Life Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Ultraviolet Radiation On Pigment Production, Growth, And Photochemical Efficiency In Allium Spp, Kristin Renee Abney

Masters Theses

In the 1970s, a push for research on the effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on food crops began. Since that time, multiple agricultural and horticultural crops have been studied with results showing that the morphological and physical reactions are species dependent. The purpose of these studies to determine how increasing UV radiation affects Allium fistulosum L. (scallion onions) and Allium tuberosum Rottl. (garlic chives), and how UV radiation affects 16 cultigens of A. fistulosum. The effects of UV radiation were determined by shoot height, fresh weight, carotenoid and chlorophyll pigment concentrations, and photochemical efficiency (F_v/F_m). …

Effect Of Selenium On Glucosinolate And Isothiocyanate Concentrations In Arabidopsis Thaliana And Rapid-Cycling Brassica Oleracea, Thomas Casey Barickman

Masters Theses

Brassica vegetables play a unique nutritional and sensory role in human diets around the world. Their characteristic flavors come from the break down products of glucosinolate (GS) compounds, a large group of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) containing glucosides. Glucosinolates are hydrolyzed by myrosinase to isothiocyanates (ITCs) which are biologically active. Mounting evidence of this process is of scientific interest due to the potential for high consumption of Brassica vegetables containing several GSs and their respective hydrolysis products that are associated with cancer chemoprevention. Glucosinolates are sulfur-rich hydrophilic, nonvolatile plant secondary metabolites; and. over the past few decades, their importance …

Impacts Of American Student Teachers On Twelve Community Members In A Rural New South Wales Community Australia: A Qualitative Study, Tera Shenae Bunch

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influences of American student teachers on a rural community in New South Wales, Australia. The study analyzed interviews with twelve participants of the American student teacher program in A Rural New South Wales community, Australia. Two researchers worked together to complete this study. Both researchers were student teachers with the New South Wales community for ten weeks and taught Agriculture in one the community‟s two high schools. After allowing one year to pass, researcher one returned to the community to interview twelve individuals involved with the program. The interviewed participants were …

Calcitriol And The Renin Angiotensin System, And Adipose Tissue Inflammation, Christina Marie Caserio

Masters Theses

Adipose tissue is well recognized as an endocrine organ and a source of proinflammatory molecules ¹. We recently demonstrated calcitriol stimulates adipocte reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and inflammatory stress (IS), while dietary calcium suppression of calcitriol exerted the opposite effect. These effects are mediated, in part, by calcitriol modulation of intracellular calcium (Ca²⁺) signaling and mitochondrial potential. However, adipocytes contain a functional RAS, and angiotensin II (ANGII) modulates ROS and IS. Accordingly, we investigated the role of ANGII in mediating calcitriol effects. Calcitriol (1 nM) stimulated NOX4 expression and ROS production in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by 67% …

In Vitro Analysis Of The Anti-Influenza Virus Activity Of Pomegranate Products And Fulvic Acid, Radha Ganapathy

Masters Theses

In traditional cuban medicine, pomegranate fruits have been used to treat acidosis, dysentery, microbial infections, diarrhoea, helminthiasis; haemorrhage and respiratory pathologies [Vuorela et al., 2003; Roig, 1974; Jimenez et al., 1979; Seoane, 1984].Pomegranates contain high levels of Polyphenolic compounds, which are largely responsible for the fruit’s antioxidant properties. A number of studies have demonstrated that polyphenolic complexes derived from other plants have antiviral effects, suggesting that antiviral activity may also reside in the polyphenol (PP) fraction of pomegranates.

The decay of organic matter generates an extremely heterogeneous mixture of organic molecules referred to as humic substances. They are sub-classified on …

Baseline Survey And Habitat Analysis Of Aquatic Salamanders In The Pigeon River, North Carolina, Nikki J. Maxwell

Masters Theses

The Pigeon River was severely impacted beginning in the early 1900s by a paper mill located in Canton, North Carolina. The mill discharged chemical byproducts into the Pigeon River until 1992 when the paper mill modified their processes. As a result, water quality improved but the status of salamander species in the Pigeon River was unknown. Worldwide amphibian declines over the last 20 years have drawn attention to the need for more research and a better understanding of species-specific habitat relationships. There is concern about amphibian population declines because amphibians are critical to the balance of ecosystems and are considered …

Applications Of Bret: The Detection And Visualization Of Protein Interactions And Intramolecular Conformational Changes, Lindsay Anne Staron

Masters Theses

Bioluminescence is a phenomenon in which chemical energy is converted into light energy. Here, the oxidation of a luciferin substrate, catalyzed by a luciferase enzyme, results in the emission of a photon. This biological process is exploited in a technology referred to as Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET). As its name implies, BRET depends on a nonradiative energy transfer event that occurs between a donor luciferase and an acceptor fluorophore. Fusion of the donor and acceptor molecules to a protein(s) of-interest allows one to identify and monitor molecular events, such as protein interactions or hormone binding events, based solely on …

Casein Micelles From Bovine Milk: Ethanol Induced Changes In Hydrophobicity And Interaction With Native Whey Proteins, Raymundo Trejo

Masters Theses

Caseins, in the form of micelles, are the most abundant milk protein. The nature of these micelles is still not fully understood and several models have been proposed. The first chapter discusses this topic, along with the importance of milk proteins to the food industry, and their allergenic properties.

In the second chapter the changes in the hydrophobicity of dissociated casein micelles are explored. As new applications for milk proteins are discovered, it becomes more important to understand their physicochemical properties when subjected to different treatments. It has been reported that casein micelles disassociate when heated in the presence of …

Identification And Characterization Of Novel Cellulases From Dissosteira Carolina (Orthoptera: Acrididae) And Molecular Cloning And Expression Of An Endo-Beta-1,4-Glucanase From Tribolium Castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), Jonathan Duran Willis

Masters Theses

Cellulosic ethanol holds great potential as biofuel due to its sustainability and renewability, yet recalcitrance of cellulosic feedstocks prevents cost-efficient ethanol production. Enzymatic catalysis of lignocellulosic biomass has the greatest biotechnological potential for cost reductions to the production process. Even though numerous cellulolytic enzymes have been identified in bacteria, plant, and fungi, insects remain as a fairly unexplored prospecting resource. Many insects, either via endogenously or symbiotically derived enzymes, use cellulose as substrate for their energetic needs. Novel cellulases from insects may have the potential to be more efficient than alternative enzymes in the conversion of cellulose to fermentable sugars …

A Study Of The Effects Of Applying Flue Gas Desulphurization Gypsum To Various Agronomic Crops, Jordan Ryan Combs

Masters Theses

Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) gypsum is a potential soil amendment for agricultural use in the state of Tennessee. FGD gypsum is a potential source of calcium and sulfur that may improve the soil both chemically and physically. FGD gypsum has the potential to raise pH, improve soil structure, increase infiltration rates, ameliorate subsoil acidity and improve crop yields. However, the addition of gypsum can also lower pH in some circumstances and cause magnesium and potassium losses in soil. In this study FGD gypsum was applied at a single rate to fields on thirteen farms located on the northern and southern …

Implementation Of Healthier School Meals: Education And Acceptance, Nicole Lynn Mcgee

Masters Theses

Background

As part of a Coordinated School Health Program project to improve the nutrition quality of school meals, a series of nutrition education and culinary training in-service workshops were conducted followed by the implementation of healthier menu options. The objectives of this study were 1) to evaluate the effect of the training on food service employees’ attitudes about nutrition, self-efficacy for preparing healthier meals, and meal preparation behavior changes and 2) to determine the plate waste percentages of school meals and school meal participation rates before and after healthier school meals were implemented. Methods

The study was completed in a …

Investigating The Maintenance Of The Lyme Disease Pathogen, Borrelia Burgdorferi, And Its Vector, Ixodes Scapularis, In Tennessee, Michelle Erin Rosen

Masters Theses

Lyme disease (LD), caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and transmitted by blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis), is the most commonly reported vector-borne disease in the United States. Lyme disease is endemic in northeastern states, whereas southern states report far fewer cases. This research evaluated the potential LD health risk to humans associated with blacklegged ticks in Tennessee.

I surveyed 1,018 hunter-harvested deer from 71 counties in fall 2007 and fall 2008. Of these, 160 (15.7%) from 35 counties were infested with I. scapularis — 30 of the counties were new distributional records for this species.

I also evaluated …

Survival Of Salmonella Strains In Ground Beef Containing Varying Fat Contents And Heated At Varying Calculated Lethalities, Christopher Jerome Williams

Masters Theses

Americans consume 28 lbs of ground beef annually. Beef can become contaminated with Salmonella during the initial slaughter process. Whole cuts of meat are ground into other products and the contamination spreads. This increases the risk of food borne illness for many Americans that consume ground beef products. The purpose of this study is to determine if adequate microbial destruction of Salmonella populations in ground beef of different fat levels can be achieved at temperatures that are lower than government guidelines.

Ground beef was inoculated with a four-strain mixture of Salmonella. Three fat levels of ground beef were used …

Population And Genetic Impacts Of A 4-Lane Highway On Black Bears In Eastern North Carolina, Jeremy Michael Nicholson

Masters Theses

A 19.3-km section of U.S. Highway 64 in Washington County, North Carolina was rerouted to a 4-lane, divided highway with 3 wildlife underpasses during 2001–2005. I determined the short-term population and genetic impacts of the new highway on American black bears (Ursus americanus). I used DNA from hair samples collected during 7 weekly sampling periods within the project area of the new highway and a nearby control area during 2000 (pre-construction phase) and 2006 (post-construction phase; n = 70 sites for each study area). DNA from the hair samples was used to obtain genotypes of sampled bears using …

Effects Of Syndyphalin-33 On Appetite, Endocrine, And Immune Parameters In The Recently Weaned Pig, Sarah Jo Jenkins

Masters Theses

This thesis discusses the background information regarding the physiological effects the pig encounters during weaning as well as a potential factor that can be used to assist the pig during this time. Specifically, the research focus is to assess the ability of the tri-peptide opioid agonist, Syndyphalin-33 (SD-33), to increase feed intake and body weight and modulate immune responses during the post-weaning period. The results of this research have demonstrated that SD-33 increases feed intake, transiently increases growth hormone and cortisol levels, and increases total white blood cell counts while selectively increasing monocyte numbers in healthy weaned pigs. This research …

Conversations: The Commitment To Breastfeed Among Low-Income Women In East Tennessee, Stephanie Marie Joyce

Masters Theses

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of low-income breastfeeding women in East Tennessee. Participants were recruited from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and from a birth registry housed at the university. Eligibility criteria included women who were currently breastfeeding infants less than 9 months of age and were income-eligible for WIC. Data were collected through audiorecorded in-depth telephone interviews. Eighteen interviews were conducted. Recording error led to only 16 interviews being available for analysis. However, saturation was still achieved. Transcripts were coded by a coding team, using standard coding …

Deer Forage Available Following Silvicultural Treatments In Upland Hardwood Forests And Warm-Season Plantings, Marcus Alan Lashley

Masters Theses

Thinning, herbicide release, and prescribed fire have been used to increase forage availability in pine forests for white-tailed deer, rivaling that available in warm-season food plots. Related data are lacking for hardwood forests. I measured forage availability following 7 silvicultural treatments, including controls (C), forest regeneration methods, and Timber Stand Improvement practices in 4 upland mixed hardwood stands, July–September 2007 and 2008. I also measured forage availability in 4 paired warm-season food plots, including soybeans, lablab, and iron-andclay cowpeas, July–September 2007, and three varieties of soybeans, July–October 2008. I compared nutritional carrying capacity (NCC) of selected species and species from …

“Growing Up Green: A Study Focusing On Environmental Attitudes, Knowledge And Focusing On Environmental Attitudes, Knowledge And Behaviors Of Elementary Children.”, Sarah Elizabeth Smith

Masters Theses

“Growing Up Green,” is a research based environmental education program that teaches children about recycling, energy conservation, and composting. This program was taught to fourth grade students at H.B. Williams Elementary School, in White House, Tennessee. The children were given a pre-test before the program and a post-test two weeks after the program. The pre and post-test was composed of three parts. The three parts tested their environmental attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors. The study found that most of the children already had positive attitudes toward the environment. While, their attitudes decreased minimally after the program, they still remained very positive. …

Soybean Enhancement For Improved Biodiesel Production, Benjamin David Fallen

Masters Theses

As energy prices continue to rise, concern grows about the economy and about petroleum supplies. On January 1, 2009 The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2009 was enacted. It states that 500 million gallons of biomass-based biodiesel must be produced in 2009 and 1 billion gallons by 2012. In the United States 90 % of the biodiesel is produced from soybean oil, despite its shortcomings. The biggest problem facing the soy diesel industry is the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications for Biodiesel and Biodiesel Blends. The two categories that are in need of immediate improvement to …

Commercial Household Disinfectant Inactivation Of Bacillus Cereus Spores On Fruit And Vegetable Surfaces, Helen Kerr

Masters Theses

Studies were conducted to test the efficacy of several common household products containing antimicrobial compounds for inactivating spores of Bacillus cereus, as a surrogate for B. anthracis, on fresh fruit or vegetables. Additionally, the effect of storage time on hypochlorite activity of household products was determined. Bacillus cereus ATCC 33018 and ATCC 49064 were used in a cocktail for all tests. Household disinfectant and/or cleaning products with potential for sanitization were purchased in a retail market and were selected based upon efficacy against B. cereus in previous tests in milk. The active components were NaOCl, HCl or H …

Morphological Convergence And Character Displacement In Two Species Of Polymorphic Salamanders (Genus Plethodon) In Eastern Tennessee, Jason R. Jones

Masters Theses

In situations involving the co-occurrence ecologically similar species, one of two different evolutionary responses is often expected. If sympatry results in competition over a shared resource, character displacement would be a favored outcome, while morphological convergence is an alternative outcome if the species have similar responses to the shared environment. In this study, I examine cranial morphology and dorsal coloration of two ecologically similar salamander species (Plethodon serratus, the Southern Red-backed Salamander, and P. ventralis, the Southern Zig-zag Salamander) to evaluate the alternative hypotheses of character displacement or convergence. Results from linear morphometrics analyses showed no significant …

Effects Of Weaning And Syndyphalin-33 On Appetite Regulators In Swine, Tabatha Anne Cooper

Masters Theses

The synthetic met-enkephalin syndyphalin-33 (SD-33) increases feed intak in sheep and recently-weaned pigs. An experiment focused on changes in hypothalamic levels of mRNA transcripts from the following genes: μ-opioid receptor (MOR), neuropeptide Y (NPY), orexin (hypocretin; HCRT), melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R), and agouti-related protein (AGRP). There was no effect of treatment on BW or FI at any point in the study. There is a strong positive correlation (p <0.001) between MOR and MC4 that remains regardless of treatment or time. Weaning resulted in a numerical increase in hypothalamic MOR mRNA expression. There was a treatment effect of MOR expression levels 4 days postweaning. Hypothalamic NPY expression was unchanged through time or treatment. In …

Four Women’S Experiences In Agriculture Education Across Generations, Linda Sue Baxter

Masters Theses

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover the perceptions and barriers for female agriculture educators across three generations in a non-traditional field of agriculture. The United States Department of Labor (2006) defined a non-traditional job as any occupation where one gender comprises 25% or less of the total employment. Camp, Broyles, and Skelton (2002) revealed secondary female agriculture teachers comprise 22% of the agriculture education field. However, there is a 35% female student membership in high school FFA (National FFA, 2000) so why is there a discrepancy in the number of high school females taking agriculture and the …

Dietary Supplement Use And Beliefs Among College Students Enrolled In An Introductory Nutrition Course, Amy Denice Webb

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess differences in the use of dietary supplements and beliefs related to their use based on college major, physical activity frequency, and weight status among college students enrolled in an introductory nutrition class. A secondary database consisting of introductory nutrition students at University of Tennessee, Knoxville during spring semester 2008 was used and contained a sample of 306 participants. Data were taken from results of a two part survey. The first section asked participants to respond about their use of dietary supplements and the second section asked participants to respond to their beliefs …

Muskrat-River Otter Interactions In And Adjacent To Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, Ryan H. Williamson

Masters Theses

Anecdotal observations have suggested that muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) populations were dramatically reduced in streams where the North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) were reintroduced. Muskrats predate upon freshwater mussels and it was speculated that river otter reintroduction could result in increased mussel numbers. My objectives were to evaluate the ecological relationship between otter, muskrat, and mussels on the Green and Nolin rivers in Mammoth Cave National Park (MCNP). Seventeen river otters were captured in or relocated to MCNP from January to May 2007. The augmentation was only marginally successful with 3 male river otters establishing home …

Characterization Of The Toc Complex By Blue Native Page:Oligomeric And Dynamic Changes Of The Toc Complex, William I. Crenshaw

Masters Theses

The majority of chloroplast proteins are nuclear encoded and transcribed on cytosolic ribosomes, and therefore must be post-translationally imported into the chloroplast. Preproteins are directed to the chloroplast via a cleavable Nterminal extension known as a transit peptide. This transport is mediated by the Toc and Tic complexes (Translocon at the Outer/Inner Chloroplast envelope membrane), functioning in tandem to transport preproteins into chloroplasts relying on the hydrolysis of ATP and GTP. The Toc complex is composed of the β-barrel channel protein Toc75 and the homologous GTPase receptors Toc34 and Toc159. GTP hydrolysis is necessary for the formation of the early …

Fish Assemblages In Manistee River Tributaries: Longitudinal Distribution Analysis, Seasonal Variation, And Riparian Improvement Evaluation, Nicholas J. Gressick

Masters Theses

Sedimentation affects both stream physical and biological integrity. Improperly designed stream passage accompanied with sedimentation and altered hydrology can impede fish passage and reduce fish assemblage integrity. The purpose of this study was to: 1) quantify impacts of poorly constructed road stream crossings and eroding banks on fish assemblages, and 2) assess these sites as sediment sources and connectivity breaks on entire fish assemblages and individual fish species. Electrofishing was conducted during spring and fall 2004 and 2005. A total of 29 electrofishing reaches were sampled which included 5 road-stream and streambank restoration sites. Sickle Creek (1st order) had reduced …

A Community Ecology And Stable Isotope Study Of Plankton, Macroinvertebrate, And Fish Communities Surrounding Groundwater Vents In Lake Huron, Michigan, Thomas Garrison Sanders Jr.

Masters Theses

Extreme environments can create ecotones with uncharacteristic physicochemical conditions and ecological communities. Recently, several submerged sinkholes were discovered in Lake Huron where hypoxic groundwater that is rich with dissolved ions intrudes into surrounding lake water. Researchers have documented large growths of cyanobacteria and chemosynthetic bacteria surrounding these groundwater vents, but little is known if this production is utilized by upper trophic level organisms and how the environmental conditions affect local community density and diversity. My objectives were threefold: (1) I wanted to confirm the presence and describe the nature and extent of chemical and physical gradients in the sublacustrine sinkhole …

From In-Vitro To In-Vivo: Corporate Development And Efficacy Of A Topical Hair Growth Agent Derived From Natural Extracts, Kelly Michael Glynn

Masters Theses

Androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness) affects up to 50% of the world’s population, propelling the development for a possible treatment. The hair follicle is influenced by several genetic and physiologic factors, which, when gone awry, lead to androgenetic alopecia. Vascular endothelial and keratinocyte growth factors are believed to be promoters of hair growth, as is inhibition of the proteasome complex. The cytokine IL-1α is also known to regulate follicle dynamics. The research objective described herein was an attempt to develop a botanical blend, which could mediate the above biomarkers, be successfully incorporated into a safe topical product and be evaluated …

Sediment Remediation Impacts On Macroinvertebrate Community Structure: Assessing The Success Of Urban Stream Restoration, Laurie Beth Nederveld

Masters Theses

Land use practices altering the natural landscape have resulted in the widespread degradation of stream ecosystems and the need for urban stream restorations. While a number of studies have evaluated the success of these stream restoration efforts, few have assessed the recovery of macroinvertebrate communities following the remediation of contaminated sediments. The purpose of my study was to evaluate the impact of sediment remediation activities on macroinvertebate abundance, diversity, and richness to determine the success of stream restoration in Ruddiman Creek, a small stream in the Muskegon Lake watershed. During my investigation, macroinvertebrate samples were collected from all available habitat …