Digital Commons Network^™

Influence Of Carbon Sources On The Pathogenicity Of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae, Travis Anthony Salinas

Theses and Dissertations

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a human respiratory tract pathogen and one of the best-characterized minimal bacteria. It is a serious problem because of health problems it can cause as it can be detrimental to humans and the occurrence and aggravation of systemic involvement in M. pneumoniae infection occur via multiple immunological pathways. With its major source of carbon and energy coming from phospholipids, Mycoplasma pneumoniae thrives on lung epithelia. In Mycoplasma pneumoniae, pathogenicity is closely related to carbon metabolism. By testing carbon sources in well plates and growth curves to analyze how growth is affected in Mycoplasma pneumoniae and measure optical …

Patterns Of Female Mating Preferences For Sarotherodon Caroli, From Barombi Mbo, Ileana Ruby Alvarado

Theses and Dissertations

Patterns of Female Mating Preferences for Sarotherodon caroli, from Barombi MboCichlid fish are widely studied for their explosive speciation, which has led to a distinct variety of morphological characteristics and complex reproductive strategies. Cichlids display a variety of parental care strategies, including maternal-only, paternal only, and bi-parental which differentiates them from other vertebrate families. The African cichlid Sarotherodon caroli is endemic to the crater Lake Barombi Mbo located in Western Cameroon. Sarotherodon caroli is a monogamous species and their mating strategy involves defending their territory together one week prior to spawning. The purpose of this experiment is to quantify Sarotherodon …

"As Vigilant As Argus": A Military History Of The Irish And Tejano Tories Of The Texas Revolution, Jonathan Woodward

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes the Irish and Tejano Tories of the Texas Revolution from a military perspective. Emphasizing ideas of historical tradition and heritage, this work examines the Tories as continuations of the Wild Geese, soldados de cuera, and compañías volantes. This is done through an examination of Irish and Tejano Tory motivation in supporting Mexico and military participation in the Texas Revolution. This work also examines ideas of economic opportunity, social acceptance, personal conservatism, distrust of foreign settlement, and fear of invasion or reprisal as factors in Toryism or loyalism. Militarily, this thesis examines Tory military roles alongside Mexican forces …

Evaluation Of Antimicrobial Activity & Phytochemical Analysis Of Two South Texas Species Of The Fabaceae Family, Peter Cavazos

Theses and Dissertations

The emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance, as well as the evolution of new strains are of great concern to the global health community. The search for novel agents to combat the rapid evolution of bacterial pathogens becomes ever more important as current methods are proving ineffective. In the present study, the different solvent extracts (acetone, methanol, and acetic acid) of Acacia berlandieri and Acacia rigidula (leaves) were evaluated for phytochemical analysis, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. Plant leaves of Acacia rigidula and Acacia berlandieri were sequentially extracted using acetone, methanol and acetic acid that were then subjected to susceptibility testing …

Generation And Characterization Of Transgenic Chlamydomonas Reinhardtii Overexpressing The Novel Gene Cia7, Juan Carlos Onofre Renteria

Theses and Dissertations

The constant increase in environmental pollution, in particular heavy metal pollution is alarming. Cia7, the gene understudy has conserved cysteine residues. These residues could be involved in metal binding; and the CIA7 protein might be associated to metal homeostasis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The successful overexpression of Cia7 in C. reinhardtii could enhance its metal tolerance. The core hypothesis is that CIA7 plays a role in metal tolerance and in metal binding. The aim of this research is to characterize the Cia7 gene and to assess its potential role in metal homeostasis. The objectives of the research are (1) to overexpress …

The Significance Of Significance: Decolonizing Cultural Resource Management Practices In The Upper Midwest, Justin Allen Woods

Theses and Dissertations

Indigenous communities across the United States were coerced and tricked into signing treaties that ceded significant portions of their ancestral lands. This land holds cultural value to the tribal members, however academics and archaeologists who do not often shared these values analyze these landscapes to determine their cultural and historical significance, a decision-making process mandated by federal and often state law that has important economic, political, and social consequences. This paper analyzes examples from one context, cultural resource management (CRM) projects in the Northern Great Lakes Region of Wisconsin, Michigan, North and South Dakota and Minnesota, as a case study …

Identifying Unknown Sources Of Nitrate In Two Central Illinois Watersheds, William Andrews

Theses and Dissertations

Nitrate pollution is a major environment problem facing many agriculturally intensive areas around the world. In the midwestern USA, upstream tributaries to the Mississippi River via the Mackinaw and Illinois rivers, local excess nitrate can create problems with the safety of drinking water. In central Illinois, lakes, which are regulated and designated for use as municipal water supply, can periodically exceed EPA drinking water criteria for nitrogen. Lake Bloomington of the Money Creek watershed is the primary source of water for the City of Bloomington, whereas Evergreen Lake of the Six Mile Creek watershed serves as auxiliary supply. Both watersheds …

Differences In Mother’S Use Of Spatial Language With Male And Female Infants During A Block Play Scenario, Elizabeth Phillis

Theses and Dissertations

Construction and language acquisition develop simultaneously, each skill contributing to the development of the other skill (Marcinowski & Campbell, 2017). The proposed study will be conducted to examine the factors that may contribute to the simultaneous development of construction and language. An investigation is proposed to examine whether caretakers use biased language when directing speech towards male and female infants. Specifically, the study is designed to determine if mothers exhibit biases in their language during a block play scenario. This study addresses whether mothers use more prepositional words or phrases with male or female children. It is expected that mothers …

The Pen Is The Sword: Fighting By Writing For Our Future, Clinton Alexander Soper

Theses and Dissertations

76 pages

Suffering from a personal crisis of passivity in his teaching of writing and personal composition in the public sphere, Soper looks for inspiration and guidance through a multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary inquiry into the disciplines of composition, teaching high school English Language Arts, and practicing Kendo, the Japanese Way of the Sword. Soper reflects not only on his personal crisis borne of the socio-political landscape of the current moment but calls for and promotes a redemption of our public discourse in the interest of battling our shared exigencies: the dual-crises of trust in our democratic institutions and our global …

Investigation Of The Antimicrobial Activity And Secondary Metabolites Of Leaf Extracts From Vachellia Rigidula, Vachellia Farnesiana, Senegalia Berlandiery, And Senegalia Gregii, Hector Benjamin Lozano

Theses and Dissertations

The rise of antibiotic resistance is pressuring scientists to investigate natural products for novel antimicrobial agents. Plants are widely used as an ethnomedicine and are thought to have been used therapeutically since the middle paleolithic age. These medicinal plants contain secondary metabolites, such as phenols, that may confer antimicrobial properties. Studies have reported antimicrobial activity of plant species within the Vachellia and Senegalia genera. The objective of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity and secondary metabolites of the following South Texas plant species: Vachellia rigidula, Vachellia farnesiana, Senegalia berlandieri, and Senegalia greggii. The disc diffusion test was performed …

Detecting Remnants Of The Past: Archaeo-Geophysical Prospection Of Fremont Sites In Southern Utah Valley, Jacob P. Jepsen

Theses and Dissertations

The variable contexts of Fremont habitation sites in Utah Valley often make identification of those sites very challenging for archaeologists. Pit houses and other structures throughout the valley are frequently in plowed fields or other disturbed contexts that obscure their more exact location and nature. The application of geophysical technologies at archaeological sites throughout the world, including in North America, has proven to be an effective means of subsurface archaeological survey. However, geophysical techniques have been underutilized in Fremont archaeology. This paper reports on the employment of two geophysical methods, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and fluxgate gradiometer surveys, at three known …

Methodological Considerations And Use Wear Analysis Of The Late Archaic Sites Of Duck Lake And Popper From Grand Island Michigan, James William Hill

Theses and Dissertations

This project analyzed use wear on 100 artifacts recovered from two Late Archaic sites located on Grand Island, Michigan, Duck Lake and Popper. I have divided my project into three phases. The first phase involved a simple presence/absence study of microwear on a sample of informal and formal tools from Grand Island. The goal of this phase was to create a replicable methodology and scoring method for the different types of wear identified in the Grand Island assemblage. The second phase involved several tasks. Initially, I reconstructed several tools from quartz, quartzite, and chert from Grand Island and then used …

Queering Genre And Joy: Reclaiming And Navigating Queerness Through Hybridity, Rebecca Meier

Theses and Dissertations

Throughout my experience in English education, queer texts and queer interpretations of texts have often been denied to me in favor of upholding more canonical and more cis-heteronormative works and analyses. This delayed my ability to write through my gender, sexuality, and overall queer identity, because I had no literary references to take inspiration from. The ways in which I played with genre and form in my work were discouraged because I was taught that my writing would not be taken seriously in academia if it did not represent the “official” literary canon. By melding together memoir, theory, poetry, and …

Strengthening The Evidence-Base Of Youth Nutrition Programs: A Three Part Approach, Rebecca Kyryliuk

Theses and Dissertations

National dietary guidelines recommend that children’s diets consist of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while limiting high-fat foods. Studies indicate, however, that children consume an abundance of sugar-sweetened, calorically dense foods and are lacking in fruit and vegetables, behaviors which significantly contribute to high rates of childhood obesity and subsequent, lifelong, detrimental health impacts. This dissertation provides new knowledge to strengthen the evidence-base and inform future best practices in youth nutrition programming so that more children will have the opportunity to meet national dietary recommendations. Three distinct investigations sought to 1) examine current and past youth dietary intake by comparing …

Integrimi I Sistemit Të Menaxhimit Dixhital Të Pasurive Të Patundshme Bazuar Në Arkitekturën E Pastërt Mvc, Mynevere Hyseni

Theses and Dissertations

Integrimi i sistemit të menaxhimit dixhital të pasurive të patundshme është shumë i rëndësishëm për menaxhim të mbarë të pasurive të patundshme dhe pozicionimin e tyre në treg si dhe luan rol të veçantë në sigurimin e avantazhit të një kompanie ose të një individi të vetëm ndaj konkurrentëve. Kur një individ apo kompani dëshiron të shes/jep me qira ndonjë pasuri të vetën, është mjaft e nevojshme që ta prezantojnë atë me botën në mënyrë të zhurmshme. Po ashtu në anën tjetër kur ndonjë individ dëshiron të blej/marr me qira ndonjë pronë kërkon mundësi më të lehtë dhe më të …

Postcapitalist Desert Visions From Earth To Anarres, David J. Goff

Theses and Dissertations

Human industrial and economic activity around the world—happening either directly in the global North (recall the coal-choked London of Dickens) or, increasingly, in (un)developing nations of the global South because of the North’s demand— has burned and pumped so much CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that climate has noticeably changed even over the span of a single generation. As long as the world and its people are held in the clutches of the hegemonic capitalist politico-economic system, the environment will continue to degrade, and so will life for all the people of Earth, especially those most vulnerable. …

Hydraulic Characterization Of Porous Media For Remediation Applications In Geo-Environmental Engineering: Laboratory Experiment And Numerical Modeling, Syed Istiyak Ahmed

Theses and Dissertations

Hydraulic properties of porous media are very important characters for various geotechnical and geo-environmental applications. In this study, multi-step outflow experiments and numerical modeling were performed for homogeneous and layered column conditions with fine to coarse sands to investigate water flow mechanisms and better predict water flow and solute transport with the van Genuchten-Mualem (VGM) hydraulic model. Inversed modeling under HYDRUS-1D was performed to estimate six VGM soil hydraulic parameters. Forward modeling was conducted to evaluate the impacts of VGM hydraulic parameters along with saturated hydraulic conductivity to solute transport. Scaling effects such as column length, time, and chemical parameters …

Relationship Between Cognitive Performance, Physical Activity, And Socio-Demographic/ Individual Characteristics Among Aging Americans, Imtiaz Masfique Dowllah

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the attenuation of association following adjustments for covariates, participants who engaged in 3–6 hr/wk of vigorous- and > 1 hr/wk of moderate-intensity PA scored significantly higher in tests that assessed executive function and processing speed domains of cognition compared to inactive peers (η2 = 0.005 & 0.007 respectively, p < 0.05). Also, after adjustment, the effects of 1–3 hr/wk of vigorous-intensity PA became trivial for the delayed recall memory domain test scores (β = 0.33; 95% CI: –0.01, 0.67; η2 = 0.002; p = 0.56). There was no clear dose-response relationship between the cognitive test scores and weekly moderate-intensity PA. Interestingly, higher handgrip strength and higher late-life body-mass-index were associated with a higher performance across all cognitive domains. Observed associations provide evidence linking habitual PA with superior cognition health among older adults. Furthermore, increased muscle strength and higher late-life adiposity may …

Survival Kinetics And Antimicrobial Interventions To Mitigate Foodborne Pathogen Contamination Of Low-Moisture Foods, Rajat Sharma

Theses and Dissertations

Contamination of low-moisture foods (LMFs) with foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella and Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) has been rising over the last couple of years. Commodity groups such as peanuts, tree nuts, and their products are frequently recalled when associated with illness outbreaks resulting from these pathogens. In this project, two major challenges related to understanding the survival kinetics of pathogens and the efficacy of novel antimicrobial treatments in mitigating their risk in LMFs were systematically investigated. Studies were conducted for determining the survival kinetics of three Salmonella spp. strains in three different tree nut flours (i.e., almond, chestnut, …

The Effects Of Holistic Grief Counseling Training On Master’S Level Counseling Students’ Grief And Loss Counseling Competency, Kathryn Paige Linich

Theses and Dissertations

Grief is a universal event, yet many counselors are not prepared to used evidence-based practices when recognizing and working with grieving clients. Researchers have explored ways to improve grief counseling education, but none of these recommendations have been put into practice. The aim of this dissertation study, which consists of two full studies, was to develop a holistic grief counseling training for master’s level counseling students that incorporates recommendations for curricular inclusion from the research. The training was designed to be incorporated into one full class period in any master’s level counseling course. The first study is a pilot study …

Solvent Effect Modeling In Heterogenous Catalysis, Mehdi Zare

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, the biorefining industry and biofuels have emerged as a major American energy sector. Biofuels are fuels produced from plant and animal material, also referred to as biomass. This includes wood products, manure, and corn, among other materials. Compared to fossil fuels, biofuels are significantly more environmentally friendly and thus pose less of a threat to environmental health. In 2019, the United States consumed around 14.54 billion gallons of ethanol and around 1.81 billion gallons of biodiesel. By 2030, the United States is expected to consume around 95 Mtoe of biofuels. In order to meet current demand and …

The Effects Of Training On Parent-Implemented Multiple Stimulus Preference Assessments Without Replacement, Marlene Hernandez Correa

Theses and Dissertations

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit restricted interests and communication deficits; hence, identifying potential reinforcers can be challenging. Using multiple stimulus without replacement (MSWO) preference assessments is a practical way for practitioners working with this population to identify potential reinforcers. Previous research has found that inexperienced staff can learn to implement preference assessments using enhanced instructions only (i.e., detailed written information, diagrams, and pictures) without needing feedback (Graff and Karsten, 2012b). However, researchers have yet to examine whether enhanced instructions alone impact other populations' repertoires, such as parents, similarly, or if this training is effective across cultures. Incorporating …

Verbal Fluency In Women With The Fmr1 Premutation And The Broad Autism Phenotype, Emily Szabo

Theses and Dissertations

Women who carry a premutation allele on the FMR1 gene can experience limitations due to their genetic status, including executive function deficits. These subtle deficits are often shared by women who possess the broad autism phenotype (BAP). Poor understanding and limited research on the extent of these executive functioning deficits has led to limited clinical management of these two groups. The current study aimed to clarity whether there is a difference in verbal fluency abilities in mothers that possess the FMR1 premutation, mothers of children with autism who are at risk for the BAP, and mothers of typically developing children, …

Anatomical Correlates Of Age-Related Basal Forebrain Dysfunction, Brandy Lynn Somera

Theses and Dissertations

The basal forebrain (BF) is comprised of several nuclei including the substantia innominata, medial septum, nucleus basalis and diagonal band of broca which are involved in cognitive functions including attention, motivation, and arousal. BF neurons are particularly vulnerable to dysfunction and degeneration in aged humans and, more dramatically, in diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Age-related BF dysfunction may reflect diminished afferent regulation as well as an altered local glial environment. Our lab has previously shown reduced orexin/hypocretin innervation of BF in aging, a phenomenon that may link afferent dysfunction with altered microglial homeostasis. There is little research examining these …

A Cost Effectiveness Analysis Of The Nutritious Eating With Soul Study, Mary Jones Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE Historically, African Americans (AA) have been underrepresented in nutritionrelated behavioral research despite their disproportionate higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The Nutritious Eating with Soul (NEW Soul) Study is one of the first of its kind to recruit an AA only study group to examine CVD prevention via a clinical trial to examine changes in CVD risk factors across two cohorts who are randomly assigned to a plant-based, soul food vegan diet or low-fat omnivorous (omni) diet. The purpose of cost effectiveness analysis (CEA) is to inform clinical and policy decisions and the costs of interventions that society is …

Genetic And Epigenetic Regulations Of Eds1-Mediated Plant Immunity And Identification Of Bacterial Type Iii Effectors Targeting De Novo Dna Methyltransferase Drm2 In Arabidopsis, Ming Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

In Arabidopsis thaliana, Enhanced Disease Susceptibility1 (EDS1) acts as an indispensable hub in plant immunity and is mainly responsible for plant basal defense, systemic acquired resistance (SAR), increase of endogenous content of salicylic acid (SA) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Epigenetic regulators play crucial roles in multiple important cellular processes. As one catalytic core of Polycomb Repressive Complex (PRC2), CURLY LEAF (CLF/SDG1) protein promotes H3K27me3 deposition at specific loci for genes repression. In this work, I found that EDS1 interacted with epigenetic regulators SDG1, SDG9, SDG15, SDG22 and SDG35 in yeast two-hybrid assays. The growth of the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas …

Evaluation And Implementation Of The C-Pen On The Reading Level, Comprehension, And Oral Reading Fluency Of Third-Grade Students With Learning Disabilities: An Action Research Study, Kawanna Mckenzie

Theses and Dissertations

Third-grade students with learning disabilities struggle to meet reading proficiency levels at both the national and local levels. The appropriate support, services, and instruction of students with learning disabilities can help them achieve reading proficiency. Specific educational laws have been implemented to enable students with learning disabilities to use assistive technologies such as text-to-speech tools to support their reading. The purpose of this action research study was to evaluate the impact of a text-to-speech tool—the C-Pen—on the reading skills of third-grade students with learning disabilities at an elementary/middle school. The focus of this study was on three main research questions …

The Impact Of Virtual Field Trip Programs On Elementary Students’ Interest In Science Domains And Stem Fields, Jasmin Roberts Poor

Theses and Dissertations

The number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) jobs available in the United States will soon outnumber those qualified to fill them, and there is a decrease in the number of students pursuing STEM careers. Promoting students’ interest is an effective way to influence career choices. Field trips offer students hands-on, experiential learning opportunities that have an impact on students’ interest levels. Yet, not every teacher can take field trips due to logistical, financial, and geographical constraints. Standards-based virtual field trips are a promising strategy to support student interest in science, STEM fields, and meet the educational needs of …

Animacy And Intransitivity In Sentence Processing, Peter Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

The distinction between animate and inanimate objects is essential to many cognitive tasks. Research has shown distinct patterns of memory, attention, and language response to animate and inanimate objects. This dissertation examines the effects of noun animacy on sentence processing. I report three psycholinguistic experiments on intransitive constructions, testing how animate and inanimate nouns influence expectations for an intransitive clause. Intransitive verbs fall into types based on thematic role. Unergative verbs assign an Agent role. Unaccusative verbs assign a Theme/Patient role, although a subclass of unaccusative verbs can alternate between intransitive constructions with a Theme/Patient subject and transitive constructions with …

Postcolonial Narrative And The Dialogic ImaginatioN: An Analysis Of Early Francophone West African Fiction And Cinema, Seydina Mouhamed Diouf

Theses and Dissertations

Francophone West Africa, in the aftermath of colonization, found itself at a crossroads between the necessity to address the problems of neo-colonialism while affirming its cultural identity and the need to embrace a universal message. That dilemma is not shared by literary critics who regard the work of early generation writers merely as an “empire writing back.” In the many classifications of West African literature, the emphasis is oftentimes put either on the importance of a counter-discourse that also rejects Western aesthetics or on the effects of post-independence disillusionment. This study argues that early francophone West African literary productions took …