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The Proteomic Responses Of Gill Tissue In Tidally And Subtidally-Acclimated Mussel Congeners (Mytilus Trossulus And Mytilus Galloprovincialis) To Acute Aerial-Emersion Hypoxia, Jaclyn Denise Campbell

Master's Theses

Understanding species-specific physiological tolerances to environmental extremes is key in determining the factors that contribute to regulating species distribution. This understanding will aid in determining which species will manage to thrive in a changing global climate. According to the IPCC (2013) it is expected that, in the coming years, many different types of abiotic factors will change as a result of global climate change. The intertidal habitat is a model habitat for studying environmental extremes as it is located at the interface between the marine and terrestrial environments, making it one of the most stressful marine habitats. It is characterized …

Plant Compound Pest Control In California Strawberry (Fragaria × Ananassa) Production, Eli Mahanes Weissman

Master's Theses

Allelopathy occurs when one organism releases a compound into the environment that affects the functioning of another organism. Scientists have long suspected that alleopathic plant compounds could offer novel, softer chemistries to the ongoing battle of controlling pests in agricultural fields. Strawberry growers rely on toxic fumigants to kill soilborne fungal pests, weeds, nematodes, and insects. Increased regulations have reduced the use of fumigants (including methyl bromide), and strawberry growers need new sustainable pest control solutions. We selected four putative allelochemicals with known fungicidal and herbicidal activity (ferulic acid, gallic acid, juglone, and p-Coumaric acid). We assessed the pesticidal activity …

The Effect Of Biocomposite Material In A Composite Structure Under Compression Loading, Benjamin Andrew Sweeney

Master's Theses

While composite structures exhibit exceptional strength and weight saving possibilities for engineering applications, sometimes their overall cost and/or material performance can limit their usage when compared to conventional structural materials. Meanwhile ‘biocomposites’, composite structures consisting of natural fibers (i.e. bamboo fibers), display higher cost efficiency and unique structural benefits such as ‘sustainability’. This analysis will determine if the integration of these two different types of composites are beneficial to the overall structure. Specifically, the structure will consist of a one internal bamboo veneer biocomposite ply; and two external carbon fiber weave composite plies surrounding the bamboo biocomposite. To acquire results …

An Assessment Of Potential False Positive E.Coli Pyroprints In The Cplop Database, Skyler A. Gordon

Master's Theses

The genetic information found in each species of organism is unique, and can be used as a tool to differentiate at the molecular level. This has caused rapid genotyping methods to become the cornerstone of a new area of research dependent on reading the genome as a form of identification. One of these specific identification methods, known as pyroprinting, relies on the small variation of DNA sequences within the same species to develop a unique, reproducible fingerprint. By simultaneously pyrosequencing multiple polymorphic loci within the ribosomal operons known as the intergenic transcribed spacers, a reproducible output is obtained, known as …

Comparing Groundwater Model Calibration Approaches: Does An Optimized Model Better Reflect Reality When Both Flow And Transport Observations Are Applied?, Vivian E. Sovinsky

Master's Theses

This research compares two approaches to the application of formal calibration methods to groundwater modeling: sequential and combined. There exists research, both theoretical work and field studies, that point to improved estimation of hydraulic parameters when multiple types of observations, flow and transport, are applied simultaneously. There also exist theories about why combined calibration might not be compatible with the differing mathematical basis of flow compared to transport. This research has taken a closer look at the mechanisms at work by comparing these approaches when the input parameters are known. Using stochastic methods instead of field data, the original input …

Investigating Trends In Poly-Victimization Among Cps Involved Children And Families: A Study Of Allegations, Nicole A. Melita

Master's Theses

Children involved with child protective services (CPS) face high risk for significant mental health impairment and poor outcomes, which recent work suggests can be influenced by poly-victimization, or exposure to multiple forms of victimization (Grasso, Greene, & Ford, 2013). The present chart review study was intended to examine the incidence of trends in poly-victimization, child mental health outcomes, and caregiver impairment among a sample of randomly selected families in the state of Connecticut (N=100) that were referred to CPS during a 12-month period. Allegations were examined collectively regardless of allegation disposition. An extensive survey tool was created by …

An Analysis Of Stable Isotopes From N-Alkanes Derived From Leaf Waxes In North America, Katherine T. Truong Ms.

Master's Theses

Leaf wax biomarkers are increasingly becoming a fundamental aspect of paleoclimate research. The strength of the relationship between their molecular and isotopic properties and environmental conditions is critical to their effectiveness in reconstructing past environments. To address the current lack of data pertaining to arid and semi-arid environments, soil and modern plant samples (grasses, trees, forbs, and shrubs) from sites in the western United States were analyzed to assess relationships between normal alkane molecular distribution, δD and δ¹³C and seasonal/annual climatic conditions in semi-arid ecosystems. The data show a stronger relationship between δD of leaf waxes (δD_{wax …}

Library Synthesis Of Thiol-Linked Hybrid Inositol Glycans, Scott Chan

Master's Theses

Inositol phosphate glycans (IPGs) are natural pseudo-oligosaccharides that are produced in some mammalian cells upon stimulation by insulin. IPGs are capable of inducing insulin-like effects in insulin sensitive cells, making them viable drug targets for treating type II diabetes. However, the synthesis of highly insulin-mimetic synthetic IPGs is inefficient, requiring more than fifty steps. The development of hybrid inositol glycans (HIGAs) has mitigated this problem. HIGAs consists of a commercially available non-carbohydrate moiety that is coupled with a saccharide group that requires only fifteen steps to synthesize. HIGAs are thus much more efficient to synthesize on large scales. This thesis …

Araucaria In The Urban Landscape: A Novel Leaning Pattern And Evidence Of Cultivated Hybridization, Jason W. Johns

Master's Theses

Our understanding of the natural world is constantly evolving and strengthening as more observations are made and experiments are performed. For example, we understand that tree stems grow toward the light (positive phototropism; Darwin 1880, Loehle 1986, Christie et al. 2013) and against gravity (negative gravitropism; Knight 1806, Hashiguchi et al. 2013). We also know that plants respond to mechanical stimulus and perturbation (thigmotropism; Braam 2005). Genes and their resulting proteins have been described to uncover some of the mechanisms for these environmental responses, but relatively speaking, we have just scratched the surface (Wyatt et al. 2013). While the discovery …

Crafting Autonomy: A Reevaluation Of The Pedestal In The Sculpture Of Arlene Shechet, Nicole Cherubini, And Francesca Dimattio, Sara Morris Morris

Master's Theses

New York-based contemporary artists Arlene Shechet, Nicole Cherubini, and Francesca DiMattio have each developed a sculptural style that integrates the pedestal within their sculptures. Primarily made from clay, unconventional craft materials, and commonplace objects, these sculptures formally and conceptually blur the lines between craft and fine art, décor and sculpture, as well as private and institutional space. With a renewed interest in craft and feminism, these artists test the material hierarchies that have historically determined the categorization of art inside institutional spaces. This study investigates how these sculptures gain autonomy when exhibited inside museums in light of contemporary theories on …

Diet Induced Obesity Alters Muscle Spindle Afferent Function In Adult Mice, Lubayna Elahi

Master's Theses

Individuals with obesity are more likely to fall and exhibit balance instability. The reason for this is likely multifactorial, but there is some evidence that sensory function is impaired during obesity. We tested the hypothesis that muscle proprioceptor function is compromised in a mouse model of diet induced obesity. We used an in vitro muscle-nerve preparation to record muscle spindle afferent responses to physiological stretch and sinusoidal vibration. We compared the responses of mice on a control diet (10% kcal fat) with those eating a high fat diet (60% kcal fat) alone or in combination with either aspirin (120mg/kg/day in …

“Creating A New Mythos”: Reassessing Race Standards And Latina/O Students, Margarita Vizcarra

Master's Theses

This research will focus on the race and ethnicity categories used to classify people in the United States in relation to school age students. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) first standardized federal race and ethnicity categories in 1977 in order to enforce compliance with civil rights laws. In 1997 revisions were made to these standards due to increasing criticism by the public, advocacy groups, and government agencies (Williams, 2006). The 1977 decision by the OMB designated the category of Hispanic, or Latino, as an ethnicity rather than a race which was once again upheld in the 1997 update. …

The Role Of Phage Trnas In The Evolution Of Codon Usage Biases In Giant Pseudomonas Phage Phikz And El, Stephanie Steidel

Master's Theses

As the most abundant and diverse biological agents in the biosphere phage have significant roles in microbial ecology, acting both as lethal bacterial parasites and vehicles of horizontal gene transfer. Phage/host coevolution drives optimization of phage codon usage for use of host translational machinery, thus lowered correspondence between phage and host codon usage reduces viral fitness. Some phage may partially bypass host translational selection on their codon usage by encoding their own tRNAs, although the effects of these tRNAs on phage codon usage and translation has not been well examined. This work explores the influence of phage encoded tRNAs on …

A Comparative Analysis Of Access To Reproductive Health Care In Laos And Southeast Asia, Malakhone Sonethavong

Master's Theses

This thesis research aims to unravel main barriers that prevent women from being able to access reproductive health care in Laos in comparison with other two Southeast Asia countries which are Thailand and Vietnam. The comparison of Laos, Thailand and Vietnam will be explored through an analysis of a literature review. This research explores the critical issues and on finding a mutual understanding between the role of the policy makers and the implementers of policies. At the end of the research, some recommendations on health care system improvement and personal perspective towards the rights of women on reproductive health and …

A Parallel Processing And Diversified-Hidden-Gene-Based Genetic Algorithm Framework For Fuel-Optimal Trajectory Design For Interplanetary Spacecraft Missions, Dhathri Harsha Somavarapu

Master's Theses

This thesis proposes a new parallel computing genetic algorithm framework for designing fuel-optimal trajectories for interplanetary spacecraft missions. The framework can capture the deep search space of the problem with the use of a fixed chromosome structure and hidden-genes concept, can explore the diverse set of candidate solutions with the use of the adaptive and twin-space crowding techniques and, can execute on any high-performance computing (HPC) platform with the adoption of the portable message passing interface (MPI) standard. The algorithm is implemented in C++ with the use of the MPICH implementation of the MPI standard. The algorithm uses a patched-conic …

Taxonomic Revision Of The Short Nose Chimaeras (Genus Hydrolagus) From The Southern African Region, Kristin Walovich

Master's Theses

Short-nose chimaeras are an enigmatic and understudied group of deep-sea Chondrichthyan fishes. To resolve decades of confusion and misidentification in the southern African region, morphometric and genetic data were utilized to resolve taxonomic confusion for the genus Hydrolagus. Nearly 100 chimaeroid specimens were examined from numerous national and international museum ichthyology collections. A series of 96 measurements per specimen were recorded and analyzed with multivariate statistics to determine differences among species. Tissue was collected from various southern African species for analysis of the mitochondrial gene NADH2. The resulting genetic information was compared to morphologically similar species and those within the …

Glaucous-Winged Gull Predation On Chicken Eggs Treated With A Uv-Blocking Agent, Athena T. Smith

Master's Theses

Egg cannibalism plays a major role in the life histories of Glaucous-winged Gulls (Larus glaucescens) breeding at Protection Island, Washington. Gulls, along with other birds, visualize reflected ultraviolet (UV) light and I wondered if reflected UV light plays a role in determining which eggs are selected for cannibalization. Motivated by studies showing that tree-nesting bird eggs coated with a UV-blocking agent were less subject to predation than control eggs, I tested whether ground-nesting Glaucous-winged Gulls would preferentially predate control chicken eggs over those coated with a UV-blocking agent. Early during five mornings I formed artificial nests at randomly-determined …

Theory Of Mind And Negation, Jasmine Buckins

Master's Theses

Problem

There is an extensive amount of research on theory of mind, which is the ability to attribute mental states (e.g., beliefs, intents, desires, knowledge, etc.) to oneself and others and to comprehend that others have beliefs, desires, intentions and perspectives that may be different from one’s own. Some researchers have investigated the potential prerequisites or developmental milestones that may be required in order for a theory of mind to be developed in young children. Some researchers have concluded that certain factors play a role in theory of mind development. These factors include environmental, cognitive and linguistic components. However, in …

Population Genetics And Distribution Of The Oriental Weatherfish, Misgurnus Anguillicaudatus, In Chicago Area Waterways, John Belcik

Master's Theses

Oriental Weatherfish (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus), native to Southeast Asia, are freshwater fish belonging to the family Cobitidae (loaches). They are benthic fish with the ability to breathe atmospheric air, and exhibit an unusual behavior of swimming vertically in the water column in response to changes in barometric pressure. Oriental Weatherfish appear to be successful invaders to North American waterways. Within the last century they have been sighted in freshwater systems throughout the United States, yet the distribution and source of this invasion are largely unknown. This study investigates the distribution patterns, surveying methods, and population genetics of the Oriental Weatherfish within …

Life History Aspects And Taxonomy Of Deep-Sea Chondrichthyans In The Southwestern Indian Ocean, Paul Joseph Clerkin

Master's Theses

During the last quarter of a century, the conservation and management of chondrichthyans (collectively, sharks, rays, and chimaeras) has received considerable focus. This is especially true for deep-sea chondrichthyans. As technologically advanced fisheries expand into deeper waters of the high seas, new chondrichthyan species are being discovered and described at an increasing rate. The objectives of this study were to investigate the deep-sea chondricthyan fauna in a remote region of the Southwestern Indian Ocean Offshore and provide descriptions of three species of Chimaeridae previously unknown to science, and collect and analyze biological parameters relating to the life histories of all …

Construction Of Bacterial Strains Containing A Plasmid Producing An Opossum-Based Anti-Venom Peptide For Low Cost Production Of The Peptide, Angela Cifelli

Master's Theses

A cost-effective therapy for snake bites and other biological toxins could save thousands of lives each year. A low-cost therapy can be achieved using a bacterial host that expresses a peptide that prevents death when administered after exposure to these toxins. A protein expressed in opossums, lethal toxin neutralizing factor (LTNF), provides the animal’s resistance to venom and a variety of other toxins. A small peptide fragment of this protein provides the same lifesaving properties as the full protein sequence. A synthetic copy of this peptide was tested in mice exposed to rattlesnake venom and showed lifesaving potential. The peptide …

Development Of Dna Assembly And Error Correction Protocols For A Digital Microfluidic Device, Yuliya Khilko

Master's Theses

Customized production of synthetic DNA from oligonucleotides is in high demand. However, current technologies are costly and labor-intensive. A microfluidic technology can significantly decrease cost and labor. The purpose of this study was to develop a gene assembly protocol that was utilized on the Mondrian™ SP digital microfluidic device. The fragment of the human influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) gene (339 bp) was assembled from 12 oligonucleotides by the Gibson assembly method and error corrected with CorrectASE™ enzyme twice. The samples were analyzed by Sanger sequencing to verify the final accuracy of the assembly. A complete automation of droplet generation and …

A Complete Study Of N,N’ Bis(1 Phenylpropyl) 2,6 Pyridinedicarboxamide, Victoria Y. Chang

Master's Theses

Biological systems are often chiral or involve chiral compounds, e.g. L amino acids, the neurotransmitter L epinephrine. In some cases, two enantiomers of a chiral drug will have different activities, and in extreme cases, one form is therapeutic while the other form is toxic. Therefore, the development of reliable molecular probes for biological applications and chiral sensing is an important area of study. The unique spectroscopic and coordination properties of some lanthanide ions (Ln3+) and their complexes make them suitable for use as molecular probes. Chiral ligand systems have been developed that can coordinate with lanthanide ions to form complexes …

Green Vs. White: An Examination Of Of Media Portrayals Of Radical Environmentalists And White Supremacists, Laurence Pedroni

Master's Theses

The rise of the Trump presidency has highlighted not only the white supremacist history of the U.S., but also reflects danger to the survival of the species in the form of wholesale climate change denial. These ideologies are not unique to Trump or his cabinet, instead reflecting long standing U.S. policy. This research seeks to examine how the U.S. media supports and propagates propaganda to support these hegemonic goals. Relevant literature and research seem to suggest that because radical environmental movements often challenge the hegemony of capital accumulation, they might be portrayed as more violent and a greater terrorist threat …

Evaluation Of Oyster Shell Enhancement On Western Snowy Plover Breeding Success, Karine Tokatlian

Master's Theses

The Pacific Coast population of the western snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus nivosus; plover) is listed as a federally threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act due to poor reproductive success from anthropogenic habitat loss, and high predation pressure. Plovers in the South San Francisco Bay use dry salt evaporation ponds, and wildlife-managed ponds, to breed and winter. However, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project aims to restore up to 6,110 hectares of this habitat back to native tidal marsh, which will force plovers to breed in smaller areas and in higher densities. In order to recover plovers in …

Aquatic Insect Community Structure And Secondary Production In Coastal Wetland Ponds Of The Copper River Delta, Alaska: Influence Of Water Temperature And Macrophyte Community Structure, Chantel Caldwell

Master's Theses

The Copper River Delta (CRD), southcentral Alaska, is one of the world’s largest continuous coastal wetlands and is largely composed of sloughs, lakes, and ponds. Due to coastal topography the east side of the Copper River (East Delta) is disproportionately impacted by a cold continental air mass. Wetland communities of the CRD were also impacted by a 9.2 magnitude earthquake in 1964 that shifted the more coastal portion of the CRD from tidally influenced ponds to freshwater ponds.

The West-East temperature gradient across the CRD coupled with landscape type (uplifted marsh (UM) and outwash plain (OP)) creates four regions (West-UM, …

Using Tcr Transgenic, Gp100 Reactive T Cells And Checkpoint Inhibition To Target Lymphangioleimyomatosis, Christian Ankney

Master's Theses

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a low-grade neoplastic disease affecting primarily women. It is characterized by cystic lung disease as well as renal and retroperitoneal tumors called angiomyolipomas and lymphangiomas. Tumor cells have smooth muscle features as well as neuroendocrine cell surface markers, and the disease can be diagnosed by HMB45 staining of tumor cells. We questioned whether expression of melanocytic antigens, specifically gp100, creates an opportunity to treat LAM by adoptive T cell transfer. LAM lung lesions demonstrate poor immune surveillance, therefore adoptive T cell transfer could offer benefits in this disease.

A link was made between melanoma and depigmenting vitiligo …

Utilizing Single-Molecule Fret Methods To Study Conformational Changes In Trim5Α, Margret Suzanne Bradley

Master's Theses

Single-molecule FRET (smFRET) is a method by which dynamic conformational changes can be monitored in a protein microscopically and in real time. smFRET relies on the creation of FRET (Förster Resonance Energy Transfer) between small molecule fluorophores conjugated to the biomolecules of interest. FRET efficiency allows calculation of interfluorophore distances. Changes in FRET efficiency represent changes in protein conformation which can inform further structural and molecular studies of the protein of interest. For example, in the Campbell Lab, we study the protein TRIM5α, an antiretroviral cellular protein which can cause premature dissociation of the HIV capsid core by an unknown …

Creating A Bret Assay To Monitor The Interaction Between Β-Arrestin-1 And Stam-1, James Buhrmaster

Master's Theses

CXCR4 is a chemokine receptor that is overexpressed in multiple disease states, including cancer. Understanding the mechanisms by which cells regulate CXCR4 expression is of high importance, as they can reveal downstream effectors that can potentially be targeted pharmacologically to more effectively treat diseases with fewer side effects.

CXCR4 is internalized in response to stimulation by its ligand CXCL12, and localizes to early endosomes as part of a homologous desensitization mechanism. From the endosome, CXCR4 can enter one of two pathways whereby it is either recycled back to the plasma membrane, where it can undergo another signaling event, or it …

Nutrient Removal And Vegetation Recovery Through Successive Harvesting Of The Invasive Hybrid Cattail (Typha X Glauca) In Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands, Kelsey Berke

Master's Theses

Excess nutrient levels have led to invasive hybrid cattail (Typha × glauca) dominance in many Laurentian Great Lakes coastal wetlands. Its ability to alter wetland structure and function has made T. × glauca a target invasive species with respect to Great Lakes coastal wetland

restoration. This study investigated the effect of harvesting invasive T. × glauca biomass on nutrient removal, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus, and plant diversity recovery in Great Lakes coastal wetland ecosystems. This study demonstrated that without considering external nutrient inputs and outputs, a single harvest at Cheboygan Marsh, MI could remove ~2% of the total N and …