conditions of poultry can be an influential factor on the presence of foodborne pathogens including Campylobacter and Salmonella because some types of rearing practices have increased risks in terms of biosecurity. However, there is a gap in knowledge of food safety in raw chicken products and no studies have reported the microbiological quality of turkeys produced under different rearing environments. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare conventionally and organically-reared whole chicken and turkey carcasses purchased from three retail outlets in Knoxville, TN. …

Adipose Tissue's Potential Role As A Reproductive Or Lactation Endocrine Gland, Megan Gray Macdougal

Masters Theses

While adipose tissue secretes hormones related to nutrition and metabolism, a few studies have provided evidence suggesting a direct reproductive role from adipose-derived products. The goal of this study was to determine if adipose tissue serves as a reproductive or lactation endocrine gland. Adipose tissue was associated with the reproductive tract of mature female cows in two locations, mesosalpinx and mesometrium (tissues supporting the oviduct and uterus, respectively), in varying amounts. Using quantitative polymerase chain reaction on a non-descript pool of cows, LHβ, CGA, PRL, FST, and LEP transcripts were demonstrated to be present in mesosalpinx, subcutaneous, visceral, and peri-renal …

Demographics And Seasonal Abundance Of Sportfish In Three Thermal Habitats Of Coffeen Lake, Anthony Paul Porreca

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Compatibility Of Essential Oils With The Biocontrol Fungus, Beauveria Bassiana, Wanjing Liu

Masters Theses

The tomato seedling damping-off pathogens Rhizoctonia and Pythium have the potential to cause severe loss in the greenhouse and field. Both seed application of Beauveria bassiana and soil amendment with bioactive monarda herbages are sustainable approaches that can play a role in suppressing damping-off of tomato seedlings. The objectives of this research were to determine the compatibility of essential oils and B. bassiana, and to determine the impact of the two when used together as a seed treatment in greenhouse experiments.

Different concentrations of five essential oils that were active against damping-off pathogens (cymene, carvacrol, thymol, borneol, and geraniol) …

The Rise And Fall Of Kin Structure In The Neotropical, Family-Living Buff-Breasted Wren (Cantorchilus Leucotis) In Gamboa, Panama, Sarah C. Alessi

Masters Theses

Family-living species provide an exciting model to examine how natal dispersal and kin structure influence genetic structuring within local populations. Juvenile buff-breasted wrens (Cantorchilus leucotis) of both sexes delay dispersal and exhibit short-distance natal dispersal, which should lead to kin-structured populations in which relatives of both sexes occupy neighboring territories. Blood samples collected from juvenile and adult wrens in Gamboa, Panama were analyzed using microsatellite markers to determine whether related individuals are spatially clustered on neighboring territories, spatial clusters of relatives change over time, and if kin structure is sex-specific. Global and local spatial autocorrelation analyses detected genetic …

Early Arrest Mutant Ogre: A Defect In Cytokineis Caused By A Mutation In The Gene Racgap1, April Wicklund

Masters Theses

The early arrest mutant ogre, isolated in the Tübingen screen, has a block in cytokinesis (Kane et al., 1996). Here I use genetic and molecular techniques to demonstrate that the ogre phenotype is caused by a lesion in the gene encoding Racgap1. I performed fine mapping studies using microsatellite markers to a 0.15 cM region containing the ogre locus. DNA sequence data revealed a nonsense mutation in the Racgap1 gene of ogre mutants, and in situ hybridization experiments showed a loss of racgap1 mRNA at later stages of development, likely by nonsense mediated decay. This evidence supports the abolishment …

The Effects Of Leucine On Mitochondrial Biogenesis And Cell Cycle In A-375 Melanoma Cells, Tia Marie Filhiol

Masters Theses

Most cancer cells undergo the Warburg effect, a shift from oxidative to glycolytic metabolism accompanied by suppression of p53. We have demonstrated leucine stimulation of mitochondrial biogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, and p53 expression in both muscle and fat cells. Accordingly, we now sought to determine if leucine stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis and exit from cell cycle in A-375 melanoma cells. Because these cells use glucose as their primary substrate, cells were grown under both standard (11.1 mM) and reduced (5.5 mM) glucose conditions. Increasing glucose reduced mitochondrial mass 50-60%, and accelerated cell proliferation by ~20%. Leucine (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 …

Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation: Evaluation Of Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation (Asd) For Warm-Season Vegetable Production In Tennessee, David Grant Mccarty

Masters Theses

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) is a non-chemical, pre-plant soil treatment recently developed for control of pests such as soilborne plant pathogens, plant-parasitic nematodes, and weeds in specialty crop systems. Soil treatment by ASD includes incorporating a labile carbon (C) source, tarping with plastic, and irrigation of the topsoil to saturation to facilitate the development of strongly anaerobic soil conditions driven by soil microbes. Processes occurring during the anaerobic decomposition of the added C source have been reported control plant pests. The goal of this project was to evaluate and adapt the ASD procedure to environmental conditions and production systems in …

Role Of Beta-Hydroxy-Beta-Methylbutyrate (Hmb) In Leucine Stimulation Of Mitochondrial Biogenesis And Fatty Acid Oxidation, Renee Ashley Stancliffe

Masters Theses

Mitochondrial dysfunction and the resulting oxidative stress is widely recognized as a contributing factor to the development of numerous pathophysiologies including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sarcopenia, liver disease, dementia, amongst others. Mitochondrial dysfunction results in a reduced mitochondrial number and oxidative capacity, causing an increase in free radical production and consequently oxidative stress. As such, the characterization of compounds that can upregulate mitochondrial biogenesis and function could provide the foundation for the development of therapeutic nutraceuticals that promote mitochondrial health, and consequently reduce oxidative stress. Leucine is well recognized to stimulate muscle protein synthesis, and we have recently demonstrated that …

Geographic Variation In The Lower Temperature Tolerance In The Invasive Brown Anole, Anolis Sagrei And The Native Green Anole, Anolis Carolinensis (Sauria: Polychrotidae), Laura Carolina Maria Rubio

Masters Theses

Invasive species are considered to be the second greatest threat to native biodiversity and several factors have been identified as contributing to the success of introduced species, including their initial genetic variation and the ability of populations to adapt to a new environment. Temperature has a significant impact on reptilian ecology and distribution since they ordinarily rely on external heat sources for the maintenance of body temperatures suitable for normal activity. Body temperature affects performance in these organisms given its importance for all aspects of behavior, locomotion, courtship and rates of feeding and growth. Critical thermal tolerances can, therefore, give …

Fatty Acid Synthase 1 In Candida Albicans Virulence And The In Vitro Effects Of Fluconazole, Tetracycline In Combinatorial Therapy, Marissa Mandy Rodrigues

Masters Theses

Candida albicans, the causative agent of superficial and invasive mycoses, is a significant fungal pathogen associated with high mortality rates and considerable health-related costs. The most effective class of antifungals used for the treatment of candidiasis includes polyenes, echinocandins and azoles. However with the emergence of resistant strains, new antifungals are warranted for the effective treatment of candidiasis. Genes involved in biosynthetic enzymatic pathways that regulate metabolic processes are important for the survival of pathogenic fungi and can thus be exploited for the development of better antifungals. Fatty acid synthase 1, which is involved in the de novo biosynthesis of …

The Impacts Of Surface Mining Restoration Efforts On Soil Dwelling Nematode Communities In The Appalachian Region, Haley Shae Smith

Masters Theses

Traditional restoration of post mining sites in the southeastern U.S. utilizes methods that discourage above and below-ground succession of native floral and faunal communities. Recent advances in mining restoration techniques proposed by the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative (ARRI) have improved above-ground plant succession and growth rates in reclaimed sites by developing the Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA), a process that discourages substrate compaction and encourages native plant succession. The below-ground component of these reclaimed areas remains undescribed, however. Below-ground invertebrate communities in mining restoration sites have been largely ignored, despite their potential importance to the long-term recovery of these profoundly disturbed …

Exploring Anaerobic Reductive Dechlorination At Low Ph Environments, Yi Yang

Masters Theses

Chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs), such as tetrachloroethene (PCE) and trichloroethene (TCE), are ubiquitously pollutants in aquifer sediments and groundwater due to their heavy usage in industry and inappropriate disposal in the last century. Among about 1300 NPL (National Priorities List) sites, PCE and TCE are the two most frequently detected hazardous contaminants.

Engineered bioremediation, including biostimulation and bioaugmentation, is a promising technology to clean those PCE and/or TCE contaminated sites. However, in many contaminated groundwater systems and hazardous waste sites, pH can be lower than 5 to 6. And release of HCl (strong acid) from anaerobic reductive dechlorination may lower …

Origin Of Great Lakes Brown Trout, Salmo Trutta: A Phylogeographic Analysis Using Mtdna Sequence Variation, David Baisch

Masters Theses

The brown trout, Salmo trutta, was first introduced to the Laurentian Great Lakes in 1887 from European broodstocks to found a recreational salmonid fishery; however, the origins of these progenitor lineages remain largely unknown. Trout from these regions are very specialized to their native habitats and matching North American stocks to similar watersheds may help increase survivability by introducing the stock to a more appropriate environment. The objective of this study was to determine the European origins of brown trout found in the Great Lakes. We analyzed 144 brown trout from ten watersheds across Michigan and Wisconsin and identified …

Winter Habitat Selection And Genetic Relatedness Of Southern Flying Squirrels In Southwest Michigan, Sheila M. Miara

Masters Theses

Few studies have examined winter habitat selection for southern flying squirrels (Glaucomys volans) in northern latitudes where winter conditions are harsher than southern latitudes and resource availability is particularly limiting. Winter den tree characteristics and use by 19 southern flying squirrels (10 females and 9 males) were investigated from November through February in 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. The mean home range size using 100% minimum convex polygon for 18 individuals was 3.40 ha (±0.46 0.46 SE) and there was no significant difference between genders (P= 0.56) or ages (P=0.50). The mean 95% fixed kernel home range size was 0.15 …

Catalytic Engineering Of The Flagellin Protein, Alexandra M. Haase

Masters Theses

Flagellin is the protein monomer that comprises the bacterial flagella for most bacteria, including Salmonella typhimurium. This protein has attracted attention for protein engineering because it is exported out of the cell, polymerized into stable fibers, is produced in large quantities and is relatively simple to purify. Using rational design with computer modeling, potential active sites in the flagellin protein structure were modeled after the human carbonic anhydrase II tetrahedral zinc binding site. In total, three locations were selected as potential active sites and the necessary mutations were successfully introduced. Flagella formation for the flagellin variants was demonstrated through …

The Relationship Between Coping, Stress, And Breastfeeding Outcomes, Angela Nicole Sberna

Masters Theses

Background: Breastfeeding is the optimal form of nutrition for infants in their first year of life. While the benefits of breastfeeding are numerous, national rates remain below professional recommendations. Multiple barriers to breastfeeding have been identified, including various sociodemographic, psychosocial, and biomedical and health-carerelated barriers. Maternal stress may be another barrier, as it has been previously associated with breastfeeding outcomes. Coping strategies are used to manage the demands of a stressful environment and can be categorized as problem- or emotion-focused. Emotion regulation emerged from the coping literature, but describes a unique set of techniques that affect the emotion-generating process. Social …

Applicability Of Pigment Compounds For Reducing Light Stress In Bentgrass, Gregory Keith Bartley

Masters Theses

Chlorinated copper phthalocyanine (Signature) and pulverized cells of Chlorella vulgaris (Chlorella) were evaluated in a controlled environment for their ability to act as photoprotectants under supraoptimal levels of ultraviolet (UV) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) when applied to plant leaves. Plant pigment changes were documented using High Performance Liquid Chromatography following 1 week of exposure to supraoptimal light in two separate experiments incorporating UV (106.6 μmol m-2 s-1) and PAR (760.6 μmol m-2 s-1) over a 12h photoperiod. Supraoptimal levels of UV and PAR light were found to cause significant reductions in Agrostis palustris chlorophyll and carotenoid leaf pigment levels. …

Avian Habitat Response To Grazing, Haying, And Biofuels Production In Native Warm-Season Forages In The Mid-South, Jessie Lee Birckhead

Masters Theses

Declines in grassland birds have been attributed to loss of habitat, habitat degradation, and changes in land management. In the Mid-South, pasture and hayfield management has focused on maintaining dense stands of non-native forages that do not provide suitable vegetative structure for grassland birds or northern bobwhite. Native warm-season grasses have been promoted for livestock forage and biofuels feedstock. However, little information exists on how these practices affect habitat for grassland songbirds or northern bobwhite in the Mid-South. We conducted a study of two cattle grazing treatments, two hay harvest treatments and a biofuels harvest treatment on vegetative structure for …

Factors Influencing Precision Farming Technology Adoption Over Time In Southern U.S. Cotton Production, Pattarawan Watcharaanantapong

Masters Theses

This study analyzed factors of farm and farmer characteristics that influenced the timing of PF technology adoption using Trivariate Tobit models for three PF technologies. Data from the Cotton Incorporated Southern Precision Farming (PF) Survey conducted in February and March of 2009 for the 2008 crop year were analyzed for PF adoption by Southern U.S. Cotton Producers. The number of years a cotton farmer had used yield monitoring (YMR), remote sensing (RMS) and grid soil sampling (GSS) were the dependent variables and farm and farmer characteristics were the independent variables.

Results of Trivariate Tobit model for YMR suggested that younger …

Angiotensinogen Gene Silencing Reduces Lipid Accumulation And Inflammation In Cultured 3t3-L1 Adipocytes, Wenting Xin Carroll

Masters Theses

Obesity is characterized by metabolic complications which are related to several life-threatening diseases. Dysregulated inflammatory adipokines secretion from adipose tissue is believed as the major contributor to obesity-associated local and systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, and other metabolic dysfunctions.

Numerous studies in our lab and others pointed to the role of local adipose tissue renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the pathogenesis of obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance. We hypothesized that adipocytes-derived angiotensinogen (Agt) played a critical role in adipogenesis and/or lipogenesis as well as adipose inflammation. To test, we established 3T3-L1 preadipocytes stably transfected with Agt-shRNA or scrambled sequence (Sc-shRNA). Transfected preadipocytes …

Design And Synthesis Of Boronic Acid-Based Sensors For Microarray Analysis And Fret-Detection To Study Carbohydrates, Yilin Wang

Masters Theses

Carbohydrates play significant roles in various biological and pathological processes such as cancer metastasis and inflammation. They participate in various signaling pathways and are able to bind to a litany of biological receptors such as proteins and viruses. Biologists have known for decades that the structure of glycans changes with the onset of cancer and inflammation. Due to these important activities, carbohydrate sensing has long been a focus of research. One example of such a carbohydrate sensor is boronic acid-based sensors. Boronic acid-based sensors are of particular interest due to their selectivity for 1,2- or 1,3-diols. A variety of techniques …

Designing Protein Expression And Purification Systems For Recombinant Z Alpha1-Antitrypsin Using The Methylotrophic Yeast, Pichia Pastoris, Monique Jenaie Lemieux

Masters Theses

It is well established that improper protein folding often leads to the formation of aggregates whose consequences are cellular impairment and cell death. One example of this is the aggregation of the mutant Z Alpha1-Antitrypsin protein, which results in blocking of its secretion due to inclusion body formation. This can contribute not only to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease but also to hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Current treatments are principally limited to intravenous Alpha1-Antitrypsin therapy and organ transplantation. In the scientific community though, it is widely thought that more effective forms of treatments lie within the polymerization …

Characterization Of The Che4 Signal Transduction Pathway In Taxis Behaviors Of Azospirillum Brasilense, Dhivya Kumar

Masters Theses

Azospirillum brasilense is a gram negative, soil diazotroph that colonizes the roots of agronomically important crops. Studies have shown that swimming motility is an important trait for its survival and colonization of plant roots by these bacteria. Taxis responses, such as chemotaxis and aerotaxis, depend on the ability of the organism to bias its movements in the presence of gradients. The recently sequenced genome of A. brasilense has been shown to possess four chemotaxis operons, but the dominant pathway that modulates swimming behavior by affecting swimming bias in this organism is unknown. Characterization of one of the chemotaxis operons, Che1, …

Heritability And Genetic Gain Of Seed Protein, Oil, And Yield Among Ril Of Soybean, Benjamin T. Wiggins

Masters Theses

Soybean is a remarkable crop that is used in many aspects of our everyday lives. The seed protein is used primarily for livestock feed, though it is becoming more available as a meat substitute for human consumption. Soybean oil is used in many products such as plastics, foods, and industrial products. Seed yield is the major trait that is selected for in a breeding program. A population of 239 F₄ derived RIL from the cross of USG 5601T × U99-310255 was used to calculate heritability estimates by parent offspring regression and on an entry mean basis. This population was …

The Mother-Infant Dyad Study: A Grounded Theory Inquiry Into The Day-To-Day Experiences, Between First-Time Mothers And Their Infants, That Influence Feeding Practices, Jennifer Jean Helvey

Masters Theses

Background: Inappropriate infant-feeding practices linked to excessive, rapid, early weight gain, are potentially powerful intervention points for reducing risk of later obesity. Understanding how and why these behaviors begin is currently the topic of much research. Because breastfeeding has been found to be somewhat protective against early rapid gain, and because low-income, Southeastern U.S. populations are significantly less likely to initiate and maintain breastfeeding, it is critical to focus efforts in these populations. Grounded theory methodology provides the optimal theoretical underpinnings for exploring development of these practices.

Research Objective: The objective was to explore, using grounded theory methodology, the set …

Diffuse Interactions Between Symbiotic Bacteria And Salamanders, Amanda Lee Allison

Masters Theses

A growing body of evidence indicates that all animals and plants have intimate associations (symbioses) with microbes. Scientific opinion has shifted from viewing microbes primarily as pathogens to the idea that healthy animals and plants carry specialized communities of coevolving microorganisms. However, the generality of this proposition is unknown because surveys rarely compare host-associated microbial assemblages with those of similar host species or free-living assemblages in relevant microhabitats. To evaluate the specificity and consistency of microbial associations in salamanders, I analyzed just over 3.6 million 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequences from paired samples from host-associated bacteria on the skin of …

Generation Of Tanapoxvirus Ankyrin Repeat Gene Deletion Mutant For Evaluating Its Role In Cell Tropism, Yogesh Suryawanshi

Masters Theses

The host range of poxviruses is highly regulated and is limited to certain hosts. A number of genes in different poxviruses have been identified that contribute to cell tropism. The ankyrin (ANK) repeat genes encode for proteins characterized by the repetitive motifs in its amino acid sequence. These genes have been found to play a role in determining the ability of poxviruses to replicate in certain cell types. Tanapoxvirus (TPV) Kenya genome analysis indicated the presence of six ANK repeat genes of which T146R, T147R and T148R are present in the terminal part of the TPV-Kenya genome. To understand the …

The Epidemiology Of Puccinia Emaculata (Rust) In Switchgrass And Evaluation Of The Mycoparasite Sphaerellopsis Filum As A Potential Biological Control Organism For Switchgrass Rust., Jonathan Allen Black

Masters Theses

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm-season, perennial grass, whose native range includes the entire United States and north into Canada, excluding areas along the pacific coast. Recently, symptoms and signs of rust disease (Puccinia emaculata) have been observed on agronomic switchgrass, which include chlorosis of leaf tissue, necrosis, lodging, and plant death.

To evaluate disease progress of switchgrass rust, in four fields, individual leaves of twenty-five switchgrass plants were rated once per week for fifteen weeks over two growing seasons for disease severity. Rust was first observed on Julian day 166 and 152 in 2010 and …