Digital Commons Network^™

Interaction Between Au25 Monolayer Protected Clusters With Lipid Nanodiscs, Yue Bao

Master's Theses

In spite of considerable achievements in the field of cancer research over the past years, the early detection and treatment of cancer is still desirable. Advanced biodiagnostic nanotechnology has been developed rapidly recently, nevertheless there remains great room for improvement through a better design of nanoparticles (NPs). Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been actively studied in biomedical applications for their advantages of low toxicity, high contrast in imaging, and capability of absorbing the infrared which has high penetration to tissues. However, several challenges need to be addressed including enhancement of the signal and maximization of the infrared absorption. Bicelles are model …

Demographics And Transfer Of Escherichia Coli Within Bos Taurus Populations, Joshua Ryan Dillard

Master's Theses

In the United States, symptoms caused by pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli are on the rise. A major source of these pathogenic strains is the E. coli in the digestive tract of cattle. The purpose of this project was to determine if E. coli are transferred between individuals of the same species and if interspecies transmission is possible. Proximity of cattle was also studied as a contributing factor to the transfer of E. coli. To accomplish this goal, E. coli isolates from cattle and cohabitating ground squirrels were compared through a new method of bacterial strain typing called pyroprinting. …

Effects Of Testosterone On The Spatial Ecology, Coloration, And Brain Regions In Western Fence Lizards, Sceloporus Occidentalis, Rachel Catharine Wilson

Master's Theses

An organism’s spatial ecology allows for access to essential resources such as food, mates, and escape from predators. Home range size, or the total area an organism inhabits, varies in relation to numerous factors including seasonality. During the breeding season, home range size increases in males across taxa. In addition, males usually also have larger home range sizes than females. This implicates testosterone (T) as a possible mediator of this relationship. Indeed, T causes an increase in home range size of males in numerous species of lizards. In addition to T causing an increase in home range size, it also …

The Effects Of Massage On Perceived Physical Soreness, Pain And Markers Of Inflammation Following High Intensity Unaccustomed Exercise, Courtney Lynn Crow

Master's Theses

Massage is often recommended to athletes to facilitate recovery and attenuate DOMS. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of massage on perceived muscle soreness and pain, inflammatory and immune markers, ROM, and mood state. Fourteen, recreationally active, women participated in a randomized crossover design study, consisting of 1) 60 min. full body massage following unaccustomed exercise and 2) 60 min. of rest. following unaccustomed exercise. Perceived muscle soreness and pain, active range of motion (ROM), mood state, along with blood concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), creatine kinase (CK), and neutrophil count (NC), was assessed …

Multi-Stress Proteomics: The Global Protein Response To Multiple Environmental Stressors In The Porcelain Crab Petrolisthes Cinctipes, Michael A. Garland

Master's Theses

Global climate change is increasing the number of hot days along the California coast as well as increasing the incidence of off-shore upwelling events that lower the pH of intertidal seawater; thus, intertidal organisms are experiencing an increase in more than one stress simultaneously. This study seeks to characterize the global protein response of the eurythermal porcelain crab Petrolisthes cinctipes to changes in thermal, pH, and tidal regime treatments, either combined or individually. The first experiment examined temperature stress alone and sought to determine the effect of chronic temperature acclimation on the acute heat shock response. We compared the proteomic …

Morphological Response In Sister Taxa Of Woodrats (Genus: Neotoma) Across A Zone Of Secondary Contact, Michaela M. Koenig

Master's Theses

This study focuses on a secondary contact zone between two sister species of woodrat, Neotoma fuscipes (dusky-footed woodrat) and N. macrotis (big-eared woodrat). Along the Nacimiento River, on the border of southern Monterey and northern San Luis Obispo counties, the ranges of these sister species of woodrats meet and overlap forming a secondary contact zone. The zone of secondary contact is estimated to include a 500-meter (~1,650 linear feet) portion of the Nacimiento River riparian corridor.

This research examines quantifiable morphological change that is likely associated with heightened inter-specific competition within the contact zone. When in sympatry the sister species …

Nutrient Dynamics Of Floating Seagrass Wracks In Greater Florida Bay, Rachel A. Perry

Master's Theses

Floating aggregations of seagrass wrack (i.e., leaves shed from seagrass beds) can serve as an ecological “hot spot” contributing to the survival of many species in the form of habitat and food source. Considerable research has been done on assessing trophic transfer of nutrients from seagrass wrack that is washed ashore, but little is known about nutrient dynamics in floating seagrass wrack. Here, drifters were deployed to track the location of floating wracks created in Greater Florida Bay and mesocosm experiments were conducted on two different of floating macrophytes (Syringodium filiforme, Thalassia testudinum, and Sargassum sp.) to estimate …

Evaluation Of Biodegradability And Cell Functionality Of Injectable Glycol Chitosan Hydrogel, Aiswaria Padmanabhan

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Integration Of Kinesthetic Learning Through The Math & Movement Program: Pilot Study 2015, Benjamin Ferder

Master's Theses

Purpose: The primary purpose of this pilot study was to verify that the use of kinesthetic learning (Math & Movement Program) in the classroom increases retention of multiplication facts at a greater rate than traditional drill and practice. The Math & Movement Program uses a kinesthetic learning-based approach for practicing, learning, and memorizing mathematics through the incorporation of bodily movement(s). Participants: The directors of the research project for the participating school district selected the sample of convenience. The population size of this study included 213 third and fourth grade students during the second half of the 2011-2012 school years. Data …

An Investigation Of The Effect Of Malathion On Adaptive Plasticity Of Pseudacris Sierra, Michael Jonathan Maples

Master's Theses

This thesis is composed of two chapters. Chapter one reviews what is known about adaptive plasticity in response to predators, describes the physiological systems involved in such plasticity, and outlines the evolutionary consequences of adaptive plasticity. Chapter two describes a scientific experiment that investigates how malathion may impact adaptive plasticity in the Sierran Treefrog, Pseudacris sierra. Anuran tadpoles suffer high mortality rates due to predation. In response to strong selective forces relating to these high predation rates, tadpoles evolved the ability to adaptively respond to predators through morphological and behavioral plasticity. The morphological and behavioral responses are varied and depend …

Latitudinal Variation In Thermal Tolerance And Preference Of Fundulus Notatus And F. Olivaceus: Implications For Temperature Mediated Reproductive Isolation, Laura Kristin Stewart

Master's Theses

Temperature is one of the most pervasive and influential abiotic factors affecting the life histories of fish, regulating a host of physiological processes and influencing behavioral thermoregulation. Fundulus notatus, the blackstripe topminnow, and F. olivaceus, the blackspotted topminnow, are widely distributed species located in drainages along the northern part of Gulf of Mexico (30°N latitude) and as far north as southern Illinois (39°N latitude). However, F. notatus has a much broader range reaching up into the Great Lakes (43°N latitude). Due to their broad geographical range, these populations inhabit a wide range of thermal regimes, thus …

Habitat Selection Of Gulf-Strain Striped Bass, Morone Saxatilis: Relationships To Dynamic Abiotic Environmental Characteristics Within The Biloxi River, Mississippi, Jennifer Lynne Green

Master's Theses

The purpose of this project was to provide insights about the short- and long-term patterns of habitat selection of Gulf-strain Striped Bass, Morone saxatilis, based on spatially and seasonally variable abiotic environmental characteristics (water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), salinity, specific conductivity, and pH) in the Biloxi River, MS system. Juvenile hatchery-reared and feral adult Gulf-strain Striped Bass were acoustically-tagged and continuously monitored via active and passive telemetry from November 2012 – June 2014. Each month the available abiotic environmental characteristics of 40 random locations within the Biloxi River, along with sub-habitat conditions occupied by acoustically-tagged Gulf-strain Striped Bass, were …

Analyses Of Indices Of Abundance For Important Groundfish Species In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico From 1987-2009, Relative To Shrimp Bycatch; With Age And Growth Of Three Sciaenid Species, Allison Renee Odom

Master's Theses

Bycatch in the shrimp fishery became of particular concern in the 1980s during the peak of shrimp harvest in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Shrimp bycatch is of major importance because the majority of catch in the fishery is not intended target species of commercial shrimp, and most of the additional bycatch is returned to the sea dead or dying, inducing higher rates of mortality. This study was developed to assess the potential ecosystem effects of shrimp harvest on thirty selected species/species groups commonly encountered within the shrimp fishery as bycatch. Delta-lognormal modeling (DLM) was used to determine the relative …

A Poetic Poioumenon: Coterie And Ekphrasis In David Lehman's "The Breeders' Cup", Anna Beth Rowe

Master's Theses

David Lehman’s poem “The Breeders’ Cup” uses cross-generational coterie and ekphrasis to create a poetic poioumenon. When read in terms of art criticism, Lehman’s “The Breeders’ Cup” models creative processes from the past and calls for a rehabilitative ethic in postmodern poetics. Lehman follows the ekphrastic form, which associates a poem with a work of visual art, from his New York School predecessor Frank O’Hara. “The Breeders’ Cup” addresses Édouard Manet’s 1865 painting Olympia through ekphrasis, and the painting of a prostitute becomes a patron saint of parody for postmodern poetics. The poem introduces lust as a metaphor for creative …

The Nature Of Social Relationships In Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus): Associations And The Role Of Affiliative, Agonistic, And Socio-Sexual Behaviors, Briana Nicole Harvey

Master's Theses

Little is known about the specific behavioral exchanges that occur on a day-to-day basis between dyads of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). This thesis assesses proximity between dyads (~ 2 meters) and the proportion of time that is spent in either an affiliative, agonistic, or socio-sexual context within age/sex pairings of dolphins in order to better understand the nature of social relationships in this species. Observations of bottlenose dolphins housed at the Roatan Institute of Marine Sciences, collected in 2010, provided 10.5 hours of underwater footage for assessment of association coefficients and proportions of interactions. These data suggested similar …

Naturalists’ Perspectives On The Use Of Mobile Technology During A Nature Hike, Aubin Marishka Radzewicz St. Clair

Master's Theses

Naturalists act as our link between scientific knowledge and the public’s understanding of natural history and conservation efforts. In order for them to succeed, they need access to reference materials as well as up-to-date information (Mankin, Warner, & Anderson, 1999). Incorporating mobile technology (i.e. tablets) into naturalists’ endeavors in natural history and environmental education can be used as supportive and educational tools. My project investigated how newly trained naturalists used tablet technology while leading groups of children on nature hikes. I investigated naturalists’ views on the use of mobile technology as a tool during the hikes. My research was guided …

Elucidating The Molecular Function Of Reprolysin Metalloproteases In Tick-Host-Pathogen Interaction, Jaclyn Bo Williams

Master's Theses

Ticks are ectoparasites that attach to their host for many days to weeks, feeding to engorgement and continuing their species life cycle. The mechanisms behind the successful feeding and manipulation of host immune responses have been associated with the secretion of their specialized saliva. Tick saliva includes a variety of modulatory molecules that must disrupt and counteract defense mechanisms, including a variety of proteases. Reprolysin Metalloproteases, in the Zn²⁺ dependent family, is secreted as a proenzyme and is shown to have proteolytic activity, degrading fibrinogen and gelatinase activity, as well as disturbing homeostasis¹². Previous work with …

Dirt Roads And Dual-Sports: Geography And Mobility Of The Trans-America Trail, Joseph Samuel Miller

Master's Theses

The purpose of this research was to examine the mobility that has become associated with the Trans-America Trail (TAT). I explored the ways this motorcycle route changes across space, how the characteristics of adventure motorcyclists have created the representation of the TAT, and how the mobility of this route can be described in terms of Cresswell's six politics of mobility––motivation, speed, rhythm, route, experience, and friction. Using a mixed methods approach, I measured quantitative characteristics of the route using maps and GIS; I used ethnographic methods collected from my own trip across the TAT to understand the landscape and the …

Zebrafish And Conditioned Place Preference: A Translational Model Of Drug Reward, Adam Douglas Collier

Master's Theses

Addiction and substance abuse commonly lead to negative outcomes such damaged health, domestic violence, child abuse, failure in school, and loss of employment. In the United States, hundreds of billions of dollars accrue annually in costs associated with healthcare, crime and lost productivity due to addiction. Efficacious treatments remain few in number, the development of which will be facilitated by comprehension of environmental, genetic, pharmacological and neurobiological mechanisms implicated in the pathogenesis of addiction. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has recently gained popularity as a model organism of complex brain disorders (e.g., substance use disorder). Behavioral quantification within the conditioned place …

Correction Of Precursor And Product Ion Relative Abundances To Standardize Cid Spectra And Improve Ecom50 Accuracy For Non-Targeted Metabolomics, Ritvik Dubey

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

A Time Series Investigation Of The Cryptic Copepods Pseudocalanus Spp. On The Nw Atlantic Continental Shelf, Kayla Erikson

Master's Theses

Zooplankton occupy pivotal positions in pelagic ecosystems and have direct impacts on trophic dynamics on continental shelves. Time-series records of zooplankton species diversity, distribution, and abundance are needed to understand, document, and predict impacts of environmental conditions on pelagic ecosystems. This study focuses on species of the calanoid copepod genus Pseudocalanus on the NW Atlantic continental shelf. Time-series analysis was conducted on the distribution and abundance of Pseudocalanus spp. and of two co-occuring cryptic species from 1977-2012 and 1995-2012 respectively, based on data from Ecosystem Monitoring (EcoMon) surveys by the NOAA-NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center and the US GLOBal Ocean …

Polyelectrolyte Coatings For Sequential Delivery Of Growth Factors: Automation And Characterization, Jennifer Etter

Master's Theses

Mimicking the body's natural healing process, which involves a variety of growth factors and cytokines produced by cells in a staged and sequential manner, has been shown to be a favorable technique in the field of tissue engineering. This project is focused on the fabrication and characterization of a polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) coating with and without a calcium phosphate (CaP) barrier layer capable of multiple growth factor delivery. The PEM coatings are created using a layer-by-layer (LBL) process in a dip coating machine in order to create uniform layers of oppositely charged material that can be used to deliver embedded …

Efficiency Of Piezotome-Corticision Assisted Orthodontics In Alleviating Mandibular Anterior Crowding - A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial, Leyla R. Davoody

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Astrocytic Expansion In A Model Of Neurofibromatosis 1 (Nf1) Deficiency, Joel Rosiene

Master's Theses

Neurofibramatosis type 1 is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by the development of both benign and malignant neoplasms of glial origin, as well as learning deficits and, less frequently, macrocephaly. Essential to the understanding of NF1 is the observation that the peripheral neoplasms (neurofibroma) which develop are composed primarily of NF1 negative glia which have undergone a loss of NF1 heterozygosity. The etiology of this loss of heterozygosity remains unclear, but a better characterization of these mutation events would provide insight into the cellular origins of the NF1 phenotype. CRISPR/Cas9 systems for genome editing have been, since 2013, a significant …

Tissue Characterization Using Optical Coherence Tomography, Mina Mahdian

Master's Theses

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging modality, which provides real-time near-histology resolution images. In dentistry, OCT has been used for early detection of carious lesions, malignant changes in the oral tissues and other indications. However, to the best of our knowledge there is no information regarding the ability of this imaging modality in differentiating between different types of tissues in the oral cavity. If OCT proves to be able to render information regarding the properties of tissues, it can be used to detect pathological changes at an early stage, which results in better treatment outcomes. In this study, …

A Soil Additive To Reduce Runoff And Pollutants From Dairy Heavy Use Areas, Alexander J. Pivarnik

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Biofilm Accumulation And Immune Response During Experimental Peri-Implant Mucositis., Amy Rosania

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Black Elderberry Extract Reduces Cardiometabolic Risk By Lowering Inflammation In Mice, Nick J. Farrell

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of The Effects Of Three Surgical Techniques On The Rate Of Orthodontic Tooth Movement In A Rat Model, Zachary T. Librizzi

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Autoignition Of Methyl Pentanoate At Low To Intermediate Temperatures And Elevated Pressures In A Rapid Compression Machine, Justin Bunnell

Master's Theses

Autoignition experiments were performed in a rapid compression machine for methyl pentanoate. Autoignition conditions ranged from 682 K to 1048 K for pressures of 15 bar and 30 bar and equivalence ratios of 0.25, 0.50, and 1.0. The composition of the oxidizer was altered by changing the amount of argon and molecular nitrogen in the mixtures. Over the conditions studied, it was found that the reactivity of the mixture increases with increasing compressed pressure and equivalence ratio. Negative temperature coefficient behavior was observed for compressed temperatures ranging from 716 K to 799 K under a compressed pressure of 30 bar …