Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Open Access Dissertations

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication Year

Articles 1351 - 1380 of 3760

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Wireless Chemical Sensing Schemes Using Environmentally Sensitive Hydrogels, Jun Hyeong Park Apr 2015

Wireless Chemical Sensing Schemes Using Environmentally Sensitive Hydrogels, Jun Hyeong Park

Open Access Dissertations

In situ sensing of chemical parameters such as pH, glucose, enzymes, and other analytes is of immense importance in health care and environmental monitoring. There has been considerable research in this area using hydrogels as a chemo-mechanical transducer. Hydrogels are water-swollen polymers containing chemical groups that are sensitive to environmental stimuli. When there is a chemical change, e.g. alkali to acidic pH, hydrogel swells or shrinks. This reversible volume change can be coupled to capacitive, inductive or other sensing mechanisms. Despite many years of research, hydrogel-based sensors have not been of practical utility. This has been due to several reasons …


The Effect Of Macromolecular Crowding On The Structure Of The Protein Complex Superoxide Dismutase, Ajith Rathnaweera Rajapaksha Mudalige Apr 2015

The Effect Of Macromolecular Crowding On The Structure Of The Protein Complex Superoxide Dismutase, Ajith Rathnaweera Rajapaksha Mudalige

Open Access Dissertations

Biological environments contain between 7 - 40% macromolecules by volume. This reduces the available volume for macromolecules and elevates the osmotic pressure relative to pure water. Consequently, biological macromolecules in their native environments tend to adopt more compact and dehydrated conformations than those in vitro. This effect is referred to as macromolecular crowding and constitutes an important physical difference between native biological environments and the simple solutions in which biomolecules are usually studied.^ We used small angle scattering (SAS) to measure the effects of macromolecular crowding on the size of a protein complex, superoxide dismutase (SOD). Crowding was induced using …


Quantification Of Molecular Aggregation Equilibria Using Spectroscopic Measurements And Random Mixing Modeling, Blake M. Rankin Apr 2015

Quantification Of Molecular Aggregation Equilibria Using Spectroscopic Measurements And Random Mixing Modeling, Blake M. Rankin

Open Access Dissertations

Molecular aggregation equilibria, such as the binding of ligands to a central solute molecule, are prevalent throughout biological processes and energy storage devices. However, both the sign and magnitude of hydrophobic and ionic interactions remains a subject of theoretical debate, and has yet to be experimentally determined. Here, Raman vibrational spectroscopy is combined with multivariate curve resolution (Raman-MCR) to experimentally quantify both the number of hydrophobic contacts between alcohol molecules in water and the affinity of ions for molecular hydrophobic interfaces. Furthermore, a generalized theoretical model is developed based on random statistics in which it is assumed that the concentration …


The Role Of Death-Associated Protein Kinase In Endothelial Apoptosis Under Fluid Shear Stress, Keith R. Rennier Apr 2015

The Role Of Death-Associated Protein Kinase In Endothelial Apoptosis Under Fluid Shear Stress, Keith R. Rennier

Open Access Dissertations

Endothelial cells are the interface between hemodynamic fluid flow and vascular tissue contact. They actively translate physical and chemical stimuli into intracellular signaling cascades which in turn regulate cell function, and endothelial dysfunction leads to inflammation and diseased conditions. For example, atherosclerosis, a chronic vascular disease, favorably develops in regions of disturbed fluid flow and low shear stress. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, must be properly regulated to maintain homeostasis in the vascular wall. The loss of apoptosis control, as seen in low shear stress regions, is implicated in various diseases such as atherosclerosis and cancer. Death-associated protein kinase, DAPK …


Effects Of Temperature And Pollinator Availability On Plant Reproductive Success In The Indiana Spring Ephemeral Community, Asya Robertshaw Apr 2015

Effects Of Temperature And Pollinator Availability On Plant Reproductive Success In The Indiana Spring Ephemeral Community, Asya Robertshaw

Open Access Dissertations

Temperature is a key driver of phenology in both plants and insects, and even small changes in temperature can impact the reproductive success of insect-pollinated plants by influencing access to pollinator services. While it is well-established that temperature variation directly impacts the flowering phenology of many plant species, the mechanisms by which it ultimately influences seed production via the pollinator community are not well understood. Climate change has the potential to disrupt the temporal synchrony between plants and their primary pollinators, especially if the two rely on different seasonal cues for the timing of their life history events. If the …


Genetic, Agronomic And Compositional Characterization Of Brown Midrib Sweet Sorghum Lignocellulosic Biomass For Ethanol Production, Luis A. Rivera Burgos Apr 2015

Genetic, Agronomic And Compositional Characterization Of Brown Midrib Sweet Sorghum Lignocellulosic Biomass For Ethanol Production, Luis A. Rivera Burgos

Open Access Dissertations

Sorghum is a promising bioenergy crop due to its unique phenotypic and genotypic attributes. Quality (low lignin and high stem sugar concentration) and quantity (biomass yield, plant height, plant maturity, etc.) biomass traits are key contributors to ethanol yield and production. In this study, a 236 sorghum recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was subjected to genetic, agronomic and compositional characterization for ethanol yield and production. We found that the sweet mutation enhances biomass quantity traits in the RILs which translates to higher ethanol production and biomass quality which improves ethanol yield. The variance components showed from moderate to high heritability …


Mass Spectrometric Characterization Of Peptide Radical Ions And Implication For Radical Chemistry, Lei Tan Apr 2015

Mass Spectrometric Characterization Of Peptide Radical Ions And Implication For Radical Chemistry, Lei Tan

Open Access Dissertations

Gas-phase radical ion chemistry has attracted increasing research interest from the mass spectrometry (MS) society because it provides new capabilities in bio-analysis which often complements traditional MS methods developed from even-electron ions. Fundamental studies of biomolecule related radical species are essential to broadening the scope of radical chemistry and pushing the frontiers of its analytical applications. This dissertation mainly discusses the gas-phase chemistry of peptide sulfinyl radicals (-SO·), which has been rarely studied before. In order to establish an effective research approach, a method that can generate site-specific peptide sulfinyl radical ion has been developed. This method is based on …


Attachment To God And Psychological Well-Being: Shame, Guilt, And Self-Compassion As Mediators, Mary Elizabeth Varghese Apr 2015

Attachment To God And Psychological Well-Being: Shame, Guilt, And Self-Compassion As Mediators, Mary Elizabeth Varghese

Open Access Dissertations

In this study, I used attachment theory to examine individual differences in people's relationships with God or their Higher Power and the influence of these relationships on shame, guilt, self-compassion, and overall psychological well-being. H1 was that shame, guilt, and self-compassion fully mediate the relatedness of anxious attachment to God and psychological well-being. H2 was that shame, guilt, and self-compassion fully mediate the relatedness of avoidant attachment to God and psychological well-being. Young adults (N = 163) of diverse religious backgrounds from a large Midwestern university completed demographic questions and four scales: (a) The Attachment to God Inventory (AGI; Beck …


Surface Modification Of Traditional And Bioresorbable Metallic Implant Materials For Improved Biocompatibility, Emily Kristine Walker Apr 2015

Surface Modification Of Traditional And Bioresorbable Metallic Implant Materials For Improved Biocompatibility, Emily Kristine Walker

Open Access Dissertations

Due to their strength, elasticity, and durability, a variety of metal alloys are commonly used in medical implants. Traditionally, corrosion-resistant metals have been preferred. These permanent materials can cause negative systemic and local tissue effects in the long-term. Permanent stenting can lead to late-stent thrombosis and in-stent restenosis. Metallic pins and screws for fracture fixation can corrode and fail, cause loss of bone mass, and contribute to inflammation and pain at the implant site, requiring reintervention. Corrodible metallic implants have the potential to prevent many of these complications by providing transient support to the affected tissue, dissolving at a rate …


The Role Of Entomology In Environmental And Science Education: Comparing Outreach Methods For Their Impact On Student And Teacher Content Knowledge And Motivation, Faith J. Weeks Apr 2015

The Role Of Entomology In Environmental And Science Education: Comparing Outreach Methods For Their Impact On Student And Teacher Content Knowledge And Motivation, Faith J. Weeks

Open Access Dissertations

Outreach programming can be an important way for local students and teachers to be exposed to new fields while enhancing classroom learning. University-based outreach programs are offered throughout the country, including most entomology departments as few individuals learn about insects in school and these programs can be excellent sources of entomological education, as well as models to teach environmental and science education. Each department utilizes different instructional delivery methods for teaching about insects, which may impact the way in which students and teachers understand the insect concepts presented. To determine the impact of using entomology to enhance science and environmental …


Propionate Induces Gluconeogenesis In Dairy Cattle Through Direct Activation Of The Bovine Cytosolic Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase Gene Promoter, Qian Zhang Apr 2015

Propionate Induces Gluconeogenesis In Dairy Cattle Through Direct Activation Of The Bovine Cytosolic Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxykinase Gene Promoter, Qian Zhang

Open Access Dissertations

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK, GTP; EC4.1.1.32) catalyzes the conversion of oxaloacetate (OAA) to phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), a critical reaction for gluconeogenesis. The two isoforms of PCK, namely cytosolic PCK (PCK1), and the mitochondrial PCK (PCK2) are abundantly expressed in liver and kidney. Increased PCK1 activity and mRNA expression in liver is observed as feed intake recovers during early lactation in dairy cows, a condition linked to increased ruminal propionate production. The central hypothesis of this dissertation is that propionate regulates its own metabolism in liver of dairy cattle through regulation of the PCK1 gene. The objectives of this dissertation were to determine: …


A Three Constituent Mixture Theory Model Of Cutaneous And Subcutaneous Tissue In The Context Of Neonatal Pressure Ulcer Etiology And Prevention, Anne Dye Zakrajsek Apr 2015

A Three Constituent Mixture Theory Model Of Cutaneous And Subcutaneous Tissue In The Context Of Neonatal Pressure Ulcer Etiology And Prevention, Anne Dye Zakrajsek

Open Access Dissertations

Localized ischemia, impaired interstitial fluid flow, and sustained mechanical loading of cells have all been hypothesized as mechanisms of pressure ulcer (PrU) etiology. Time-varying loading has experimentally been shown to increase fluid flow in human skin in vivo. Towards the design of prophylactic protocols and treatment modalities for PrU management there is a need for an analytical model to investigate the local fluid flow characteristics of skin tissue under time-varying loading. In this study, a triphasic mixture theory model with constituents of extracellular matrix, interstitial fluid, and blood was calibrated and validated and used to investigate stress and fluid velocity …


Effect Of Maleic Acid On The Selectivity Of Glucose And Fructose Dehydration And Degradation, Ximing Zhang Apr 2015

Effect Of Maleic Acid On The Selectivity Of Glucose And Fructose Dehydration And Degradation, Ximing Zhang

Open Access Dissertations

5-Hydroxymethyfurfural (HMF), a platform chemical can upgrade to a variety of fuels and polymers, can be manufactured from lignocellulose. This study focuses on the Lewis and Brønsted acid effect on hexose dehydration for HMF production. We report the positive effect of maleic acid, a dicarboxylic acid used as Brønsted acid, on the selectivity of hexose dehydration to 5-hydroxymethyfurfural (HMF), and subsequent hydrolysis to levulinic and formic acids. We also describe the kinetic analysis of a Lewis acid (AlCl 3) alone and in combination with HCl or maleic acid to catalyze the isomerization of glucose to fructose, dehydration of fructose …


Paralogous Genes In Arabidopsis Thaliana Contribute To Diversified Phenylpropanoid Metabolism, Li Yi Apr 2015

Paralogous Genes In Arabidopsis Thaliana Contribute To Diversified Phenylpropanoid Metabolism, Li Yi

Open Access Dissertations

Significant evidence supports the idea that gene duplication drives the evolution of new gene function. Besides being silenced, duplicated genes can either neofunctionalize or subfunctionalize under selective pressure or neutral drift. Understanding the trajectory of how each gene is fixed and presumably provides added fitness remains difficult. Plant specialized metabolism provides an attractive platform to study the fixation of genes post duplication and how this process leads to the chemical diversity seen today. Specialized metabolites by definition are thought to be dispensable under normal growth conditions. Thus deleterious mutations occurring in paralogous genes that otherwise would be selected against in …


Photochemistry Of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes In The Aquatic Environment, And Their Extraction From Soils, Somayeh Beigzadehmilani Apr 2015

Photochemistry Of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes In The Aquatic Environment, And Their Extraction From Soils, Somayeh Beigzadehmilani

Open Access Dissertations

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a class of engineered nanoparticles, composed of an array of sp2 carbon atoms arranged as fused benzene rings. Due to their exceptional electrical, mechanical, and physical properties, CNTs find applications in construction, aerospace, and medical industries. In the United States, CNTs already had an annual production of 2,000 tons in 2011. This rate of annual production indicates that CNTs will find their way into the environment, which will result in certain environmental exposure. Yet, there have not been sufficient and definitive studies on the health and environment effects of CNTs. For example, additional information regarding environmental …


Analysis Of Chd Remodelers During Development: A Tale In Two Organisms, Brett Bishop Apr 2015

Analysis Of Chd Remodelers During Development: A Tale In Two Organisms, Brett Bishop

Open Access Dissertations

The correct development of different organisms requires the precise timing of genes important for development transitions. Organisms have recruited ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers to ensure the correct timing of gene expression during developmental transitions. Here I show how different CHD ATP-dependent chromatin remodelers regulate developmental transitions of different organisms. I show that PICKLE not only promotes H3K27me3 during development to repress developmental genes but also is targeted to these genes. The association of PICKLE to these genes suggests that both repression and H3K27me3 levels is a direct action of PICKLE on these loci. Using zebrafish as a model system, I show …


Undercover Predators: Vegetation Mediates Foraging, Trophic Cascades, And Biological Control By Omnivorous Weed Seed Predators, Carmen K Blubaugh Apr 2015

Undercover Predators: Vegetation Mediates Foraging, Trophic Cascades, And Biological Control By Omnivorous Weed Seed Predators, Carmen K Blubaugh

Open Access Dissertations

Weed pressure is the most costly challenge that vegetable growers face, requiring more labor investment than other production inputs. Vertebrate and invertebrate seed predators destroy a large percentage of weed propagules on the soil surface, and their ecosystem services may ease labor requirements for farmers in herbicide-free systems. Cover provided by living vegetation is an important predictor of seed predator activity, and my dissertation takes a comprehensive approach to understanding the behavior, predator, and environment-mediated mechanisms by which cover impacts weed seed predation in crop environments. ^ First, I performed a meta-analysis of 27 studies to quantitatively evaluate what is …


Investigating Synergy: Mathematical Models For The Coupled Dynamics Of Hiv And Hsv-2 And Other Endemic Diseases, Christina M Alvey Apr 2015

Investigating Synergy: Mathematical Models For The Coupled Dynamics Of Hiv And Hsv-2 And Other Endemic Diseases, Christina M Alvey

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation presents epidemiological models that investigate synergy: synergy between HIV and HSV-2 or between humans and mosquitoes in a malaria study. Each of the three coupled disease models addresses different epidemiological questions with regard to gender or disease structure in the context of sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), while the malaria model focuses on age-structure of the human population. ^ Mounting evidence indicates that HSV-2 infection may increase susceptibility to HIV infection and that co-infection may increase infectiousness. Accordingly, antiviral treatment of people with HSV-2 may mitigate the incidence of HIV in populations where both pathogens occur. To better understand the …


Chronic Stress During Adolescence Alters Alcohol-Induced Conditioned Place Preference In Mice Selectively Bred For High Alcohol Preference But No Low Alcohol Preference, Kristen R Breit Apr 2015

Chronic Stress During Adolescence Alters Alcohol-Induced Conditioned Place Preference In Mice Selectively Bred For High Alcohol Preference But No Low Alcohol Preference, Kristen R Breit

Open Access Dissertations

Chronic stress exposure during adolescence is associated with more long-lasting negative consequences than exposure during adulthood. Adolescent chronic stress exposure has long-lasting effects on physiology and behavior, including an increased risk of developing an alcohol use disorder (AUD) later in life. This relationship is particularly true in individuals with a familial history of AUDs. Recent research has shown that chronic stress in adolescent mice increased voluntary alcohol consumption in adulthood, but did not do so in adult mice. However, little is known about the mechanism of the relationship between adolescent chronic stress and increased alcohol consumption in adulthood. Evidence suggests …


Biochemical Investigation Of The Ubiquitin Carboxyl-Terminal Hydrolase Family, Joseph Rashon Chaney Apr 2015

Biochemical Investigation Of The Ubiquitin Carboxyl-Terminal Hydrolase Family, Joseph Rashon Chaney

Open Access Dissertations

The proteasome is the machinery in eukaryotic cells that degrades protein and recycles the amino acids. Protein degradation is a highly regulated process which starts by the attachment of chains of ubiquitin, which serves as a tag that marks a protein for degradation. This function involves the work of several proteins at the proteasome that work either as ubiquitin chaperones, ubiquitin binders or cleave ubiquitin from the protein that is to be degraded. As this is a highly regulated process, various irregularities can have deleterious effects including the onset of disease, including cardiovascular, cancer, and neurological. ^ The focus of …


Circular Bessel Field Statistics And The Pursuit Of Far-Subwavelength Resolution, Yulu Chen Apr 2015

Circular Bessel Field Statistics And The Pursuit Of Far-Subwavelength Resolution, Yulu Chen

Open Access Dissertations

The statistical description of wave propagation in random media is important for many applications. While polarized light in systems with weakly interacting scatterers and sufficient overall scatter has zero-mean circular Gaussian statistics, the underlying assumptions break down in the Anderson localization and weakly scattering regimes. Although probability density functions for wave intensity and amplitude exist beyond Gaussian statistics, suitable statistical descriptions for the field with strong and weak random scatter were unknown. The first analytical probability density function for the field that is effective in both the Anderson localization regime and the weakly scattering regime is derived by modeling the …


Examination Of Decision-Making Processes For Resource Allocation At The College-Level And School-Level Within An Academic Unit, Amy L Childress Apr 2015

Examination Of Decision-Making Processes For Resource Allocation At The College-Level And School-Level Within An Academic Unit, Amy L Childress

Open Access Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the quantitative and qualitative factors used when deciding how to allocate resources within a single academic unit and three subunits, and who was involved in those decision-making processes. It focused on the College of Engineering and three Schools of Engineering at Purdue University from 2000 – 2007, when Dr. Martin C. Jischke was president. The university underwent institution-wide strategic planning and increased use of metrics in decision-making under his leadership. Financial data from the college and three schools were collected and analyzed. An interview protocol was developed and piloted before implementation in …


Becoming Kin: Modernity, Authenticity, And The Construction Of Spiritual Relatedness In An Evangelical Parachurch Ministry, Brad Codr Apr 2015

Becoming Kin: Modernity, Authenticity, And The Construction Of Spiritual Relatedness In An Evangelical Parachurch Ministry, Brad Codr

Open Access Dissertations

This dissertation explores how families are formed and spiritual kinship is created by members of the Body of Christ evangelical parachurch ministry at one public university in the United States. Spiritual relatedness is used to conceptualize members' social relationships and demonstrate the diverse forms of Christian community that emerge in the lives of young adults. Results from this study provide an alternative perspective to social science literature labeling Christianity as an individualistic belief system. It also contributes to continuing dialogue within the anthropology of Christianity, which seeks to describe and understand what it means to be Christian. I argue that …


Biology And Ecology Of Bigheaded Carp In An Invaded Ecosystem, Alison Adele Coulter Apr 2015

Biology And Ecology Of Bigheaded Carp In An Invaded Ecosystem, Alison Adele Coulter

Open Access Dissertations

Globally, the homogenization of species has become a threat to biodiversity. As species are transported around the world, a portion of these species, released intentionally or accidentally, may become invasive and can produce negative impacts. Great effort has been invested into early identification and prevention of invasions as these are considered less expensive than managing an invasion. Unfortunately, species may exhibit varying characteristics across ecosystems, and so their behavior and potential survival in a new environment may be difficult to predict. Therefore, I examined trends in the biology and behavior of invasive fishes, including the plasticity surrounding these and how …


Consequences Of Short-Term Water Temperature Variability To Fish: Current And Future Climate Change Impacts, David P. Coulter Apr 2015

Consequences Of Short-Term Water Temperature Variability To Fish: Current And Future Climate Change Impacts, David P. Coulter

Open Access Dissertations

Water temperature has a profound influence on aquatic ectotherms by affecting all aspects of biological organization; from chemical and molecular functioning to whole-organism and population-level impacts. Natural processes and anthropogenic activities can create conditions where temperatures vary greatly through space and time. While exposure to temperature changes lasting ≥ 24 hours have been examined in some species, it is unclear how more rapid (< 24 hours; sub-daily) thermal fluctuations affect aquatic ectotherms. I used a combination of field observations, laboratory experiments, and modeling simulations to understand: 1) how habitat quality of aquatic ectotherms is affected in thermally dynamic environments; 2) the role of sub-daily temperature fluctuations on growth, survival, and stress responses in juvenile and adult fish; 3) how fish early life stages are affected by sub-daily temperature fluctuations; and 4) what impact thermally dynamic environments have on a model species at a population-level. A model quantifying habitat quality around power plant thermal discharges indicated that elevated and variable discharge temperatures affected habitat quality over a relatively small spatial area for aquatic ectotherms. Models examining elevated temperatures representing climate warming showed that the effects of industrial discharges and climate warming could have an interactive effect on habitat quality by increasing the spatial area and duration over which industrial thermal effluents impact aquatic ectotherms. Laboratory experiments indicated that closely related fishes can respond differently to the same sub-daily temperature fluctuations. Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) had higher consumption and growth under sub-daily temperature fluctuations but developed skin lesions; an indication of thermal stress. In contrast, these same fluctuations reduced growth in physiologically similar walleye (Sander vitreus) …


Tunable Organization Of Cellulose Nanocrystals For Controlled Thermal And Optical Response, Jairo A. Diaz Amaya Apr 2015

Tunable Organization Of Cellulose Nanocrystals For Controlled Thermal And Optical Response, Jairo A. Diaz Amaya

Open Access Dissertations

The biorenewable nature of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) has opened up new opportunities for cost-effective, sustainable materials design. By taking advantage of their distinctive structural properties and self-assembly, promising applications have started to nurture the fields of flexible electronics, biomaterials, and nanocomposites. CNCs exhibit two fundamental characteristics: rod-like morphology (5-20 nm wide, 50-500 nm long), and lyotropic behavior (i.e., liquid crystalline mesophases formed in solvents), which offer unique opportunities for structural control and fine tuning of thermal and optical properties based on a proper understanding of their individual behavior and interactions at different length scales. In the present work, we attempt …


Unveiling The Mechanical Behavior Of The Rod-Like Microstructure In The Radular Teeth Of Cryptochiton Stelleri, Enrique Escobar De Obaldia Apr 2015

Unveiling The Mechanical Behavior Of The Rod-Like Microstructure In The Radular Teeth Of Cryptochiton Stelleri, Enrique Escobar De Obaldia

Open Access Dissertations

Natural ceramics provided with high volume fractions of mineralized materials that are surrounded by a weak organic interface combine the stiff mechanical behavior of building blocks, like hydroxyapatite or aragonite, and the compliance of the organic surroundings. Unique mechanical properties (e.g. light density and toughness) distinguish bio-composites from common engineering materials. A key example is the highly mineralized shell of the radular teeth of the Crypochiton stelleri. Nature has provided the radular teeth with a highly oriented rod-like microstructure of nano-scale dimensions embedded in a matrix of chitin sheaths. Compared to other biological materials, the external iron oxide layer of …


Novel Methods For Manipulating Ion Types In The Solution And Gas Phases For The Structural Analysis Of Biomolecules Using Mass Spectrometry, Christine M Fisher Apr 2015

Novel Methods For Manipulating Ion Types In The Solution And Gas Phases For The Structural Analysis Of Biomolecules Using Mass Spectrometry, Christine M Fisher

Open Access Dissertations

Mass Spectrometry has become a valuable tool for the analysis of a variety of molecules, making it applicable to many fields. The advent of nanoelectrospray ionization (nESI) as a soft/low energy ionization technique has enabled the analysis of large, intact biomolecules. Most mass spectrometry experiments consist of three main steps: ionization, probe step(s), and mass analysis. The present work focuses on a variety of methods for altering ion types at various stages of the mass spectrometry experiment to affect ion fragmentation. Ion types can be manipulated in the solution/droplet phases using novel nESI emitters, generated from borosilicate theta capillaries. These …


International Water And Food Security Development: Performance Evaluation And Assessment Of Research Needs At Multiple Scales, Caitlin Anne Grady Apr 2015

International Water And Food Security Development: Performance Evaluation And Assessment Of Research Needs At Multiple Scales, Caitlin Anne Grady

Open Access Dissertations

Water and food security remain the top development challenges of the decade, and perhaps the century. Since the Millennium Development Goals were established in 2000, billions of people have obtained access to more food, better nutrition, improved water, and basic sanitation facilities worldwide. This progress has been accomplished through the dedication of international organizations, non-governmental organizations, country-level governments, private corporations, and individuals at international, regional, and local scales. Truly tremendous strides have been made in water and food provisioning for humans worldwide. These past two decades have also seen the largest population growth on record, the highest rates of childhood …


Carrion-Associated Arthropods In Rural And Urban Environments, Serena Daye Gross Apr 2015

Carrion-Associated Arthropods In Rural And Urban Environments, Serena Daye Gross

Open Access Dissertations

Preferences of arthropods are important in forensic entomology, as the species collected can help determine the postmortem interval or if remains have been moved. This study looked at arthropods that are attracted to pig carcasses in rural and urban habitats in Northwest Indiana. The species and number of carrion-associated arthropods that are found at a carcass vary with habitat type, month, and stage of decomposition. Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) is a synanthropic species that was found in higher numbers in urban locations for both adults and larvae. Though L. sericata had higher numbers in urban habitats, caution must be exercised …