Life Sciences Commons^™

Development Of Methodology For Rapid Bacterial Detection In Complex Matrices Using Sers, Madeline Tucker

Masters Theses

Fresh foods, including meats and produce are the fastest growing market in the supermarket and the class of foods most likely to cause a bacterial foodborne illness. As the rate of consumption of perishable products increases, rapid detection of pathogens within the food supply becomes a critical issue. Current methods used for the detection of bacteria that cause food-borne illnesses are time consuming, expensive and often require selective enrichment. In this study we adapted a separation technique originally developed for PCR to extract bacteria from ground beef using β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and milk protein coated activated carbon (MP-CAC) as filtration agents. …

Biological Effects And Action Mechanisms Of Dietary Compounds, Elvira Sukamtoh

Masters Theses

The food that we consume contain many dietary compounds which are biologically active. In this thesis we will discuss the biological effects of dietary compounds and the mechanisms behind their activities.

First, we studied on the anti-metastatic effects of curcumin, a dietary compound derived from turmeric, through lymphangiogenesis inhibition. Curcumin inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C)-induced lymphangiogenesis in vivo and in vitro. Curcumin inhibited lymphangiogenesis, in part through suppression of proliferation, cell cycle progression and migration of lymphatic endothelial cells. Curcumin inhibited expressions of VEGF receptors (VEGFR2 and VEGFR3), as well as down-stream signaling such as phosphorylation of ERK …

Caenorhabditis Elegans Model To Study Antimicrobial Treatment On E. Coli O157:H7, Parita Patel

Masters Theses

An increase in antimicrobial resistance bacteria has endangered our ability to treat infectious diseases. Lack of good in-vivo model has made it difficult to study antimicrobial resistance. In this study, we have used an inexpensive and short life span in-vivo model namely, Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) to study antimicrobial treatment using pathogenic Escherichia coli O157:H7, a multidrug resistance bacterium that causes life threatening infection in humans.

We have investigated the influence of live vs. heat killed non-pathogenic E. coli OP50 (OP50) as a food source on the growth and survival of infected C. elegans mutant AU37 with E. …

“Movers And Stayers” Movement Ecology Of Yellowtail Snapper Ocyurus Chrysurus And Horse-Eye Jack Caranx Latus Around Buck Island Reef National Monument, U.S. Virgin Islands, Ashleigh Novak

Masters Theses

When movement ecology of target species is coupled with spatial management approaches, such as marine protected areas (MPAs), the results can establish effective conservation outcomes. Nevertheless, a knowledge gap persists regarding how many marine organisms use specific environments over long, continuous periods of time. Acoustic telemetry arrays and fine-scale positioning systems are quickly pervading the marine environment as they can monitor animal movements on a near continuous basis, filling in many previous unknowns on spatial use patterns. Further, coupling fine-scale movement patterns and benthic habitat data provides a spatial framework foundation essential to understanding the intricacies of how habitats can …

Impact Of Oyster Mushroom Mycelium On The Growth Of Kale And Forage Radish, Levi Lilly

Masters Theses

Saprophytic fungi can be paired with companion crops in interplant systems to increase production efficiency. However, fungal species/strain, substrate, and inoculation rate can affect the growth of companion crops. This project investigated the viability of open-field mushroom production by interplanting three strains of Pleurotus ostreatus (Elm A, Elm B, and 8801) with kale (B. oleracea var. acephala) and forage radish (Raphanus raphanistrub sub. sativus), and measured the effect of interplanting on plant yield over two field seasons. In the field, Elm A showed an increase in plant yield at a low inoculation rate and decrease in …

Developmental Exposure To Xenoestrogens: Effects On The Mouse Mammary Gland Development And Response To Estrogen, Durga Kolla

Masters Theses

Humans experience ubiquitous exposures to estrogenic environmental chemicals from food, personal care products, and other industrial and consumer goods. Bisphenol A (BPA), a well-studied xenoestrogen, is known to alter development of estrogen-sensitive organs including the brain, reproductive tract, and mammary gland. Bisphenol S (BPS), which has a similar chemical structure to BPA, is also used in many consumer products, but its effects on estrogen-sensitive organs in mammals has not been thoroughly examined. In our study, pregnant CD-1 mice were orally exposed to BPS or ethinyl estradiol (EE2, a positive control for estrogenicity) from gestational day 9 through postnatal day (PND) …

The Impact Of Intraspecific Density On Garlic Mustard Sinigrin Concentration, Mercedes Harris

Masters Theses

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata, Brassicaceae) is a biennial herb that produces glucosinolates, a class of constituent secondary metabolites that defend against herbivores and pathogens allowing it to grow at high densities in invaded regions. The glucosinolate sinigrin is predominant in garlic mustard and aids in its competitiveness as an invasive species. In North America, garlic mustard can grow at high densities and form dense monocultures which may increase its apparency to herbivores and therefore increase its sinigrin production. I measured leaf sinigrin concentration in garlic mustard populations of different densities in the field and in greenhouse experiments to evaluate …

Performance Of Floristic Quality Assessment In Massachusetts Forested Wetlands, Carolyn Gorss

Masters Theses

In order to combat the loss of valuable wetland functions and services, federal, state and tribal governments must have the tools to accurately assess and monitor the condition of wetland ecosystems. One particular method of wetland assessment is Floristic Quality Assessment (FQA), which has been growing in popularity throughout the United States since its creation in the 1970s. FQA relies on vegetative indicators of human disturbance to assess the integrity of an ecosystem. FQA calculations are based on Coefficients of Conservatism (C-scores), professionally-assigned scores ranging from 0-10 that denote a local species' tolerance to anthropogenic disturbance. Despite increasing interest in …

Traffic Related Air Pollution And Lung Function In Bilateral Lung Transplant Patients, Jennifer A. Gaudreau

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Reactive Carbonyl Compounds: Their Control And Consequences In Foods, Michael Freund

Masters Theses

Polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) have been suggested to reduce risk for multiple diseases but animal studies on the beneficial effects of n-3 PUFAs are conflicting, possibly due to the presence of toxic lipid oxidation products in the oils used in these studies. In order to provide guidance for future research in n-3 PUFA supplementation, this study researched lipid oxidation and its inhibition in an animal feed system enriched with fish oil. Different storage conditions were tested, and it was found that samples stored at room temperature or above were at significant risk for oxidation with lag phases of …

Impact Of Bodyweight On Tissue-Specific Folate Status, Genome Wide And Gene-Specific Dna Methylation In Normal Breast Tissues From Premenopausal Women, Armina-Lyn Frederick

Masters Theses

Obesity has reached an epidemic level in the United States. A number of epidemiological studies have established obesity as a critical risk factor for postmenopausal breast cancer (post-BC), whereas a reverse association holds prior to menopause. A significant scientific gap exists in understanding the mechanism(s) underpinning this epidemiological phenomenon, particularly the reverse association between obesity and premenopausal breast cancer (pre-BC). This study aimed to understand how folate metabolism and DNA methylation informs the association between obesity and pre-BC. Fifty normal breast tissue samples were collected from premenopausal women who underwent reduction mammoplasty. We developed and measured the breast tissue folate …

Integrating Cover Crop Mixtures And No-Till For Sustainable Sweet Corn Production In The Northeast, Julie S. Fine

Masters Theses

Fall-planted forage radish (Raphanus sativus L. longipinnatus) cover crops have shown successful weed suppression and recycling of fall-captured nutrients. This research evaluated the nutrient cycling and weed suppressive benefits of forage radish cover crop mixtures to develop an integrated system for no-till sweet corn (Zea mays L. var rugosa) production that improves crop yield and soil health. Treatments included forage radish (FR), oats (Avena sativa L.) and forage radish (OFR), a mixture of peas (Pisum sativum subsp arvense L.), oats and forage radish (POFR), and no cover crop control (NCC). Subplots were assigned to …

Knowledge, Attitudes And Behaviors Of Traditional Health Practices Among Cambodian Women (15-35 Years) Living In Massachusetts, Nan Dou

Masters Theses

Cambodian immigrants have become a large population group in the United States since late 1970s. Traditional heath practices and alcohol consumption during pregnancy and lactation have both been associated with risks of maternal and child health in previous research. However, these associations have never been investigated in the Cambodian immigrant population. The mechanism for the potential interaction is that the traditional health practice, the use of sraa t’nam, which is an alcohol concoction usually consumed during postpartum period, may increase risks for both mothers and children. Sraa t’nam is the traditional alcohol and drinking alcohol during pregnancy and while …

Transposable Elements In Fusarium Oxysporum & Growth Inhibition Of Fusarium Oxysporum Using Pepper Extracts, Taylor Aguiar

Masters Theses

The following contains two projects focused on the fungal pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum. The first project was purely computational in the examination of transposable elements (TEs), which are mobile sequences with the ability to multiply and move in their host genome. In F. oxysporum, TEs such as miniature impala elements are associated with the secreted in xylem gene that are related to its virulence over its host. The F. oxysporum species complex can be utilized as a model system for the examination of TE content and TE expression during the infection cycle. To find whether TEs play a role …

Effort-Related Motivational Dysfunctions: Behavioral And Neurochemical Studies Of The Wistar-Kyoto Rat Model Of Depression, Brendan Abbott

Masters Theses

Depression and related disorders are characterized by motivational dysfunctions, including deficits in behavioral activation and exertion of effort. Animal models of relevance to depression represent a critical starting point in elucidating the neurobiological mechanisms underlying motivational dysfunctions. The present study explored the use of the Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) animal model of depression to examine effort-related functions as measured by voluntary wheel running and performance on a mixed fixed ratio 5/progressive ratio (FR5/PR) operant task. Given the known link between activational aspects of motivation and the mesocorticolimbic dopamine (DA) system, the behavioral effects of d-amphetamine (0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg, IP), a psychostimulant …

Effects Of Instability On Core Muscle Activation In A Side Bridge, Erin E. Kishman

Masters Theses

Training the musculature of the core continues to be perceived as an essential component of conditioning and rehabilitation settings (11). A popular way to train the core is with the use of instability devices, such as Swiss ball or suspension trainer. However, there is limited research on the effects of these devices on core muscle activity. The purpose of this study was to examine core muscle activity during side bridge variations with and without instability devices (Floor, Swiss Ball, and TRX) through electromyography (EMG) of the rectus abdominis, external oblique, erector spinae, and latissimus dorsi. 39 participants performed three variations …

Plant U-Box Proteins 25 And 26 Are Involved In Regulation Of Crosstalk Between Salicylate And Jasmonate Signaling Pathways, Dustin C. Rowland

Masters Theses

The jasmonic (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) signaling systems regulate diverse plant developmental processes and immune responses. Due to the opposite end-goals of various pathogen-response pathways, a certain level of antagonism between the JA and SA pathways is required. However, over-suppression of any single pathway would leave a plant susceptible to invasion by a specific class of pathogen. We investigate the regulation of crosstalk between the JA- and SA-mediated immune pathways and how the dilemma of specific susceptibility may be avoided. Manipulation of Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes was utilized to determine the effects of protein knockout on pathogen-specific susceptibility and resistance. …

Breastfeeding Knowledge, Attitudes, Previous Exposure And Future Intention Of Undergraduate Students In Honduras, Mariana Rendon

Masters Theses

Background: In Honduras, over 95% of mothers initiate breastfeeding but less than a third meet the World Health Organization recommendation to exclusively breastfeed through 6 months. Understanding the breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, prior exposure and future intent of young adults may provide significant insight into the relatively low exclusivity rates reported in the Honduran population and may be important targets for future interventions in this population. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore these concepts among young adults in Honduras.

Objective: The objective of this study was to describe, identify, and explore any relationships between demographics, breastfeeding …

Transcriptomic Analysis Of Salmonella Enterica Newport Adaptive Response To Oxidative Antimicrobials, Dara Melanie Smith

Masters Theses

Agricultural water systems are a known potential source for contamination of fresh produce with foodborne pathogens including Listeria monocytogenes, pathogenic Escherichia coli, as well as Salmonella enterica strains. To reduce this associated risk, antimicrobials such as hypochlorite compounds and peroxyracetic acid (PAA) have been utilized as in-line irrigation disinfectants and as post-harvest treatments. These treatments are considered effective and commonly used; however, pathogenic microbes like Salmonella have the ability to adapt to many environmental conditions. Adaptive response to environmental factors like oxidative conditions, contributes to transfer, attachment, and resilience of Salmonella on surfaces. Through RNA sequencing and analysis …

The Effects Of Mechanical Loading And Tumor Factors On Osteocyte Dendrite Formation, Wenbo Wang

Masters Theses

Advanced breast cancer predominantly metastasizes to the skeleton, at which point patients suffer bone loss, pain, heightened fracture risk and their prognosis significantly declines. The skeleton is sensitive to its highly dynamic mechanical environment whereby bone mass is increased when applied loads are increased whereas bone loss occurs when applied loads are reduced. Increased mechanical loading inhibited bone metastatic tumor formation and progression in vivo, but the underlying mechanisms are currently under investigation. Here, we focus on the osteocyte, a specialized bone cell well-known as the primary mechanosensor and director of remodeling in the skeleton. Osteocytic dendrites are important for …

In Vitro S-Glutathionylation Of S-Nitrosoglutathione Reductase From Arabidopsis Thaliana And Phenotype Determination Of Sensitive To Formaldehyde 1 Knockout Strains Of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Ian Truebridge

Masters Theses

Cells are constantly exposed to different stresses – one being redox stress, which is induced by metal, reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species. S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) helps modulate redox stress by two different mechanisms – either by reducing S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) to oxidized glutathione (GSSG) or by oxidizing hydroxymethyl glutathione (HMGSH), a biproduct of glutathione and formaldehyde, to formic acid. GSNO has the potential to posttranslational modify proteins in two different manners, either by S-nitrosation or by S-glutathionylation. Interestingly, GSNOR can be modified by its substrate GSNO, either by S-nitrosation, which has previously been reported, or, as discussed in this …

Enhancement Of Fast Scan Cyclic Voltammetry Detection Of Dopamine With Tryptophan, Sarah E. Thompson

Masters Theses

Dysregulation of dopamine release is a pathological effect of common neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Fast scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) has been used as an analytical tool to investigate the role of dopamine in these diseases, and in relation to drug addiction and reward behavior. Methods to improve the sensitivity of FSCV have involved modifying the surface of the carbon electrodes used for dopamine detection, altering the potential waveform, and changing the structure of the carbon sensor. Here, the amino acid tryptophan was investigated as a potential surface modification for increased dopamine detection. This study serves as …

Home-Range Dynamics And Resource Selection Of American Marten (Martes Americana) In Michigan’S Northern Lower Peninsula, Angela Kujawa

Masters Theses

American marten (Martes americana) are typically associated with mature coniferous forests. Marten were extirpated from Michigan’s Lower Peninsula due to human impacts, such as fire, logging, and over-harvest. Little is known about the resource selection and distribution of marten in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula since their reintroduction in 1985-86. Resource selection functions are valuable tools to estimate the relative probability an animal will utilize an area and predict where they may occur. When creating a resource selection function, potential sources of variation in data collection methods and wildlife populations should be considered to ensure accurate results. We sought …

Characterization Of Pinitol Catabolism In Sinorhizobium Meliloti And Its Role In Nodule Occupancy, Angela Irene Kennedy-Mendez

Masters Theses

Sinorhizobium meliloti, which is the nitrogen fixing symbiont of Medicago sativa (alfalfa), was used to test the hypothesis that D-chiro-inositol is an intermediate of pinitol catabolism and that pinitol catabolism plays a role in S. melilot s ability to compete for nodule occupancy. An analytical method, involving gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GCMS), was developed to detect and separate pinitol and D-chiro-inositol. The S. meliloti wild type, and three isogenic mutant strains (idhA, mocD, and mocE) were grown in minimal medium with pinitol and pinitol plus glycerol. The S. meliloti wild type can utilize pinitol as a sole carbon source, …

Spectral Discrimination Of Phragmites Australis At Different Phenological Stages In Saginaw Bay, Michigan, Trenton Benedict

Masters Theses

Michigan Great Lakes wetlands are among Michigan’s most significant bio-diversified ecosystems. One threat to this ecosystem is invasive species. Phragmites australis is one of these invasive species creating problems in the wetlands. Identifying Phragmites through satellite imagery creates difficulties in discriminating Phragmites from other vegetation accurately. This study used an ASD HandHeld 2 field spectroradiometer to identify the phenological spectral properties between Phragmites and cattails. The Euclidean distance was analyzed the spectral curves from the spectroradiometer to determine the separability between Phragmites and cattails. The largest Euclidean distance determined the best month to separate the spectral signatures of Phragmites and …

Validation Of A Water Quality Index For Lake Erie, Vaclava Hazukova

Masters Theses

This study validates a water quality index based on a diatom total phosphorus transfer function for monitoring of the Lake Erie’s pelagic zone. Lake Erie is again under the threat of cultural eutrophication, mostly due to the runoff of nutrients from the surrounding farmlands. Therefore, it is an issue of high importance to continue monitoring efforts in Lake Erie to assess further deterioration or progressive changes due to the restoration management practices. Diatom-biomonitoring represents one of the efficient and well-crafted tools to assess the actual conditions. However, indices of water quality based on diatom transfer functions are often used without …

Utilization Of Modified Lecithin To Control Lipid Oxidation In Bulk Oils, Anuj Shanbhag

Masters Theses

Lipid oxidation is a major challenge faced by the food industry since it causes loss of quality in lipid containing foods which results in a decrease of shelf life. In order to delay the oxidation in lipids, food industries make use of antioxidants such as EDTA (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid), BHA (tbutyl-4-hydroxyanisole), BHT (t-butyl-4-hydroxytoluene), and TBHQ (tert-butyl-hydroxyquinone). However, these antioxidants are chemically synthesized and consumers desire simpler and cleaner labels without artificially synthesized antioxidants. Also, artificially synthesized antioxidants such as t-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA) can cause cancer in humans. Previous studies have shown that phospholipids such as phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylcholine (PC) …

Tocopherol Regeneration By Phospholipids In Soybean Oil-In-Water Emulsions: Effect Of Tocopherol Homologue And Emulsifier Type, Gautam Samdani

Masters Theses

Phospholipids can regenerate oxidized tocopherols and help delay lipid oxidation. The impact of emulsifier type, tocopherol homologue and phospholipid head group on tocopherol-phospholipid interaction was investigated in this study.

Three µmol tocopherol/kg emulsion and 15.0µmol/kg emulsion of PE or PS were dissolved in oil and emulsions were prepared. Tween 20 or bovine serum albumin(BSA) was used as emulsifier and the continuous phase contained 10mM imidazole/acetate buffer at pH 7. Lipid hydroperoxides and hexanal were measured as lipid oxidation products and the lag phase was determined. With Tween 20 as the emulsifier, α and δ-tocopherol had a hexanal lag phase of …

Extractable And Non-Extractable Polyphenols From Mango, Yuchao Ma

Masters Theses

Polyphenol from fruits and vegetables have been proved that can lower the risk of many chronic disease. However, most studies are only focus on the extractable polyphenols right now. Non-extractable polyphenols may also have many important biological effects. The objective of this study was to find the difference between the extractable polyphenol and non-extractable by alkaline hydrolysis, acid hydrolysis and enzyme hydrolysis, compare the total phenolic content, flavonoid content and tannin content, and study their anti-inflammation effect, anti-cancer effect and antioxidant effect. The results showed that NEP alkaline hydrolysis was the best way to extract mango polyphenol. It had the …

Designing Antimicrobial Polymer Coating To Inhibit Pathogenic And Spoilage Microorganisms, Anne Yu-Ting Hung

Masters Theses

Microbial cross-contamination remains an on-going challenge in the food sector despite implemented sanitation programs. Antimicrobial coatings with inherent self-sanitizing properties have been explored to enhance current cleaning practice and support food safety. Prior work has demonstrated successful incorporation of dual antimicrobial characters, cationic polymers and N-halamines, into one coating system. In addition to the rechargeable nature of N-halamines, the coating was reported to exhibit biocidal effects due to the inherently antimicrobial cationic moieties and the chlorinated N-halamines. However, while these polymer coatings were able to retain antimicrobial activity after repeated chlorination, signs of hydrolysis was observed for the N-halamine bonds, …