Digital Commons Network^™

Environmental Drivers Of Leaf Breakdown Rate In An Urban Watershed, Ashley Rachelle Cook

Master's Theses

Leaf litter breakdown is a critical ecosystem process in urban streams, but environmental conditions in urban streams may generate confounding effects on breakdown rates. Reduced abundance of macroinvertebrate shredders may slow breakdown, but rates may increase if high nutrient concentrations stimulate microbial decomposers and if flooding enhances leaf fragmentation. We used the litter bag technique to measure the relative importance of multiple environmental drivers on breakdown of eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) leaves at 5 sites throughout the North Branch of the Chicago River watershed. Sites spanned a gradient of urbanization, but no specialized macroinvertebrate shredders were present at any sites. …

Role Of The Intestinal Microbiota In Gut Barrier Dysfunction Following Burn Injury, Zachary Earley

Master's Theses

Burn injury represents a major medical problem with half a million cases requiring medical attention and 4,000 deaths reported annually. Sepsis and multiple organ failure remain the leading causes of death following injury, and may be brought on by bacterial infections or toxins. The gastrointestinal tract contains approx. 100 trillion microbes; therefore, the indigenous commensal microbiota may play a role in leading to these complications or infections in burn patients. The overall objective of this project is to identify a potential mechanism whereby changes in gut bacteria may lead to intestinal inflammation or bacterial translocation--key factors which may lead to …

The Effect Of Semantic Clustering On Idea Quality In Individual And Group Ideation, Amanda Christine Egan

Master's Theses

Rietzschel, Nijstad, and Stroebe (2007) have demonstrated the benefits of "deep exploration" on creative idea generation. The current study attempted to refine this understanding by differentiating whether this effect is due simply to the number of ideas generated within a specific semantic category (fluency) or the way in which semantic categories are explored (clustering). Four conditions compared maximum versus minimum clustering crossed with nominal and interacting groups, with total quantity and fluency held constant. The unique effects of these manipulations on the total number of high-quality ideas generated, as well as the specific number of highly original and highly feasible …

Identifying Oncogenic Drivers In Nsclc Cells Harboring Egfr Kinase Domain Mutation With Resistance To Egfr Tki And Mesenchymal Phenotype, Yandi Gao

Master's Theses

EGFR kinase domain mutant NSCLC cells are exquisitely dependent on mutant EGFR for cell survival and proliferation. Patients with mutant EGFR respond well to the EGFR inhibitors. However, acquired drug resistance greatly limits the efficacy of the treatment. About 15% of the resistant tumors present an evidence of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). We hypothesize that the induction of mesenchymal promotes aberrant upregulation of other oncogenic drivers to replace the oncogenic mutant EGFR.

We observed overexpression of CXCR7 in NSCLC models of acquired resistance to EGFR TKI with mesenchymal phenotype. Additionally, our studies demonstrate that ectopically overexpressing CXCR7 in EGFR …

Reconsidering The Model Of Trim5Α Assembly: The Role Of The Linker2 (L2) Region In Trim5Α Assembly, Laura Johnsen

Master's Theses

The TRIM5α protein from rhesus macaques (TRIM5αrh) exhibits a remarkable ability to potently inhibit infection by Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 (HIV-1). Extensive studies have shown that TRIM5α is capable of self-associating at many levels, eventually leading to the formation of a hexameric assembly that can superimpose on the hexameric lattice of the HIV-1 capsid. The mechanism underlying the self-association of TRIM5α and the molecular determinants of self-association remain to be completely understood. In this study, we show that the Linker 2 (L2) region of TRIM5rh is important for dimerization and higher order self-association, both of which are independent processes. Additionally, …

Characterizing The Mechanisms By Which Community Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Influences Keratinocyte Innate Immune Responses During Recurrent Infection, Ashley Lynn Larm

Master's Theses

Community associated–methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA–MRSA) infection has become a major health concern. In human epidermal keratinocytes, S. aureus is mainly recognized through toll–like receptor 2 (TLR2) and its co–receptor, CD14. We hypothesize that CA–MRSA isolates cause recurrent infections by interrupting TLR2–mediated inflammation in keratinocytes. Recurrent CA–MRSA bacterial culture supernatant exposure to keratinocytes in vitro resulted in significant decreases in pro and anti–inflammatory cytokine and HMGB1 secretion from keratinocytes as assessed by ELISAs. Recurrent CA–MRSA live infection did not result in significant changes in cytokine or HMGB1 secretion, surface receptor expression, or NFκB activation post infection as assessed by ELISA …

History Of Freshwater Invasions In Illinois: Learning From The Past To Inform The Future, Abigail Jacobs

Master's Theses

Rates of introduction and spread of non-native species continue to increase worldwide, with freshwater ecosystems highly impacted. Many non-native species crossed between the Great Lakes and Mississippi watersheds by traveling through waterways in Illinois. I assembled a comprehensive database of occurrences of aquatic non-native species (n=99) in Illinois inland waters. The arrival of non-native species accelerated since 1873. The Great Lakes Basin was the main source of established species into Illinois. From 1990-2012 the dominant vector was unintentional release of established species non-native to North America. Sixty of the 99 introduced species established. Eighteen established species had high or very …

Denitrification In Urban Coastal Environments: A Functional Gene Study, Samantha Denise Lindemann

Master's Theses

Eutrophication is a major anthropogenic stressor on aquatic ecosystems worldwide. Jamaica Bay is located in the southeastern portion of New York City, NY (NYC). Like many other estuaries, Jamaica Bay is impacted by anthropogenic N inputs from various sources. Despite eutrophic conditions, improvements in water quality over the last few decades have prompted government agencies to promote oyster restoration to help reduce anthropogenic N in NYC waters. The effect of eastern oysters on sediment bacterial communities responsible for denitrification in Jamaica Bay was previously unknown. Those samples exposed to oysters were predicted to have high denitrification gene abundances, and thus …

Characterization Of The Female Urinary Microbiota And Their Association With The Female Bladder Uroepithelium, Evann Elizabeth Hilt

Master's Theses

The current clinical dogma assumes that urine is sterile in the absence of clinically relevant infection. However, recent evidence has demonstrated the existence of a female urinary microbiota in women with and without lower urinary tract symptoms. With the knowledge that the lower urinary tract possesses its own unique microbiota, I hypothesize that certain bacterial species of the female microbiota may be the cause or play a role in lower urinary tract syndromes such as overactive bladder syndrome (OAB). About 40-50% of OAB patients do not respond to conventional anti-muscarinic and beta-3 adrenergic agonist drug treatment. One possible explanation for …

Self-Objectification And Self-Surveillance In African American And Latina Girls: Links To Body Dissatisfaction And Self-Worth, Kimberly A. Burdette

Master's Theses

Drawing on a sample of low-income African American and Latina girls, the goal of the present investigation was to examine the relevance of self-objectification and self-surveillance to body dissatisfaction and self-worth. Body mass index (BMI), ethnicity, and perceived athletic competence were examined as moderators of these relations. Participants were 10- to 14-year-old African American and Latina girls recruited from a summer camp targeting low-income, urban girls. Surveys that include measures of self-objectification, self-surveillance, body dissatisfaction, self-worth, and perceived athletic competence were individually administered to participants by a research assistant. Height and weight were measured to calculate BMI. Ethnicity information was …

Posttraumatic Stress, Family Functioning, And Adjustment In Urban African American Youth Exposed To Violence: A Moderated Mediation Model, Kyle Deane

Master's Theses

Exposure to community violence is a pressing public health issue that disproportionately impacts poor, urban, and ethnic minority youth. It has been associated with a multitude of negative externalizing and internalizing symptoms, most frequently with posttraumatic stress. This study investigates the role that posttraumatic stress has in mediating the relation between exposure to community violence and other adjustment difficulties. Moreover, because not all adolescents experience these difficulties in the face of significant violence exposure, the study examines the moderating role of family cohesion and support in buffering the effect of violence and posttraumatic stress on later adjustment. A sample of …

Rethinking Teacher Quality: Narrow Versus Broad Conceptions Of Capability, Anthony Costa

Master's Theses

This paper examines the prevailing notion of teacher quality today. While there is wide agreement that teachers are the primary factor in schools determining student achievement, there is disagreement about which attributes constitute a high-quality teacher. Different approaches to improving teaching spring from different conceptualizations of capability. Since teacher quality consists of particular abilities that allow teachers to excel in their work, we need to understand how the abilities of high quality teachers are acquired, maintained and expanded, or, conversely, how these abilities are unrealized, arrested and diminished. The Strategic Management of Human Capital (SMHC) project represents the dominant approach …

Sexual Behavior Problems In Child Welfare: Predictors Of Reliable Change, Anne Kathleen Fuller

Master's Theses

This study examined predictors of changes in children's sexual behaviors across two time points within a sample of youth in the child welfare system. Hypothesized predictors of increases or decreases in children's sexual behaviors included child attributes, positive parenting, exposure to sexuality and violence, maltreatment history and child welfare placement history, and treatment variables. Participants included 145 children with reported sexual behavior problems and their primary caregivers and mental healthcare providers. Children's sexual behaviors were classified as improved, worsened, or unchanged. Optimal Data Analysis (ODA) and multivariate classification tree analysis (CTA) via ODA were used to identify predictors of children's …

A Study Of Functional Recovery And Axonal Plasticity Following Tbi And Anti-Nogo-A Immunotherapy, Jennifer Crystal Biesiadecki

Master's Theses

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally and often results in long term disability. Unfortunately, the success of rehabilitation techniques as therapy for TBI is limited, which may be due to the growth restrictive environment of the adult central nervous system (CNS). This environment is thought to result from glial scars, lack of neurotrophic factors, and the presence of an array of growth-inhibitory molecules. One such growth-inhibitory molecule is the protein Nogo-A. Our laboratory has shown that neutralization of Nogo-A with anti-Nogo-A immunotherapy after ischemic stroke results in improvement in functional recovery in the …

Examining The Moderating Role Of Specific Coping Strategies On The Relationship Between Body Image And Eating Disorders In College-Age Women, Alexandra Calvert Kirsch

Master's Theses

A sample of college age women assessed at three time points (Time 1: Baseline, assessed before college, Time 2: End of first semester, Time 3: End of first year of college) completed measures of disordered eating, coping, and body image. Results indicated that neither adaptive (problem-focused coping or social support seeking) nor maladaptive coping styles (active emotional coping or avoidant coping) as measured at Time 1 or Time 2 moderated the significant predictive relationship between body dissatisfaction at Time 1 and disordered eating attitudes at Time 3, when adjusting for disordered eating attitudes and BMI at Time 1. However, significant …

Afghan University Women Graduates Are Not Well-Represented In The Job Market In Afghanistan, Mohammad Kazem Shakib

Master's Theses

Higher education has been one of the prominent sectors in Afghanistan for the past decade. There has been a steady increase in the representation of women within the higher education system in the country. However, the growth of an educated workforce within the job market and the growth of the national economy have not been equal. A high number of university women graduates are jobless, employed in non-relevant professions, or working in part-time jobs like teaching in primary and secondary school.

This paper explores the contribution and representation of university women graduates in the economy of Afghanistan. Through a liberal …

Domestic Violence And The Legal System: A Case Study Of 10 Mexican Women And The Process Of Seeking Legal Recourse, Martha Cecilia Espinosa

Master's Theses

This study explores the experiences of ten Mexican women currently receiving services with Safe Pathways, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing resources to survivors of domestic violence. In this study, I attend to how these women experience and negotiate gender, intimate relationships, and the legal system, and I explore the strategies that they develop to overcome gendered constraints associated with being undocumented and battered. I find that women's experiences with the legal system are shaped by a variety of factors outside of its auspices, including gendered norms and class constraints. Existing literature on Latinas and battered women in the legal …

Chicago Housing: Understanding How Local Organizations Mobilize To Preserve Public And Affordable Housing, Cameron Williams

Master's Theses

Under the Plan for Transformation section 8 voucher use and mixed-income developments have increased in Chicago. Several developments have been demolished and replaced with mixed-income developments that are argued to provide better conditions and opportunities for public housing residents, but empirically have mixed results. Lathrop Homes is a public housing development that has withstood the mass demolitions and efforts to make it mixed-income because of resident and organizer challenges to the Chicago Housing Authority. Resident and organizer input for this study reveals their strong stance against the mixed-income development Lathrop Homes could become. The interests behind opposition might diverge, but …

Turn Of Events: How Environmental Temperatures And Artificial Nest Habitats Influence Incubation Behaviors Of Cassin's Auklets (Ptychoramphus Aleuticus), Emma Kelsey

Master's Theses

Nest attendance behaviors are critical to hatching success for most bird species. Yet, details of avian incubation behaviors are still not well understood, especially for species that nest in burrows and crevices. Cassin's auklet (Ptychoramphus aleuticus) is a burrow-nesting seabird found throughout the northeastern Pacific Ocean, including Southeast Farallon Island, California (SEFI). Artificial nest boxes have been used to monitor Cassin's auklets (hereafter auklet) breeding on SEFI. Temperatures in un-shaded nest boxes can increase significantly during extreme heat events. The effects of these elevated temperatures on auklet incubation behaviors and egg viability are not clear. In this study, egg data …

The Effects Of Post-Operative Analgesics On Ovarian Surface Angiogenesis After Transplantation Of Young Ovaries Into Aged Mice, Christine Petrovec

Master's Theses

The formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature, termed angiogenesis, is essential for tissue viability and continuous organ function after murine ovary allotransplantation. Interference with the process of angiogenesis can result in cellular injury and tissue necrosis in the transplanted ovarian tissue. Although recommended, the use of analgesics for post-operative pain management has been shown to alter angiogenesis and could negatively affect transplanted ovarian tissue viability. The present study evaluated the effects of two analgesics, the opiate buprenorphine and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam, on superficial ovarian vessel formation after the transplantation of young ovaries into aged mice. One-Way …

The Role Of Large Woody Debris In Inhibiting The Dispersion Of A Post-Fire Sediment Pulse, Lauren Elizabeth Short

Master's Theses

To further the understanding of how rivers process an instantaneous increase in sediment supply, a study was conducted on a gravel bed channel affected by post-fire debris flows. Sleeping Child Creek (SCC), a tributary to the Bitterroot River, is located in the Sapphire Mountains of west central Montana. In the summer of 2000, 1500 acres of Sleeping Child Creek's watershed were burned with 65% of the area classified as a high severity burn. The following summer, intense rainfall triggered debris flows originating from tributaries of SCC with headwaters toward the north. Along a 7-km study reach, cross sections, longitudinal profiles, …

An Analysis Of An Andean Cosmovisión: Nature, Culture, Ecology, And Cosmos, Christian Ardeleanu

Master's Theses

Modern life may offer certain benefits for humanity, but it can also create a barrier between humans and the natural world. In contrast, the millenarian Aymara culture of the Bolivian Andes exhibits a harmonic interrelation with nature, ecology, and the cosmos, and it also represents a living system of indigenous knowledge and knowledge production/transformation. The Aymara system of knowing and knowledge production, like other indigenous systems, should not be mistaken for antiquated elements of culture and folklore but should be seen as a distinct and dynamic epistemology. The Aymara cosmovisión is similar to the philosophy of ecology, sharing some general …

Effects Of Mlc Gene Modulation On Acetate Accumulation In Escherichia Coli Culture, Melvin Chen

Master's Theses

When Escherichia coli (E. coli) is grown in the presence of excess glucose, acetate is produced, oftentimes as an undesired by-product. Mlc is a global repressor for sugar transporters in E. coli, including glucose. This body of work examines the overexpression of Mlc via expression vectors in E. coli cultures under constitutive and inducible promoters. Sequence changes to the translational start codon and codon 52 of the mlc sequence inserted in the expression vectors were introduced. These changes were evaluated for their impact on glucose uptake rates, acetate production, and overall cell growth when Mlc was overexpressed in E. coli …

Wastewater And Water Quality Changes In Lower South San Francisco Bay, 1957-2013., Simret Kesete Yigzaw

Master's Theses

The San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility (Facility), located in the Lower South Bay (LSB), is the largest advanced wastewater treatment plant in San Francisco Bay. From 1957 to 2013, the Facility added a series of expansions and upgrades that increased treatment capacity and improved the quality of treated effluent.

This study addressed the questions: (1) To what extent have expansions and upgrades in the treatment plant during the past six decades resulted in improvements to Facility effluent quality? (2) How and to what extent have the changes in the Facility effluent translated into changes in the water quality of …

An Investigation Of Coastal Groundwater Discharge And Associated Nutrient Inputs Using Electrical Resistivity, Temperature, And Geochemical Tracers In Pescadero Lagoon, California, Christina Maryann Volpi

Master's Theses

Pescadero Lagoon is a complex lagoon system located on the central California coast in San Mateo County. Over the last decade, external stressors such as degraded water quality, restricted circulation, heightened groundwater withdrawals, changes in the fluvial geomorphology that affect surface water runoff, and widespread agriculture in the watershed have impacted the lagoon. The lagoon system is bounded on the marine side by an ephemeral sand berm that is seasonally closed and so hinders open exchange with the ocean. This berm and the Mediterranean-type climate play an important role in the lagoon's circulation and water quality. The most high-profile and …

The Footprints Of Saharan Air Layer And Lightning On The Formation Of Tropical Depressions Over The Eastern Atlantic Ocean, Diana Caroly Centeno

Master's Theses

In this study, the results of an observational analysis and a numerical analysis on the role of the Saharan Air Layer during tropical cyclogenesis (TC – genesis) are described. The observational analysis investigates the interaction of dust particles and lightning during the genesis stage of two developed cases (Hurricanes Helene 2006 and Julia 2010). The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) and WRF – Chemistry models were used to include and monitor the aerosols and chemical processes that affect TC – genesis. The numerical modeling involved two developed cases (Hurricanes Helene 2006 and Julia 2010) and two non – developed cases …

Novel Bacterial Lineages In The Uncultured Candidate Division Sr1, Sumreet Kaur Ghotra

Master's Theses

Complex and naturally occurring microbial communities are known to be predominantly composed of uncultured bacteria and archaea. A few representatives of uncultured prokaryotes (e.g., from the candidate divisions TM7 and SR1) have been found in environmental samples and in association with animals, including humans. It is not yet clear, however, how uncultured bacteria found at environmental sites relate phylogenetically to their counterparts associated with animal hosts. In this study, we investigated the diversity of the SR1 candidate division to better understand the divide between animal-associated and environmental lineages. We generated 16S rDNA gene clone libraries from samples obtained from the …

The Work Engagement And Job Performance Relationship: Exploring The Mediating Effect Of Trait Emotional Intelligence, Lisa Jackson

Master's Theses

This cross-sectional study examined the mediating effect of affect-related traits on the relationship between work engagement and job performance. Specifically, a sample of 225 students from a large state university was used to examine the effect of trait emotional intelligence (EI) on work engagement and both in-role and extra-role performance. It was found that work engagement directly impacted both in-role and extra-role performance, indicating that engaged workers are more likely to perform well both on job-related tasks (in-role performance) and also on going above and beyond what was expected of them in their job role (extra-role performance). In addition, work …

Vulnerability Of Groundwater To Perchloroethylene Contamination From Dry Cleaners In The Niles Cone Groundwater Basin, Southern Alameda County, California, Anne C. Jurek

Master's Theses

Releases of perchloroethylene (PCE) from dry cleaners pose a threat to groundwater quality. An assessment was performed of the Niles Cone Groundwater Basin to determine its vulnerability to PCE contamination from both historic and more recently operating dry cleaners. Sensitivity assessments of the Basin's two subbasins were performed using a modification of the DRASTIC Index Method, whereby the hydrogeological variables of depth to water, aquifer media, vadose zone media, and soil drainage classification were represented by a range of sensitivity categories and ratings assigned to each range. A source assessment was performed by identifying the locations of historic and presently …

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling Of Two-Dimensional And Three-Dimensional Segmented Flow In Microfluidic Chips, Katrina Jolene Donovan

Master's Theses

Microfluidics is a rapidly growing topic of interest for scientists, engineers, and medical researchers. The micrometer length scale constrains flow to a laminar behavior, allowing for a more predictable system. High-throughput experimentation is possible with laminar multiphase flow, specifically microdroplets. Manipulating microdroplets by generating, splitting, separating, and fusing provides a versatile environment for analysis in a variety of biological and chemical systems.

The process of design, fabrication, and testing of microfluidic systems is an iterative and tedious procedure. The purpose of this research was to utilize computational fluid dynamics software to expedite the fabrication and design process by simulating time-dependent …