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The Health And Nutrition Of Migrant Farm Workers In South Carolina, Abel Caballero

All Theses

ABSTRACT
Migrant farm workers--a high percentage of which are Hispanic--are an extremely disadvantaged population that experiences several barriers, including language, nutrition, transportation, and access to health services. This population also suffers from numerous diseases (obesity, diabetes, and heart disease) and experiences various hazards associated with risky work, such as pesticide exposure. This study included data collection on basic health and nutrition barriers to identify areas where programs and policies can be modified to better serve migrant farm workers. In addition, data was examined to determine the effect of all-inclusive educational intervention on nutrition, dental, fitness, and food safety issues by …

World Revision Of The Genus Triaenodes (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae), Junmi Hur

All Dissertations

One genus, Triaenodes of the long-horned caddisfly family Leptoceridae includes approximately 245 species globally and is cosmopolitan in distribution, occurring in all major faunal regions. The species of the genus, along with other species of caddisflies, are especially sensitive to pollution and are used by developed countries to monitor water quality.
Two hundred twenty-one species are reviewed and an additional 9 species are new to science. Twenty-six species groups are recognized in these subgenera of Triaenodes. The genus Triaenodes is divided here into seven monophyletic subgenera. The subgenus Ylodes Milne, 1934, has 15 species distributed in the Australasian, East …

The Effects Of Suspended Sediment On The Aquatic Organisms Daphnia Magna And Pimephales Promelas, Neil Capper

All Theses

Land use change results in significant amounts of soil migrating into aquatic streams during storm events. This suspended sediment, even in the absence of adsorbed contaminants, may be a significant stressor to aquatic organisms. The data on ecological effects of suspended sediment has mainly focused on salmonids or ecosystem level consequences such as habitat alteration. Few studies have quantified physiologic effects of suspended solids on water column organisms. The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of suspended clay on Daphnia magna and Pimephales promelas. Results of 7 d toxicity tests with D. magna in natural and …

Pro-Inflammatory Properties Of Flavobacterium Columnare Cells And Products On Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) Neutrophils, Shannon Billings

All Theses

Flavobacterium columnare and Edwardsiella ictaluri are the leading causes for losses in the aquaculture industry. The losses from the diseases caused by these pathogens total $2.5 million for catfish and $100 million for total aquaculture. F. columnare's infection rates and stressors associated with outbreaks have been well-characterized, but the specific inflammatory responses of catfish neutrophils to the bacteria have not been studied. The objective, therefore, was to investigate the pro-inflammatory effects of the outer membrane proteins, extracellular products, and whole live bacteria, heat-killed (HK), and formalin-killed (FK) F. columnare and E. ictaluri to determine the effects on channel catfish phagocyte …

Revision Of The Males Of The Hydrospyche Scalaris Group In North America (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae), James Korecki

All Theses

The genus Hydrospsyche Pictet sensu stricto in North America is divided into three species groups, the Hydrospyche cuanis Ross Group Ross, the Hydropsyche depravata Hagen Group Ross, and the Hydropsyche scalaris Hagen Group Banks. Thirty-one of thirty-six described species are recognized in the Hydropsyche scalaris Group. Examination of adult males resulted in 5 junior subjective synonyms and one possible new species based on a single exemplar from Sevier County, Utah. Hydropsyche bidens Ross 1938, H. orris Ross 1938, and H. alvata Denning 1949 are junior synonyms of Hydropsyche incommoda Hagen 1861. Hydrospyche rossi Flint, Voshell and Parker, 1979 and H. …

Comparison Of Bioactivities And Composition Of Curcumin-Free Turmeric (Curcuma Longa L.) Oils From Different Sources, Yongxiang Yu

All Theses

Composition, antioxidant capacities and cell inhibition properties of curcumin-free turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) oils from different sources were evaluated by chromatographic method, two different in vitro antioxidative activity assays (DPPH* free radical scavenging assay and reducing power assay) and two different cancer cell lines (Caco-2 and MCF-7). Turmeric oil A (TOA) contains zingiberene, turmerone, and ar-turmerone, while turmeric oil B (TOB) contains 1-phellandrene and α-terpinolene as the major compounds. The antioxidant tests showed that both turmeric oils possessed strong free radical scavenging activities and high reducing powers compared with standard antioxidants such as BHT and commercial rosemary oil (RO). …

Heat Inactivation Of Thermo-Resistant Bacteria Isolated From Poultry Offal, Lina Ramirez-Lopez

All Theses

ABSTRACT The presence of thermo-resistant bacteria in products from the rendering industry is a concern in the United States because only about 80% of the rendering industries use thermal processing to eliminate bacteria. The objective of this study was to determine the thermal inactivation characteristics of thermo-resistant bacteria from raw rendering materials. Ground beef with 21% protein, 19% fat, and 60% moisture was used as a model media to simulate raw rendering material. Raw animal co-products were heated at 91, 95, 96¡C for 90 min, then surviving bacteria were recovered. These heat resistant isolates were inoculated into meat samples then …

Child Feeding Practices And Nutrition Education Needs Of The Latino Population In South Carolina, Claire Kirkpatrick

All Theses

The Latino population in South Carolina is rapidly growing. Much of this population is low-income and many have a low level of education. Latinos have a greater incidence of obesity and the resulting diseases than other ethnicities and Latino children are no exception. It is important to provide nutrition education to caregivers so that child overweight and obesity can be prevented in this population. In order to provide effective nutrition education it is essential to know what behaviors need to be targeted. This study used qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the child feeding practices used by this population to …

Survival, Nesting Success, And Habitat Selection Of Wild Turkey Populations In The Upper Coastal Plain Of South Carolina, William Moore

All Dissertations

Survival, nesting success, and habitat selection of wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) populations in South Carolina were evaluated. The study was conducted on the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. Portions of the study were conducted on Crackerneck Wildlife Management Area and Ecological Reserve (CWMA) on the western portion of SRS. During January through March of 1998 - 2000, 37 hens and 47 gobblers were captured on SRS, and 19 gobblers were captured on CWMA and fitted with radio transmitters. Survival rates between hunted and unhunted wild turkey gobblers were compared to …

Application Of Nanotechnology To Pathogen Detection And Inactivation, Hua Yang

All Dissertations

Listeria monocytogenes is a psychrotrophic, gram-positive pathogen frequently involved in outbreaks of food-borne disease in which milk, cheese, meat, and vegetables represent the incriminated foodstuffs. L. monocytogenes biofilms formed on food contact surfaces and processing environments are the major sources of contamination to ready-to-eat food products. Nanotechnology as an emerging new technology has many biological applications. The objectives of this study were to apply immunonanoparticles, carboxyl modified nanoparticles covalently bound with anti-L. monocytogenes, for L. monocytogenes detection and inactivation. Immunonanopaticles and fluorescent immunonanoparticles were applied to indirect fluorescent immunoassay and direct fluorescent immunoassay, respectively, for sensitive detection of L. monocytogenes …

Long-Term Evaluation Of Liquid Vs. Granular Nitrogen Fertilization On Creeping Bentgrass [Agrostis Stoloniferous L. Var. Palustris Huds.] And Hybrid Bermudagrass [Cynodon Dactylon (L.) Pers. X C. Transvaalensis Burtt-Davy] Performance, Frederick Totten

All Dissertations

Limited turfgrass research comparing the efficiency of foliar to granular fertilizers exists. To expand upon previous research and to determine advantages and disadvantages between dry and liquid fertilizers applied to turf, research was conducted at Clemson University to compare the efficiency of three nitrogen (N) carriers (100% granular, 100% liquid, and 50% granular + 50% liquid) using N rates ranging from 98 to 390 kg ha-1 on growth and performance of creeping bentgrass and ultra-dwarf bermudagrass.

Studies were conducted in 2003 and 2004 to evaluate liquid and/or granular N fertilization on turfgrass quality, clipping yield, and root biomass of `L-93` …

Thatch Control, Winter Painting, And Plant Growth Regulator Management On Golf Course Putting Greens, Steven Long

All Theses

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Natural And Sexual Selection In The Origin And Maintenance Of Divergence Within And Between The Mexican Sailfin Mollies, Poecilia Velifera And P. Petenensis, Shala Hankison

All Dissertations

Understanding speciation remains a holy grail of evolutionary biology. One useful approach is studying the evolutionary mechanisms important in population divergence to infer the mechanisms important in speciation. This method is especially useful when closely related species can be compared to determine whether intraspecific differences parallel interspecific differences. I studied population divergence in two species of Mexican sailfin mollies, Poecilia velifera and P. petenensis. These closely related species are particularly useful for this type of study, as they live in habitats that may differ in the importance of natural selection. In addition, these species may differ in the importance …

Eliminating Listeria Monocytogenes In Packed Ready-To-Eat Poultry Products By Combining In-Package Pasteurization With Nisin And/Or Lysozyme, Sunil Mangalassary

All Dissertations

Listeria monocytogenes is a significant food-borne pathogen particularly associated with ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products which can grow and multiply at refrigeration temperatures. In-package pasteurization is an effective post-lethality intervention to reduce microbial contamination of RTE meat products. Enhancing the efficiency of in-package pasteurization is vital in reducing the L. monocytogenes population as well as in preserving the quality of the meat product. The first section of the dissertation research evaluated the effect of product thickness on the surface heating rate and final surface temperature during in-package pasteurization of vacuum-packaged bologna. Three thicknesses (4, 12, and 20 mm), corresponding …

Identification Of The Rassf3 Gene As A Potential Tumor Suppressor Responsible For The Resistance To Mammary Tumor Development In Mmtv/Neu Transgenic Mice, Isabelle Jacquemart

All Dissertations

The MMTV/neu transgenic mouse line is a well-documented animal model for studying HER2/neu-related breast cancer. It has been reported that a small percentage, approximately 20%, of the virgin female MMTV/neu mice seems resistant to the development of mammary gland adenoma, despite the overexpression of the neu oncogene.
To identify the factors that are responsible for the tumor resistance in these MMTV/neu female transgenic mice, comparative genetic profiling was used to screen the alterations in gene expression in the mammary gland. A novel gene named the RAS Association domain (RalGDS/AF-6) Family 3 (Rassf3), which belongs to a family of RAS effectors …

Phylogeny Of Family Limnephilidae (Insecta: Trichoptera) With Emphasis On Tribe Limnephilini (Subfamily Limnephilinae), Tatyana Vshivkova

All Dissertations

Morphological characters of adults and immature stages of Limnephilidae were analyzed with modern phylogenetic techniques, including traditionally used characters and some that have been poorly investigated or never studied. For the first time, monophyly is inferred for the following nominotypical taxa: superfamily Limnephiloidea, family Limnephilidae, subfamily Limnephilinae, tribe Limnephilini, and Limnephilus sensu stricto. Some other higher taxa are distinguished based on high bootstrap support, unreversed synapomorphies, and/or topography, including a new family-group category for Trichoptera, 'Branch,' more inclusive than the family category and less inclusive than the superfamily category. These new taxa in Limnephiloidea are as follows: Brachycentrida New Branch …

The Role Of Prolactin And Its Antagonist In Her2/Neu Tumorigenesis, Michele Scotti

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Purpose: To study the role of prolactin (PRL) and its antagonist, G129R, in HER2/Neu tumorigenesis. Specifically, to investigate the interaction between the oncogene HER2 and the PRL receptor (PRLR) signaling pathways for designing effective combinational therapeutics for breast cancer.
Experimental Design: The combination effects of G129R and an anti-HER2 antibody, Herceptin, were tested against HER2-overexpressing human breast cancer cell lines, T-47D and BT-474, using cell based assays and xenografts established in athymic mice. Furthermore, four different bitransgenic mouse lines co-expressing the murine version of HER2 and PRL or G129R were generated. The mammary tumor incidence, characterization of mammary gland development, …

Multiscale Habitat Associations Of Three Primary Burrowing Crayfish, Shane Welch

All Dissertations

The distribution and habitat associations of three primary burrowing crayfish species were examined at the landscape and patch scales. GIS based predictors were used to model the species occurrence across the study landscapes and vegetation structure data were used to model crayfish abundance within landscape patches. Distocambarus crockeri, a species endemic to the piedmont physiographic region of South Carolina was a terrestrial habitat specialist at broad because of its association with well drained ridge-top soils. Within these soils D. crockeri were dependent on open treeless habitats. The species habitat was consistent with early descriptions of the region and suggested that …

Climate Change And Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation In Agroecosystems, Richard B. Thomas, Skip Van Bloem, William H. Schlesinger

Publications

No abstract provided.

Involvement Of Coenzyme M During Aerobic Biodegradation Of Vinyl Chloride And Ethene By Pseudomonas Putida Strain Aj And Ochrobactrum Sp. Strain Td†, Anthony S. Danko, Christopher Saski, Jeffrey P. Tomkins, David L. Freeman

Publications

The involvement of coenzyme M in aerobic biodegradation of vinyl chloride and ethene in Pseudomonas putida strain AJ and Ochrobactrum sp. strain TD was demonstrated using PCR, hybridization, and enzyme assays. The results of this study extend the range of eubacteria known to use epoxyalkane:coenzyme M transferase.

The Importance Of Pulsed Physical Events For Sustainability Of Louisiana Coastal Forested Wetlands, William Conner, J W. Day Jr, G P. Shaffer

Publications

A number of freshwater diversions from the Mississippi River into Louisiana’s coastal wetlands are currently in operation or in the planning stage. These diversions have multiple objectives including maintaining a desirable salinity gradient, restoring deteriorating wetlands, and enhancing fisheries. The extensive freshwater forested wetlands surrounding the western end of Lake Pontchartrain receive little or no sediment input and are currently deteriorating due to continuous flooding. Diverting nutrient-rich water through wetlands can lead to substantial nutrient removal and to enhanced accretion. The objective of this paper is to compare the impacts on freshwater wetland ecology, accretion, and water quality of several …

Towards Sustainable Management Of Louisiana's Coastal Wetland Forests: Problems, Contraints, And A New Beginning, William Conner, J L. Chambers, R F. Keim, S P. Faulkner, J W. Day, E S. Gardiner, M S. Hughes, S L. King, K W. Mcleod, C A. Miller, J A. Nyman, G P. Shaffer

Publications

Over 345,000 ha of forested swamps occur throughout the Mississippi River Deltaic Plain. Natural and anthropogenic changes in hydrology and geomorphology at local and landscape levels have reduced the productivity in many of these coastal wetland forests areas and have caused the complete loss of forest cover in some places. A summary and interpretation of the available
science, suggestions for policy change, and a multidisciplinary (multi-responsibility) approach were needed to address these issues [in the context of private land]. In response, the Louisiana Governor's office formed a Coastal Wetland Forest Conservation and Use Science Working Group (SWG) and an associated …

Bottomland Hardwood Management Demonstrations For South Carolina's Lowcountry Forest Conservation Project, William Conner, R Franklin, T Williams, G Kessler, A Nygaard

Publications

Southern bottomland hardwood forests occur on river floodplains of the southeastern United States, and ecological processes are driven by seasonal floodwaters from the river. Conservation and management of southeastern US coastal plain ecosystems is a priority in South Carolina’s Lowcountry Forest Conservation Project. The project is a partnership of Clemson University, Ducks Unlimited, the Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center, Lowcountry Open Land Trust, South Carolina Coastal Conservation League, The Conservation Fund, and The Nature Conservancy. A goal of this project is to create and disseminate economically and ecologically viable methods for conservation-based bottomland hardwood management on private lands, including …

Phylogenetic Analyses Of Vitis (Vitaceae) Based On Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequences: Effects Of Taxon Sampling And Phylogenetic Methods On Resolving Relationships Among Rosids, Robert K. Jansen, Charalambos Kaittanis, Christopher Saski, Seung-Bum Lee, Jeffrey Tomkins, Andrew Alverson, Henry Daniell

Publications

The Vitaceae (grape) is an economically important family of angiosperms whose phylogenetic placement is currently unresolved. Recent phylogenetic analyses based on one to several genes have suggested several alternative placements of this family, including sister to Caryophyllales, asterids, Saxifragales, Dilleniaceae or to rest of rosids, though support for these different results has been weak. There has been a recent interest in using complete chloroplast genome sequences for resolving phylogenetic relationships among angiosperms. These studies have clarified relationships among several major lineages but they have also emphasized the importance of taxon sampling and the effects of different phylogenetic methods for obtaining …

Structural Response Of Caribbean Dry Forests To Hurricane Winds: A Case Study From Guanica Forest, Puerto Rico, Skip Van Bloem, Ariel E. Lugo, Peter G. Murphy

Publications

Aim

Tropical dry forests in the Caribbean have an uniquely short, shrubby structure with a high proportion of multiple-stemmed trees compared to dry forests elsewhere in the Neotropics. Previous studies have shown that this structure can arise without the loss of main stems from cutting, grazing, or other human intervention. The Caribbean has a high frequency of hurricanes, so wind may also influence forest stature. Furthermore, these forests also tend to grow on soils with low amounts of available phosphorus, which may also influence structure. The objective of this study was to assess the role of high winds in structuring …

Conservation Of Louisiana's Coastal Wetland Forests, William Conner, Jim L. Chambers, Richard F. Keim, John W. Day Jr, Stephen P. Faulkner, Emile S. Gardiner, Melinda S. Hughes, Sammy L. King, Kenneth W. Mcleod, Craig A. Miller, J Andrew Nyman, Gary P. Shaffer

Publications

No abstract provided.

Long-Term Success Of Stump Sprouts In High-Graded Baldcypress-Water Tupelo Swamps In The Mississippi Delta, William Conner, Richard F. Keim, Jim L. Chambers, Melinda S. Hughes, Luben D. Dimov, Gary P. Shaffer, Emile S. Gardiner, John W. Day

Publications

Regeneration of baldcypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.) and water tupelo (Nyssa aquatica L.) in swamps of the deltaic plain of the Mississippi River are of major importance for ecosystem sustainability and forest management in the context of regional hydrological changes. Water tupelo often forms prolific sprouts from cut stumps, and baldcypress is one of few conifers to produce stump sprouts capable of becoming full-grown trees. Previous studies have addressed early survival of baldcypress stump sprouts, but have not addressed the likelihood of sprouts becoming an important component of mature stands. We surveyed stands in southeastern Louisiana that were partially logged …

Chlamydopsinae (Coleoptera: Histeridae) From New Caledonia, Michael S. Caterino

Publications

Chlamydopsinae are reported from New Caledonia for the first time. Eighteen species are described in Chlamydonia gen. nov. One species is placed in Kanakopsis gen. nov. The remaining are placed in Chlamydopsis Westwood, representing the first records of this genus outside of Australia and New Guinea. A number of characters suggest placement of the two new genera near each other ( though not as each other's sister group) at the base of the widespread Orectoscelis/Eucurtiopsis group of genera. The Chlamydopsis species described here do not belong within any of the previously proposed species groups of this genus. Though no specimens …

Structural Response Of Caribbean Dry Forests To Hurricane Winds: A Case Study From Guanica Forest, Puerto Rico, Skip Van Bloem, Ariel E. Lugo, Peter G. Murphy

Publications

Tropical dry forests in the Caribbean have an uniquely short, shrubby structure with a high proportion of multiple-stemmed trees compared to dry forests elsewhere in the Neotropics. Previous studies have shown that this structure can arise without the loss of main stems from cutting, grazing, or other human intervention. The Caribbean has a high frequency of hurricanes, so wind may also influence forest stature. Furthermore, these forests also tend to grow on soils with low amounts of available phosphorus, which may also influence structure. The objective of this study was to assess the role of high winds in structuring dry …