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Development Of Novel Organic Nitrogen Nutrient Solutions With Unique Bioreactors For Precision Nutrient Fertigation, Brian Ward
All Dissertations
A fertility study conducted comparing organic nitrogen versus synthetic nitrogen on yield, quality, mineral and phyto-nutrient content of sweet corn under conventional cultural practices.
Fatty Acids And Lipogenesis In Ruminant Adipocytes, Taber Burns
Fatty Acids And Lipogenesis In Ruminant Adipocytes, Taber Burns
All Dissertations
Obsesity, the excess deposition of white adipose tissue, is a growing problem in the U.S. and other developed countries. Formerly thought to be inert, adipose tissue is now recognized as a dynamic endocrine organ with its secretion of adipokines and a newly proposed class hormone class 'lipokine'. Adipocytes are the functional unit of adipose tissue and can influence the tissue through hyperplasic and hypertrophic growth. In order to investigate the mechanisms involved in adipogenesis and lipogenesis of adipose tissue, stromal vascular cultures were isolated from adipose tissue of finishing cattle for use in experiments.
There is a positive relationship between …
Computational Approaches To Understand Phenotypic Structure And Constitutive Mechanics Relationships Of Single Cells, Scott Wood
All Dissertations
The goal of this work is to better understand the relationship between the structure and function of biological cells by simulating their nonlinear mechanical behavior under static and dynamic loading using image structure-based finite element modeling (FEM). Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) are chosen for this study due to the strong correlation of the geometric arrangement of their structural components on their mechanical behavior and the implications of that behavior on diseases such as atherosclerosis.
VSMCs are modeled here using a linear elastic material model together with truss elements, which simulate the cytoskeletal fiber network that provides the cells with …
Effects Of Larval Exposure To Bacterial Species In Three Genera On Life History Traits And Oviposition Behavior In The Southern House Mosquito, Culex Quinquefasciatus, Jonathan Gravgaard
Effects Of Larval Exposure To Bacterial Species In Three Genera On Life History Traits And Oviposition Behavior In The Southern House Mosquito, Culex Quinquefasciatus, Jonathan Gravgaard
All Theses
The biofilm is the most common niche for microorganisms living in aquatic environments. Forming a biofilm provides the means to resist shear forces, adverse osmolarity, chemical agents, and other environmental stressors. Biofilms also provide a major food source for aquatic arthropods like mosquito larvae. Culex quinquefasciatus larvae are found in freshwater pools with high organic content, and have the ability to graze on bacterial biofilms. To study how C. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes interact with bacteria in their environment I developed an experimental system that allows mosquito larvae to freely graze on bacteria in either the planktonic or biofilm state. The efficacy …
Ecological Disinfestation: Physical And Biological Characterization Of Filtration Substrates For Removing Zoospores Of Phytophthora Nicotianae From Water, Elizabeth Nyberg
Ecological Disinfestation: Physical And Biological Characterization Of Filtration Substrates For Removing Zoospores Of Phytophthora Nicotianae From Water, Elizabeth Nyberg
All Theses
Although recycling irrigation water is beneficial to the nursery industry as it serves to decrease potable water usage and reduces the release of excess agrichemicals into the environment, it also poses the risk of becoming the source for and means of dispersing water-borne plant pathogens. Plant pathogens of major concern in irrigation water are species of Phytophthora. These pathogens are a significant threat because they can attack a vast number of plants, many of which are ornamental crops grown in nurseries, by releasing motile zoospores directly into irrigation water. Several treatment methods are available to remove plant pathogens from irrigation …
The Food Waste Management System In A Southeastern Hospital, Amal Habadi
The Food Waste Management System In A Southeastern Hospital, Amal Habadi
All Theses
Effective waste management has always posed a challenge to those in food service operations. This study investigated the amount of food waste from Bon Secours St. Francis Health System foodservice operations using the Trim Trax¨ program. Trim Trax¨ is a food waste management program in which employees measure the volume of waste produced in pre-production and post-production areas. The objectives of this study were to collect the amount of waste produced during meal preparations and compare it with three weeks of retrospective data kept by employees in the salad/baking pre-production area, the cooking/grilling pre-production area and post-production area. Results showed …
Effects Of Canopy And Cultural Treatments On Fine Fuel Production, Fire Behavior, And Short-Term Fire Effects In Loblolly Pine (>I/I< L.) Stands Being Restored To Longleaf Pine (>I/I< Mill.), Carsyn Tennant
All Theses
Across the southeastern United States, anthropogenic factors such as land conversion and fire suppression have resulted in the prevalence of loblolly pine in areas historically occupied by longleaf pine. Compared to longleaf pine forests, loblolly stands often contain a substantial broad-leaved midstory and lack the ground layer that contributes fuels essential for the frequent, low intensity surface fire regime necessary to sustain the longleaf ecosystem. Currently, there is considerable interest in restoring longleaf pine habitats to areas occupied by loblolly pine. The retention of mature canopy trees is often necessary to maintain ecosystem function, to preserve habitat features, and to …
Thermal Inactivation Of Stress Adapted Pathogens In Compost, Randhir Singh
Thermal Inactivation Of Stress Adapted Pathogens In Compost, Randhir Singh
All Dissertations
In the United States, 1.3 billion tons of animal wastes are produced annually. Disposal of this huge amount of waste on agricultural land without proper treatment is a public health safety issue as animal waste is a potential source of several human pathogens. Therefore, composting of animal wastes is an economical solution to this problem. The high temperature reached during this process also brings about inactivation of pathogens in the waste. However, survival of pathogens has still been reported from different composting studies, indicating the complex nature of this process. The objectives of this study were to: 1) study thermal …
A Measure Of Self-Efficacy Among Agency Directors To Offer Nutrition Education To Lowcountry Food Bank Clients, Lucie Maguire
A Measure Of Self-Efficacy Among Agency Directors To Offer Nutrition Education To Lowcountry Food Bank Clients, Lucie Maguire
All Theses
In 2005, the Lowcountry Food Bank (LCFB) in Charleston, SC, launched an initiative to provide nutrition education to clients that seek food assistance. The agency directors of the 332 member agencies of the LCFB are in direct contact with clients, therefore they could provide nutrition education rather than the LCFB staff alone. As such, the self-efficacy of agency directors to deliver nutrition education must be measured. The objective of this project was to measure the self-efficacy of agency directors of the LCFB. A 17-item instrument measuring self-efficacy was developed, including ten validated items from the General Self-Efficacy Scale and an …
Effects Of Dietary Supplementation Of Conjugated Linoleic Acid In Horses, Shannon Headley
Effects Of Dietary Supplementation Of Conjugated Linoleic Acid In Horses, Shannon Headley
All Theses
Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) reduces inflammation via the inhibition of cyclooxygenase II , thus reducing prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production. Conjugated linoleic acid has a suggested osteoclast-suppressive role in bone remodeling and osteoarthritis, which are dependent on bone resorptive stimulator PGE2. Bone resorption marker, deoxypyridinoline (DPD), and bone formation marker, bone alkaline phosphatase (BAP), have been modulated by CLA supplementation in other species. Recent research in equine exercise physiology investigated dietary supplementation of polyunsaturated fatty acids as a possible prevention and treatment for osteoarthritis, but CLA supplementation has putative effects on skeletal function or inflammation in horses has not been reported. …
Composition And Ecophysiological Proficiency Of Tidal Freshwater Forested Wetlands: Investigating Basin, Landscape, And Microtopographic Scales, Jamie Duberstein
Composition And Ecophysiological Proficiency Of Tidal Freshwater Forested Wetlands: Investigating Basin, Landscape, And Microtopographic Scales, Jamie Duberstein
All Dissertations
A hierarchical approach to forest community assessment was conducted by first focusing on landscape associations to edaphic factors among major tidal freshwater forested wetland basins in the Southeast. Four general tree communities exist along coastal rivers in the southeastern United States, based on the most prominent species in each: Water Tupelo, Swamp Tupelo, Dwarf Palmetto, and Cabbage Palm. Microhabitat usage and preference by trees were then examined, both across all species and within species, as related to such factors as coast, presence on rivers with dams, tree community assemblage, relative distance from the river, specific river basin, and microsite availability. …
Developing Strategies To Control Human Pathogens In Minimally-Maintained Dairy Manure-Based Compost Heaps, Marion Shepherd
Developing Strategies To Control Human Pathogens In Minimally-Maintained Dairy Manure-Based Compost Heaps, Marion Shepherd
All Dissertations
Composting has been proven to be an effective method used to inactivate pathogens in dairy manure. However, research has shown that if the compost heaps are unturned pathogens can persist, especially on the surface of the heaps for extended periods of time. As such, it is important to evaluate potential interventions that can be used to ensure that pathogens are inactivated at all locations of minimally maintained compost heaps under field conditions. The objectives of this study were to: 1) determine the impact of compost initial carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio on pathogen destruction when composting dairy manure in unturned heaps, 2) …
Restoring Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris) In Loblolly Pine (P. Taeda) Stands On The Coastal Plain Of North Carolina, Huifeng Hu
All Dissertations
To support the development of silvicultural protocols for restoring longleaf pine (LLP; Pinus palustris Mill.) and its characteristic herbaceous understory in loblolly pine (LBP; P. taeda L.) stands, a three-year study was conducted on moderately well- and well-drained soils in Onslow County, North Carolina. A replicated field experiment was conducted to test the effects of selected silvicultural treatments on planted LLP seedlings, understory vegetation, and plant resources. Seven canopy treatments included four uniform canopy density treatments defined by target residual basal area [Control, MedBA (9 m2/ha), LowBA (4.5 m2/ha), and Clearcut] and three circular gap treatments defined by area [LG …
Potential Of Three Brassica Cover Crops For Biofumigation In The Field And The Relationship Between Soil Myrosinase And Biofumigation Efficacy, Zachariah Hansen
Potential Of Three Brassica Cover Crops For Biofumigation In The Field And The Relationship Between Soil Myrosinase And Biofumigation Efficacy, Zachariah Hansen
All Theses
A greenhouse study was set up in January 2011 to investigate the effect of soil myrosinase concentration and Bacillus spp. on the release efficiency of isothiocyanates (ITCs) from freeze-dried `Pacific Gold' mustard leaf tissue after incorporation into soil. Seventeen diverse soil samples collected from various regions of South Carolina were used in the study. A correlation analysis was conducted to determine if soil myrosinase was positively correlated with ITC concentrations after mustard incorporation. ITC concentrations were then analyzed with soilborne Bacillus spp. populations, bean emergence, disease incidence, and shoot weight to identify significant correlations. Finally, the effect of freeze-dried `Pacific …
Characterization Of De Novo Fatty Acid Biosynthesis In Soybean Somatic Embryo Plastids, Karen Clark
Characterization Of De Novo Fatty Acid Biosynthesis In Soybean Somatic Embryo Plastids, Karen Clark
All Theses
A method for the isolation of intact physiologically active plastids from rapidly developing soybean (Glycine max L.) somatic embryos has been developed for the in vitro study of lipid metabolism. Using de novo fatty acid biosynthesis from 14C-acetate as a marker for physiological functionality, the greatest rates of fatty acid biosynthesis were recovered in 3000 x g fractions that were isolated in the presence of 0.5 M sorbitol, with essentially no activity occurring in the 3000 x g supernatant. Plastids purified on 10% Percoll were approximately 70 and 97 % free from mitochondrial and ER contamination, respectively, as judged …
Use Of The Health Belief Model To Assess Hand Hygiene Knowledge, Perceptions, And Practices Of Saudi Students Studying In The U.S., Najla Khateeb
Use Of The Health Belief Model To Assess Hand Hygiene Knowledge, Perceptions, And Practices Of Saudi Students Studying In The U.S., Najla Khateeb
All Theses
Many factors influence hygiene but those that have the greatest impact vary widely across population groups. Our aim was to characterize hand hygiene practices of Saudi students studying in the U.S. by completing two objectives: (1) assess hand hygiene knowledge, perceptions, and practices of Saudi students studying in the U.S. and (2) determine the relationship among knowledge, perceptions, and practices.
A modified version of the Health Belief Model was the theoretical framework to characterize hand hygiene practices. A web-based instrument was posted to the ¬DSaudis Studying in USAÁÂ Facebook page. The instrument was prepared in English then translated into Arabic. …
Predicting Yeast Synthetic Lethal Genetic Interactions Using Protein Domains, Bo Li
Predicting Yeast Synthetic Lethal Genetic Interactions Using Protein Domains, Bo Li
All Dissertations
Synthetic lethal genetic interaction (SLGI) is an important biological phenomenon. Such interactions are of interest as they can be used to predict function of unknown proteins and find drug targets or drug combinations. High throughput biological experiments enhance the capability in identifying genetic interactions, but the large amount of protein pairs still make the task of genome-wide identification of genetic interactions overwhelming. Computational based prediction of SLGIs is promising but still hampered by the unclear molecular mechanism of SLGIs.
Protein domains with conserved functions serve as the building blocks of proteins. The genetic interaction that occurs between a pair of …
Measuring The Impact Of Youth Efnep: Questionnaire Development And Validation, Yenory Hernandez
Measuring The Impact Of Youth Efnep: Questionnaire Development And Validation, Yenory Hernandez
All Dissertations
Background: Given the problem of childhood obesity and food insecurity among low-income children, the Youth Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) needs an appropriate, valid and reliable evaluation tool to determine the program effectiveness.
Purpose: To describe the development and preliminary validation of EFNEP Youth Quest questionnaire, an impact assessment tool designed for Youth EFNEP program.
Use of theory: The Community Nutrition Education logic model adapted with constructs of Social Cognitive Theory and Theory of Planned Behavior.
Targeted audience: Low income-ethnically diverse children, in third, fourth and fifth grade.
Design: The development of the questionnaire included six phases: preliminary …
Investigations Of The Ppi-Dependent Acetate Kinase From The Parasite Entamoeba Histolytica, Matthew Fowler
Investigations Of The Ppi-Dependent Acetate Kinase From The Parasite Entamoeba Histolytica, Matthew Fowler
All Dissertations
Acetate, a short-chain fatty acid that plays a key role in all domains of life, can be utilized as a carbon source or excreted as a product of metabolism. Acetate kinase (ACK), a member of the acetate and sugar kinase-Hsp70-actin (ASKHA) enzyme superfamily, is responsible for the reversible phosphorylation of acetate to acetyl phosphate utilizing ATP as the phosphoryl donor. Acetate kinases are ubiquitous in the Bacteria, found in one genus of Archaea, and are also present in microbes of the Eukarya. A partially purified ACK which can utilize pyrophosphate (PPi) as the phosphoryl donor in the acetyl …
Effect Of Goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis) On Bacterial Multi Drug Resistant Efflux Pumps, Jyothi Rangineni
Effect Of Goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis) On Bacterial Multi Drug Resistant Efflux Pumps, Jyothi Rangineni
All Dissertations
Multi-Drug Resistance (MDR) efflux pumps have been increasingly reported in Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria. These efflux mechanisms pump out a wide variety of structurally unrelated antimicrobials thus leading to a low susceptibility due to lowered intracellular concentrations. The activity of such antimicrobials can be restored by the inhibition of the multi drug efflux pumps. Several MDR pump inhibitors which inhibit the efflux mechanisms in bacteria have been identified. Reserpine and verapamil are two such inhibitors, showing considerable effect on the MDR pumps. But the concentrations required to achieve these effects are too high to be clinically relevant. Reserpine …
Influence Of The Postharvest Environment On The Storage Potential And Propagation Performance Of Unrooted Cuttings Of Herbaceous Ornamentals, Amy Enfield
All Dissertations
Plants propagated from vegetative cuttings have become an increasingly important market in the United States. Significant economic losses occur annually due to poor performance, damage or death of cuttings. This occurs in large part due to the industry's lack of knowledge of the proper postharvest environments to provide to cuttings. This project was conducted to improve the understanding of the postharvest physiology of unrooted cuttings in order to optimize performance and longevity. Experiments were conducted to quantify the effect of temperature on respiration and ethylene production rates of unrooted cuttings. Additionally, the effect of the stock plant environment on the …
Repression Of Multiple Cyp2d Genes In Mouse Using A Single Sirna Construct, Omaima Elraghy
Repression Of Multiple Cyp2d Genes In Mouse Using A Single Sirna Construct, Omaima Elraghy
All Theses
The CYP2D subfamily is the second most important subfamily of hepatic drug metabolizing CYPs. In mouse, there are nine CYP2D subfamily members, while humans have only one highly polymorphic CYP2D member, CYP2D6. siRNA was used to repress the expression of multiple isoforms of mouse CYP2D in primary mouse hepatocytes with one siRNA construct. Successful knockdown of CYP function by RNAi may allow for further study of CYP2D function. Q-PCR demonstrated that male CD-1 mouse primary hepatocytes express Cyp2d10, Cyp2d11, Cyp2d22, and Cyp2d26; however the male specific and growth hormone-dependent, Cyp2d9, was not detected. Four different siRNAs were designed; Cyp2d-KD1 and …
Going All The Way: Phylogeography And Trans-Pacific Divergence Genetics Of Nucella Lima, Lisa Cox
Going All The Way: Phylogeography And Trans-Pacific Divergence Genetics Of Nucella Lima, Lisa Cox
All Theses
Fluctuating climate over the last 2 million years (MY) has repeatedly caused latitudinal shifts in species distributions, fueling the hypothesis that the glacial-interglacial dynamics of the Pleistocene could have driven regional genetic differentiation and potentially speciation. For species whose distributions spanned the entire North Pacific, regional extinction of northern populations during cooler glacial periods may have resulted in isolation and genetic differentiation of eastern and western populations. To test this hypothesis, I gathered genetic data from a rocky shore intertidal gastropod, Nucella lima, whose current (i.e. warm interglacial) distribution spans the entire North Pacific. Mitochondrial DNA sequences are genetically structured …
Analysis Of Dna Methylation Differerences Between High And Low Chill Peach (Prunus Persica [L. Batsch]), Sherri Hughes-Murphree
Analysis Of Dna Methylation Differerences Between High And Low Chill Peach (Prunus Persica [L. Batsch]), Sherri Hughes-Murphree
All Theses
Chilling requirement is a critically important phenological trait that controls the timing of vegetative bud break and floral bloom, and impacts the climatic distribution of temperate tree species. However, the molecular basis of the chilling requirement trait is not well understood. Analysis of chilling requirement QTL from peach and apricot has detected numerous genes known to modulate DNA and histone methylation pathways. Evidence from other plant systems suggests these types of epigenetic mechanisms may play a role in temperature-modulated plant developmental responses.
For this study, DNA from vegetative buds of overwintering peach trees was examined for changes in methylation status …
Nr1l: A Novel Nuclear Receptor Group Activated By Juvenile Hormone Analogs, Yangchun Li
Nr1l: A Novel Nuclear Receptor Group Activated By Juvenile Hormone Analogs, Yangchun Li
All Theses
Annotation of the Daphnia pulex nuclear receptors revealed a novel group of three receptors designated NR1L, and named HR97a/b/g because of their similarity to the HR96 receptors involved in xenobiotic detection. We cloned and sequenced the three receptors from a related species often used in aquatic toxicology studies, Daphnia magna, and then analyzed their genomic structure and conducted phylogenetic studies. Phylogenetic studies confirmed that the HR97s do form a distinct group with HR97g being the precursor of HR97a and b. They also confirmed that the HR97 receptors are related to the HR96 (NR1J) receptors, and the VDR/CAR/PXR (NR1I) group. Mining …
Thermal Destruction Of Geobacillus Stearothermophilus In Rendered Animal Co-Products, Yubo Zhang
Thermal Destruction Of Geobacillus Stearothermophilus In Rendered Animal Co-Products, Yubo Zhang
All Theses
The non-pathogenic, heat stabile organism Geobacillus stearothermophilus was used during thermal death time testing of rendered poultry materials from three different rendering plants. G. stearothermophilus is an endospore–forming, Gram positive, thermophilic bacterium that is commonly used in the canning industry. A modification of the method of Kim and Naylor (1966) was used to prepare a G. stearothermophilus spore suspension. Uninoculated and inoculated rendering samples containing 50% fat and rendered crax were prepared. Lecithin and 2,3,5–triphenyl–2H–tetrazolium chloride (TTC) were used during sample enumeration to emulsify the high fat samples and to aid in detection of colonies, respectively. Commercial rendering cookers are …
Magnolia : Polyploidy, Genome Size, And Refinement Of Protocols For Micropropagation, James Parris
Magnolia : Polyploidy, Genome Size, And Refinement Of Protocols For Micropropagation, James Parris
All Theses
The genus Magnolia includes over 250 species that range in ploidy level from diploid to hexaploid. Although there is basic information on ploidy levels of various species, sampling is limited with specific cultivars and hybrids. The objective of this research was to determine relative genome sizes and relationships to ploidy levels among a diverse collection of species, hybrids, and cultivars using flow cytometry. Nuclei were extracted, stained with 4’, 6–diamidino–2–phenylindole (DAPI), and analyzed using a flow cytometer. Relative genome sizes were determined using Pisum sativum as the reference genome. Genome size was calibrated with ploidy level for species with documented …
Population Genetics And Species Interactions: From Theory To Agro-Ecosystems, Cynthia Climer
Population Genetics And Species Interactions: From Theory To Agro-Ecosystems, Cynthia Climer
All Dissertations
Population genetics is the study of allele frequency distributions and changes due to evolutionary processes such as selection, adaptation, genetic drift and gene flow to understand how these processes impact populations over space and time. Population genetics theory can be utilized to understand not only population level interactions, but also interactions among closely related species. In this dissertation I have utilized population genetics in three conceptually related projects. Utilizing genome-wide gene coding markers, I have tested the impact of population size changes on the genetic diversity of coding genes in a model system (Arabidopsis lyrata subsp. petraea). This study tests …
Lipid Metabolism In Trypanosoma Brucei: Molecular Characterization Of Fatty Acid Synthesis And Uptake, Patrick Vigueira
Lipid Metabolism In Trypanosoma Brucei: Molecular Characterization Of Fatty Acid Synthesis And Uptake, Patrick Vigueira
All Dissertations
My doctoral studies focused on the fatty acid metabolism of the deadly protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma brucei. Fatty acid metabolism in T. brucei can be broadly divided into two pathways, synthesis and uptake. In Chapters 2-4 I describe experiments investigating the parasite's fatty acid synthesis pathway. Chapter 2 contains the initial characterization of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) in T. brucei. Knockdown of TbACC by RNA interference (RNAi) reduced parasite virulence in a mouse model, suggesting that TbACC has the potential to be utilized as a drug target. Chapters 3 and 4 explore the effects of two known ACC inhibitors, the …
Zoos As Experiment Environments: Biology Of Larval And Adult Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), Holly Tuten
Zoos As Experiment Environments: Biology Of Larval And Adult Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae), Holly Tuten
All Dissertations
Zoos are a unique environment where humans and animals are in close daily contact, potential mosquito habitats exist, exotic plants and animals are introduced regularly, and wild animals roam. Studies of mosquito behaviors in zoos will lead to a better understanding, both within and outside zoos, of disease transmission routes and mosquito biology. To investigate whether the unique assemblage of habitats in zoos affects mosquito behavior, I sampled larvae and adults in the Greenville Zoo and the Riverbanks Zoo, South Carolina, USA, from March 2008 to January 2011. The objectives of my study were to investigate mosquito oviposition behavior, blood-host …