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Interactions Of Ti(Iv) And Sn(Iv) Organometallic Complexes With Double-Stranded Dna, Katherine Macdonald Davies

Honors Theses

In order to understand further the interactions that exist between specific organometallic complexes and DNA, reactions of double-stranded calf-thymus DNA with bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium dichloride [Cp₂TiC1₂] (TDC), bis(t-butylcyclopentadienyl)titanium dichloride [(C₄H₉Cp)₂TiC1₂] (r-butyl TDC), bis(i-propylcyclopentadienly)titanium dichloride [(C₃H₆Cp)2TiCl₂ a-propyl mc), bis(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) titanium dichloride [(Cp"₂TiC1₂ (pentarnethyl TDC), triphenyltin chloride (Ph₃SnCl), diphenylrin dichloride (Ph₂SnC1₂) , and triphenyltin acetate (Ph₃SnOAc) were performed. The goal of this research is to establish how the fundamental structure and composition of these compounds determine the effecti veness of their DNA interactions. Each metal compound was incubated with calf thymus DNA at several metal: DNA ratios and reactions were maintained at 37°C at …

Scientific Investigation Of The Plant Pathogen Agrobacterium Tumefaciens, Casey M. Flanagan, Christopher B. Crowell Ii, Bryan P. Markelz

Honors Theses

A. tumefaciensis a plant pathogen and causative agent of Crown Gall Disease, an ailment that results in the development of tumors in plants. It is a unique organism in that it is the only known non-viral pathogen that transfers its DNA into the host cell. Consequently, the majority of the research conducted on A. tumefaciensinvestigates its mechanism of infection. However, A. tumefaciensis also rare to the bacterial world in that its genome is comprised of two chromosomes: one circular and one linear. Most other bacteria only have one circular chromosome. This area of research has been grossly overlooked and therefore …

Characterizing The Role Of Mapk Phosphates In Plants, Laura Asakura

Honors Theses

Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathways e ubiquitous ongst eukaryotes, involved in the signal transduction of various external stimuli to the nucleus. In plants, only MAPK pathways related to pathogen- and stress-related responses have been identified. It has been proposed that another MAPK pathway exists in plants, one that is similar to animal MAPK pathways and postulated to connect the regulation of cell growth and the actions of hormones auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellin. In order to establish whether a link exists between the MAPK pathway and hormone signaling in plants, the role of MAPK phosphatases (MKP) on hormone signaling was …

Determination Of Nizatidine-Guest Complexation Constants And Computer Aided Molecular Design, Carolyn J. Mordas

Honors Theses

Nizatidine, N-[2-[[[2-[(dimethylamino)methyl]-4-thiazoly]]methy1]thio]ethyl]-N'- methyl- 2-nitro-I,l, ethenediamine, has been investigated for its potential to act as a host to small molecules through hydrogen bonding and pi-pi interactions. In previous work, pyridoxine (vitamin B6) was hypothesized to have a high guest-host binding constant with nizatidine. This was supported through experimental methods involving one and two dimensional NMR spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, and high performance liquid chromatography. Computer aided molecular design and three dimensional conformationally flexible database searching led to the discovery of other possible guests, including albuterol, which has exhibited even higher binding constants from HPLC.

Women And Work: An Analysis Of The Sociological And Historical Trends Of Maternity Leave Policies In The U.S., Gina M. Schrader

Honors Theses

This paper presents an analysis of maternity rights and regulations within the context of the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 and the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993. First, I will define the legislation while observing the sociological and historical significance of the legislation. Second, I will analyze maternity leave policies of the modern working environment and address the increasing involvement of women within the workforce. Finally, I will examine the needs that are unmet within current policies and the possible alternatives.

Methods And Techniques For Production Of Genetically Modified Maize At Monsanto Global Seed, Michelle Renee Mcgehee

Honors Theses

The development of transgenic plants for agricultural purposes consumes much time and energy but is well worth the battle. From the laboratory perspective, hours are spent trying to force plant cells to uptake new DNA. Several methods are available for this practice, including Ti-plasmid mediated transformation, microprojectile bombardment, and electroporation. Each method depends primarily on the organism one wishes to transform. Once the gene of interest has been inserted, the seed from these transgenic plants goes to pilot stations to be grown in nurseries and yield production fields and tested for resistance against many elements. The final product is put …

Comparative Stamen Morphology Of The Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family), Hannah Kay

Honors Theses

The Ranunculaceae family, also known as the Crowfoot or Buttercup family, consists of some forty genera (Gleason, 1952). The species of Ranunculaceae are most abundant in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere and especially diverse in the eastern part of North America. Species living near the equator grow on high mountains in cool conditions. These plants are commonly found as herbs, but may also be found as shrubs or woody vines. Their structural variations create a myriad of distinct leaf types, petal types, flower configurations, stem growth patterns, and other morphological features. The focus of this project is on the …

Behavioral Analysis And Enrichment Effects On Captive Red Wolves, Laurie Thompson

Honors Theses

The red wolf, Canis rufus, is a highly endangered predator native to the eastern United States. Their original range is thought to have extended from as far west as Texas all the way to the east coast, and as far south as Florida and north to at least the Ohio River valley. Their decline is attributed to human encroachment causing loss of habitat, persecution of the species, and extensive hybridization with coyotes, Canis latrans, once their numbers began to diminish (Riley and McBride, 1972). In addition to these problems, parasites have had a substantial effect on their already dwindling numbers …

Organic Farmers As Victims Of Lnjurious Practices By Biogenetic Corporations, Jennifer L. Kelley

Honors Theses

The relationship between anticompetitive practices by large biotechnology corporations and their victimizing effects on organic farmers, with reference to genetically engineered and altered seeds in the United States market, is examined. The sample was derived from individuals associated with the organic farming industry. The total sample populace was taken from two cumulative lists of organic farmers, organic certification agencies, and organic food producers. One hundred individuals were mailed questionnaires. Of the fifty-four percent that returned the surveys, one hundred percent feel there are not sufficient regulations on genetic engineering nor have sufficient precautions been taken. Issues of labeling safety, and …

Genetic Influence On Impulse And Aggression Related Crime: A Historical Review Of Related Research Data. And Field Research Project, Catherine A. Newell

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Social And Environmental Factors Contributing To Stereotypic Behavior In The Spectacled Bear, Dana Marie Varble

Honors Theses

Stereotypies have many causes and contributing factors. Often overlooked is the importance of social and environmental factors such as weather, pen design, social interaction, feeds and feeding schedule, and early childhood experiences. These factors are overlooked in favor of more concrete and testable factors such as size of the animal, pen size, age, sex, and health. This research revealed the importance of social and environmental factors in interpreting the causes of stereotypy in one captive spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus) at the St. Louis Zoo. Observational data collection was employed to attempt to gather data supporting the influence of these factors. …

Biogeography Of The Short-Tailed Shrews (Blarina Brevicauda And B. Carolinensis) In The Tennessee River Valley And Adjacent Areas Of The Midsouth, Michael Jeffries

Honors Theses

In response to conflicting reports of the distribution of the two species of Blarina (B. brevicauda and B. carolinensis) in the Tennessee Valley area, specimens from The Natural History Museum of The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and The University of Georgia were analyzed. Cranial measurements were used in both a discriminant function analysis and a principle components analysis to determine species assignments. Blarina brevicauda was found in central Tennessee, the highlands of the Cumberland Plateau, and the mountains of far east Tennessee, whereas B. carolinensis was found in the Ridge and Valley of southeast Tennessee, separated from B. brevicauda …

Human Solidary : A Reconciliation Between Plato And Rorty, Larina M. Orlando

Honors Theses

In Contingency, irony and solidarity, Richard Rorty outlines his conception of the ideal liberal utopia, wherein moral change results from the substitution of Freedom for Truth as "the goal of thinking and of social progress" (xiii). Rorty maintains that autonomous self-creation and human solidarity are not to be united in a "single vision" (xiv), but rather, "the closest we will come to joining these two quests is to see the aim of a just and free society as letting its citizens be as privatistic, 'irrationalist', and aestheticist as they please so long as they do it on their own …

Shout With The Largest Mob : Toward A Model For Primitive Communication In Mobile Automata, Rebecca A. Weber

Honors Theses

We consider the problem of simulating communication between independent, autonomous agents, or machines, using only local rules with no global control over the agents' behavior. First, we construct an algorithm by which the machines will avoid collisions with each other and with boundaries or obstacles. Noting that collision avoidance alone will not result in higher-level behavior, and with the goal of creating agents which would self-organize, we begin to develop a signalling system by which agents can communicate. This leads to a new method for modeling agent motion in the plane. Throughout, we are motivated by possible linkages between our …

Determination Of Baseline Microbial Biomass Of Tennessee River Gorge Surface Soils Through Chloroform Fumigation And Potassium Sulfate Extraction, Jill Burdette

Honors Theses

Levels of microbial biomass were determined for the A and B-horizons of four plots from the Tennessee River Gorge (TNG), establishing a baseline for future studies. The soils were divided into control and fumigated samples. The fumigated soils were flooded with chloroform, and the carbon was extracted from the control and fumigated soils and quantified through a reflux reaction and subsequent titration with ferrous ammonium sulfate. The extractable carbon was then used to determine the amount of biomass in the soil. The extractable carbon ranged from 62-90% higher in the A-horizon than B-horizon soils with the percent biomass from both …

The Effect Of Using Hemicellulase And Oxidase Successively As Pre-Bleaching Agents For Hardwood Kraft Pulp, Bryan R. Moore

Honors Theses

Environmental concerns have applied pressure on the paper industry to change many erstwhile processes that have traditionally remained unchallenged. One process in particular is pulp bleaching. Elemental chlorine, while effective in bleaching pulp and low in capital cost, is a major environmental threat because of the toxic chlorinated compounds and other dioxins that are generated in mill effluents. With increasing technology and demand, there has been much research devoted to the development of alternate bleaching sequences, whether Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF), which can use Chlorine Dioxide (ClO₂), or Totally Chlorine Free (TC). THe wide acceptance of these bleaching …

Method For Identification Of Origins Of Replication And Genes Regulated By Dnaa In Bacteria, Olga G. Troyanskaya

Honors Theses

The study is focused on developing computer programs to identify origin of DNA replication based on analysis of total bacterial genomes, scoring regions for number of DnaA binding sites, AT content, DNA adenine methylase boxes, and integration host factors binding sites. The programs were tested on cyanobacterium Synechocystis, and several potential origins were identified. However, no one definite region could be located. Currently, software is being developed to analyze common motifs around the origins of all bacteria with known origins. Genes whose transcription could be regulated by DnaA were identified by searching for DnaA boxes preceding promoter regions.

The Effect Of Different Warm-Downs On Heart Rate Recovery And Muscular Lactic Acid Removal, Alison Jean Perkins

Honors Theses

Competitive swimmers and coaches have had varying ideas about what exercises constitute an appropriate warm-down. However, there is much agreement about what a warm-down should achieve. A good warm-down should do three things. First, a warm-down should be successful in returning the swimmer's elevated heart rate to the resting heart rate level in a relatively short period of time. Second, the warm-down should flush lactic acid out of the muscles as quickly as possible, and restore blood lactate to baseline levels. Finally the warm-down should contribute to improved athletic performances.

In this experiment, it was expected that a decreasing intensity …

Establishing A Link Between Mapk Pathways And Hormones Signal Transduction In Plants, Marc Meulener

Honors Theses

Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathways are ubiquitous among eukaryotes, and are involved in the transduction of various extracellular signals. In mammals, three MAPK pathways have been identified, two of these respond to stress, and one can stimulate growth and differentiation. MAPKs have also been found in plants, and it has been suggested that a MAPK pathway may be involved in the signal transduction of auxin and cytokinin, two plant hormones that stimulate growth and differentiation. However, at this time, there is no conclusive evidence supporting this hypothesis. By studying the effect ofMAPKK's of both plant and animal origin in …

Betrayed. The Legacy Of The African American Soldier, Timothy Hampton

Honors Theses

America has called upon its citizens on many occasions to defend its interests. Once called upon, American citizens usually respond with enthusiasm, courage, and great composure. They become American soldiers. The citizen/soldier's obligation is to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic," and to "bear true faith and allegiance to the same...." (Department of Defense Form No. 4, 1992). With this affirmation, military campaigns are launched. Missions are undertaken. Battles are fought. Ultimately, people die fighting for this nation.

Characterization Of Metal-Regulated Genes In Pseudomonas Fluorescens, Melanie Pearson

Honors Theses

One side effect of today's industrialized world is increased levels of heavy metals in the environment. Many of these metals are necessary for biological function as trace elements, but at higher concentrations are toxic. Other metals, such as cadmium, are not beneficial at any level, and have only deleterious effects on living organisms. Cadmium is primarily thought to interfere with normal biological function of proteins. Human exposure to cadmium appears to primarily damage the kidneys, but may also affect the liver, lungs, immune system, and central nervous system. Bacteria, however, have developed several methods for handling toxic heavy metals: cation …

Molecular Design And Association Constants Of Nizatidine-Guest Complexes, Elizabeth Corbeil

Honors Theses

Nizatidine, N-[2-[[[2-[(dimethylamino)metbyl]-4-thiazolyl]methyl]thio]ethyl]-N'methyl- 2-nitro-l,l-ethenediamine (Axid"), has been investigated for its potential to act as a host in guest-host complexes. Nizatidine binds with the guests through hydrogen bonding and pi-pi interactions. Guest-host studies were conducted using fluorescence quenching, calorimetry, NMR and invisible experiments. The lowest energy conformation of nizatidine is found to be U-shaped through theoretical calculations. Fluorescence experiments indicated that tryptophan and pyridoxine had large association constants. Further studies using calorimetry and NMR techniques concluded that no complexation had occurred. Complexation experiments have been done to find guests that complex with nizatidine. Caffeine, luminol, nicotinamide, phenylalanine, pyridoxine, pyrogallol, and tryptophan were …

Shrimp Aquaculture: An Analysis Of Its Evolution And Organization; And The Development Of A Shrimp Growth Model, Adam Rana

Honors Theses

This paper examines the impetus for the development and subsequent rise of the shrimp aquaculture industry and continues by exploring a model that seeks to improve shrimp farmers' harvests by identifying specific variables affecting shrimp growth. Evidence reviewed from 1980 through today suggest that technological advancements, reduced prices, and increases in both the supply and demand for shrimp are positively associated with the industry's rapid ascent. The introduction of vertically integrated shrimp farms along with the ability for shrimp farmers to differentiate their products are also correlated with the industry's growth. Variables affecting shrimp growth were also studied to determine …

The Social Construction Of Gender In The Military And Resistance To The Integration Of Women, Hilary Kathryn Aydt

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Rose Bengal Application On The Production Of Salicylic Acid In Nahg Tobacco Plants, Nicole Christine Ott

Honors Theses

Plants have the ability to develop resistance to a wide range of pathogens following exposure to a single bacterium, fungus, or virus. This resistance occurs in all tissues, not only those that were previously infected. This mechanisms is termed systemic acquired resistance (SAR). The phenolic compound salicylic acid (SA) has been linked to SAR in tobacco, arabidopsis, and cucumber plants. Oxidative stress also causes SA production, which leads to SAR. An engineered tobacco plant (nahG) that does not have the ability to accumulate SA has been used as a research tool in investigations concerning SA activity. Rose Bengal …

Effects Of Zinc On Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase In Buffalo Rat Liver Cells, Bryan G. Sauer

Honors Theses

In recent years, interest has surfaced in the use of insulin-mimicking agents for diabetic therapies. Zinc has been shown to have insulin-like effects in vivo and in vitro but has never been studied for its ability to mimic insulin in the regulation of carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism. Therefore, the author studied the effects of zinc on glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), an enzyme stimulated by insulin that is imperative in both carbohydrate and fatty acid metabolism. Because G6PDH is highly regulated in liver cells, a stable rat liver cell line, Buffalo Rat Liver (BRL), was used. Endogenous G6PDH activity and G6PDH …

Sustainable Development In The Third World: An Assessment Of The Conservation Actions In South Africa, Brazil, Malaysia, And Madagascar, Carol Rizkalla

Honors Theses

As a library research project, this thesis has gone beyond research in the library, and it could not have been possible without the aid of several people. First I must thank the organizations which responded to my request for information: the Center for Environmental Information, the Rainforest Action Network, the World Wildlife Fund, and Conservation International Specifically, Jill McLaughlin in the Communications Department of CI was· most gracious in sending me management plans for parks in Brazil and Madagascar. Carla Langeveld of the WWF, was very helpful during my visit to their library, and subsequently in my request for the …

Heat Shock Protein Synthesis In The Gorgonian Leptogorgia Virgulata, Evelyn Afif

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Alternatives To Nitroprusside, William T. Hiscock

Honors Theses

Any transition metal nitrosyl complex may release nitric oxide and thus has potential as a vasodilator. Nitroprusside, Na2[Fe(CN)5(NO)], is currently used, but dosages are limited because of the potential release of cyanide. Research in our group has been directed towards the synthesis of iron and ruthenium complexes containing the nitrosyl ligand and polypyridyl coligands such as 2,2-dipyridyl (bpy) and 2,2': 6',2"-terpyridine (tpy). These coligands are much less toxic than cyanide. Both [(bpy)(tpy)Fe(NO)]3+ and [(bpy)(tpy)Ru(NO)]3+ have been synthesized and characterized using infrared and ultraviolet spectroscopy, conductivity, and magnetic susceptibility. Along with the search for other possible polydentate coligands, is the search …

Approaches And Methodologies For The Synthesis Of Aromatic Natural Products, Christina A. Goudreau

Honors Theses

Chemists have been captivated by the ability of most natural products to exhibit biological activity which in effect has made them very attractive to pharmaceutical companies. Many over-the-counter drugs such as aspirin were first extracted from natural products and are now an integral part of most of our lives. More importantly, certain drugs such as taxol, which is used to treat breast cancer, initially came from the bark of a yew tree. Extracting these substances from their natural source and using them medicinally at the demand of the consumers would result in the destruction of the natural habitat. Oftentimes, the …