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Temporal Relationships Between Plasma Cortisol, Corticosteroid-Binding Globulin (Cbg), And The Free Cortisol Index (Fci) In Pigs, Rebecca Jackson Adcock

Masters Theses

The free fraction of cortisol in circulation is that which is biologically available to cells. In swine, more than 60% of cortisol is bound to its carrier glycoprotein, porcine corticosteroid-binding globulin (pCBG). The Free Cortisol Index (FCI), which is the ratio of total cortisol to CBG concentrations, has been shown in humans to correlate well with free cortisol. In experiment one, the relationship between plasma free cortisol and the free cortisol index (FCI) was evaluated in 8-wk old pigs over a 24 h period and in response to the administration of saline (n = 4) and ACTH (n = 4). …

Seasonal Forage Availability And Diet Of Reintroduced Elk In The Cumberland Mountains, Tennessee, Jason Lee Lupardus

Masters Theses

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) reintroduced elk (Cervus elaphus manitobensis) into the Cumberland Mountains, Tennessee over a 3-year period beginning in December 2000. We radio-collared 160 elk and monitored them by aerial telemetry from February 2001 to June 2003. Locations (n = 1450) were used in a geographic information system (GIS) to develop a core herd home range (789-ha sampling area) to assess elk seasonal forage use and availability. We monitored diet and resource availability from November 2003 to October 2004 by vegetation sampling and microhistological analysis of feces. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea; 35.1%) dominated …

Old-Field Community Response To Multiple Interacting Factors Of Global Change, Elizabeth Cayenne Engel

Masters Theses

Communities are structured by many factors including abiotic factors such as resource availability, and biotic interactions. Climatic and atmospheric change will affect the composition of plant communities through multiple interacting biotic and abiotic factors. Literature on the effects of single factors on plant communities is abundant yet there have been few experiments examining the effects of multiple abiotic factors associated with climate change. Moreover, plant communities are not controlled solely by environmental conditions, but by biotic interactions such as competition and facilitation. In this thesis, I used a field experiment to examine the effects of elevated [CO₂], warming, …

Molecular Mechanism Of Caffeine-Induced Expression Of Two Cytochrome P450 Genes, Cyp6a2 And Cyp6a8, In Drosophila Melanogaster, Srividya Bhaskara

Doctoral Dissertations

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases or CYPs comprise a large family of enzymes that are found in all classes of living organisms, from bacteria to man. These enzymes are involved in the metabolism of many endogenous and xenobiotic (foreign) compounds. In insects, CYPs confer resistance to various insecticides, and resistance-associated overexpression of multiple CYP genes in resistant insects is a common phenomenon. In Drosophila, multiple Cyp genes including Cyp6a2 and Cyp6a8 show higher level of expression in resistant strains than in the susceptible ones. To date, molecular basis of CYP gene overexpression has not been examined in detail. Barbiturate compounds such …

Acupuncture Use For Pain As Compared To Other Complementary And Alternative Medicine And Conventional Medicine, Elizabeth Susan Mcgrady

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine the factors associated with the use of acupuncture for pain and to compare these factors to the use of other complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and conventional medical services. The treatment of pain is expensive. In addition, use of surgery and medication increases risk of medical errors, complications, side effects and addiction. Clinical trials of acupuncture for pain have demonstrated results at least as effective as conventional treatments with negligible side effects and complications. Only 4% of the United States population has used acupuncture. The healthcare field is studying means to predict …

Nonindigenous Herpetofauna Of Florida: Patterns Of Richness And Case Studies Of The Impacts Of The Tadpoles Of Two Invasive Amphibians, Osteopilus Septentrionalis And Bufo Marinus, Kevin G. Smith

Doctoral Dissertations

Although invasive species are considered to be a significant threat to native biodiversity, the impacts of very few nonindigenous species are well known. In this dissertation I describe the results of several studies evaluating the impacts of the presence of nonindigenous amphibians and reptiles in Florida. I conducted an analysis to assess the patterns and effects on biodiversity of the establishment of nonindigenous amphibians and reptiles in Florida at the county level. The richness of the 40 established nonindigenous amphibians and reptiles is not distributed evenly across the state, but instead is significantly greater in the southern part of the …

The Oligopeptide Transport Family: Informatic And Experimental Characterization, Amy Marie Wiles

Doctoral Dissertations

All cells require means to obtain nutrients, dispose of waste, and communicate with other cells. One mechanism fulfilling these requirements is active transport, and many permeases in proteomes provide this function. One family of permeases is the Oligopeptide Transport (OPT) family, which is characterized by transporting tetra/penta-peptides across the plasma membrane. In this research, an informatic approach was taken to identify 103 family members, all from plant or fungal species with sequence homology to OPTs of known function.

Eighteen conserved motifs were identified in these homologues. Using several computational algorithms and multiple sequence alignment, 12 transmembrane domains have been identified …

Cloning And Expression Of A Putative P450 From Mycobacterium Ulcerans, Yang Wang

Masters Theses

Mycolactones are macrocyclic polyketide toxins produced by the pathogen Mycobacterium ulcerans, the etiologic agent of the emerging human disease known as Buruli ulcer. A giant virulence plasmid in Mycobacterium ulcerans encoding giant polyketide synthases is responsible for the synthesis of the lipid toxin mycolactone. Mycobacterium ulcerans from different geographic origins produce varieties of mycolactones including mycolactone A/B, C E. Their difference is observed by thin layer chromagraph, mass spectrometry, cytopathic assays. The presence of different mycolactone correlates with plasmid variation. Australian strains lacking the hydroxyl group at C-12’ produce a mycolactone with a mass of [M + Na]+ at …

Targeted Economic Development In Tennessee: An Industrial Cluster Analysis Of A Multi-County Upper-Cumberland Region, Benjamin Paul Sanders

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to identify and rank industrial clusters in a rural, multi-county region in Tennessee. Counties in the study region include Clay, Fentress, Jackson, Overton, Pickett, and Putnam. Industrial clusters were identified at the 3-digit level of the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS).

Five industrial clusters were identified in this region: food manufacturing, primary metal manufacturing, fabricated metal manufacturing, transportation equipment manufacturing, and truck transportation.

These clusters were also analyzed for industrial characteristics, including average establishment size, employment growth, industrial multipliers, average worker wages and income, and revenue generated per worker. The differences in …

Evaluation Of Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Available To Wintering Waterfowl In Managed And Natural Wetlands In Western Tennessee, Michael Shelton Whittington

Masters Theses

Aquatic and wetland invertebrates are important protein sources for wintering waterfowl in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (LMAV). Few studies have evaluated winter invertebrate abundance patterns in the LMAV, particularly in Western Tennessee. I examined aquatic macroinvertebrate biomass, density, and diversity in beaver ponds, moist soil units and flooded, harvested soybean fields in Western Tennessee. Moist soil units and flooded soybean fields are common wetland practices on public lands in Western Tennessee. Beaver ponds offer natural habitat that is greatly increasing in the southeastern United States (Arner and Hepp1989). The objective of this study was to compare invertebrate abundance …

Evaluation Of Tennessee State Park Governance: Public Involvement, Agency Accountability And Conservation Implications, Mary Mallinson Long

Masters Theses

A primary challenge for governance in our democracy is one of creating governing arrangements and structures that can pursue policies and other decisions that are effective (meet the public interest) and efficient. The history of Tennessee State Parks’ strategic direction and management is fraught with political interests guiding these decisions. This allows the political power to be concentrated in the executive and legislative arms of government and is subject to special interest economic and political influences. The civic/public sector has had little influence on these decisions. Given these conditions, the agency is particularly vulnerable to political battles between the executive …

The Relationship Between Social Desirability And Reported Dietary Intake In Healthy And Overweight Children, Nicolle Clemente

Masters Theses

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if social desirability bias existed in dietary recall data of fourth graders and if bias was related to child’s weight status and gender. It was hypothesized that children concerned with social desirability would report decreased total energy intake, percent calories from fat, and servings per day of sugar- sweetened beverages, candies, desserts, and meats, while showing an increase in reported servings per day of vegetables.

Subjects: The sample was a baseline evaluation of 255 fourth graders from rural, East Tennessee. The evaluation took place at the beginning of an intervention called, …

Ruminal Responses In Cattle Grazing Tall Fescue Pastures Differing In Endophyte Level, Alison Marie Corrigan

Masters Theses

Three 1.2-ha tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea, Schreb.) pastures at the Blount Livestock Unit of the Knoxville Experiment Station containing 1) Kentucky-31 endophyte (Neotyphodium coenophialum) infected tall fescue (KY-31/E+), 2) Jesup endophyte-free tall fescue (Jesup/E-), or 3) Jesup infected with a non-ergot alkaloid producing endophyte tall fescue (Jesup/MaxQ^TM) were grazed. The objectives of this experiment were: 1) to validate endophyte status of the experimental pasture through determining ergovaline levels of masticate samples and animal response using serum prolactin concentrations, weight gain, and rectal temperatures, 2) to compare weight and composition of rumen contents of cannulated …

Benefits Of Participation In The Cannon County 4-H Livestock Projects As Perceived By Select Former Exhibitors, Heath Darrell Nokes

Masters Theses

The Purpose of this study was to determine the perceived influence of the development in certain life skills and decisions regarding education and career choices. A total of 52 former participants of the program were identified and responded to mailed questionnaires concerning their experiences in the 4-H livestock project.

Findings revealed that participation in the 4-H livestock projects had a positive effect on the development of life skills such as leadership, confidence, communication skills, record keeping skills, and confidence. Decisions regarding educational and career choices were impacted. Participants regarded participation in the livestock projects as having "some effect" (M= 3.16) …

Feasibility Of Production And Marketing Blueberries In Tennessee, Alejandro Enrique Dellachiesa

Masters Theses

The primary objective of this research was to develop a detailed feasibility analysis for blueberry production in Tennessee. The focus of the study was to provide blueberry producers with estimates of the typical costs and returns associated with commercial production and marketing of blueberries. Secondary objectives were to provide pertinent financial information for entrepreneurs to consider when using their available resources to produce what could be a potential opportunity in Tennessee. Another secondary objective was to evaluate options for marketing fresh blueberries.

The objectives of this study were accomplished by constructing cost and return budgets to determine the cost of …

Preferential Flow And Colloids: Their Influence On The Transport Of Phosphorus, Tara Johanna Garrett

Masters Theses

Although strongly adsorbing ions are relatively immobile within soil, ion transport can be enhanced by preferential flow and by adsorption of ions to mobile colloids. The primary objective of this research was to determine the influence of preferential flow paths on the transportation of phosphorus (P) through a soil profile. Secondary objectives were to determine the effect of fertilizer type (inorganic vs. organic) and colloids on the transport of P.

Eight soil monoliths with a diameter of 0.3 m and a length of 0.75 m were collected from the Water Quality field site at the Ames Plantation. Four monoliths were …

Mussel Habitat Mapping In The Big South Fork National River And Recreation Area (Biso), Adam John Fiscor

Masters Theses

A new method to map freshwater mussel habitats was developed and tested in theBigSouthForkNationalRiverand Recreation Area (BISO). The procedure involved using an Underwater Video Mapping System (UVMS) to record river substrate information in conjunction with Global Positioning System (GPS) to create

geo-referenced video footage. Simultaneously, the river surface features were

video-recorded using a similar geo-referenced video mapping system. Images from both videos were evaluated and used to produce habitat classifications in a Geographic Information System (GIS) format. The focus of the project was on mapping attributes in the river that are significant to freshwater mussel habitats. These attributes characterize river …

Antioxidant Properties Of Some Edible Fungi In The Genus Pleurotus, Sharon Rose Jean-Philippe

Masters Theses

Antioxidant activity, of several species within the Genus Pleurotus was studied. Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal genes ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 confirmed species identification. Free radical scavenging ability of several Pleurotus species was demonstrated by the DPPH assay. Two lipid model systems were used to test for oxidation of stripped corn oil; the first was an oil-in-water emulsion method which measured a primary product formed from lipid peroxidation, hydroperoxides. The second method was thiobarbituric acid (TBARS) which measured one of the secondary breakdown products of lipid peroxidation, malonaldehyde (MDA). Phenol, protein, and carbohydrate content were measured to …

Breastfeeding Policies And Practices In Tennessee Hospitals, Carrie J. Barker

Masters Theses

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the level of compliance to the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in hospitals in Tennessee, to identify differences in infant feeding policies and practices based on hospital ownership type and to identify if breastfeeding disparities are related to the infant feeding policies and practices of those hospitals.

Methods: Eighty hospitals/maternity centers were surveyed in Tennessee. Thirty-seven hospitals responded to a mailed survey relating to the hospital infant feeding policies and practices as defined by the WHO/UNICEF BFHI’s Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. Compliance was modeled as a function of hospital …

Significance Of Cell Surface Charge On Microbial Susceptibility To Chitosan, Laquita Mai Michael

Masters Theses

A study was conducted to determine the importance of cellular surface charge on susceptibility of yeasts to the natural biopolymer chitosan. The test organisms utilized were Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida krusei, and Zygosaccharomyces bailii. Surface charge was determined at various culture ages and under selected environmental conditions. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as a protein standard to ensure an accurate method to measure microbial surface charge. Yeasts cells were grown to the early stationary phase, washed and suspended in potassium chloride with absorbance value (A_600nm) of 0.1 to 0.2, and charge was measured using a …

Efficacy Of Dna Sampling To Monitor Population Abundance Of Black Bears In The Southern Appalachians, Katie E. Settlage

Masters Theses

The American black bear (Ursus americanus) in the southern Appalachians has been the subject of intensive research. In particular, the focus has been on population monitoring using livecapture, bait stations, harvest records, and radio-active feces tagging. Genetic (DNA) sampling for mark-recapture is an emerging technique for estimating population abundance, but the efficacy of various sampling regimes for estimating populations of different densities has not been established. I conducted a pilot study to determine whether genetic sampling for population estimation is feasible to monitor black bear abundance in the southern Appalachians and to develop appropriate sampling regimes to obtain …

The Relationship Between Spirituality And The Health Of College Students In A University Setting, Linda Wyatt Nelms

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between spirituality and the health of college students. Undergraduate students enrolled in Personal Health and Wellness classes at The University of Tennessee were selected to participate in the study. Two-hundred twenty-one students were administered two instruments: The College Student Appraisal of Risks Survey (The CARS) and the Spirituality Scale (SS). The CARS instrument was used to obtain descriptive statistics and specific health risk factors relating to the health of college students. The SS instrument was used to obtain the student’s self-reported level of spirituality. Based upon a thorough literature review, …

Frequent Pattern Finding In Integrated Biological Networks, Xinxia Peng

Doctoral Dissertations

Biomedical research is undergoing a revolution with the advance of high-throughput technologies. A major challenge in the post-genomic era is to understand how genes, proteins and small molecules are organized into signaling pathways and regulatory networks. To simplify the analysis of large complex molecular networks, strategies are sought to break them down into small yet relatively independent network modules, e.g. pathways and protein complexes.

In fulfillment of the motivation to find evolutionary origins of network modules, a novel strategy has been developed to uncover duplicated pathways and protein complexes. This search was first formulated into a computational problem which finds …

Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomics For Studying Microbial Physiology From Isolates To Communities, Nathan Christopher Verberkmoes

Doctoral Dissertations

With the advent of whole genome sequencing, a new era of biology was ushered in allowing for “systems-biology” approaches to characterizing microbial systems. The field of systems biology aims to catalogue and understand all of the biological components, their functions, and all of their interactions in a living system as well as communities of living systems. Systems biology can be considered an attempt to measure all of the components of a living system and then produce a data-driven model of the system. This model can then be used to generate hypotheses about how the system will respond to perturbations, which …

Systematics Of The North American Plums (Prunus Subgenus Prunus Section Prunocerasus; Rosaceae), Joey Thomas Shaw

Doctoral Dissertations

The North American plums (Prunus subgenus Prunus section Prunocerasus; Rosaceae) are a closely related group with approximately 17 commonly recognized species and lesser taxa. They are infamous for their very poor development of reproductively isolating barriers and most are interfertile in many combinations. This interfertility blurs nearly all morphologically-based taxonomic boundaries. Even still, geographically related morphological variation exists and when intermediates are ignored several taxa may be seen as being reasonably different from one another with respect to both morphology and ecology. Additionally, the ranges of most of the North American plum taxa overlap with the ranges of …

In Situ Biostimulation Of Uranium Reducing Microorganisms At The Old Rifle Umtra Site, Yun-Juan Chang

Doctoral Dissertations

Bioremediation is a promising strategy for cleaning up heavy metal and radionuclide contamination. Nutrient or electron donor amendment is an increasingly accepted practice used to stimulate the growth of microorganisms capable of immobilizing dissolved uranium in situ, but there is scant understanding of the systematic effects of nutrient addition on indigenous microbial populations or the progress of the bioremediation. Successful implementation of metal and radionuclide bioremediation in heterogeneous environments requires an understanding of the complex microbial and geochemical interactions that influence the redox speciation and mobility of toxic metals.

The major challenge in microbial ecology and biogeochemistry is to …

Genetic Mapping Of Quantitative Trait Loci Conditioning Protein Concentration And Quality, And Other Seed Characteristics In Soybean [Glycine Max (L.) Merrill], Dilip Raj Panthee

Doctoral Dissertations

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is grown for its high oil and protein concentration, which may be used in a wide array of industries throughout the world. It contributes about 15 billion dollars annually to the US economy. Focusing on protein concentration and quality, I was interested to discover genomic regions as quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with nitrogen accumulation during reproductive stages, protein concentration, storage protein fractions, amino acid composition, seed size, oil content, and agronomic traits. A population of 101 F₆-derivedrecombinant inbredlines (RIL) created from a cross of N87-984-16 x TN93-99 were used to achieve …

Analysis Of Bub1 Deficiency In Mice, Shawn Michael Leland

Masters Theses

Accurate chromosome segregation is essential for living organisms. Errors in chromosome segregation can lead to the gain or loss of whole chromosomes, a condition known as aneuploidy, which is present in many cancers. One mechanism employed by the cell to monitor chromosome segregation is the spindle checkpoint, a complex signaling pathway which ensures chromosomes are properly aligned on the metaphase plate before the cell proceeds into anaphase. When lagging chromosomes are present, the spindle checkpoint delays the metaphase-to-anaphase transition, which enables the lagging chromosomes to properly orient before the cell proceeds into anaphase. Microtubule attachment to the kinetochore and tension …

Aflp Markers Identify Cornus Florida Cultivars, Naomi Rene Smith

Masters Theses

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers were generated from genomic DNA of seventeen flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) cultivars and lines and four duplicate samples. Fragments were analyzed on a Beckman Coulter CEQ™ 8000 Genetic Analysis System. AFLP fingerprints were converted to binary data (1=fragment present, 0=fragment absent) by the CEQ "AFLP analysis" program. A bin width of one nucleotide and a y-threshold of 15,000 relative dye signal were used to eliminate background noise and other weak peaks. All binary data were manually checked and verified and corrections were made when necessary. Cultivar specific markers were identified for all …

Soil Genesis And Classification Of Ten Pedons Using Soil Characterization Laboratory Data And Field Soil Survey In Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, David Martin Mathis

Masters Theses

Cades Cove is located within the boundaries of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP). The study site is a geologic window and an erosional catchment basin for material washing from slopes of the surrounding Mountains. All of the pedons located in Cades Cove, GSMNP are in the Blue Ridge physiographic region (MLRA 130). The objective of this research is to define the pedogenic processes of soil formation in Cades Cove through detailed soil characterization based on the laboratory and field data. The soils were described and sampled using standard soil survey procedures as outlined by the National Cooperative Soil …