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Hydrologic And Water Quality Impacts From Perennial Crop Production On Marginal Lands, Qingyu Feng

Open Access Dissertations

Marginal lands are proposed as a viable option for producing biofeedstocks as these lands are not heavily engaged in agricultural production or may not be suitable for intensive row-crop food/feed production. However, meeting biofeedstock production goals will require large amount of marginal lands and the unintended consequences of producing biofeedstocks on marginal lands are not fully clear. The overall goal of this study was to evaluate the productivity of biofeedstocks on marginal lands and the potential impacts on hydrologic and water quality processes from the land use conversion.

This study was conducted in the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB). First, …

Investigating Physiological Collaborations Between A Lower Termite And Its Symbionts, Brittany F. Peterson

Open Access Dissertations

This project was completed in an effort to better understand the contributions of symbiotic microbes to the biology of Reticulitermes flavipes, the eastern subterranean termite. Lower-termites, like R. flavipes, house symbionts from all three domains of life within their hindgut paunch. This intimate association is reflected in nearly every aspect of termite biology. Here, I investigate these physiological collaborations as they relate to digestion and immunity. My efforts focused on 1) quantifying the role of bacteria in wood digestion within the termite gut, 2) evaluating the role of symbionts in protection against pathogens, and 3) identifying gene products that bacterial …

Coupling Between Nutrient Availability And Thyroid Hormone Activation, Lattoya Josephine Lartey

Open Access Dissertations

Thyroid hormone is essential for metabolism, growth, development and cognitive function. Thyroid hormone is secreted in two forms, the biologically active 3,5,3’-triiodothyronine (T3) and the inactive thyroxine (T4) that must be converted to T3 in order to gain biological activity. This reaction is catalyzed by type II deiodinase (D2), a thioredoxin-fold containing selenoenzyme; its activity plays an essential role in thyroid hormone activation. The thyroid gland is regulated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis. It responds to food availability via leptin induction of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) in the hypothalamus and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in the pituitary. These actions stimulate …

Designing Prenatal M-Health Interventions Through Transmigrants Reflection On Their Pregnancy Ecology, Hana Aljaberi

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation presents the findings from three participatory focus group and co-design sessions with Caribbean transmigrant women in the United States. Informed by their focus group discussions regarding their pregnancy experiences in the United States, the participants produced design ideas that reflected on physical, emotional, informational and social gap themes. The purpose of this study was to understand the challenges affecting the women’s prenatal wellbeing practices, and to conceive a set of recommendations and opportunities for mHealth technology design to assist with prenatal preventative care and management. The study uses the theoretical concept of pregnancy ecology to identify gaps in …

Alternative Splicing Of Drosophila Nmnat: A Neuronal Self-Protection Mechanism, Kai Ruan

Open Access Dissertations

Neurodegenerative diseases triggered by a variety of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors are increasingly prevalent worldwide. Maintaining neuronal homeostasis is a prerequisite for proper neurological activity. However, details of mechanisms of neuronal maintenance are largely unknown, and in particular it is unclear whether and how healthy neurons regulate their self-protective activities. Previous work in our laboratory and others has found housekeeping NAD synthetic enzyme NMNAT proteins to be among the most effective and versatile neuroprotective factors in Drosophila and mammals. It has been shown that a stem-loop secondary RNA structure within the Drosophila Nmnat (DmNmnat) intron can modulate its alternative …

Oxidative State Of Songbirds During Migration And Best Practices To Communicate The Science, Megan M. Skrip

Open Access Dissertations

Managing oxidative stress is an important physiological function for all aerobic organisms, particularly during periods of prolonged high metabolic activity, such as long-distance migration. However, no previous study has investigated the oxidative status of songbirds at different stages of migration, whether that oxidative status depends on the condition of the birds, how birds use their condition in concert with access to free water to make stopover decisions, or the effects of oxidative challenges like flight on subsequent reproduction. Additionally, scientists undertaking such research are commonly expected to disseminate their results as a Broader Impact of their studies - typically to …

Head Start Teacher Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes And Diet As Predictors Of Classroom Mealtime Behaviors With Children, Katherine M. Halloran

Open Access Dissertations

Recent research has suggested that childcare settings can play an integral role in the prevention of childhood obesity. Childcare providers are in a unique position to influence the diets of children through a number of mealtime interactions including food and nutrition intake, observational learning and nutrition education (Hendy et al., 2000; Birch, Zimmerman, & Hind, 1980). However, there is little evidence on childcare provider’s own behavior, in particular how their own diet, attitudes and knowledge may influence their mealtime behaviors with children. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between childcare providers’ diet, nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and …

Discovery And Functional Analyses Of Hessian Fly Effector-Encoding Genes, Lucio Navarro Escalante

Open Access Dissertations

The Hessian fly - wheat system is a well-known model of gene-for-gene interac- tion between host plants and parasitic insects. The Hessian fly uses secreted effector proteins to control susceptible host plant physiology, transforming the plant cells in a nutritive tissue to support the developing insect larva. HF-resistant wheat cultivars employ resistance (R) proteins to perceive the insect avirulence effectors (Avr) and display defensive immune responses. This study is focused in the discovery and functional analyses of insect effector-encoding genes. Chapter one of this thesis offers an introduction about the molecular basis of HF-wheat interactions. In Chapter two, I present …

Perceptions Of And Experiences With The Indiana Teacher Evaluation System In Physical Education, Andrew Dale Eberline

Open Access Dissertations

Physical educators face a difficult task of using limited time and resources to fully impact students in the gymnasium. Physical education is labeled as a noncore subject with no standardized test to evaluate student learning. In Indiana, multiple types of teacher evaluation models are used in schools across the state, causing concerns of reliability and validity for educators. The purpose of this study was to describe physical educators’ perceptions of and experiences with the teacher evaluation system in the state of Indiana. Additionally, this research examined challenges faced by teachers as they adapted to teacher evaluation systems. Solutions to the …

The Role Of Individual Variation In Auditory And Visual Processing: Implications For Mate Choice, Kelly Ronald

Open Access Dissertations

Intersexual interactions often include a dynamic exchange of courtship signals in different sensory modalities. My work focuses on understanding the factors that contribute to variation in male sexual signals and variation in female sensory perception and behavioral responses to these signals. I addressed several specific research questions using the brown headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) as a model species: (i) how does male signaling behavior differ with the sex of the receiver? (ii) how do components within a signal combine to generate a response by the female, (iii) how is female sensory capacity in one modality related to her sensory capacity …

Macronutrient-Flavonoid Interactions, Effects In Model Food Matrices, Jennifer Louise Allen

Open Access Dissertations

Macronutrient-flavonoid interactions have been well documented through the years. Chapter 1 of this document provides an introduction of the literature documenting the theoretical and mechanical framework of their importance in human health, biological interactions, macronutrient interaction, and general bioaccessibility and bioavailability. Though macronutrient interactions have been characterized, often the levels utilized are above those that may be seen in processed food products due to undesirable effects. This document covers the effects two commonly used plant extracts, green tea extract and grape seed, may have on the macronutrient functionality in model food matrices. In Chapter 2 the effects of crude extracts …

Dissecting The Multifaceted Relationship Between Maize And Cochliobolus Carbonum Race 1, Kevin Chu

Open Access Dissertations

The maize pathogen Cochliobolus carbonum race 1 (CCR1) utilizes HC-toxin, an inhibitor of histone deacetylases, as a key determinant of virulence. The maize Hm1 gene confers complete resistance to CCR1 at all stages of development by encoding for an NADPH-dependent reductase that inactivates HC-toxin. Hm1A, Hm1-SM1, and Hm1-SM2 are alleles of Hm1 that exhibit an adult plant resistance (APR) phenotype, being fairly susceptible during the seedling stage and gradually increasing in resistance with development. The HM1A protein differs from HM1 by five amino acid substitutions while HM1-SM1 and HM1-SM2 have a single amino acid substitution each in the predicted NADPH …

Relationships Between Dietary Fiber Structural Features And Growth And Utilization Patterns Of Human Gut Bacteria, Xin Nie

Open Access Dissertations

Intake of dietary fiber is considered an essential strategy to influence gut microbiota, which is associated with many diet-related chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel diseases. In order to make a better choice of dietary fiber for a desired microbiota shift related to a health outcome, knowledge of fiber degradation and utilization by gut bacteria is critical. However, it is still unclear how specific dietary fiber structures may influence the growth of target bacteria.

Nested Association Mapping To Identify Seed Composition Qtl In Diverse Soybean Lines, Mohammad Wali Salari

Open Access Dissertations

Soybeans are economically the most important legume grown worldwide. It provides quality protein and oil to food and feed markets in addition to being used for industrial products. The value of soybean could be enhanced by increasing protein, oil, and sucrose contents, while lowering anti-nutritional compounds such as oligosaccharides. Understanding the genetic and environmental factors controlling soybean seed composition is an essential prerequisite for such an endeavor. Three separate studies were initiated to understand the underlying genetics governing soybean seed compositional traits.

The Mechanism Of Vitamin D Meidated Protection From Experimental Colitis, Fa Wang

Open Access Dissertations

ABSTRACT

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D Regulation Of Triacylglycerol Accumulation In Differentiated Adipocytes, Brienna Larrick

Open Access Dissertations

Obesity is a major public health concern, both in the United States and worldwide. Therefore, identification of measures by which obesity may be prevented and reversed is of high priority. Epidemiological studies consistently demonstrate an inverse relationship between serum 25(OH)D levels, an indicator of vitamin D status, and measures of adiposity. These data suggest that vitamin D may play a role in the prevention of excessive adiposity. However, whether vitamin D impacts lipid storage and metabolism in terminally differentiated adipocytes is not yet known. The purpose of this work was to determine the impact of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), the bioactive …

Hookless1 Regulates Responses To Pathogens And Abscisic Acid Through Interaction With Mediator18 And Acetylation Of Wrky33 And Abi5 Chromatin, Chao-Jan Liao

Open Access Dissertations

Arabidopsis histone acetyltransferase HLS1 has been implicated in the control of seedling development in response to ethylene. Here, we demonstrate that the loss of function hls1 mutant plants have broad effects on the plant development such as early senescence and flowering, seed insensitivity to ABA as well as plant defense responses including enhanced susceptibility to the necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea and the hemi-biotrophic pathogen Pseudomonas syringae DC3000 strain expressing the effector protein AvrRpm1 strain. We show that HLS1 modulates the expression of WRKY33 gene, a known defense regulator, as well as ABI5 in modulating ABA signaling pathway. The regulation of …

Evaluation Of The Efficacy Of Candidate Probiotics For Disease Prevention In Shellfish Hatcheries, Saebom Sohn

Open Access Dissertations

In the United States of America, oyster production is an important component of the seafood economy in many communities in coastal states. The severe impact of disease outbreaks and mass mortality of oyster larvae in hatcheries impacts production, since the oyster industry is largely dependent on hatchery and nursery production. The use of probiotics has been proposed as a potential preventative measure to limit the impact of bacterial diseases in shellfish hatcheries. In previous laboratory studies, the probiotic bacteria Phaeobacter inhibens S4 and Bacillus pumillus RI06-95 improved the survival of eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) larvae against the pathogens …

The Potential Of Indonesian Microalgal Strains To Support Eastern White Shrimp (Litopenaeus Vannamei) Aquaculture, Wa Iba

Open Access Dissertations

Indonesia is well known for abundant aquatic resources, both marine and freshwater, including fishes, zooplankton and phytoplanktonic microalgae. However, relatively little information is available about microalgal resources despite their potential to be used as live feed in the hatchery phase of aquaculture of a number of marine species. The use of local microalgae is desirable in local hatcheries because they tend to grow better with high yield under local conditions, thus reducing the risk of culture crash and production cost while preventing disease vectors that may introduced by foreign microalgae strains. In this dissertation, the potential of Indonesian microalgae to …

Linking Protistan Herbivory To Environmental And Biotic Controls, Françoise Morison

Open Access Dissertations

Phagotrophic protists have been established as the major consumers of ocean primary production and as such occupy a pivotal position in pelagic food webs, yet knowledge gaps remain regarding the seasonal and spatial variability of protistan grazing, and of its drivers, both environmental and biotic. The aim of the present research was to address such gaps. To do so, I gathered field measurements and observations and evaluated modifications and alternatives to current methods used to estimate grazing rates and characterize plankton communities. In a study conducted in the Western Antarctic Peninsula aimed at quantifying the seasonal variability of protistan herbivory …

Ecological Effects Of Nutrient Enrichment On A Coastal Fringe Mangrove Forest, Brita Juliet Jessen

Open Access Dissertations

Mangrove ecosystems are highly productive coastal wetlands that connect tropical terrestrial and marine systems. Increasing human populations and land use changes are enhancing nutrient loading to tropical coastlines, potentially leading to eutrophic conditions for marine systems. The carbon (C) cycle is critical for mangrove forest structure, function, and resilience under environmental change. Increasing trends of nutrient enrichment in tropical coastal waters may have an effect on organic C mineralization by alleviating nutrient limitation of the heterotrophic microbial community, which may lead to a loss of within-stand carbon sequestration. To better understand and predict the consequences of increased nutrient input, a …

Do Psychologists Help? Assessment And Evaluation Of An Integrative Care Approach To Cancer Treatment, Miryam Yusufov

Open Access Dissertations

Psychosocial care has been shown to improve psychological and physiological functioning in cancer patients. However, as few as five percent of cancer patients engage in psychosocial care. Therefore, Study 1 of this dissertation developed measures of core TTM constructs (Stage of Change, Decisional Balance, Self- Efficacy) relevant for increasing engagement in psychosocial care among individuals diagnosed with cancer.

Measure development entailed qualitative methods for item development and refinement followed by a series of quantitative analyses. The Stage of Change measure was validated against external constructs such as subjective present and future well-being. As expected, a chi-square test indicated that individuals …

Piloting An Intervention To Provide Tailored Feedback On Health Behaviors To Adolescents In Pediatric Primary Care, Amy Adolfo Signore

Open Access Dissertations

Background:

The pediatrician’s office frequently provides the first opportunity for behavioral health intervention. However, pediatricians are limited in time, tools, and training to assess and treat behavioral health problems. Even a brief intervention Motivational Interviewing intervention more than doubles the length of a physical exam appointment. Studies investigating the usefulness of technology to assist with behavioral health interventions in pediatric primary care are limited, but one study found that technology was a feasible approach for use in pediatric primary care (Harris et. al., 2012). That study assessed for alcohol with computer technology and provided the findings to the attending physicians …

The Effects Of Climate Change On Macroalgal Growth, Trophic Interactions And Community Structure, Gordon Ober

Open Access Dissertations

Global climate change is threatening the structure, function, and health of ecosystems. While factors of climate change have been studied extensively over the past few decades, most research has focused on the response of single organisms or populations; as our ecosystems are comprised of complex interactions and relationships, it is of critical importance to understand how entire communities are going to be impacted by climate change. Ocean acidification (a by-product of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide, CO₂), and nutrient loading are two major forces of global change that are projected to have detrimental impacts on coastal marine species and …

You Are What You Eat: Investigating Food Discourse And Digitally-Mediated Identities, Katelyn Leigh Burton

Open Access Dissertations

My dissertation, You Are What You Eat: Understanding Food Discourse and Digitally-Mediated Identities, investigates the rhetorical nature of digital identity creation and management and the role of food discourse within these practices. According to Pierre Bourdieu (1984), “Taste classifies, and it classifies the classifier. Social subjects, classified by their classifications, distinguish themselves by the distinctions they make, between the beautiful and the ugly, the distinguished and the vulgar” (6)… and perhaps also between the delicious and the unappetizing, fast food and haute cuisine. Within this project, I use a rhetorical lens to explore digital identity constructions within the food …

Nanoparticles Toxicity On Escherichia Coli: Batch And Kinetic Approach, Nelson M. Anaya-Archila

Open Access Dissertations

Silver and dysprosium oxide are two examples of materials used for the manufacturing of nanoparticles with current and future commercial relevance, respectively. Silver nanoparticles (nAg or AgNPs) are one of the most commonly used nanomaterials in consumer products and medical applications due to their antimicrobial properties. Dysprosium oxide nanoparticles (nDy₂O₃) are gaining interest for biomedical applications because of their fluorescence and paramagnetic properties, which can be used as contrast agents in magnetic resonance analysis. However, the fate of nAg and nDy₂O₃ and their possible negative impacts on the environment and public health are …

Cadmium Contributes To Breast Cancer Development By Influencing Cell Adhesion Network, Zhengxi Wei

Open Access Dissertations

Cadmium (Cd) is carcinogenic and a well-established human health risk. Epidemiological and experimental studies have demonstrated that Cd is associated with breast cancer. We reported previously that Cd promoted breast cancer cell growth. Whether Cd treatment also causes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and progression to metastasis in breast epithelial cells is unknown. The dissertation described here investigated the effect of Cd in breast cancer progression.

Noncancerous breast epithelial MCF10A cells, non-metastatic HCC 1937 and HCC 38 cells, and metastatic MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with 1 or 3 µM Cd for 4 weeks. The increase in the expressions of N-cadherin and vimentin …

Parent Behaviors In Relation To Characteristics Of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Amy C. Laurent

Open Access Dissertations

Emotional self-regulation (ESR) challenges are well documented in the developmental profiles of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); however, less is known about the development of ESR and the role of parents in ESR development for this population. This study explored the associations between diagnostically significant characteristics of children with ASD (i.e., social communication profile and sensory processing abilities) and parent behaviors associated with development of a child’s ESR.

Participants were 37 children previously diagnosed with ASD and their parents recruited throughout Southern New England. The children’s ages ranged between 30-48 months. The study was a cross sectional design involving …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of Instructional Methodology Of The Who/Unicef Breastfeeding Training On Maternal–Child Nurse Knowledge Gain And Perception Of Breastfeeding Support, Shakira Lita Ismay Henderson

Open Access Dissertations

Nurses are the largest group of healthcare professionals who support breastfeeding and lactating mothers in maternity facilities. Yet, the most effective instructional methodology to deliver the 20-hour WHO/UNICEF breastfeeding training for maternal-child nurses is still not determined. Breastfeeding knowledge gain and perception of breastfeeding support are two key modifiable outcomes of breastfeeding training that are commonly identified in the nursing literature. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of instructional methodology (classroom versus computer-based) on the maternal–child nurse’s breastfeeding knowledge gain and perception of breastfeeding support for nurses that participated in the 20-hour WHO/UNICEF breastfeeding training. A …

The Interactive Effects Of Beta-Alanine And Resistance Training On Muscular Endurance In Older Adults, Christopher Hayes Bailey

Open Access Dissertations

Muscular endurance is a major neuromuscular factor affecting independence and fall probability in older persons. PURPOSE: To determine the effects of sustained-release beta-alanine supplementation alone or in combination with a resistance training program on muscular and daily activity-based performances in older adults. METHODS: Twenty-seven subjects, 60-82 years of age, were randomly assigned to one of four groups for a 12-week intervention: 3.2g/day placebo without resistance training, 3.2g/day beta-alanine without resistance training, 3.2g/day placebo with resistance training, or 3.2g/day beta-alanine with resistance training. Before and after the intervention, subjects’ anthropometric, Physical Functional Performance 10, Senior Fitness and upper and lower body …