Digital Commons Network^™

Metal Ion Stabilization Of G-Tetrads Containing 6-Thioguanosine, Julia Drees

Honors Theses

As alternative structures to the double helix, G-tetrads are thought to occur in DNA with many repeating deoxyguanosines (dG). These tetrads have one dG on each corner of a plane and can stack into tetraplexes that can be aptamers and may be found in telomeres. G-tetrads are destabilized by incorporation of 6-thiodeoxyguanosine (?sdG). Addition of metal ions that bind sulfur may stabilize these ?sdG-tetrads. We have carried out a survey of metal ion titrations into ?sG. Stable ?sG:MD? complexes were found for Hg2? (2:1), Cd2? (4:1), Ag2? (0.7:1) and Pt2? (thought to be 2:1). UV/Visible spectrophotometry indicates that G-tetrads containing …

New Jersey Women And Their Strategies For Exerting Power In Marriage, 1770-1800, Jacqueline Deyo

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries In Athletes, Jennifer D. Krick

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Play Behavior In Infant Western Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla Gorilla Gorilla) At The Lincoln Park Zoo, Suma Mallavarapu

Honors Theses

An ethological investigation was made on a group of western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) at the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago. Focal animal sampling and all-occurrences sampling were used to collect data during the months of June and July 2000. Qualitative observations were made of the general behavioral patterns of the group, which included feeding and drinking behavior, resting, sleeping, nest construction, grooming behavior, group behavior, dominance hierarchies, zoo-keeper and public oriented behavior, and behavior in novel stimuli situations. Except for female dominance hierarchies, all behavioral patterns were found to be similar to those reported for feral gorillas. …

Experimental Analysis Of Metabolic Adaptation Of Cottus Carolinae In Response To Photoperiod And Food Availability, Linda L. Brison

Honors Theses

Epigean (surface) and hypogean (cave) habitats differ significantly, thereby influencing organisms that inhabit these environments in varying ways. As organisms move from surface to cave environments, they. adapt to cave conditions: constant darkness, relatively constant temperatures year-round, low food availability, and high humidity. Fish adjusted to cave life often experience reductions in pigmentation, eye size, and metabolic rate. Metabolism is, in general, influenced by temperature, seasonal• • changes, photoperiod, and food availability. The objective of this research was to understand the alteration of metabolic rate in laboratory acclimated Cottus carolinae (banded sculpin) in response to photoperiod and food availability.

Metabolic …

Characterization Of A Non-Ribosomal Peptide From Agrobacterium Tumefaciens, Graham Strub

Honors Theses

The current efforts underway to sequence the genome of Agrobacterium tumefaciens have led to the discovery of a large region of DNA (52kb) with a strong homology to several polyketide synthetase genes. This was a matter of great interest to the Agrobacterium project; no current literature documents the production of a polyketide or non:iibosomal peptide from Agrobacterium. Furthermore, the multi-domain enzymes coded by these polyketide synthetase genes in other bacterial species are responsible for synthesizing several toxins, many which act as antibiotic agents {8, 9, 12, 16). This was also of great interest, since Agrobacterium is not known to produce …

Increasing Attendance At Voluntary Academic Tutoring Sessions On A Large University, Meghan Sadler

Honors Theses

High attrition rates have become an impetus for colleges and universities to develop programs to help students during the first years of their education. Various services such as supplemental instruction, tutoring, testing, counseling, college success seminars, and remedial help are offered to help students be successful in their university studies. While these services may be offered, encouraging students to voluntarily attend these sessions is a problem. This study was conducted to analyze the effect of prompts on improving the attendance at voluntary content tutoring sessions at a large Midwestern University. The participants were college students enrolled in any course that …

Conversion Of Virulent Cryphonectria Parasitica From The Lula Lake Land Trust To Hypovirulent Strains, Pearl Hwang

Honors Theses

For almost a century, the fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica has existed in the United States as a wound parasite to American chestnut (Castanea dentata) trees. However, hypovirulence, evidence of spontaneous healing in Italy and Michigan, has given the American chestnut trees hope to one day be restored into its natural range. Viruses were the cause of such spontaneous healings. My hypothesis was that a viruscontaining hypovirulent strain of C. parasitica (in a brown background) would share alleles that control anastomoses with the local virulent strains, so a virus that causes hypovirulence could be transmitted into local virulent strains in vitro. Fifty …

Wolves In Sheeps' Clothing: Creationist Manipulation Of Kansas Science Standards, Nathan Christopher Gehlert

Honors Theses

So the question that animates this paper is this: what happens when a state's education policy seeks to make popular social and religious values a central part of its education standards in direct confrontation with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution? I will try to answer that question in three ways. First, I will examine the tactics used in the manipulation of curricula to reflect social and religious values, with special focus on the Kansas case. Second, I will try to ascertain the determinants of success in these efforts; under what conditions are movements to …

Photochemical Degradation Of 2,4-D And Atrazine In Well-Defined Media, Asher D. Ghertner

Honors Theses

Atrazine and 2,4-D are common herbicides used for crop, lawn, and rangeland management. Photochemical degradation has been proposed as one safe and efficient remediation strategy for both 2,4-D and Atrazine. In the presence of iron(llI) and hydrogen peroxide these herbicides decay by both thermal and light induced oxidation. Past studies have focused primarily on sun light as an energy source. This work provides a mechanistic description of herbicide degradation incorporating intermediate degradation products produced in the dark and under well-defined light conditions.

Study Of The Effects Of Co2(G) On The Fe(Ii)-Luminol Chemiluminescence System: Application To Ultra-Trace Analysis Of Fe(Ii), Sara Beth Lovitz

Honors Theses

The Fe(II)-catalyzed oxidation of luminol has been a well-accepted chemiluminescence method for the trace and ultra-trace analysis of Fe(II) and Fe(III) in natural waters. Investigation into this chemiluminescence system has shown that COlg) is essential to Fe-catalyzed luminol chemiluminescence. In absence of CO2(g) there is no chemiluminescent signal. These reactions worked well in the past because CO2 is present in most laboratory H20 supplies. Intentional saturation of CO2 results in a 5-fold increase for this conventional system. We propose a mechanism for CO 2(g) enhancement that includes formation of a CO2-superoxide intermediate, which serves as the oxidant of luminol to …

Exploratory Chemistry In Route To Aromatic Natural Products, Nicholas P. Bizier

Honors Theses

The focus of this research was the synthesis of two natural products, 1-methyl-s-(1,2,2-trimethy1cyclopentyl)-benzene (formally cuparene), and 3-(1,2dimethylcyclopenty1)-5-methylbenzene-l,2-diol (formally herbertene diol). Cuparene possesses anti-fungal and anti-arthritic properties. This molecule has been the target of a number of syntheses. Herbertene diol, a natural product itself, represents one retrosynthetic step back from mastigophorane; a compound isolated form the liverwort Mastigophora diaclolades. Mastigophorane has been shown to have neural network forming capabilities and has warranted complete synthetic efforts. Through the same chemistry involve in the formation of cuparene, we sought a route to herbertene diol in two steps. We report a successful route to …

Isolation And Characterization Of Chromium- And Cobalt-Binding Peptides, Michael J. Jose

Honors Theses

Metal substitution has been proposed as an aid in the characterization of the structure of Low-Molecular-Weight Chromium-binding substance (LMWCr), which appears to be the biologically active chromium species. Preparations of bovine liver were diced and suspended in an isolation solution containing either a cobalt or a chromium salt. Peptide samples from these preparations were isolated by precipitation and centrifugation and purified by liquid chromatography. Several methods were used to analyze these samples, which may contain LMWCr or the cobalt-substituted form (LMWCo), in order to determine their purity, molecular weight (MW), and metal-to-peptide ratio. Methods used to determine MW included sodium …

Endless Challenges: A History Of Student Housing At The University Of Mississippi, Clayton Anderson James

Honors Theses

The history of student housing at the University of Mississippi is one of endless challenges. Ranging from periodic room shortages to declining institutional concern for the needs of student housing, these challenges have shaped the lives of students who live on campus through today. Though these challenges have varied in source and nature over the years, they still confront administrators, faculty, staff, and most of all students, many of whom address these issues on a daily basis. In the earliest years of the University, student housing was an important part of the campus, and it was recognized as such by …

Invasion Of Mouse Fibroblasts And Macrophages By Human Isolates Of Agrobacterium, Karmon Leigh Kriechbaum

Honors Theses

In the past few decades there has been growing evidence that species of Agrobacterium can be opportunistic animal pathogens. One of these species is Agrobacterium tumefaciens, which for years has been studied as a plant pathogen. The results of one published experiment suggested that an Agrobacterium toxin could kill mice (12). Other strong evidence for Agrobacterium as an opportunistic human pathogen is the over fifty published clinical cases in which humans were infected by Agrobacterium species (3, 13-25). In almost all of these cases the patient was immunocompromised in some way and they often had an invasive procedure such as …

Probing The Capabilities Of Copper Complexes With Nitrogen And Sulfur Containing Macrocyclic Ligands As Aziridination Catalysts, Jonathan Natkin

Honors Theses

Aziridines are three-membered rings containing one nitrogen atom. They are useful as synthetic intermediates in many organic reactions. Much work has been devoted to synthesizing their analogs, cyclopropanes and epoxides, but little work has been done on the aziridination reaction. This study endeavored to probe the efficiencies of novel copper aziridination catalysts with N3 and S3 macrocyclic ligands compared to an NS2 analog for the reaction with the nitrene precursor (N-(paratosylsulfonyl) imino)phenyliodinane, PhINTs, and the olefin styrene. The nitrogen containing catalyst complex gave higher yields than the sulfur containing catalyst complex. Both ligands were found to decrease the yield of …

Industrialized Violence: The Origins Of Genocide, Brandi Pennell

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Anatomy, Ultrastructure And Physiology Of Hornwort Stomata, Jessica Regan Lucas

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Environmental Effects Of Economic Sanctions: The Cuban Experience, Amanda Carucci

Honors Theses

Cuba has pervaded U.S. consciousness for several decades. For nearly fifty years the United States has continuously threatened and feared one of our closest neighbors. Lawmakers have fretted over the stubbornness of its communist leadership. Though the longevity and persistence of Fidel Castro's rule might be an understandable concern for U.S. policyrnakers, there are several other issues apparent within the island which are certainly worthy of our attention. The highways are adorned with colorful billboards praising the communist government and Fidel Castro exudes pride and confidence during each of his public appearances. Yet beneath this poorly constructed veneer, the country …

A Survey Of The Macroscopic Fungi Of The Lula Lake Land Trust, Jocelyn M. De Guzman

Honors Theses

I conducted a survey of the macroscopic fungi in an area designated as Chestnut Orchard #1 of the Lula Lake Land Trust from May 29, 1999 to March 8, 2000. The purpose of the survey centered on making a comprehensive list of the fleshy fungi to serve as baseline data of the fungal diversity contained on this experimental chestnut plot. The fieldwork resulted in a collection of 139 sporocarp specimens, comprising 17 families, 38 genera, 63 species and, as of yet, approximately 30 unidentified specimens. Some of the specimens collected were also determined to be edible, thus offering a possible …

Influence Of Parents' Marital Status On College Students' Expectations For Marriage, Laura Ann Rowald

Honors Theses

This study examined the differences between college students from divorced and intact families with respect to their expectations for marriage, division of household labor, and childcare. A divorced family was defined as one in which the parents have divorced and includes those who remain single after the divorce and those where one or both parents have remarried. An intact family was defined as one in which the parents were currently married to each other and had never been divorced from each other. Participants included 102 Southern Illinois University undergraduate students enrolled in a introductory psychology course who participated for course …

Caffeine Effects On Different Levels Of Attention, Antoinette R. Anderson

Honors Theses

The effects' caffeine has on attention was investigated using a visual vigilance computer task. Fourteen university students (mean age = 21) received class research for I participating on three separate occasions; orientation, caffeine condition (2mg per kg. of I body weight), and placebo condition (2mg per kg. of body weight of Quinine). In both sessions the substances were added to 20ml of diet, caffeine-free Pepsi. There was at I least one day between each session. All sessions were conducted in the morning and I caffeine was restricted from 12:00 midnight the night before the session. When compared with placebo, caffeine …

Mycorrhizal Associations In Opuntia Humifusa In Southern Illinois, Sean Andrew Whitcomb

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of A Career In Medical Writing: Portfolio, Heather O'Neill

Honors Theses

This portfolio contains the projects worked on by the author, many written for a professional audience, as part of an internship with a freelance medical writer. Also included are resources for writing.

Fighting Aids With Holistic Weapons: An Integrated Approach, Tom Goodwin

Honors Theses

The current AIDS epidemic has changed the way we view the world as well as our society as a whole. Diseases have ravaged humanity since the dawn of time, so what makes AIDS so much different from every other disease encountered by man? One reason is its transmission method. We know that HIV passes from person to person via blood, semen, and vaginal secretions. Most people that suffer from this disease contract it during sex, during intravenous drug use, or during a blood transfusion. Early accounts of HIV disease occurred in minority groups, namely homosexual men. This may have bee …

Molecular Evolution Of Insecticidal Spore-Forming Bacteria, John Pool

Honors Theses

Molecular methods are increasingly being used to determine the phylogeny of microorganisms. This research was intended to determine phylogenetic relationships for bacteria of the species Bacillus thuringiensis and other members of the Bacillus cereus group. Each strain was analyzed by its sasp-B gene sequence to determine its species classification and relation to other strains studied. Results of this study indicated that according to the sasp-B gene tree, the species Bacillus thuringiensis is a paraphyletic with respect to both Bacillus cereus and Bacillus anthracis. Some unexpected results and implications for species designations are also discussed.

Opening The Doors Of Communication And Guiding Parents Into Classrooms And Schools, Katy Anne Forsyth

Honors Theses

"A good parent is a national treasure and we need to make parents and families partners with their children's teacher and principals in the process of education," (Beyond the Classroom 308). This quote is the heart behind the contents of this book. For the love and concern that we as teachers have for the children in our lives, we owe it to them to help make their educational experience the most well rounded prosperous experience possible. To accomplish this, a partnership needs to be created by opening the doors of communication and guiding parents into classrooms and schools. As teachers, …

A Computational Approach To Determining Stability Constants For Transition Metal Ion Complexes, Jason St. Clair

Honors Theses

The complexation of metal ions in natural waters plays a critical role in defining the metal's biogeochemistry, Numerous investigators have used various experimental techniques to measure complexation constants in the laboratory, but many constants are still poorly undefined or have yet to be investigated due to the difficulty of some of the experiments. A computational approach to obtaining these constants for complexes of Fe(lII), Fe(D), Cr(lli), Cu(lI), Zn(II), and Cd(II) was explored with varying degrees of success. Calculated Gibbs Free Energies were compared to experimental stability constants. Calculations were performed using Spartan's DFT package at the pEP level and with …

Cisplatin Interstrand Cross-Linking Of Defined Sequence Nucleosomal Dna, Erin Elizabeth Wilkes

Honors Theses

DNA interstrand cross-linking agents have been recognized for many years to be powerful antitumor chemotherapeutics. While the interactions between free DNA and many anticancer drugs have been explored extensively, there is less infonnation available about these interactions with nucleosomal DNA. Nitrogen mustards have been reported to exhibit relatively similar cross-linking sites and efficiencies of binding in free and nucleosomal DNA, but mitomycin C exhibits markedly reduced cross-linking near the center of nucleosomal DNA. This current study focuses on cisplatin interstrand cross-linking of the 154 base pair 55 rRNA gene fragment of Xenopus borealis reconstituted with histones from chicken erythrocytes. The …

A Catechol Approach To Natural Product Synthesis, Michelle E. Weber

Honors Theses

This research has focused on the total synthesis of the iron--chelating natural product 1-(2,3-hydroxyphenyl)-4-methoxy-I-butanone. An extract of the iron-cleficient fungus Gleophyllwn lraebeum, this molecule is thought to bind to Fe3+ in a hexacoordinate system to aid in transport through cell walls in order to help regulate iron levels in such iron-deficient fungi. Since the proposed structure of the molecule is based only on the spectral data of a very small sample, our hope is to synthesize and confirm its structure as the extract of the brown rot fungus. We have developed a relatively short retrosynthesis for our work on this …