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Modification Of Protein Structure And Functionality Using High-Intensity Ultrasound, Demet Güzey

Masters Theses

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of high intensity ultrasound on the adsorption kinetics of proteins. Protein solutions (3x10^-4 M ) were treated with ultrasound at power intensity levels ranging from 5 to 35 Wcm^-2 and at temperatures ranging from 20 to 85 ^oC with treatment times ranging from 15 to 45 minutes. Also, the effect of pulsing versus continuous application on the ultrasound treatment was evaluated. Surface activity (adsorption and coverage) of proteins was investigated using a drop shape analysis tensiometer. The study consisted of three major parts.

The results of the …

Protein Folding Studies Of Adipocyte Lipid Binding Protein And Homologous Mesophilic And Thermophilic Type I Dna Polymerases, Allyn J. Schoeffler

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Recruitment Variability Of Atlantic Croaker, Micropogonia Undulatus, With Observations On Environmental Factors, Sumalee Hoskin

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

I examined entrance patterns of Atlantic croaker, Micropogonias undulatus by comparing the abundance, length, age and growth rates, of larvae as they entered Oregon and Ocracoke Inlets, NC. These biological factors were then compared against environmental factors to assess the influence the physical environment has on recruitment variability. Entrance abundance into Oregon Inlet was an order of magnitude higher than abundance into Ocracoke Inlet. However, the difference was influenced by three peak events in Oregon Inlet and non-parametric tests found no difference in median abundance between the two inlets. Mean standard length was smaller at Oregon Inlet than Ocracoke Inlet …

The Effect Of A Predator Gradient On Female Oviposition Site Selection And Larval Performance, Josef F. Rieger

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Patterns of larval amphibian distribution and abundance have historically been ascribed to direct predation. However, adult oviposition site selection is an alternative mechanism that can produce identical patterns and significantly influence community assembly. Although such behavioral habitat selection has been documented in several amphibian species whose larvae lack particular anti-predator defenses, the sensitivity of adult amphibians in detecting predator cues and avoiding these habitats has not yet been determined. If larval survivorship is greatly reduced in sites containing predatory fish, selection to detect and avoid habitats with low fish densities should be strong. I conducted three experiments which, (1) evaluated …

Histological Evaluation Of Cryopreserved Ovaries In Autologous Abdominal Transplant To NaïVe, Outbred, Cd1, Mice, Wentia Elissa Ford

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

This study showed that fresh and frozen-thawed mouse ovaries would maintain viable primordial or primary follicles post-autologous transplantation. Furthermore, with appropriate hormonal stimulation, these early-stage follicles were shown to develop into Graafian follicles containing a metaphase II antral ovum. Partially sliced ovaries were transplanted into the abdominal cavity of naive, outbred, CD1, white mice. Hormonal stimulation with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) one week after the autologous transplantation stimulated variable degrees of follicle and ovum maturation within the ovarian tissue. There were no major morphological differences observed between the four groups, three treatment and one …

Comparing Clustering Algorithms For Use With Genomic And Proteomic Data, Rebecca A. Olson

Theses and Dissertations

The Human Genome Project and related projects have resulted in the development of a number of new experimental and analytic tools for use in genomic and proteomic research. In the area of toxicogenomics, researchers are concerned with how genes react to exposure to certain chemicals. The United States Air Force is interested in the effect of exposure to mission-essential chemicals. Although military personnel may come into contact with chemicals such as hydrazine, risk assessment is usually very limited. On the genomic level, risk assessment is a multi-stop and multi-disciplinary process. The process begins with an experiment that exposes cells to …

A Comparison Of Strength And Resistance Curves For The Internal And External Rotators Of The Shoulder., Daniel Cason Hannah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Progressive overload through the range of motion (ROM) is important for proper rehabilitation of muscle strength, yet varies across types of resistance for a given exercise. The purpose of this study was to compare strength curves (SC) for shoulder internal (IR) and external rotation (ER) with resistance curves (RC) for two application angles (A and B) of Thera-Band® resistance to determine which application angle best overloads IR and ER through the ROM. Thirty volunteer subjects participated in this study. SCs were obtained experimentally by measuring maximal isometric torque for IR and ER from 30° to 135°. RCs were calculated using …

Poisonous Plants Of Tennessee, Erica Fritz

Honors Theses

Many poisonous plants occur within Tennessee. These plants may have an evolutionary advantage over competing plants because of the presence of toxic secondary compounds. Consequently, plant species containing poisons may occur more frequently in advanced families than in primitive families. A list was compiled of those plants that occur in Tennessee that are known to be poisonous and these numbers were compared with the total number of species within both advanced and primitive families. Tennessee poisonous plants occur in higher percentages in those families that are primitive and moderately advanced than in those that are advanced.

Investigation Of Biochemical Mechanisms Associated With Insulin Resistance In The Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus, To-Yu Huang

Doctoral Dissertations

Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is a heterogeneous disease arising from metabolic defects in insulin secretion and insulin action. The inability of insulin to trigger full metabolic responses results in impaired glucose transport, which elicits compensatory hyperinsulinemia with increased lipogenesis. In order to identify the molecular defects responsible for insulin resistance, we have investigated three different model systems: the ability of sulfonylurea receptor (SUR) ligands to modify insulin regulated events in cultured rodent adipocytes; the ability of agouti and/or agouti related polypeptide (AGRP) to modify insulin regulated events; and the regulation of the activity and amount of the HNF-1a transcription …

Monographic Studies In The Genus Polyporus (Basidiomycotina), Dirk Krueger

Doctoral Dissertations

The aim of this dissertation research was an examination of the homobasidiomycete genus Polyporus as currently circumscribed. Emphasis was on addressing the genus by a variety of tools appropriate to modern monographic studies, without producing another worldwide monograph. In addition to morphological examination, which traditionally was the basis of all fungal systematics, mating experiments with monokaryotic cultures, and contemporary phylogenetic tools were used.

For P. alveolaris, P. arcularius, P. badius, P. brumalis, P. ciliatus, P. dictyopus, P. guianensis, P. melanopus, P. tubaeformis, P. tuberaster, P. tricholoma, P. umbellatus, and …

A Mitochondrial Dna Phylogeny Of The Leptodactylus Fuscus Species-Complex (Leptodactylidae: Anura, Arley Camargo

Master's Theses

Leptodactylus fuscus is a broadly distributed frog species in the Neotropical region. Previous allozymic evidence supported the hypothesis of L. fuscus as a composite of several species. However, morphological and advertisement call data supported the hypothesis of a single-species taxon. These competing hypotheses were evaluated using cladistic analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences. Fragments of 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and ND1 protein-coding genes from 17 populations were sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using: maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analysis. Data sets were analyzed separately and combined. Analyses of the combined data set show four exclusive clades of L. fuscus: …

A Pilot Study To Test Ventless Traps As A Means To Quantify Populations Of The American Lobster (Homarus Americanus), Carin Louise Poeschel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The American lobster, Homarus americanus, is Maine's most valuable marine fishery. The state of Maine has an economic interest in the protection of this resource. The health of this industry depends on effective management for sustainability. However, there is little quantitative information on American lobsters less than harvestable size. A study was conducted to evaluate the utility of traps modified to catch sublegal lobsters. With the aid of fishernlen fiom six of the eight Maine coastal counties over a four-month time period (July through October, 2000), data were recorded to compare catch rates in experimental traps with no escape vents …

Impacts Of Technology Adoption: Comparing Returns To The Farming Sector In Maine Under Alternative Technology Regimes, Aaron K. Hoshide

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis tests if certain technology choices are associated with a reduction in the proportion of farming activities in the agro-food system in Maine. Goodman, Sorj, and Wilkinson define appropriationism as the replacement of farming sector activities by industrial inputs. Based on the concept of appropriationism, industrial fanning systems using large amounts of synthetic inputs contribute less to fanning than more agrarian systems, like organic fanning. Thus, returns to the farming sector should be greater for organic compared with conventional potato fanning in Maine since organic farming uses fewer industrial inputs. Goodman et. al. define substitutionism as the displacement of …

An Analysis Of Consumer Support For Environmental Certification Of Hardwood Products, Pornpat Wiwattarangkul

Masters Theses

Environmental wood certification programs could play an important role in conserving forests across countries such that several studies on the feasibility of certification programs have been conducted. The main focus areas of this study are in the state of Pennsylvania and Tennessee. The first objective of this study is to assess consumers’ support and willingness to pay a premium for certified hardwood products. The second objective is to examine how income, demographics and attitudes about the environment, and scope of certification may influence support and willingness to pay a premium for certified hardwood products. Next, the study wants to examine …

Development And Impact Of Geocoris Punctipes (Say) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae) On Selected Pests Of Greenhouse Ornamentals, Nicole D. Pendleton

Masters Theses

The big-eyed bug, Geocoris punctipes (Say) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae), a generalist insect predator common in several agricultural systems, is explored as a biological control agent against pests of ornamentals in greenhouses. This research consists of three components: 1) Evaluation of development and survival of the predator (egg through adulthood) when reared on six diets, including greenhouse pests, a combination of greenhouse pests and plant material, and a meat-based artificial diet that has been developed for G.punctipes, 2) Assessment of predation rates of mass-reared big-eyed bugs by investigating the number of prey (three prey species common to greenhouse and ornamental crops) …

Ruffed Grouse Nesting Ecology And Brood Habitat In Western North Carolina, Jennifer L. Fettinger

Masters Theses

Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) population densities are lower in the southern Appalachians compared to more northern parts of grouse range. Southern forests lack an aspen (Populus spp.) forest component, which provides year-round habitat in the North. The absence of aspen and low productivity have been cited as possible causes for low grouse densities in the southern Appalachians. In addition, habitat quality in the eastern United States may be decreasing as forests mature. These factors contribute to concerns that the region may be experiencing long-term ruffed grouse population declines. Productivity and breeding habitat must be characterized to foster …

An Ecosystem Dynamics Model Of Monterey Bay, California, Lawrence S. Klein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Monterey Bay is an upwelling region with high biological productivity in the California Coastal Current System. Several moorings, developed and maintained by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), have produced a long-term, highquality time series oceanographic data set for the Monterey Bay. The data set has revealed a more comprehensive picture of physical-biological interaction on seasonal and interannual variability. To improve our understanding of how the marine ecosystem responds to physical forcing, especially upwelling, an open ocean ecosystem model was modified for the Monterey Bay upwelling region. The result was a nine-component ecosystem model of Monterey Bay, which produced …

Tradeoff Analysis And Evaluation In The Management Of Forests For Multiple Uses. The Use Of Euclidean Distances As A Decision Support Tool, Milagros Alvarez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research proposes the use of Euclidean distances as a decision support tool in forest ecosystem management in a framework of analysis that integrates linear programming, growth and yield simulation software and Geographic Information Systems. The developed methodology, which integrates economic, ecological and ecological values, helps decision makers better understand the implications of their decisions and the tradeoffs that occur when forest values compete. The study also tests the hypothesis that forest management directions that favor the greatest variety of conditions lead to a greater aggregate value than those directions that favor narrower goals. The study area is composed of …

An Examination Of The Georges River Clam Management Program, Kristin E. Togue Brawn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the Georges River Clam Management Program, a multi-town interlocal harvesting and management plan in mid-coast Maine. It discusses relevant economic and communal action theory, and examines their application to the development of the program. Chapter 1 reviews the purposes and methods of the study. Chapter 2 reviews the relevant clam biology necessary to understand the principles of soft-shell clam management. Chapters 3 and 4 provide the history and background of clam harvesting and management in Maine. Chapter 5 discusses the Georges River Program, including the factors that led to its development and the details of its organization …

The Ecology Of Wolf Spiders (Lydosidae) In Low Bush Bluberry (Vaccinium Angustifolium) Agroecosystems, Darlene Maloney

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The ecology of spiders (Araneae) in lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium (Aiton)) fields in Washington County, Maine, was studied during the summers of 2000 and 2001. The abundance and distribution of spiders was investigated, and predation by one family of spiders, the wolf spiders (Lycosidae) was evaluated. The abundance and distribution of spiders was examined by capturing spiders using pitfall traps. Traps were set in conventionally managed, reduced input, and organic fields at different distances from the field edge (forest border or windbreak). The most commonly captured spiders were in the family Lycosidae. More lycosids were captured in May, June, …

Determination Of Residual Hexazinone In Maine's Soil And Water, L. Brian Perkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hexazinone, a systemic herbicide registered for use on wild blueberries in 1983 is credited with increasing Maine's wild blueberry crop by three-fold over a 10 year period, while also increasing overall fruit quality. Unfortunately, the high water solubility of hexazinone gives it a high leaching potential. This solubility factor is exacerbated by the sandy soils where wild blueberries are commonly propagated. In 1991 a routine screen for pesticides used in blueberry agriculture revealed traces of hexazinone in water samples from property formerly used for blueberry production. This discovery has led to the development of solid phase extraction (SPE) and direct-injection …

Relationships Between Stream Geomorphology And Fish Community Structure And Diversity In Maine, Emily Gaenzle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Predicting patterns in species distribution and abundance for resource management and conservation is a major focus of applied ecology. The primary objective of this study was to determine if there is a predictable relationship between stream geomorphology and fish community structure, native species richness, and native salmonid abundance in Maine. Specifically, I examined relationships between fish assemblages and geomorphic stream types, as delineated by the Rosgen classification system (Rosgen 1996). Fifty-three stream reaches in Maine were classified, and fish communities within the reaches were characterized using backpack electrofishing. Species richness was lowest in A-type streams (i.e., steep, entrenched, confined), which …

An Assessment Of Methods For Testing The Reliability Of Wildlife Occurrence Models Used In Gap Analysis, Sandra M. Schaefer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Habitat association models designed to predict species occurrence are often tested by comparing predictions to field observations. Two types of error are then reported, omission (Yo of species not predicted but present on a site) and commission (% of species predicted but not present on a site). The purpose of this research was to assess the Maine Gap Analysis vertebrate predictions using the traditional site-specific approach and to determine what factors influence the amounts of error reported. I also developed a species-specific approach for testing the accuracy of the vertebrate predictions and compared these results to the site-specific method. When …

Systematics Of Northeastern Meadow Vole (Microtus Pennsylvanicus) Subspecies, With Empasis On The Island Endemic (M. P. Shattucki, Howe 1901) In Penobscot Bay, Maine, Jennifer Marie Lowry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Penobscot meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus shattucki) (PMV) is an insular subspecies of meadow vole (M. pennsylvanicus) inhabiting the islands of North Haven, Islesboro, and Tumbledown Dick in Penobscot Bay, Maine. It is one in a suite of island meadow vole subspecies which has been described from southern New England through eastern Canada. The subspecific recognition of M. p. shattucki, along with the others in this group, was solely based on a univariate analysis of a few morphological characters, which has fostered debate about the validity of the subspecies. Despite this uncertainty, the taxonomy is …

Molecular, Genetic, And Functional Analysis Of Ptr3p, A Novel Protein Involved In Amino Acid And Dipeptide Regulation Of Di/Tri-Peptide Transport System In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Vanny Narita

Doctoral Dissertations

The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae utilizes nutrient sensor activity at the plasma membrane to regulate growth. Amino acids are sensed by the membrane protein Ssy1p, and a signal is transduced to the novel intracellular regulatory protein Ptr3p. This leads to an upregulation of the expression of amino acid permease genes and PTR2, the gene encoding the di/tri-peptide transporter Ptr2p. Using a reporter gene assay, this study found that various amino acids induced PTR2 expression to different levels. Peptide and amino acid induction required Ptr3p, while Ssy1p was required for amino acid induction, but not peptide induction. Ptr3p-mediated, amino acid/dipeptide-induced expression …

Linder-Aronson S Analysis Using Rhinomanometry And Newtom, Noel Moser

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Investigations into the effects of airway patency on craniofacial development are essential to ensure that interceptive orthodontic treatment provides the maximum benefit to the patient. The aims of this study were to (1) compare the size of the nasopharyngeal airway space on lateral cephalometric and 3D volumetric radiographs to determine if volumetric scans can be of greater diagnostic value than a lateral cephalometric film in determining the degree of airway blockage or patency and (2) to examine the correlation between functional airway resistance, as evaluated by rhinomanometry, and radiographic constriction due to nasal turbinate and adenoid size.

Twenty-eight subjects from …

Identification Of Hard Tissue Using Dentin Sialoprotein (Dsp) As A Marker, Wallis E. Andeline

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this study was to identify the early hard tissue formed in experimental pulp exposures capped with calcium hydroxide, mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) or bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) using dentin sialoprotein (DSP) as a marker. The pulps of eighty-five maxillary first, second and third molar teeth from twenty male rats were experimentally exposed. The exposed pulps were capped with calcium hydroxide followed by restoration with amalgam (n = 20), with MTA alone as a pulp capping agent and final restoration (n = 20) or with BMP-7 followed by restoration with MTA (n = 20). Ten teeth with Class …

Using A Geographical Information System Approach To Assess Sea Ice Impacts On A Productive Benthic System In The Northern Bering Sea, Jaclyn Leigh Clement

Masters Theses

Physical, hydrochemical, and biological data were collected during three research cruises from winter through spring in the northern Bering Sea. In addition, seasonal ice cover data were used to evaluate the relationship between ice and specific biological processes. Ice-water-biotic interactions were investigated and possible relationships defined. Data collected during late winter indicate low levels of water column production and benthic respiration. However, spring measurements made during and just after icemelt indicate a time of high water column production and benthic respiration. Interannual variation in the spatial and temporal distribution of sea ice affects the timing of seasonal processes, particularly the …

Status Of The Black Bear In Southwestern Alabama, Andrew Sean Edwards

Masters Theses

Black bears (Ursus americanus floridanus) once were abundant throughout Alabama (Hall 1981), but today sightings of bears are common only in the extreme southwestern portion of the state. The objectives of my study were to determine the distribution of black bears in southwestern Alabama, estimate basic demographic parameters, and evaluate their habitat needs. To determine bear distribution I established and monitored 168 bait stations within the study area from 1998 to 2000. Baits were checked for bear activity at approximately weekly intervals. In areas where bear presence was detected I trapped from 22 October--20 November 1998, 22 June--4 …

Effects Of Ethanol On The Toxicity And Metabolism Of Acetonitrile And Acrylonitrile, Nancy Ochoa-Garza

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study examined the effects of ethanol on the toxicities and metabolism of two aliphatic nitriles: acetonitrile and acrylonitrile (one unsaturated and one saturated aliphatic nitrile, respectively) in male Sprague-Dawley rats at four different time intervals. Toxicity signs were apparent in all animals given the nitrile dosage, but those treated with ethanol dosages showed signs of toxicity earlier than those treated with glucose dosages. Both of the nitrites were metabolized to cyanide and thiocyanate. The concentration levels of each metabolite was apparent at 2 and 3 g/kg ethanol dosage for acetonitrile and 3 and 4.5 g/kg ethanol dosage for acrylonitrile …