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Secondary Metabolite Production By An Endophytic Bacillus Sp. From Platanus Occidentalis, Michael C. James Jan 2014

Secondary Metabolite Production By An Endophytic Bacillus Sp. From Platanus Occidentalis, Michael C. James

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Endophytes are bacterial and fungal microbes that live inside of plant tissue without causing disease. Endophytes have applications in many industries including the pharmaceutical and food industries as producers of natural products. This potential was demonstrated by investigating the natural product production from a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens endophyte of Platanus occidentalis using a combination of MALDI-IMS, LC-MS, MS-MS, and NMR methods, by purifying nicotianamine from soy flour, and by reviewing natural product inhibitors of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The secondary metabolite production of the endophytic B. amyloliquefaciens was investigated under a variety of fermentation conditions. It was discovered that the …


Measurement Of Anhedonia In The Chick Anxiety-Depression Model, Amy L. Salmeto-Johnson Jan 2014

Measurement Of Anhedonia In The Chick Anxiety-Depression Model, Amy L. Salmeto-Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Anhedonia, the loss of pleasure in previously pleasurable activities, is one of the cardinal features of depression. To further validate the chick anxiety-depression model, the current study aimed at quantifying anhedonia as well its reversal with pharmaceuticals. The first goal was to identify a measure to quantify the display of anhedonia in chicks following exposure to an isolation stressor, the chick anxiety-depression model. All experiments involved a baseline and test measurement either after removal from the home cage (No Test) or exposure to the isolation apparatus with conspecifics and mirrors (Social) or individually (Isolated). Experiment 1 used a straight maze …


Obesity Related Perturbations On Cardiovascular, Immune And Endocrine Response To Active And Passive Stress, Ashley Elizabeth Burch Jan 2014

Obesity Related Perturbations On Cardiovascular, Immune And Endocrine Response To Active And Passive Stress, Ashley Elizabeth Burch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the obesity epidemic increases, the prevalence of obesity-related diseases grows simultaneously. The internal environment of chronic low-grade inflammation, which characterizes obesity, leaves individuals vulnerable to disease. Cardiovascular dysfunction represents a consequential effect of obesity. An early indicator of cardiovascular disease is an impaired stress response. Further, the type of stress (active versus passive) may be differentially affected representing additional distinctions in impairment. In the present study, we have used two types of stress (active and passive) to investigate obesity-instigated alterations in cardiovascular, immune and endocrine response to stress. In addition, we have evaluated how these systems may overlap to …


Elemental Fingerprinting Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry And Chemometrics: Application To Environmental Science And Provenance Studies, Lorlyn Paquibot Reidy Jan 2014

Elemental Fingerprinting Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry And Chemometrics: Application To Environmental Science And Provenance Studies, Lorlyn Paquibot Reidy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Dis Connect, Bradley Scott Luke Jan 2014

Dis Connect, Bradley Scott Luke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.


Pinning Motherhood: The Construction Of Mothering Identities On Pinterest, Kate Griffin Jan 2014

Pinning Motherhood: The Construction Of Mothering Identities On Pinterest, Kate Griffin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the new social media site, Pinterest, to uncover the processes through which mothers construct self- and public-identities. Despite being valued at over $3.8 billion dollars (Perez 2013), having an impressive user retention rate (Moore 2014), and having a highly gendered user base (Tekobbe 2013), Pinterest has been the site of limited sociological inquiry. Seventeen semi-structured qualitative interviews on mothering and Pinterest use were conducted with central Florida mothers who have a Pinterest account and at least one child between 6 months and 10 years old. Through analysis based in a grounded theory approach, three central themes emerged …


The American Way: The Influence Of Race On The Treatment Of Prisoners Of War During World War Two, Adam Rock Jan 2014

The American Way: The Influence Of Race On The Treatment Of Prisoners Of War During World War Two, Adam Rock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

When examining the Second World War, it is impossible to overlook the influence race had in both creating the conflict and determining the intensity with which it was fought. While this factor existed in the European theater, it pales in comparison to how race influenced the fighting in the Pacific. John Dower produced a comprehensive study that examined the racial aspects of the Pacific theater in his book War Without Mercy. Dower concluded that Americans viewed themselves as racially superior to the Asian "other" and this influenced the ferocity of the Pacific war. While Dower's work focused on this relationship …


Traversing The Terrain: A Least Cost Analysis On Intersite Causeways In The Maya Region, Alexander Rivas Jan 2014

Traversing The Terrain: A Least Cost Analysis On Intersite Causeways In The Maya Region, Alexander Rivas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study of ancient Maya causeways is crucial for understanding Maya social and spatial organization. Archaeologists have been interested in Maya causeways for decades, specifically documenting their locations. More recently, the use of Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, has been used for understanding the spatial organization of archaeological sites. GIS analyses on ancient Maya causeways however have been very limited. This thesis aims to evaluate ancient Maya causeways through GIS analysis. Specifically, five intersite causeway systems are looked at: the Mirador Basin, Yaxuna-Coba-Ixil, Uxmal-Nohpat-Kabah, Ake-Izamal-Kantunil, and Uci-Kancab-Ukana- Cansahcab. These causeway systems were evaluated using least-cost paths based on the terrain. …


Movements, Fishery Interactions, And Unusual Mortalities Of Bottlenose Dolphins, Steven Shippee Jan 2014

Movements, Fishery Interactions, And Unusual Mortalities Of Bottlenose Dolphins, Steven Shippee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bottlenose dolphins inhabiting coastlines and estuaries in Florida have been impacted in the past decade by development, algal blooms, catastrophic pollution, and fishery interactions (FI). Dolphins react to disturbance and environmental stressors by modifying their movements and habitat use, which may put them in jeopardy of conflict with humans. FI plays an increasing role in contributing to dolphin mortalities. I investigated dolphin movements, habitat use, residency patterns, and frequency of FI with sport fishing. Tagging studies with short-term data tags and bolt on radio-transmitters were done in several locations in Florida and the east coast providing fine-scale measurements of swimming, …


Photo-Induced Protonation Of Polyaniline Composites And Mechanistic Study Of The Degradation Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls With Zero-Valent Magnesium, Candace Kirkland Jan 2014

Photo-Induced Protonation Of Polyaniline Composites And Mechanistic Study Of The Degradation Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls With Zero-Valent Magnesium, Candace Kirkland

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As technology advances, a need for non-metal, conductive materials has arisen for several types of applications. Lithographic techniques are helpful to develop some of these applications. Such techniques require materials that are insulating and become conductive after irradiated. Composites of polyaniline in its emeraldine base form (PANI-EB) doped with photo-acid generators (PAG) become conductive upon photo-irradiation. This increase in conductivity is due to the protonation of PANI-EB. Such materials may be utilized to fabricate conducting patterns by photo-irradiation; however, the conductivity obtained by direct irradiation of PANI-EB/PAG composites is normally quite low (<10-3 S/cm) due to aggregation of highly loaded PAG. In this work, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), a proton transfer polymer, was added to PANI-EB/PAG. Results showed the addition of low molecular weight (MW) (550) PEG significantly enhanced the photo-induced conductivity to a level comparable to that of PANI-salt synthesized by oxidizing aniline in the presence of an acid. High MW (8000) PEG is less effective than PEG 550, and composites of PANI-EB and N-PEG-PANI showed conductivity as high as 102 S/cm after treatment with HCl vapor. The photo-induced conductivity of the N-PEG-PANI/PANI-EB/PAG composite reached 10-2-10-1 S/cm. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are a class of chemicals with 209 different congeners, some of which are known carcinogens, and are persistent organic pollutants in the environment. After its synthesis, it was seen as a phenomenal additive in a multitude of different applications leading to the wide spread use of PCBs and a need for a safe, effective, and inexpensive remediation technique. While it is known that magnesium can degrade PCBs, the mechanism of this reaction was not well-understood. In order for magnesium to be broadly used as a remediation tool, it is necessary to fully understand how the reaction is taking place and if the PCBs are able to be fully dechlorinated into biphenyl. This research focuses on the hydrodechlorination of PCBs with zero-valent magnesium in acidified ethanol. The degradation pathways of 2, 2', 3, 5, 5', 6- hexachlorobiphenyl were investigated to determine the identity of the daughter PCBs produced, how and if they continue to be dechlorinated into biphenyl. The proton source for this hydrodehalogenation reaction was also studied using both deuterated solvent and acid to give more detail to the mechanism of this reaction.


Speaking With The Orishas: Divination And Propitiation In The Lukumi Religion, Kristi Marrero Jan 2014

Speaking With The Orishas: Divination And Propitiation In The Lukumi Religion, Kristi Marrero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Lucumi religion was born in Cuba from African and European religious systems. The enslaved Yoruba were brought to the New World through the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. They were taken from their homes, family, language, and religion and brought to countries like Cuba to provide free labor to growing agricultural markets that benefited European colonizers of the Americas. The Yoruba would hold on to their religion, but in order to keep it alive, they would have to make it into a new religion. This new religion would become the religion known as Lucumi. In Cuba, Lucumi practitioners would hide their …


Physiological Constraints On Warm-Water Habitat Site Selection And Utilization By The Florida Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) In East Central Florida, Ann Spellman Jan 2014

Physiological Constraints On Warm-Water Habitat Site Selection And Utilization By The Florida Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) In East Central Florida, Ann Spellman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Living at the northern limits of its geographic range, the Florida manatee is particularly susceptible to cold stress-related mortality during the winter months, with most deaths occurring in the lower two-thirds of the state. Contributing to this cold stress susceptibility is the manatee's limited physiological and behavioral responses available when thermally stressed. While capable of migrating south in response to falling water temperatures, manatees must still find warm water when ambient river temperature drops below 20°C for more than a few days. This is in part due to the species low metabolic rate, limited capacity for thermogenesis, and limited ability …


Role Of Cardiac Catecholamines In Embryos And Adults Under Stress, Candice Baker Jan 2014

Role Of Cardiac Catecholamines In Embryos And Adults Under Stress, Candice Baker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is responsible for the loss of one life every 38 seconds and accounts for 26.6 percent of all infants that die of congenital birth defects. Adrenergic hormones are critically important regulators of cardiovascular physiology in embryos and adults. They are key mediators of stress responses and have profound stimulatory effects on cardiovascular function, and dysregulation of adrenergic function has been associated with many adverse cardiac conditions, including congenital malformations, arrhythmias, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death. Despite intensive study, the specific roles these hormones play in the developing heart is not well-understood. Further, there is …


Land Of Flowers, Michael Morrison Jan 2014

Land Of Flowers, Michael Morrison

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Land of Flowers is a collection of short fiction presenting a Florida that stands in counterpoint to the image the state holds in the national consciousness-an image of a backward region rife with rednecks, retirees, racists, and religious kooks. In contrast, these stories feature the natives, the tourists, the immigrants, and also the transplants who are drawn to this "paradise" with hopes of finding warmth, escape, and a new life that so often fails to materialize. Many of the inhabitants of these stories are mired in a state of introspection. In the title piece, an early Spanish explorer contemplates his …


Ar Physics: Transforming Physics Diagrammatic Representations On Paper Into Interactive Simulations., Yao Zhou Jan 2014

Ar Physics: Transforming Physics Diagrammatic Representations On Paper Into Interactive Simulations., Yao Zhou

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A problem representation is a cognitive structure created by the solver in correspondence to the problem. Sketching representative diagrams in the domain of physics encourages a problem solving strategy that starts from 'envisionment' by which one internally simulates the physical events and predicts outcomes. Research studies also show that sketching representative diagrams improves learner's performance in solving physics problems. The pedagogic benefits of sketching representations on paper make this traditional learning strategy remain pivotal and worthwhile to be preserved and integrated into the current digital learning landscape. In this paper, I describe AR Physics, an Augmented Reality based application that …


A Thomistic Critique Of The Ethics Of Alasdair Macintyre, Marcus Otte Jan 2014

A Thomistic Critique Of The Ethics Of Alasdair Macintyre, Marcus Otte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alasdair MacIntyre argues in favor of a historicist Thomism in ethics and political philosophy. In his theory, sociological categories take up much of the space traditionally occupied by metaphysics. This peculiar feature of MacIntyre's Thomism, and its merits and demerits, is already a subject that has been taken up by many critics. In this thesis, these criticisms are supplemented and unified by identifying what is perhaps the most fundamental difficulty with MacIntyre's ethics: his version of Thomism is problematic because it treats epistemology as first philosophy. This misstep compromises MacIntyre's ability to provide a defense of moral objectivity, while also …


How Many Are Out There? A Novel Approach For Open And Closed Systems, Zia Rehman Jan 2014

How Many Are Out There? A Novel Approach For Open And Closed Systems, Zia Rehman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We propose a ratio estimator to determine population estimates using capture-recapture sampling. It's different than traditional approaches in the following ways: (1) Ordering of recaptures: Currently data sets do not take into account the "ordering" of the recaptures, although this crucial information is available to them at no cost. (2) Dependence of trials and cluster sampling: Our model explicitly considers trials to be dependent and improves existing literature which assumes independence. (3) Rate of convergence: The percentage sampled has an inverse relationship with population size, for a chosen degree of accuracy. (4) Asymptotic Attainment of Minimum Variance (Open Systems: (=population …


Effect Of Acute L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine (Sustamine) And Electrolyte Ingestion On Cognitive Function, Multiple Object Tracking And Reaction Time Following Prolonged Exercise, Gabriel Pruna Jan 2014

Effect Of Acute L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine (Sustamine) And Electrolyte Ingestion On Cognitive Function, Multiple Object Tracking And Reaction Time Following Prolonged Exercise, Gabriel Pruna

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Changes in physiological function occurring during a body water deficit may result in significant decrements in performance, cognitive function and fine motor control during exercise. This may be due to the magnitude of the body water deficit. Rehydration strategies are important to prevent these deleterious effects in performance. The purpose of this study was to examine the changes before and after prolonged exercise of an alanine-glutamine dipeptide (AG) on cognitive function and reaction time. Twelve male endurance-trained runners (age: 23.5 [plus or minus] 3.7 y; height: 175.5 [plus or minus] 5.4 cm; weight: 70.7 [plus or minus] 7.6 kg) participated …


Effects Of Mechanical Habitat Disturbance On The Diversity And Network Structure Of Plant-Bee Interaction Networks In Central Florida, Karlie Carman Jan 2014

Effects Of Mechanical Habitat Disturbance On The Diversity And Network Structure Of Plant-Bee Interaction Networks In Central Florida, Karlie Carman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ecological interactions within a community shape the structure of ecosystems and influence ecosystem function. Plant-pollinator interactions exist as mutualistic exchange networks that may collapse as habitat loss occurs, thereby threatening the overall health of an ecosystem. Understanding the impacts of human-mediated habitat disturbance on ecological interactions is therefore crucial for conservation efforts. Archbold Biological Station (ABS) in Venus, Florida contains over 2000 hectares of protected Florida scrub habitat nested within a human-dominated environment that is threatened by anthropogenic habitat disturbance. In past studies, over 113 bee species and 157 associated host plants, many endemic to the Lake Wales Ridge, have …


A Multimedia Approach To Game-Based Training: Exploring The Effects Of The Modality And Temporal Contiguity Principles On Learning In A Virtual Environment, Stephen Serge Jan 2014

A Multimedia Approach To Game-Based Training: Exploring The Effects Of The Modality And Temporal Contiguity Principles On Learning In A Virtual Environment, Stephen Serge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is an increasing interest in using video games as a means to deliver training to individuals learning new skills or tasks. However, current research lacks a clear method of developing effective instructional material when these games are used as training tools and explaining how gameplay may affect learning. The literature contains multiple approaches to training and GBT but generally lacks a foundational-level and theoretically relevant approach to how people learn specifically from video games and how to design instructional guidance within these gaming environments. This study investigated instructional delivery within GBT. Video games are a form of multimedia, consisting …


Effects Of Biotic Interactions On Coastal Wetland Communities With Applications For Restoration, Melinda Donnelly Jan 2014

Effects Of Biotic Interactions On Coastal Wetland Communities With Applications For Restoration, Melinda Donnelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coastal wetland plants serve as ecological engineers in a physiologically stressful environment and the loss of coastal wetlands can cause negative effects throughout the estuarine system. Due to increased degradation of coastal habitats worldwide, interest in restoration has increased around the world. An understanding of the biotic processes affecting species distribution and diversity is critical for future conservation, management, and restoration of coastal wetlands. The purpose of my study was to test the effects of biotic interactions on native coastal wetland plants and determine how these interactions may be incorporated into current and future restoration projects. I had three primary …


Dog Ownership As A Catalyst Of Conflict And Relationship Maintenance In Romantic Relationships, Ashley Elrick Jan 2014

Dog Ownership As A Catalyst Of Conflict And Relationship Maintenance In Romantic Relationships, Ashley Elrick

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pets are a common aspect of life for many Americans. In 2012, 36.5% of American household owned dogs and 30.4% owned cats (American Veterinary Medical Foundation, 2012). The purpose on this study was to explore the influence of dog ownership on romantic relationships. Specifically, this thesis investigates how dog ownership acts as a catalyst of relational maintenance and conflict behavior in interactions about the couple's dog. No prior research has been conducted on the role dogs' play in enacting relational maintenance or conflict in romantic relationships, so it is unclear if there is an influence to the these behaviors. This …


Degradation Of Hydrazine And Monomethylhydrazine For Fuel Waste Streams Using Alpha-Ketoglutaric Acid, Carolina Franco Jan 2014

Degradation Of Hydrazine And Monomethylhydrazine For Fuel Waste Streams Using Alpha-Ketoglutaric Acid, Carolina Franco

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alpha-ketoglutaric acid (AKGA) is an organic acid important for the metabolism of essential amino acids as well as for the transfer of cellular energy. It is a precursor of glutamic acid which is produced by the human body during the Krebs Cycle. AKGA has a specific industrial interest as it can be taken as a dietary supplement and is also widely used as a building block in chemical synthesis. Collectively termed as hydrazine (HZs), hydrazine (HZ) and monomethylhydrazine (MMH) are hypergolic fuels that do not need an ignition source to burn. Because of the particular HZs' characteristics the National Aeronautics …


Application Of Two-Photon Absorbing Fluorene-Containing Compounds In Bioimaging And Photodyanimc Therapy, Xiling Yue Jan 2014

Application Of Two-Photon Absorbing Fluorene-Containing Compounds In Bioimaging And Photodyanimc Therapy, Xiling Yue

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Two-photon absorbing (2PA) materials has been widely studied for their highly localized excitation and nonlinear excitation efficiency. Application of 2PA materials includes fluorescence imaging, microfabrication, 3D data storage, photodynamic therapy, etc. Many materials have good 2PA photophysical properties, among which, the fluorenyl structure and its derivatives have attracted attention with their high 2PA cross-section and high fluorescence quantum yield. Herein, several compounds with 2PA properties are discussed. All of these compounds contain one or two fluorenyl core units as part of the conjugated system. The aim of this dissertation is to discuss the application of these compounds according to their …


Genetic And Biochemical Characterization Of The Roles Of Two Putative Purine Transporters In The Infectious Cycle Of Borrelia Burgdorferi, Sunny Jain Jan 2014

Genetic And Biochemical Characterization Of The Roles Of Two Putative Purine Transporters In The Infectious Cycle Of Borrelia Burgdorferi, Sunny Jain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lyme disease, the most common tick borne disease in United States, is caused by the bacterial pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi. In nature, B. burgdorferi exists in an enzootic infectious cycle between an arthropod vector and mammalian hosts. Identification and characterization of the genes essential for B. burgdorferi survival throughout its infectious cycle is an important step toward understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in B. burgdorferi pathogenesis. B. burgdorferi contains a small genome, which lacks the genes encoding for the enzymes required for de novo synthesis of amino acids, fatty acids and nucleic acid precursors. Therefore, the spirochete is dependent upon the …


The U.S. Environmental Movement 1890-2002: Discourse Divisions, Environmental Crisis Events, And Strategic Concessions, Wendi Kane Jan 2014

The U.S. Environmental Movement 1890-2002: Discourse Divisions, Environmental Crisis Events, And Strategic Concessions, Wendi Kane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. Environmental Movement is facing a paradox: increased mobilization over the last 100 years has not been entirely effective in halting environmental degradation. This research suggests that discourse divisions among environmental movement organizations constitute a fundamental obstacle to progressive change. The discourse divisions are evident in movement organizing patterns during periods of increased environmental crisis over the history of the modern environmental movement. In addition, evidence suggests that federal environmental policy is an outcome of increased organizing among movement organizations with more transformative visions of change. However, policy outcomes from increased pressure among transformative organizations are significantly correlated with …


Effect Of Acute L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine (Sustamine) And Electrolyte Ingestion On Plasma Electrolytes, Physiologic Measures, And Neuromuscular Fatigue During Endurance Exercise, William Mccormack Jan 2014

Effect Of Acute L-Alanyl-L-Glutamine (Sustamine) And Electrolyte Ingestion On Plasma Electrolytes, Physiologic Measures, And Neuromuscular Fatigue During Endurance Exercise, William Mccormack

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of two dose levels of L-Alanyl-LGlutamine in a commercially available sports drink to the sports drink only on time to exhaustion, neuromuscular fatigue and physiological measures during prolonged endurance exercise. Twelve endurance-trained males (23.5±3.7 yrs; 175.5±5.4 cm; 70.7±7.6 kg) performed four trials, each consisting of 1 hr treadmill runs at 75% of VO2peak followed by a run to exhaustion at 90% of VO2peak. The trials differed in type of hydration. One trial consisted of no hydration (NHY), another required ingestion of only a sports drink (ET), and two trials required …


Validation Of A Novel Hypothesis Of Generating Foam Cells By Its Use To Study Reverse Cholesterol Transport, Bhaswati Sengupta Jan 2014

Validation Of A Novel Hypothesis Of Generating Foam Cells By Its Use To Study Reverse Cholesterol Transport, Bhaswati Sengupta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Generation of foam cells, an essential step for reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) studies, uses the technique of receptor dependent macrophage loading with radiolabeled acetylated Low Density Lipoprotein (Ac-LDL). In this study, we used the ability of a biologically relevant detergent molecule, Lysophosphatidylcholine (Lyso PtdCho), to form mixed micelles with cholesterol or cholesteryl ester (CE) to generate macrophage foam cells. Fluorescent or radiolabelled cholesterol / Lyso PtdCho mixed micelles were prepared and incubated with RAW 264.7 or mouse peritoneal macrophages. Results showed that such micelles were quite stable at 4°C and retained the solubilized cholesterol during one month storage. Macrophages incubated …


A Time-Course Analysis Of Behavioral Plasticity And Differential Gene Expression Patterns In Response To Density In Schistocerca Americana (Orthoptera: Acrididae), Steven Gotham Jan 2014

A Time-Course Analysis Of Behavioral Plasticity And Differential Gene Expression Patterns In Response To Density In Schistocerca Americana (Orthoptera: Acrididae), Steven Gotham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of the genotype to express alternative phenotypes in response to different environmental conditions and this is considered to be an adaptation in which a species can survive and persist in a rapidly changing environment. Some grasshoppers and locusts are capable of expressing an extreme form of density-dependent phenotypic plasticity, known as locust phase polyphenism. At low population density, the individuals typically have a cryptic coloration as nymphs, are less active, and only seek out conspecifics for reproductive purposes. At high density, however, they develop a drastically different phenotype in which they have a conspicuous coloration, …


Chemical Differentiation Of Human Osseous, Non-Human Osseous, And Non-Osseous Materials Using Scanning Electron Microscopy - Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (Sem/Edx) And Multivariate Statistical Analysis, Cayli Meizel-Lambert Jan 2014

Chemical Differentiation Of Human Osseous, Non-Human Osseous, And Non-Osseous Materials Using Scanning Electron Microscopy - Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry (Sem/Edx) And Multivariate Statistical Analysis, Cayli Meizel-Lambert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identification of osseous materials is generally established on gross anatomical factors; however, highly fragmented or taphonomically altered materials are often problematic and alternative methods, such as biological, histological, or chemical analysis, must be utilized. Recently, chemical methods have been proposed to sort unknown materials according to their Ca/P ratios. Ubelaker and colleagues (2002) proposed using SEM/EDX to achieve this distinction and Christensen and colleagues (2012) have validated X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF) for this application. An alternative method of analysis involves performing principal component analysis (PCA) on element spectra to classify unknown materials based on their trace element composition. Zimmerman (2013) …