Digital Commons Network^™

Development And Validation Of Gas Chromatographic Methods For Free Fatty Acid Determination In Dairy Products, David Mannion

Theses

Quantification of free fatty acids (FFA) in dairy products by gas chromatography flame ion'^ation detection is an important requirement for qua'ity, research, nutritional, authenticity and legislative purposes. Common procedures are typically variants of either the fatty acid methyl esterification (FAME) or direct on-column injection methods developed more than two decades ago. This study involved the development of an alternative novel derivatization method using butylation, incorporating automation, reducing solvent usage that is applicable for a wide range of dairy products. The accuracy, precision, linearity, limits of detection and limits of quantification of all three methods were assessed for the quantification of …

Discovery Of Novel Compound From Cytotoxic Active Plants, Suraj Kumar Pokharel

Theses

The phytochemical study of extracts of cytotoxic active plant species Drypetes lasiogyna and Tabebuia bahamensis species from Paluma rainforest, Northern Queensland, Australia and Abaco Island, Bahamas, respectively, has been carried out where separation, identification and characterization of chemical components were done by applying chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. The pharmacologically active components isolated from Drypetes lasiogyna include novel compound 5α-dammar-20-ene-24,25-diol-3-yl caffeate along with 5α-dammar-20-ene-3β,24,25-triol and friedelin whereas taraxeryl acetate was extracted from Tabebuia bahamensis. 5α-Dammar-20-ene-3β,24,25-triol was shown to have good cytotoxic activity against cancer cell lines 5637, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 with % kill of 100%, 89.65% and 69.98%, respectively. On the …

Biogas From Slaughterhouse Waste In Ireland: Assessment Of Potential Energy Recovery Pathways, Aidan Ware

Theses

This study was undertaken to investigate the potential energy recovery from the anaerobic digestion (AD) of slaughterhouse wastes in Ireland. The research was approached in two ways; laboratory scale evaluation of methane production of the industrial waste streams from cattle, pig and chicken slaughtering facilities and a life cycle assessment (LCA) and energy balance to assess the potential utilisation pathways. This thesis includes; the evaluation of the potential biogas production from individual and combined slaughterhouse waste streams in Ireland on an equal footing through standardised laboratory testing, the effects of mandatory pre-treatments on the AD of slaughterhouse waste streams and …

Analysis And Modelling Of Sediment Transport On The River Bandon, John Gamble

Theses

Sediment behaviour and transport in river systems has been studied for centuries and potentially impacts on river capacity, navigation, water quality, ecology and flooding. This thesis investigates sediment behaviour and transport on the River Bandon, a river system which has experienced severe flooding on a periodic basis. The River Bandon is located in the South Western River Basin District with a total catchment area of 608km“. The River Bandon offers a positive environment for biodiversity, facilitating habitats for some endangered species. This thesis presents a literature review on the River Bandon and its catchment, on sediment behaviour and transport and …

Clinical Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci; Identification, Characterisation And Treatment, Emma Gabriel

Theses

The work presented in this thesis focuses on clinically significant staphylococci (with an emphasis on coagulase-negative staphylococci) in terms of their isolation, identification, characterisation, and biocontrol.

CoNS are increasingly being recognised as true nosocomial pathogens yet remain under-characterised, particularly from an Irish clinical perspective. We examined a large cohort of clinically-derived CoNS, isolated from blood (n=l35), identifying them to species level. Extensive antibiotic resistance against nine clinically-relevant antibiotics was recorded. Additionally, widespread biofilm forming capabilities associated with increased virulence was detected both phenotypically and genotypically. We identified multiple species of CoNS in circulation in an Irish healthcare setting, and determined …

Compute Or Not To Compute?, Rowena Keaveny

Theses

The primary purpose of this enquiry is to explore the relevance of digital culture to contemporary art therapy practice in the digital age. The explosion of digital media into everyday life, as evidenced through it's impact on modes of communication and transformative societal behaviours has vastly altered how humans relate to each other and the world in which they can now live both physically and virtually in what has become known as the digital age. Silhouetted by it's emergent use within the therapeutic setting and informed by current literature, articles, research, questionnaires and interviews, this enquiry seeks to address the …

Investigation Of The Natural Bacteriocin Nisin And Bioengineered Nisin Derivatives For The Prevention And Control Fo Staphylococcus Biofilms On Medical Device Materials, Leanne Kearney

Theses

Antimicrobial resistance has evolved into being one the major threats facing clinical environments worldwide. It has led to the deerease in effective prevention and treatment of pathogenic bacteria. One such bacterium is Staphylococcus epidermidis. Once considered a relatively harmless and commensal baeterium, it has recently evolved into being one the leading eauses of nosocomial infections. S. epidermidis has proven hamiful due to its ability to fonn detrimental biofilms. Biofilms are structured eonsortia of bacteria embedded in a self-produced polymer matrix that allows adherence to biotic or abiotic surfaces. These biofilms have played a leading role in healthcare-acquired infections with particular …

An Investigation Of The Use Of Natural Agents To Control Mycobacteria, Olga Lesniak

Theses

Economic losses that are caused by Mycobacterium avium paratuberculosis (MAP) infections represent a major obstacle for farmers and also for the dairy industry. In order to control the population of MAP, alternative control agents must be investigated. One of the studies described in this thesis focused on using a bacteriophage therapy based approach to assess its efficacy on simulated industrial environments and food models. Another study described in this thesis investigated the antimicrobial effects of parsley and garlic on a range of mycobacteria species. Both studies used conventional microbiological methods such as plaque assays, AlamarBlue assay (MABA) and growth curves, …

Exploration And Implementation Of Innovative Efficiencies/Devices In Beet Processing For Energy Production, Patrick Mcinerney

Theses

The imminent depletion of fossil fuels, as well as concerns for energy security and the obligation to respond to climate change has led to expanding worldwide popularity of Anaerobic Digestion (AD) of energy crops. Sugar beet is a popular AD feedstock due to its favourable characteristics; however it can be quite labour intensive requiring a range of specialist equipment to process the crop prior to undergoing AD. A crucial stage of this process involves the size reduction of beet by a mechanical chopper unit; this pretreatment breaks open the cellulose structure of the crop and increases the surface area available …

Land Use Regulation And Access To Amenities: Exploring Spatial Equity Using Gis, Robert B. Thompson

Theses

No abstract provided.

Love Sip, Tianshu Liu

Theses

Love Sip is an animated graduate thesis film. The entire film, including the credits, is 4 minutes 58 seconds long. The premier of the film occurred in December 2015 in the School of Film and Animation’s end of semester screenings at Rochester Institute of Technology.

The story takes place in a vending machine. The main characters are a bottle of Soda and a bottle of Juice. They fall in love and try to escape from the vending machine. Their journey is challenging, action packed, and with the promise that their love for each will survive.

Love Sip is a 3D …

Private Conscience And Public Dissent: The Influence Of Revisionist Theological Rhetoric In Australian Public Life, Gerard Calilhanna

Theses

Catholic parliamentarians in Australia are often in decisive roles in parliamentary debates and play crucial roles in votes for and against particular Bills, deciding their fate in Parliaments. These Bills may often have a direct relationship to the conformity of laws in a parliamentary jurisdiction with the natural or moral law. The Catholic parliamentarian is both a Catholic and an elected representative, with implications for his or her life in parliament and upon decisions made as a parliamentarian. Impressing upon these parliamentarians is the traditional Catholic understanding of conscience in conformity with Apostolic Tradition that obliges adherence to the Magisterium …

Early Life Events And Motor Development: A Longitudinal Study, Tegan Grace

Theses

Longitudinal studies are important to fully understand the processes of neurological development during gestation and how risk factors present during this time impact motor development outcomes, yet few to date have focused on this critical time period.

The purpose of this study was to identify modifiable risk factors influencing motor development during the prenatal period. Of particular interest was finding out whether these risk factors differed between the sexes.

Participants (N=2900) were from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. The Raine Study began in May 1989 and women were recruited between 16-20 weeks gestation (m = 18 weeks) from …

Towards The Identification Of Metabolite Markers Of Nipple Pain And Inflammation In Human Milk, Erin Fee

Theses

Background: Human milk is considered the best source of nutrition for all newborns as it contains important growth, developmental and immunological factors. The WHO (2003) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of age, with complementary breastfeeding up to two years and beyond. However, some women experience complications of the breast that lead to early cessation of breastfeeding, which can adversely affect the well being of the developing infant and her own health.

Nipple pain is the most commonly cited reason for weaning in the first week postpartum. Nipple pain is also linked to mastitis from milk stasis and …

Joseph Of Nazareth As Man And Father In Jerónimo Gracián’S Summary Of The Excellencies Of St Joseph (1597), Sophia Boffa

Theses

This thesis explores the representation of St Joseph as man, father and holy exemplar found in Jerónimo Gracián’s Summary of the Excellencies of St Joseph, published in Rome in 1597. The Summary is dedicated to the Venerable Archconfraternity of St Joseph of the Carpenters and is regarded as one of the most influential and comprehensive Josephine texts to date. The work consists of three integral and interconnected elements: Gracián’s text, six episodes of Joseph’s life completed by engraver Christophorus Blancus, and accompanying Latin epigrams (or mottos) composed by Francisco de Cabrera Moral. The Summary has enjoyed popularity as a …

An Implementation Of A High Accuracy Sensor For Distributed Wireless Sensor Network Applications, Jesse Craig Frye

Theses

Biopotentials are typically small electric signals, on the order of a few microvolts to hundreds of millivolts, produced as the result of cellular electrochemical activity in living organisms. Due to high source impedance, investigation of these small electrical signals typically requires use of clinical equipment or professional data acquisition systems that are large, expensive, and utilize AC mains power. Distributed sensor network applications need a low cost, high resolution wireless sensor, suitable for measuring and logging microvolt-level DC accurate signals from high impedance sources. Issues that must be addressed include processing power, power efficiency, auxiliary data storage, and wireless communication …

Animals And Sovereignty : The Politization Of Bodies In The Avowyng Of Arthur And Yonec, Sarah Moore

Theses

In The Avowyng of Arthur, the King brings back to Carlisle “Bothe the birde and the brede” (491), a reference to the boar he slew and the lady his knights won in the forest. This conjunction of woman and meat on a single line illustrates the political tension in the text between what it is to be human and conversely, what it is to be animal. In addition, in Yonec the knight Muldumarec repeatedly transforms into a hawk, blurring the biological boundaries between animal and human. Although critics have frequently attended to the symbolic roles animals play in both these …

Ballymaloe Cookery School: A Study Of The Business And Its Local Impact, Keelin Tobin

Theses

The focus of this research is Ballymaloe Cookery School situated in East Cork, Ireland. This study seeks to understand the emergence of the cookery school, how this business has evolved over time and to investigate the impact it has had on the local area. Ballymaloe Cookery School was officially founded by brother and sister, Darina Allen (nee O’Connell) and Rory O’Connell in Shanagarry, Co. Cork in 1983. The findings examine the establishment of the cookery school as a family business and its attributes. Set amongst a rural landscape, close to the sea and surrounded by agricultural land, the school is …

High Borate Glasses For The Controlled Release Of Therapeutic Metal Ions, Kathleen O'Connell

Theses

Within the biomaterial community significant effort has been directed towards engineering materials that induce precise host responses, which are tailored to specific applications. However, this has also seen an increase in the complexity of some biomaterials, which is being increasingly criticised within the literature, as it is attributed to hindering their clinical utility. In this context the release of therapeutic metal ions from glass-based biomaterials have been shown to promote hard tissue repair and regeneration through angiogenesis and osteogenesis processes. Within this thesis project two separate quaternary high borate glass systems were prepared containing the therapeutic metal ions strontium and …

Suspended Sediment And Nutrient Concentrations And Loads In Two Irish Rivers, Sean T. Harrington

Theses

This thesis presents the results of new and original research on suspended sediment (SS) and nutrient concentrations and loads on the Rivers Bandon and Owenabue in the south of Ireland. It addresses the knowledge gap in SS and nutrient concentration data and in particular SS load/yield estimation methods. A comprehensive database of SS and nutrient concentrations has been established. An investigation into the relationship between water discharge and sediment and nutrient transport is presented and new original relationships between turbidity and suspended sediment concentration (SSC) and nutrients are developed. Turbidity-based suspended sediment loads (SSL) are estimated from the continuous turbidity …

Toothdoll, Xiaodong Han

Theses

The 3D short animated film Toothdoll is a master degree thesis film. The film runs five minutes and ten seconds including credits. All the scenes in this film happen indoors. The story is between a little boy, Ushka and his grandmother. After the little boy’s first tooth comes out, he expects the new tooth sprout. With this little story, I wanted to recreate this normal but important first-time experience in our childhood.

Throughout the entire production, the primary goal for me to tell a clear and solid story to my audiences. No matter how interesting the story is, I think …

Identifying The Potential Environmental Impacts Of Engineered Nanomaterials, Therese Garvey

Theses

Engineered Nanomaterials (ENMs) are increasingly manufactured and incorporated into a diverse array of consumer products and industrial uses. While ENMs are touted for their technological and efficiency benefits, the potential impacts of increasing emissions and exposures to ENMs are poorly understood. This dissertation takes a critical look at the current knowledge in impact assessment of nanomaterials. First, the current metrics for impact assessment of traditional methods are compared with the proposed set of metrics necessary for nanomaterial impact assessment. Next, in order to understand the potential environmental impacts in context, characterization factors for four case study nanomaterials are modeled using …

Philosophizing About God And Nature : Connections And Divisions In The Writings Of Isaac Newton, Joshua Riddle

Theses

For several decades, scholars have argued about the relationship between Isaac Newton’s works in science (or natural philosophy), “chymistry,” religion, and theology. Of particular interest has been how his natural philosophy and religion/theology related to each other. Some scholars claim a significant connection between them, even claiming they are part of a “seamless unity” in Newton’s thinking. Other, more skeptical, scholars call for a localized approach to his writings. By entering into this debate and analyzing many of Newton’s manuscripts, I argue that Newton held onto significant disciplinary distinctions in his writings, but also was willing to make small connections …

The Theory Of Planned Behavior As Applied To Helmet Use In Equestrians, Kelly L. Arnold

Theses

The theory of planned behavior is a model wherein beliefs give rise to intention which results in action. We tested it by separating equestrians into helmet users and non-users then presented framed health messages manipulated in a 2 (Helmet: Present, Absent) x 2 (Valence: Positive, Negative) x 2 (Icon: Circle, Rosette) between subjects design. We measured equestrians' intent to use a helmet after viewing a short horse-accident video and found that helmet non-users were most responsive to positively framed messages focusing on helmet use instead of non-use. Reasons for helmet non-use in equestrians as well as information on head injuries …

Information Design For Medical Innovation: Raising Student Awareness Of Medical Design Potential, Brian W. Rosenberg

Theses

Medical design has the power to improve, prolong and save lives. Medical professionals and patients throughout the world face critical problems that can be addressed with design solutions developed in an academic setting. International collaboration fostered by universities can be a source of unique technology, cultural development and natural resources that can aid in the discovery and delivery of medical solutions. Projects developed through university based initiatives exemplify how effective information design benefits medical design applications.

MEDdesign is a program initiative of the Vignelli Center for Design Studies at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Through this international program, design students …

Environmental And Density-Dependent Modulation Of Type Iii Secretion System Genes In Pseudomonas Syringae Pv. Tomato Dc3000, Jennifer Louise Stauber

Theses

Pseudomonas syringae pathovar tomato strain DC3000 is a model bacterial plant-pathogen that utilizes a dedicated protein export apparatus, the type III secretion system (T3SS), to translocate virulence proteins called effectors directly into host cells. Because effectors suppress plant immune responses, activation of the T3SS is critical upon entry into the host. The P. syringae T3SS is controlled by the hrpRS-hrpL regulatory cascade, and is activated quickly by specific conditions. Different environmental stimuli have been reported to modulate T3SS gene expression in culture, however it is unclear how each signal affects hrpRS or hrpL. My objective was to identify how environmental …

Monitoring Cloud-Prone Complex Landscapes At Multiple Spatial Scales Using Medium And High Resolution Optical Data: A Case Study In Central Africa, Bikash Basnet

Theses

Tracking land surface dynamics over cloud-prone areas with complex mountainous terrain and a landscape that is heterogeneous at a scale of approximately 10 m, is an important challenge in the remote sensing of tropical regions in developing nations, due to the small plot sizes. Persistent monitoring of natural resources in these regions at multiple spatial scales requires development of tools to identify emerging land cover transformation due to anthropogenic causes, such as agricultural expansion and climate change. Along with the cloud cover and obstructions by topographic distortions due to steep terrain, there are limitations to the accuracy of monitoring change …

Developing An Algal Biofilm Filtration System For The Remediation Of Nutrient Pollution In Freshwater Ponds, Danielle Delp

Theses

Anthropogenic nutrient pollution is one of the most serious threats facing aquatic systems in modern times. Pollution with compounds containing nitrogen and phosphorous encourages rapid development of autotrophic biomass, or blooms, that severely degrade the quality of an aquatic system both as a habitat for organisms and as a water resource for human use. In freshwater ponds, the widespread need for treatment of nutrient pollution and resulting blooms has resulted in the growth of a large industry dedicated to pond management and maintenance. These companies utilize a variety of chemical and non-chemical treatments to prevent the growth of blooms or …

Biodiversity And The Role Of Bioturbating Invertebrates In Nutrient Cycling In Stormwater Ponds, Kerry Lee Kuntz

Theses

Stormwater retention ponds are typically constructed to manage stormwater in commercial and residential areas, thereby reducing flooding and erosion and improving downstream water quality. Although auxiliary ecosystem services of stormwater ponds are less often recognized, these small aquatic ecosystems may also serve as habitat for aquatic flora and fauna and can be hotspots for biogeochemical cycling. This study examined the biological communities and physicochemical environment of 9 stormwater ponds in Rochester, New York, USA to assess their role in supporting biodiversity and facilitating carbon and nutrient cycling in developed landscapes. A field study revealed that pond age and vegetation cover …

Multiplayer Sound-Oriented Game Design: An Ios Brain And Hearing Training Game, Liwei Yu

Theses

Hearing (auditory perception) is one of the most important senses in our human bodies. There are millions of different sounds in our world; humans perceive the sounds from the outside world to get information, and respond to them.

It is beneficial to enhance hearing abilities and hand-ear coordination to boost brain fitness, engage in better communication with others, and enhance concentration abilities.

With the fast development of smart mobile devices and mobile internet, it is easy to get people connected no matter where they are. Some people usually play games during short fragments time.

Considering these factors, it is a …