Digital Commons Network^™

The Effect Of Betaine Supplementation On Performance And Muscle Mechanisms, Jenna M. Apicella

Master's Theses

Background: Recent research has shown that betaine supplementation can increase strength and power performance. To further investigate the ergogenic effects of betaine supplementation a balanced, randomized, double-blind, repeated measures crossover study was designed to examine select hormonal and muscle signaling responses during supplementation.

Methods: Twelve recreationally active men (age, 19.7 ± 1.23 years; height, 172.6 ± 5.61 cm; weight, 84.27 ± 15.3 kg; body fat, 18.7 ± 7.0%; BMI, 28.2 ± 4.0) with a minimum of 3 months of resistance training including back squat and bench press participated in the study. A within crossover design was utilized and subjects were …

Mechanistic Study Of The Small Molecule Inhibitor Dx-52-1, Junru Cui

Master's Theses

Cell migration is a basic biological process that is fundamental to several normal and disease processes such as embryonic development, tissue repair, immune function, angiogenesis and cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Small organic molecules inhibiting cell migration can be used as both research probes and therapeutic agents. DX-52-1, a semisynthetic derivative of the natural product quinocarmycin (also known as quinocarcin), inhibits the migration of Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial cells with nanomolar concentration. We have identified galectin-3, a multifunctional protein whose best-known function is its sugar binding ability, as a secondary target of DX-52-1 with functions in cell motility. In addition, …

Modulation Of Hypoglossal Motoneurons By Nitric Oxide, Justin Philip Benoit

Master's Theses

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)- the occurrence of repetitive episodes of airway obstruction during sleep- is considered a major health problem affecting up to 9% of adults in the United States (Parish & Somers, 2004). The hypoglossal motor nucleus (HMN) controls genioglossus muscle tone and is critically important for maintaining airway patency; loss of excitatory input to the HMN during sleep results in disfacilitation of hypoglossal motoneurons, increased airway resistance and contributes to the development of OSA (Horner R. L., 2007). However, a fundamental question of sleep medicine that remains unresolved is what mechanisms help maintain airway patency during sleep? A …

A Theoretical Analysis Of Referee Bias In Youth Hockey, Winston Christopher Pappas

Master's Theses

This research addressed the issue of youth hockey referee bias demonstrated throughout 286 CCYHL Squirt A and C league games and the 2009-2010 CDYHL Squirt B league season games. Structural functionalism, cognitive dissonance, and exchange theory were used to explain a probable rationale for biased referee behavior. A T-test revealed a mean of .012, suggesting penalty calls were equalized during squirt level hockey games (age 9 through 10). A logistic regression analysis was incorporated to uncover predictable patterns of penalty calls made by referees based on penalty differential, score difference, and home team lead. Findings indicate that teams with the …

The Art Of Kente: History, Designs, And Drafts, Rhonda D. Crosman

Master's Theses

Kente is a traditional ceremonial strip-woven cloth made by the Asante and Ewe people of Ghana and Togo. This thesis examined the history, patterns, design elements, symbolism, and evolutionary changes of the kente textile tradition. Basic weaving information, illustrations, and color photographs necessary for the understanding of kente were provided. The thesis also analyzed weaving drafts for the creation of kente-like cloth on a contemporary Western style floor loom.

The Effect Of The Chemical Composition Of Low Salinity Water On The Growth, Development, And Survival Of Cultured Juvenile Blue Crabs, Dyan Patricia Gibson

Master's Theses

Cultured juvenile blue crabs ( Callinectes sapidus Rathbun) were held for up to 77 days and monitored for survival, growth and development in low salinity water containing various compositions of ions. ~rabs were isolated in separate containers and placed in thirty gallon aquaria containing 2ppt of ion solution. Temperature, ambient, humidity, and nitrite levels were monitored daily. Molts were measured to determine growth, and molt increments were recorded to determine rate of development. The first part of the study compared ratios of sodium chloride (NaCl) to commercial sea salt (SS) in five treatments: 100% NaCl, 100% SS, 25:75 NaCl/SS, 50:50 …

The Last Victorian Knight: A Study Of T.E. Lawrence And The Arab Revolt, Nancy Nicole Nicholls

Master's Theses

Despite the enormous amount ofliterature written about T.E. Lawrence and his exploits in Arabia, he continues to be one of the most mysterious and elusive figures in modern history. Historians have analyzed almost every aspect of Lawrence's life from his early childhood to his death in 1935. Lawrence's upbringing in the late Victorian era shaped his outlook on life as it did for many men of his generation, but Lawrence saw the contradictions of Victorian society and pushed the boundaries of acceptable behavior for men of his class. Lawrence was not a masculine paradigm of the traditional hypermasculine constructs of …

Mechanisms Of Non-Enzymatic Peptide Bond Formation: Thioester And Transamidation Routes, Danielle Amie Landry

Master's Theses

The reaction mechanisms employed during non-ribosomal peptide (amide) synthesis in the non-ribosomal modular enzyme complex and in the enzyme glutaminyl cyclase were also used for spontaneous peptide (amide) synthesis in a buffered, abiotic solution. Analytical analyses revealed that spontaneous peptide (amide) bond formation occurred under mild prebiotic conditions during both the thioester-based production of phenylalanine peptides and peptidyl thioesters, and the spontaneous cyclization of glutamine t-butyl ester (Gln-tbe) into pyroglutamic acid t-butyl ester. Internal standard-based quantitative MS determined that 4.9 x 10-5 sec-1 was the rate constant for spontaneous Gln-tbe cyclization in imidazole buffer, pH 7, at 50°C, and that …

Discovery And Molecular Characterization Of Selenoprotein M In The Salivary Glands Of Amblyomma Maculatum, The Gulf Coast Tick, Parul Singh

Master's Theses

The Gulfcoast ticks transmit disease-causing pathogens to humans and animals. Rickettsia parkeri is notable among the pathogens transmitted by A. maculatum to humans. Heavy infestations of A. maculatum on animal ears cause them to become thickened and curled, a condition commonly called "gotch ear." The tick's multifunctional salivary glands are vital to their biological success and likely also play a critical role in transmission of disease; tick saliva contains a broad array of secretory products that facilitate prolonged tick attachment and feeding; disrupting tick blood feeding or inactivating key tick salivary proteins presents a novel strategy for tick-borne disease prevention. …

Modeling Saltmarsh Sparrow Distribution In Connecticut, Susan T. Meiman

Master's Theses

To develop a map that would predict where saltmarsh sparrows live and reproduce in Connecticut, I compared models to test a) whether field data or remote-sensing data most effectively characterized within-marsh conditions that relate to sparrow occurrence, and b) whether including landscape-level variables improved model fit.  The best sparrow presence model used a variable derived from raw spectral reflectance values associated with plots where sparrows did not occur, while the best nest presence model used a combination of vegetation structure descriptions.   A second nest model, built using high resolution remote sensing data that organized marsh characteristics into high and low …

Estimation Of The Number Of Days Required To Determine Usual Antioxidant Intakes And Assessment Of The Prevalence Of Nutrient Inadequacy Among College Students, Catherine G. Davis

Master's Theses

High intake of antioxidant rich foods has been shown to decrease risk factors of chronic disease.  Young adulthood may be crucial in establishing healthy lifestyles including adequate nutrient consumption.

The present study was designed 1) to estimate usual nutrient intakes, 2) to calculate the number of days required to estimate usual antioxidant intake, and 3) to assess intake adequacy from diet and diet + supplement sources by using the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR).  The USDA Flavonoid and Proanthocyanidin databases, food consumption data, and dietary supplement use data from 60 students aged 18-25 years at the University of Connecticut were utilized. …

Nitric Oxide Synthesis By Chicken Macrophages Results In Coordinated Changes Of Multiple Arginine Transporters, Michael Moulds

Master's Theses

Arginine transport is primarily mediated by the cationic amino acid transporters (CATs) in mammalian cells, but in aves the y⁺, b^0,+ and B^0,+ transport systems have also been observed. Arginine is the limiting catabolic substrate required for the production of nitric oxide (NO), a highly reactive compound that acts as a signaling molecule or killing compound. NO is synthesized by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) by macrophages for pathogen clearance. In mammals, CAT-2B is responsible for ARG import in the macrophage for NO synthesis, but the chicken CAT-2B isoform does not transport ARG. Therefore the objective …

Angiostatin Like Peptides In Milk: Potential Development For Dairy Products Capable Of Cancer Prevention, Erin Stefanutti

Master's Theses

For the past 40 years, antiangiogenic approaches have been of major interest in the development of methods to cure and prevent cancer. Angiogenesis, the development of blood vessels from pre-existing vascularization, is essential for cancer growth and spread of metastasis through the delivery of nutrients and oxygen essential to sustain the metabolic activity of these malignant cells. Blocking access to blood will cause cancerous cells to assume a dormant state creating inactive micro-tumors innocuous to the host. Angiostatin, the internal fragment of the fibrinolytic zymogen plasminogen, has shown great potential in reducing cancer size and number of metastatic colonies in …

Exploring Trade-Offs In Auv Controller Design For Shark Tracking, Louis James Bertsch Iv

Master's Theses

This thesis explores the use of an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) to track and pursue a tagged shark through the water. A controller was designed to take bearing and range to the shark tag and then control the AUV to pursue it.

First, the ability of a particle filter to provide an accurate estimation of the location of the shark relative to the AUV is explored. Second, the ability of the AUV to follow the shark's path through the water is shown. This ability allows for localized environmental sampling of the shark's preferred path. Third, various path weightings are used …

The Development Of A Novel Technique To Evaluate Binding Between Probiotic Bacteria And Phospholipids, And The Creation Of A Dairy-Based Food Product Rich In Milk Bioactives, Megan Ann Cleveland

Master's Theses

Probiotic bacteria are increasingly prevalent in food and nutritional products today.  These remarkable microorganisms are capable of imparting exceptional health benefits on their host, including prevention of infection by pathogens and stimulation of immune system function.  Their most common mode of delivery is through dairy products (e.g. yogurt), which are also one of their preferred habitats.  The interactions between probiotic bacteria and dairy systems have been studied, but are still not well discerned.  There is a need for better understanding of these associations, as well as those surrounding the mode of bacterial transfer from the food product to the human …

Intake, Apparent Digestibility, And Digesta Passage In Leopard Tortoises (Geochelone Pardalis) Fed A Complete, Extruded Feed, Laura Evelyn Lickel

Master's Theses

The influence of feeding juvenile female leopard tortoises (Geochelone pardalis, n=18) a commercially available, complete, extruded feed three (3) or seven days (7) per week on dry matter and digestible energy intake, apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, gross energy and fiber fractions, animal body weight and measurements, digesta transit time, rate of passage, and indigestible fill was evaluated.  Both feeding frequencies are commonly practiced with captive tortoises. When fed 7 compared to 3 days per week, dry matter and digestible energy intake was greater.  Tortoises gained more g BW, but not when adjusted per kg initial …

Characterization Of The Equine Spermadhesin Hsp-7 Found On Stallion Spermatozoa As It Relates To Stallion Fertility And Sperm Capacitation, Melodee Kathleen Heidmiller

Master's Theses

Equine spermadhesin HSP-7 is a 14 kDa protein isolated from stallion seminal plasma and present on the surface of spermatozoa. HSP-7 displays carbohydrate and zona-pellucida binding properties, but the physiological role in equine fertilization is not well defined. HSP-7 has 98% amino acid sequence homology with the well-studied boar spermadhesin, AWN. Currently, these two proteins are considered to have the same reproductive function. Immunofluorescence studies presented here show that the stallion and boar spermadhesins are localized to different segments on spermatozoa. The variation in molecular compartmentalization of spermadhesin molecules in different species suggests that these structurally related proteins could be …

Water And Air Quality Performance Of A Reciprocating Biofilter Treating Dairy Wastewater, Seppi Matthew Henneman

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Water and Air Quality Performance of a Reciprocating

Biofilter Treating Dairy Wastewater

Seppi Matthew Henneman

Agricultural non-point source pollution is the leading water quality problem in surface water and the second leading problem in ground water in the US.  Among the contaminants, nutrients (such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) can be transported from agricultural fields when cropland is not managed properly.  In California, dairy manure application to cropland has become tightly regulated with the goal of decreasing such nutrient pollution.  Dairies unable to balance their manure nutrient supply with cropland application area may benefit from a nitrogen removal technology.  One …

A Study Of Osteocyte Apoptosis By Region And Quadrant In Murine Cortical Bone, Jessica Kristen Chan

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

A Study of Osteocyte Apoptosis by Region and Quadrant in Murine Cortical Bone

Jessica Kristen Chan

Osteocytes undergo apoptosis to spatially and temporally initiate bone remodeling.  This study investigates the distribution of apoptotic osteocytes within different quadrants and regions of cortical bone and compares the frequency of osteocyte apoptosis to regional factors associated with bone remodeling.  Specifically, the quantity of apoptosis was compared to levels of the bone morphagenic protein antagonists noggin and gremlin.  Samples of unloaded right tibial bone obtained from C57/Bl/6 mice underwent TUNEL staining for apoptotic osteocytes and were counterstained with methyl green to detect osteocyte …

Universal Engineering Programmer – An In-House Development Tool For Developing And Testing Implantable Medical Devices In St. Jude Medical, Khoa Tat Do

Master's Theses

During development and testing of the functionality of the pacemaker and defibrillator device, engineers in the St. Jude Medical Cardiac Rhythm Management Division use an in-house development tool called Universal Engineering Programmer (UEP) to ensure the device functions as expected, before it can be used to test on an animal or a human during the implantation process.  In addition, some applications of UEP are incorporated into the official releases of the device product.  UEP has been developed and used by engineers across departments in the St. Jude Medical Cardiac Rhythm Management Division (CRMD).  This thesis covers the flexible and reusable …

Growing Conflict: Agriculture, Innovation, And Immigration In San Luis Obispo County, 1837–1937, Douglas P. Jenzen

Master's Theses

The history of San Luis Obispo and its surrounding areas is complex. Agriculture, innovation, and immigration have all contributed to the formation of the region. The Spanish, Mexican, and early American periods established the framework successive waves of immigrants had to live within. Native Americans and immigrants from China, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, the Philippines, and other regions of the United States have all toiled in the fields and contributed to America’s tables at various points throughout county history. Many contingencies determined the treatment of successive waves of immigrants. Growth and development are taking place at exponential rates on the very …

The Testing And Future Developments Of A Nerve Stimulation Device For The Treatment Of Migraines, Alyssa Erin Hopkins

Master's Theses

The development of neural stimulations devices may help treat many patients who suffer from migraines and chronic headaches via an electrical stimulation to the patient’s nerve. The electrical stimulation will mask the pain associated with these diseases. The system is subcutaneously implanted into the back of the neck and recharged via inductive coupling. Discussed is the transmission of signals in nerve fibers and the testing involved with neural stimulation implantable devices. Research was performed for preliminary testing on the charging rates, tests to analyze the heat dissipated during recharging, ergonomic factors to be considered, developing a model to simulate an …

A Microsimulation Of Traffic, Parking, And Emissions At California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo, Steven Michael Kilbert

Master's Theses

Traffic and parking congestion are significant issues at many universities nationwide. The delays experienced result in wasted time, money, and fuel for students, faculty and staff, not to mention the negative contributions to the environment. This paper quantifies the amount of vehicle emissions generated during an average morning peak hour in the university environment. Using VISSIM and CMEM microsimulation packages, a model is created for California Polytechnic State University- San Luis Obispo to aggregate the collective transportation behaviors and practices of the campus and recognize the implications these behaviors pose on the transportation network as a whole. Reasonable estimates are …

Kickin' It With God: Clerical Behavior, Denominational Meaning, And The Expression Of Emotion In Ritual, Christopher M. Donnelly

Master's Theses

In the contemporary West, religious worship is very much a collective, guided phenomenon. Based upon interviews and participant observation in Catholic, Congregationalist, and Evangelical services, this paper examines congregant emotional displays influenced via micro behavioral techniques utilized by church officials versus macro denominational meanings during religious ceremony. In particular, the argument is made that while performance acts used by church officials do have some impact upon the emotional expression of the congregation, it is the shared meanings expressed through the denominational tradition that exercise a significant influence upon emotional displays in rituals. Therefore, while ritual is guided, it is more …

The Role Of T-Box (Tbx) 2 In Osteoblast Function, Nidhish Francis

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Robust Region Tracking In Multi-Agent Systems Utilizing Sliding Mode Control: Theory And Applications, Mark Bacon

Master's Theses

This thesis presents a methodology to bring controlled agents within a moving region despite agent interaction dynamics, uncertain forces and parameter variation. The logic is derived from traditional Sliding Mode Control theory with an expanded boundary layer which allows position deviation from the region center to specified bounds. As an example of the utility of this control, multiple methods of herding (controlling passive agents by appropriate positioning of controlled agents) are presented.

The Proteomic Response Of Sea Squirts (Genus Ciona Congeners) To Heat Stress: Evidence For Differential Thermal Sensitivities, Loredana Serafini

Master's Theses

The sea squirts Ciona intestinalis and C. savignyi have disparate distribution patterns, which may result from differences in their thermal tolerance limits. Because C. intestinalis, an almost cosmopolitan species, has a more widespread distribution, it is thought that it is better adapted to endure a wide range of temperatures. In order to compare the heat stress response between these two congeners, we studied global changes in protein expression, using a proteomics approach. To characterize the response to extreme heat stress, animals of both species were exposed to temperatures of 22°C, 25°C, and 28°C for 6 h, and then were …

Investigation Of A Pharmaceutical Compound With Artificial Streams: Effects Of The Antihistamine Cimetidine On Stream Ecosystem Function., Paul David Hoppe

Master's Theses

Pharmaceutical compounds have been widely detected in surface waters but their effects on stream ecosystems are unknown. Cimetidine (Tagamet®), a widely used H2 histamine antagonist has been detected in surface waters. To measure chronic effects of cimetidine on stream invertebrates, I conducted a long-term (83d) artificial-stream experiment. A range of cimetidine concentrations (0.07 μg L-1 to 70.0 μg L-1) were added to streams supporting populations of the amphipod Gammarus fasciatus and beetle Psephenus herricki. P. herricki individual growth rates were reduced in the presence of cimetidine, but G. fasciatus individual growth rates were not different among treatments. G. fasciatus size …

The Highest Good And The Best Activity: Aristotle On The Well-Lived Life, Philip William Bauchan

Master's Theses

The question of how Aristotle characterizes eudaimonia, or living-well, in the Nicomachean Ethics has long been a contentious issue amongst Aristotelian scholars. The secondary literature has been roughly divided between inclusivist readers, who argue that Aristotle designates both theoria, or contemplation, and the practical virtues, and exclusivist readers, who argue that Aristotle singles out theoria alone. This thesis seeks to forge a middle ground between these two perspectives by focusing on the central claim of Book I that the eudaimonia is virtuous activity. Reading Book X in light of Book I's claim then allows one to show that both the …

Overlapping Mornings, Joshua Andrew Cembellin

Master's Theses

This thesis project, Overlapping Mornings, is a book-length collection of poetry based upon my family. Throughout the collection I examine the lives of various family members, particularly my father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. In exploring the lives of my progenitors through poetry's lens, I strive to discover my own role as a direct member of this male lineage.

Comprised of four parts, the collection generally follows a chronological order that begins with poems about my childhood and ends with poems of the present. Part Two is a prose section that includes important biographical information about my great-grandfather, Edwin Schivo. This …