Digital Commons Network^™

Clp-C3a, A New Cyclic Lipodepsipeptide From Pseudomonas Syringae, Kwang-Hee Kim

Biology

Cyclic lipodepsipeptides (CLPs), a new class of antifungal agents, are produced by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae. To find novel CLP members, bacterial fluorescent isolates from different plant sources were screened for CLP biosynthetic genes syrB and syrD using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Southern blot analyses. A positive isolate, strain C3, isolated from a cherry tree was virulent on immature cherry fruits, possessed the hypersensitivity/pathogenicity gene, hrpZ, and was grown in supplemented potato broth. Purification of a CLP from strain C3 was performed by acetone extraction, XAD-2 column chromatography, and reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). HPLC …

Neuronal Tracing Of The Cephalic Nerves In The Medicinal Leech (Hirudo Medicinalis) And Their Possible Synaptic Contact With Retzius Cells In The Leech "Brain", David P. Daberkow

Biology

The hypothesis that prompted my study on the leech (Hirudo medicinalis) stated that sensory affernents from the prostomial lip, via the cephalic nerves, make synaptic contact with Rezius cells in the subesophageal ganglion ("the brain") as part of the circuit that triggers feeding behavior in this animal. Several neuronal tracing substances of different colors were used to study sensory and central neuron morphology. First, cephalic nerves D1, D2, V1, and V2 were backfilled using dextran conjugates, and the resulting patterns of labeled cell bodies and neurites were mapped. Second, a Retzius cell body in the third rostral segment …

The Effects Of Temperature And Rain On The Metabolism Of The American Kestrel (Falco Sparverius), Glenn R. Wilson

Biology

The change in metabolism of birds exposed to rainfall is poorly understood. I measured the rate of oxygen consumption (VO₂) using open-flow respirometry of four male and four female American kestrels (Falco sparverius) during the breeding season at ambient temperatures (T_a) of 5, 10, 15, and 25°C in air without rainfall and then at low (2.5 cm⋅h^-1) rainfall and high (6.1 cm⋅h^-1) rainfall. Trial order was analyzed as a covariate because kestrel responses appeared to decrease in intensity during the 14-wk study period. The VO₂ increased 12.65% at low …

Effects Of Insecticide Spraying For Grasshoppers On The Reproductive Success Of Three Prairie Plant Species In Western North Dakota, Suzanne Digiacomo

Biology

Grasshopper control is often accomplished through application of broad-spectrum insecticides that may also affect many non-target arthropods. To assess whether these insecticides reduce pollinator numbers and hence plant reproductive success, three forb species were examined. Potentilla fruticosa and Calylophus serrulatus were sampled before, immediately after, and approximately one week after spraying. The seed number for both species declined marginally but significantly immediately after spraying. The average weight per achene was significantly lower in spray sites for Potentilla fruticosa, but no significant interaction of time by spray was found for either species. Also, for two germination characters there was no …

Influence Of Soil On Bioremediation Potential Of Phanerochaete Chrysosporium, Brian J. Tucker

Biology

Successful bioremediation in soils using Phanerochaete chrysosporium is determined by many soil factors. Several biotic and abiotic soil factors inhibited P. chrysosporium in the mineralization of pyrene when compared to a non-soil system. Inhibition of pyrene mineralization was also observed with layers of sterilized silt and clay but not sand. Two clays, bentonite and kaolinite, differentially sorbed and decreased the mineralization of pyrene. Four artificial sterile, nonorganic soils, made with different proportions of sand, silt, and clay, inhibited pyrene mineralization by P. chrysosporium. Both purified humic acid and manganese oxide significantly reduced the mineralization potential of P. chrysosporium. …

Reference Levels Of Plasma Cholinesterase Activity From Autumn Migrant Sharp-Shinned (Accipiter Striatus) And Cooper's (Accipiter Cooperii) Hawks, Daniel H. Kim

Biology

Detecting exposure to anticholinergic pesticides involves measuring levels of cholinesterase (ChE) activity. There are few published values for plasma ChE activity from wild avian species, yet reference levels of ChE activity are vital for nonlethal bioassays to determine exposure to carbamate or organophosphate pesticides. I used plasma samples from 102 sharp-shinned hawks (Accipiter striatus) and 45 Cooper's hawks (A. cooperii) captured during autumn migration to establish reference levels of cholinesterase activity. I evaluated the use of a spectrophotometer (SPEC) and 96-well optical microplate reader (MPR) for determining plasma cholinesterase activity from migrating hawks. The SPEC was …

Characterization Of The Tdd-4 Transposable Element From Dictyostelium Discoideum, David J. Wells

Biology

Transposable elements are DNA segments that possess the capability to move to new chromosomal or extrachromosomal locations. Tdd-4 is a newly isolated transposable element from Dictyostelium discoideum that was captured while studying maintenance properties of Dictyostelium plasmids. Approximately 20 copies are present in the D. discoideum AX4 genome. Two classes of elements were identified, which include a 3.8 kilobase full-length version and a 3.4 kilobase deleted version. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis demonstrates that Tdd-4 utilizes a cut-and-paste mode of transposition. Sequence analysis reveals that the 145 base pair inverted terminal repeats contain the 5'-TG...CA-3' conserved terminal dinucleotides found in …

Characterization Of Neutralizing Activity Of Monoclonal Antibodies Towards Murine Cytomegalovirus, Syed M. Malek

Biology

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is an important pathogen producing a wide spectrum of clinical syndromes in immunocompromised patients. HCMV is the most serious opportunistic viral pathogen in AIDS and organ transplant recipients. Once infected, an individual may carry the virus for a lifetime. With diminished immune status, HCMV reactivation often occurs. Murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice is a model for HCMV infection in immunocompromised patients. The SCID mouse model responds to antiviral therapy in a manner similar to HCMV infections in immunodeficient humans. A panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) towards MCMV was generated. Monoclonal antibodies and …

Competitive Interactions Between A Native And Exotic Trout Species In High Mountain Streams, Heather M. Thomas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Populations of the introduced book trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, have recently become more widespread and abundant in western North American streams, possible at the expense of native Colorado River cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarki pleuriticus. We examined the intensity and potential mechanism of competition between these species.

Feeding experiments in laboratory stream channels showed that cutthroat trout feeding efficiency decreases in the presence of a brook trout. Decreased feeding efficiency appeared to be due to interference, as cutthroat trout were inactive in the presence of the brook trout. Evidence for interference competition in the feeding experiments was also given by the …

Anorexia Nervosa And Bulimia Nervosa: The Patients' Perspective, Benita J. Quackenbush

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Eating-disorder clients show low motivation, poor follow-through, and inordinate premature dropout rates in treatment. To date, little research has been conducted that might provide clinicians with an understanding of the critical factors that may aid clients' recovery. Such factors may be used by clinicians to better motivate clients to collaborate in treatment. The purpose of this study was to identify some of the critical factors that women with eating disorders believed were crucial in prompting or facilitating their recovery. Identification of these factors was accomplished through a systematic content analysis of semistructured interviews with recovered or recovering bulimics and anorexics. …

The Influence Of Forest Fragmentation And Landscape Pattern On American Martens And Their Prey, Christina D. Hargis

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Habitat fragmentation occurs when large tracts of an orginal habitat are replaced by smaller patches of two or more habitat types, largely through human activities. I studied the behavior of six measures of landscape pattern that seemed appropriate for quantifying fragmentation, and used these measures to investigate the effects of forest fragmentation on American martens (Martes americana) and their prey. The measures I selected were edge density, contagion, mean nearest neighbor distance between patches, mean proximity index, perimeter-area fractal dimension, and mass fractal dimension. To test the behavior of these measures with a variety of landscape patterns, I …

Spatial And Temporal Dynamics Of Plant Populations In Salt-Desert Shrub Vegetation Grazed By Sheep, Humberto Alzérreca-Angelo

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I studied the effect of moderate sheep grazing on a shadscale plant community at the Desert Experimental Range, southwestern Utah, USA, using a 61-yr data set with two grazing treatments (yes vs. no), two seasons (spring vs. winter), and two soil types (loamy-skeletal vs. coarse-loamy). I studied precipitation, total species cover, annuals, shrub survival, seedling recruitment, plant succession, and plant spatial relationships.

Precipitation showed high variability (CV=31%) masking on short-term cycles, resulting in study intervals with average (1935-58), dry (1958-69), driest (1969-75), and wet (1980-94[5]) regimes. Total cover in both grazed and ungrazed pastures increased between 1935 and 1975 before …

Toward A Balanced Strategy To Address Contaminated Groundwater Plumes At The Massachusetts Military Reservation, Richard C. Peralta

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This document contains the findings and recommendations of the Technical Review and Evaluation Team (TRET) for the plume containment project at the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR). The findings and recommendations are in response to the 60 Percent Plume Containment Design, submitted by Operational Technologies (OpTech) in January 1996. In short, the TRET recommends the MMR depart substantially from the strategy of simultaneous, 100 percent containment and treatment that was assigned to OpTech for design in accordance with the Record of Decision (ROD) for Interim Action. This strategy guided the course of the plume containment project over the past two years

Ecological Thought, Now And Then., Jared Glenn Parkinson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

In recent years a movement has surfaced which has greatly influenced many different aspects of society. This movement, referred to as the environmental movement, is supported by the central idea that humans are internally related to the environment and that humans have the ability to impair natural systems from being able to maintain themselves and evolve. Some activists in this movement believe that the earth is a living organism and that all objects have intrinsic worth. Environmentalists generally accept a more ecocentric view of the wilderness. This environmental movement is referred to by many different names including the ecological, green, …

Second Growth Forest As Potential Marten Habitat In Western Newfoundland: An Examination Of Forest Habitat Structure And Microtine Abundance, Brian R. Sturtevant

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The American marten (Martes americana) is associated with large tracts of relatively undisturbed, mature coniferous forests. I examined coarse woody debris (CWD) structure and small mammal abundance with respect to forest age and stem structure within second-growth forests, in comparison with old-growth stands in western Newfoundland. Results suggest that a critical change in marten habitat quality may occur at stand senescence, due to decreased tree competition, more complex subcanopy structure, and increased meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) abundance.

Analysis of stem structure within a chronosequence of 19 second-growth stands indicated high intertree competition, with dense canopy closure …

Ecological Amplitude And Invasion Of Diffuse Knapweed At Yakima Training Center, Washington, Donna Denise Wilcox

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Diffuse knapweed (Centaurea diffusa) is an introduced annual or short-lived perennial from Eurasia that has become a threat to native rangelands in the Pacific Northwest. Military training activities on the Yakima Training Center (YTC) increase the likelihood that knapweed will expand its range at YTC. This study, conducted in a major watershed at YTC, focused on: 1) how a variety of environmental variables influences knapweed distribution, 2) the use of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery to map existing knapweed populations, and 3) the use of a logistic regression model and geographical information systems (GIS) to create a potential …

The Relationships Of Parental Marital Status, Quality Of Family Interaction And Gender To Adolescent Tobacco, Alcohol, And Marijuana Use, Stephen K. Hunsaker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use of adolescents was examined to see if any differences existed in the marital status of the adolescent's parents, the quality of family interaction for the adolescent, and the gender of the adolescent. Marital status was defined as intact families where adolescents were living with both biological parents, and nonintact families where adolescents had parents who were single, divorced, widowed, never married, and remarried. Data were from a survey that examined youth issues of 500 adolescents from a rural Utah county. It was hypothesized that marital type and quality of family interaction (family kindness, family …

Infant Physical Attractiveness, Affect, Temperament, And Gender In Relation To Tester Behavior, Andrea D. Hart

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Easily observable infant characteristics have been shown to influence others; perceptions of infant competence. This study examined the relation between infant characteristics and a tester's willingness to repeat opportunities for the infant to pass items during administration of a cognitive test. Results showed that infant physical attractiveness was related to lower elicited infant performance (the ratio of items initially failed). Positive affect was related to higher test scores. Because first impressions are likely to contribute to future relationships, it may be important to educate adults who interact with infants about the effects of stereotyping infants based on first impressions.

Risk Factors Associated With Early Adolescent Sexual Values And Behaviors, David Macbeth

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Adolescent sexual activity and subsequent pregnancy are ii an increasing dilemma facing American society . There appears to be an increase in the incidence of casual sexual activity among adolescents that leads to over 50% of students between grades 9 and 12 having been involved in sexual intercourse. This study examines changes in adolescent sexual attitudes, behaviors, and values in a select population over a 2-year time span.

A survey of 548 families with adolescents was used to determine the impact of the Facts and Feelings home-based sexual abstinence program on mean scores for academic aspirations, academic achievement , sexual …

Adolescents' Recollection Of Early Physical Contact: Implications For Attachment And Intimacy, Mark D. Oleson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Three hundred seventy-six college students responded to a measure designed to examine retrospective accounts of the physical affection received during early childhood. The study looked exclusively from the perspective of the adolescent. Assessing the importance of touch in human development, and the role it plays in adult attachment and the ability to form and maintain close and intimate relations with others was the purpose of the study.

Six separate measures were used to assess the role of touch in adolescent development: three items from Gupta and Schork to assess physical affection (touch); Simpson's attachment style measure; Gerlsma, Arrindell, Van der …

Adolescent Friendship Pairs: Similarities In Identity Status Development, Behaviors, Attitudes, And Intentions, James F. Akers

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Similarities between adolescent friends have been established for many characteristics, including the physical, behavioral, psychological, academic, and social domains of development. Past research and theory also support the notion that psychological and behavioral characteristics are likely related to ego-identity characteristics. This study was primarily a test of the logical extension of the previous statements: Best friends are more similar than nonfriends on identity characteristics. It was also hypothesized that best friends are more similar than nonfriends on behaviors, attitudes, and intentions expected to be related to identity.

A sample of 1,159 grade 10-12 students responded to a survey that included …

Effects Of Copper On Oxidative Stress And Growth Of Pseudomonas Putida, Tiffany Marshall

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Oxygen is an essential compound in all aerobic systems; however, it can also take part in toxic reactions involving active oxygen species (AOS) and transition metals. Most of the time, antioxidant enzymes act as defense mechanisms and keep the production of AOS to a minimum. However, if the defense mechanisms are not adequate, damage may occur and possibly lead to the breakdown of biomolecules such as DNA, lipids, and proteins that are vital to both simple and complex organisms. Oxidative damage could also be a contributing factor to many human pathological conditions including, aging, atherosclerosis, carcinogenesis, diabetes mellitus, lung cancer, …

The Right To Die: A Brief Look At Physician-Assisted Suicide, Brooke Meredith Sanders Purves

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Recently, there has been some discussion in Congress about writing a Constitutional amendment declaring that every American citizen has the "right to die" if he or she so sees fit. Opponents of this amendment believe that it will be abused - that although the amendment would generally apply to terminally ill patients, depressed teenagers and the like will be able to commit suicide if they feel like it, and mothers with deformed infants may act as guardians and exercise the right for their children, with no protection from the state. Their concern is certainly warranted. It is not the goal …

No Evidence Of Linkage Between 35 Genetic Markers And The Spider Lamb Syndrome Gene In Sheep, Sarah Thornell South

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Spider Lamb Syndrome (SLS) is a semi-lethal congenital disorder affecting the Suffolk and Hampshire sheep breeds. The clinical manifestations of the syndrome include severe skeletal and muscular abnormalities with long, fine-boned legs, curvature of the spine and nasal septum, minimal muscling and severe muscle atrophy. The affected animals have a difficult time walking and most lambs do not survive past the first six months of life. A single autosomal recessive gene causes the disorder. Researchers believe the SLS gene arose as a single source mutation in a popular Suffolk blood line in the 1970s. Heterozygous carriers of the SLS gene …

Development Of An Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay Capable Of Detecting Antibodies Specific To The Cytomegalovirus, Rachel Bird

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The cytomegalovirus (CMV) is capable of causing serious illness and death in immunocompromised individuals. The objective of this research is to develop a method of detecting antibodies against CMV. This has lead to the development of an Enzyme linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) that is capable of detecting CMV or anti-CMV antibodies. The process in the development of such an assay involves; 1) the purification of Hyperimmune Rabbit Serum containing anti-CMV antibodies, 2) determination of the appropriate concentrations necessary to provide a clear and concise response to the test, and 3) testing of monoclonal antibodies to determine their specificity towards the …

Schaller And Matthiessen Journey Through The Himalayas: Two Contemporary Nature Writers Synthesize Science And Spirituality, Audrie Jane Turner

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Long before Charles Darwin's time, members of Western civilization viewed the sciences and spirituality as antithetical approaches to life. In the last 150 years, the argument for superiority of one over the other has continued, and Darwin's theories merely intensified the debate. However, American nature writing has evolved in a way that often synthesizes science and spirituality. This thesis will discuss this synthesis, and how two contemporary nature writers have dealt with the combination of science and spirituality in the natural and literary world. The merging of these two seemingly opposed subjects may be one of the most instructive and …

Root Colonization By Pseudomonas Putida: The Role Of Catalase And Superoxide Dismutase Isozymes, Tawnya Lynn Bowles

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The fluorescent soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida is an aggressive root colonizer (1) that offers benefits to the host plant by suppressing soilborne pathogens and enhancing plant growth (12,13). Upon introduction in the field through seed inoculation, certain isolates of P. putida have the potential to act as an effective biological control agent (3). P. putida has also been shown to promote the growth of potatoes, sugarbeets, and radishes (13). Fluorescent pseudomonads are effective in protecting plants against pathogens such as Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici, a fungus that causes the root disease of wheat called take-all (13).

The Use Of The Xylose Tolerance Test As An Indicator Of Malabsorption In Cryptosporidiosis, James A. Evans

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Cryptosporidium parvum, a protozoan parasite infecting epithelial cells lining the intestinal tract of animals and humans, causes fulminate diarrhea and malabsorption of essential nutrients following damage to the cellular brush border. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the use of a pentose sugar (D-xylose) in a standardized tolerance test as an indicator of malabsorption due to cryptosporidiosis in the dexamethasone (DEX)-immunosuppressed adult C57BL/6N mouse model. One group containing 14 experimental mice (in addition to appropriate control groups) was immunosuppressed using daily intraperitoneal injections of DEX (125 μg/mouse). On day 7 postimmunosuppression, mice were inoculated orally with 104 C. …

What Limits Tailed Frog Tadpole Density And Distribution In Western Montana Streams?, Megan Barker

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

We explored the possible limitation of temperature and other habitat features on tailed frog tadpole populations in northwestern Montana. We sampled densities and habitat features in two regions with different climatic regimes and in streams with and without tadpoles, expecting larger density and size in the warmer region. We also expected habitat conditons to be more optimal (higher gradient, swifter velocity, and less canopy cover) in streams with tadpoles. Temperature appeared to positively influence tadpole size, though both tadpole size and density were strongly correlated with other variables. Density was correlated with gradient, canopy, depth, and elevation, whereas length was …

The Influence Of Adoption On Self-Related Social-Emotional Characteristics Of Adopted Children And Adolescents, H. Norman Ames

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Many families in our society have been created through adoption. In 1990, there were approximately 119,000 adoption placements in the United States (Flango & Flango, 1990). Over the past decade, the majority of adoptions were infants placed with White couples who ranged in age from 25 to 34 (Bachrach, Adams, Sambrano, & London, 1990).