Digital Commons Network^™

Planting Date And Fertilizer Effects On Vegetable And Cut Flower Production In High Tunnels In Mississippi, Yan Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

High tunnels have been used for many years worldwide. However, there has been limited research about use of high tunnel technology in the southeastern United States and its popularity has recently increased in Mississippi. A planting date study of 'Roma'' tomato, 'Legend' tomato, 'Ichiban' eggplant, 'Sweet Banana' pepper, ‘Benary’s Giant’ zinnia and ‘Potomac Red’ snapdragon was conducted in spring 2010 in three high tunnels in Starkville, Mississippi. Results showed for most cultivars (tomatoes, eggplant and pepper) a 12 Mar. 2010 planting date did not differ in marketable yield from planting on 2 Apr. 2010. In 2011, a fertilizer study on …

Identification Of Genes Differentially Expressed In Elongating Fiber In A Cotton Chromosome Substitution Line Cs-B25, Samuel Sunil Kumar Bandi

Theses and Dissertations

Identification of genes specific to fiber development would improve the efforts in developing cotton plants with superior fiber quality. Through genetic introgression, 17 interspecific chromosome substitution lines (CS-B lines) of upland cotton in G. hirsutum (TM-1) have been developed and released recently. These substitution lines have TM1 as background and contain either whole chromosome or chromosome arms of G. barbadense (line 3-79) chromosomes. CS-B25 has chromosome 25 from G. barbadense substituted into TM-1 G. hirsutum was reported to show superior fiber properties. In this study, suppression subtraction hybridization (SSH) combined with Affymetrix cotton genome microarray arrays were used to identify …

The Effect Of Dietary Changes On Microbial Populations Within The Gastrointestinal Tract Of The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca), Candace Lareine Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Both in-situ and ex-situ giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), display shifts in bamboo species and part preference throughout the year. The effects of this shifting preference on gastrointestinal (GIT) microbiota were observed using traditional culturing methods to characterize normal GIT microflora from fecal samples and behavioral feeding data of adult male and female pandas over a fourteen-month period. Linear and quadratic fits were used to determine any significant relationships between the time of year and part preference on the GIT microflora (P<0.05). Significant values for time of year were observed with the linear fit in total aerobes (P-value=0.0368), streptococci (P-value=0.0120), and lactobacilli (P-value=0.0166) and quadratic fits in streptococci (P-value=0.0382) and Bacteroides spp. (P-value=0.0134) at á=0.05. Significant linear relationships were observed with part preference and lactobacilli and Bacteroides spp., P-values of 0.0028 and 0.0030, respectively, indicating that part preference and time of year may affect the flux of panda GIT microflora.

The Effects Of Glycine-Arginine-Alpha-Ketoisocaporic Acid Calcium On Maximum Strength And Muscular Endurance, Mareio Cortez Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Glycine-arginine-alpha-ketoisocaporic acid calcium (GAKIC) is a product advertised to increase muscular endurance during exercise via metabolic intervention. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of GAKIC ingestion on maximum strength and muscular endurance. Methods: Utilizing a double-blinded, crossover design, participants completed an upper and lower body resistance exercise protocol once using 11.2gs GAKIC, and the other with a placebo. Results: An increase in maximum strength was observed in the 1RM portion of the lower body protocol phase with statistical trends in the lower body TLV portion of testing. No significant differences were found in upper body …

The Effects Of Personal And Parental Religiosity On Psychopathology, Leah Ferrari Power

Theses and Dissertations

Early viewpoints considered religion to be associated with negative mental health or unfit to being observed by scientific practice. However, more recent research has suggested that religion not only may play an important role in determining mental health, but that the particular details of religion and parental religion, such as intrinsic and extrinsic religiosity, strength of religious faith, and religious well-being, have not been examined thoroughly. The current study examined 486 undergraduate students and found that participant and perceived parental religiosity were correlated negatively with participants‘ internalizing and externalizing problems; extrinsic-social religiosity was correlated positively with participants‘ internalizing and externalizing …

Formulation And Sensory Evaluation Of Gluten-Free Muffins Containing Flax, Adam Michael Woodyard

Theses and Dissertations

Celiac disease is characterized by an allergic reaction to gluten that causes inflammation of the small intestine and can lead to malabsorption and malnutrition. Glutenree products are being developed that meet dietary needs of individuals with celiac disease. However, these products often lack whole grains and fiber. Fortification of glutenree products with flax can increase nutritional value and alleviate inflammation. Sensory analysis (N=152) was conducted to evaluate the acceptability of glutenree muffins with moderate (3.8%) and high (7.4%) amounts of added flax. Results indicated that consumers preferred (p<0.05) the muffin without flax or the highlax muffin more than the muffin with the moderatelax treatment. The highlax and control treatments were rated 6.7, between like slightly and moderately like; the muffins from the moderatelax treatment were rated 6.4 on a nine-point hedonic scale. Producers of glutenree products could potentially formulate muffins that include flax and are acceptable to consumers.

It's Not About Me: College Women And Unplanned Pregnancy, Jayne W. Hardy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of single college women who had an unplanned pregnancy while attending a small private four-year university in the upper midwest. The conceptual framework used to provide direction for this study was social constructivism. A phenomenological approach was used to seek the reality constructed by the participants and develop subjective meaning from their experiences. The participants were all students who attended the same university and all had delivered their baby prior to the first interview. The audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and then analyzed for codes, categories, and themes. The following …

Role Of Autophagy In Radiosensitization Of Breast Tumor Cells, Molly L. Bristol

Theses and Dissertations

In MCF-7 breast tumor cells, ionizing radiation promoted autophagy that was cytoprotective; pharmacological or genetic interference with autophagy induced by radiation resulted in growth suppression and/or cell killing (primarily by apoptosis). The hormonally active form of vitamin D, 1,25D3, also promoted autophagy in irradiated MCF-7 cells, sensitized the cells to radiation and suppressed the proliferative recovery that occurs after radiation alone. 1,25D3 also enhanced radiosensitivity and promoted autophagy in MCF7 cells that overexpress Her-2/neu as well as in p53 mutant Hs578t breast tumor cells. In contrast, 1,25D3 failed to alter radiosensitivity or promote autophagy in the BT474 breast tumor cell …

The Potential For Eutrophication Mitigation From Aquaculture Of The Native Oyster, Crassostrea Virginica, In Chesapeake Bay: Quantitative Assessment Of An Ecosystem Service, Colleen Higgins

Theses and Dissertations

Native oysters have been promoted as a means to improve water quality in Chesapeake Bay. This project added important insights into the potential of oyster aquaculture to process and remove nutrients from Bay waters. Results clarified that nutrient removal of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and carbon (C) through harvest of cultivated oyster biomass can be quantified and modeled with high levels of statistical confidence. A simple, yet accurate, method is now available for estimating the amount of nutrients removed via harvesting aquacultured oysters. Based on model estimates, 106 harvest sized oysters (76 mm TL) remove 132 kg TN, 19 kg …

Scarification And Cultural Practice Of Four Lupine Species Native To The Great Basin, Covy Dennis Jones

Theses and Dissertations

The Great Basin is North America's largest desert, encompassing 135 million acres. Grazing and other anthropogenic activities in the Great Basin have put heavy demands on the landscape over the last 150 years. Heavily grazed areas lack diversity which allows the spread of exotic weed species. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L [Poaceae]) has invaded and shortened fire frequency intervals from historic 30—100 years to as few as three to five years. Post-fire reseeding of native species is requisite for restoration of highly invaded ecosystems thus, preventing complete conversion to exotic weeds. Most native shrubs and grasses are available for restoration …

Distribution Of Field Caught Mosquitoes From Laredo, Texas, Yvette Patricia Mendoza

Theses and Dissertations

Within the last decades, mosquito-borne viruses have re-emerged in the United States. These infectious viruses include Dengue, West Nile, St. Louis Encephalitis, and Chikungunya, just to name a few. Originating in sub-tropical and tropical regions, these viruses and the mosquitoes that transmit them know no borders. Laredo, Texas is a town which borders Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico; an area that is known to have frequent outbreaks of the Dengue virus. Identifying the diversity of mosquito species and the abundance of mosquitoes in the City of Laredo is a key element in aiding local public health officials in disease surveillance. This …

Ferritin Diversity: Mechanistic Studies, Disease Implications, And Materials Chemistry, Robert Joseph Hilton

Theses and Dissertations

The study of ferritin includes a rich history of discoveries and scientific progress. Initially, the composition of ferritin was determined. Soon, it was shown that ferritin is a spherical, hollow protein. Eventually, over several decades of research, the structure and some function of this interesting protein was elucidated. However, the ferritin field was not completely satisfied. Today, for example, researchers are interested in refining the details of ferritin function, in discovering the role of ferritin in a variety of diseases, and in using ferritin for materials chemistry applications. The work presented in this dissertation highlights the progress that we have …

Characterization Of The Desorption Electrospray Ionization Mechanism Using Microscopic Imaging Of The Sample Surface, Michael Craig Wood

Theses and Dissertations

Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) is an ambient ionization technique for mass spectrometry. This solvent based desorption ion source has wide applicability in surface analysis with minimal sample preparation. Interest in improving detection limits, broadening applications, and increasing the spatial resolution for chemical imaging has led to studies of the DESI mechanism. An inverted microscope has been used to image interactions between the DESI spray and test analytes on a glass surface. Microscopic images recorded with millisecond time resolution have provided important insights into the processes governing analyte transport and desorption. These insights are the basis of a rivulet-based model for …

Mosaicism For Trisomy21: Utility Of Array-Based Technology For Its Detection And Its Influence On Telomere Length And The Frequency Of Acquired Chromosome Abnormalities, Chariyawan Charalsawadi

Theses and Dissertations

The primary aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of array-based technology for detecting and quantifying the presence of mosaicism. This aim was achieved by studying individuals having mosaicism for Down syndrome. SNP arrays were performed on 13 samples from individuals with mosaicism for trisomy 21, 13 samples from individuals with normal chromosome 21complements (negative controls) and 5 samples from individuals with full or partial trisomy 21 (positive controls). In addition, BAC arrays were processed on 6 samples from individuals with mosaicism for trisomy 21, 3 negative controls and 1 positive control. These studies have shown that array-based …

The Characterization Of Avian Polyomavirus, Satellite Tobacco Mosaic Virus, And Bacteriophage Cw02 By Means Of Cryogenic Electron Microscopy, Peter S. Shen

Theses and Dissertations

Viruses are the most abundant biological entity in the biosphere and are known to infect hosts from all domains of life. The aim of my work is to identify conserved and non-conserved features among the capsid structures of related and divergent icosahedral viruses via cryogenic electron microscopy, sequence analysis, molecular modeling, and other techniques. Bird polyomaviruses often cause severe disease in their hosts whereas mammalian polyomaviruses generally do not. Avian polyomavirus is a type of bird polyomavirus with an unusually broad host range compared to the restricted tropism of other polyomaviruses. Although most polyomaviruses have a conserved, rigid capsid protein …

The Challenges Of Urban Development Case Study – Prizren, Besa Jagxhiu

Theses and Dissertations

Prizren, what was, what it is now and what is going to be? The city with rich values of cultural and historical heritage, civilization and various religions and ethnicities used to be an important center of culture, trade and diplomacy, during the history, since the antiquity, which was known also as a “City Museum”. Nowadays, unfortunately there are no efforts for preserving and promoting these rich values, and with this trend in which is going, it cannot be seen the bright future for it. Prizren historic center is the best example of urban heritage in Kosovo, which has valuable traces …

Non-Suicidal Self-Injury In The Transgender Community, Lore M. Dickey

Theses and Dissertations

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been increasing in clinical as well as non- clinical populations in recent years. There are few published reports of the investigation of this behavior in the transgender community. An online and paper and pencil survey was administered to transgender individuals over the course of six months. A total 977 people responded to the survey. Results indicated that 41.8 percent of the participants have a history of engaging in non-suicidal self-injury. Self-injury rates were significantly higher among female-to-male (FTM) participants than among male-to-female (MTF) participants. Further, individuals who have been prevented from transitioning were more likely to …

Factors Predicting Exercise Behavior Of Graduate Students, Bibha Gautam

Theses and Dissertations

Graduate school is often experienced as a time of increased demands/expectations resulting in heightened levels of stress due to academic work, family responsibilities, job demands, financial pressure, and other life related issues. Besides stress, graduate school also brings about significant physical inactivity due to the shift of the immediate priority to academic accomplishment. Reports of increasing prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among students highlight that this group may have particular risk not well-identified. Yet, relative risk can be reduced by lifestyle modifications, such as eating well, exercising, and stress reduction. The majority of the risk factors, to a …

Alleviating Equines: Investigating The Hypothesized Mechanisms Of Change In Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, Kathy L. Korell-Rach

Theses and Dissertations

Animal Assisted Therapy research was integrated to develop the Tri-Level Mechanisms of Change (TLMC) Conceptualization, which is a comprehensive theoretical framework hypothesizing how Equine Assisted Psychotherapy produces psychological change. TLMC hypothesizes that the strength of human animal bond (HAB) with personal pets accounts for the development of HAB with therapy horses (primary level). The quality of HAB with therapy horses is responsible for producing changes in general psychological constructs (secondary level). Adaptive changes in secondary level constructs account for reductions in mental illness symptoms (tertiary level). Results indicated a significant reduction in tertiary level symptoms, and gains were maintained at …

Depressed Native Americans And Suicidal Ideation Contagion, Jeri Ann Azure

Theses and Dissertations

Screening for suicide ideation has been widely established as an effective strategy to identify and treat depression symptomology and suicidality (ideation, attempts, and completions), particularly within vulnerable populations such as Native Americans, where the rates of these problems exceed that of other ethnic minority groups. Findings from global research has suggested that symptoms of depression increase vulnerability to self-harm among individuals exposed to the suicide attempts of others within their family or social network. Group membership appears to increase the likelihood that the individual will acquire both the adaptive and maladaptive beliefs and proclivities of the desired group.

The risk …

The Effects Of Hypothermia On Status Epilepticus-Induced Acquired Epilepsy, Kristin Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

Status epilepticus (SE) is a type of neurological injury characterized by continuous seizure activity and can lead to molecular and pathophysiological alterations leading to plasticity changes. SE can lead to the development of AE by the process of epileptogenesis, which is a phenomenon that describes the transformation of normal brain tissue into a hyperexcitable neuronal population. It has been demonstrated both in vivo and in vitro that calcium (Ca2+) dynamics are severely altered during and after SE, and these changes play a major role in the progression of epileptogenesis. It has also been reported that preventing the rise in intracellular …

The Development And Application Of Fluorenscent Nanomaterials For Trace Determination Of Analytes, Carrie Lee John

Theses and Dissertations

Rapid development in nanoscience and nanotechnology has led to the dawn of a wide variety of nanomaterials. The properties and applications of these materials have not yet been fully explored. Likewise, the development of new types of nanomaterials is still needed. In particular, there is high demand for new photosensitive nanomaterials for detection of trace amount of analytes. Therefore, this dissertation focuses on the development of new photosensitive nanomaterials, the study of their properties and the application of these nanomaterials in trace analysis. Two types of these nanomaterials were studied, zinc-induced fluorescent silica nanoparticles and gold nanorods. The synthesis and …

Medicalization As A Trojan Horse: Changes In Erectile Enhancement Advertising, Robert Wood

Theses and Dissertations

Medicalization as a Trojan Horse: Changes in Erectile Enhancement Advertising By Robert D Wood, M.S. A Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011 Major Director: Sarah Jane Brubaker, PhD, Graduate Program of Sociology This thesis investigates the medicalization of “inadequate penis size” through an analysis of online advertising of “male enhancement,” or erectile enhancement (EE) products. The process of medicalization, as defined by Peter Conrad, is the process by which non-medical problems become defined and treated as such (2007). With the advent and success …

Morphology, Material And Vibratory Properties Of The Swimbladder In The Carp, Cyprinus Carpio, Yasha Mohajer

Theses and Dissertations

The carp Cyprinus carpio has a two-chambered swimbladder and excellent hearing. I explored the hypothesis that the anterior chamber, which connects to Weberian ossicles, is adapted for hearing by testing both chambers for material properties. I also determined displacement and auditory responses to mechanical strikes. Wall stress is higher in the posterior, strain in the anterior and modulus lower in the anterior chamber. Strikes increase pressure followed by a variable rebound that rapidly decays. Displacement and sound amplitude increase with hammer force, and amplitude is similar in both chambers for within chamber strikes but lower across chambers. Normalized for equivalent …

Modelling Of Two Wheeler Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles, Bhanuben Amrutlal Patel

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this work was to identify and specify the requirements of critical components of Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems in 2-wheeled vehicles. Specifically, mathematical simulation tools, Matlab, Simulink and ADVISOR were used to explore the viability of both a smaller than 10kW fuel cell and smaller than 10kW hybrid fuel cell scooter. Hydrogen, air, and water consumption as well as heat management were monitored under varying conditions in simulations. Efficiency of the overall system was found to be approximately 50% and highly dependent on the fuel cell auxiliary power source. Due to the existing fuel converter …

The Role Of Metallothionein-3 In The Regulation Of Cell Differentiation, Chandra Sekhar Bathula

Theses and Dissertations

Metallothioneins, a group of low molecular weight, cysteine rich, intracellular proteins, are known to sequester heavy metals such as cadmium (Cd+2) and mercury and provide protection against their toxic effects. Previous studies from this laboratory have shown that the third isoform of metallothionein (MT-3) is expressed in the human kidney in situ, including the cultures of human proximal tubule (HPT) cells. The stable expression of MT-3 in the immortalized proximal tubule cell line that lacks its expression restored dome formation in these cells, suggesting that MT-3 may have a role in differentiation and vectorial active transport. This study further investigated …

Mineralogical Characterizations Of Asteroids In/Near The 3:1 Kirkwood Gap, Sherry K. Fieber-Beyer

Theses and Dissertations

This research program initiated a systematic visible-near-infrared (VNIR) spectroscopic survey to search for links between twenty-seven asteroidal bodies adjacent to the 3:1 resonance and meteorite types in the terrestrial collections. The 3:1 Kirkwood gap located at 2.5 AU is a potential major source for meteorites and near-Earth asteroids. This research program utilized observations using the NASA IRTF SpeX instrument to obtain high signal-to-noise NIR spectra (0.8–2.5 μm) of asteroids in a zone centered on the 3:1 resonance. The spectra were used to mineralogically characterize asteroids in the zone to identify their meteorite analogs (if any). The mineralogy, petrology, isotope chemistry, …

Functional Characterization Of The Streptococcus Sanguinis Com Regulon, Jill Callahan

Theses and Dissertations

Streptococcus sanguinis is an important component of the dental plaque biofilm and is believed to play a beneficial role in the oral cavity. S. sanguinis is also a leading cause of infective endocarditis (IE), a potentially lethal infection of the cardiac valves. S. sanguinis possesses genetic competence, the ability to acquire exogenous DNA into its genome. In the well characterized system of S. pneumoniae, genetic competence requires a quorum sensing system encoded by the early comCDE genes, as well as late genes controlled by the alternate sigma factor, ComX. Previous studies in other streptococcal species have suggested functions for the …

Sphingosine-1-Phosphate In Mast Cell-Mediated Allergic Responses, Megan Price

Theses and Dissertations

Mast cells play a critical role in both acute and chronic inflammation and mature in peripheral tissues from bone marrow-derived progenitors that circulate in the blood as immature precursors. Mast cell progenitors are likely to encounter the serum-borne bioactive sphingolipid metabolite, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), during migration to target tissues. Mast cells developed from human cord blood-derived progenitors cultured with stem cell factor (SCF) alone express intragranular tryptase (MCT), the phenotype predominant in the lung. S1P accelerated the development of cord blood-derived mast cells (CB-MCs) and strikingly increased the numbers of mast cells expressing chymase. These mast cells have functional FcepsilonRI, and …

Silk Fibroin-Based Scaffolds For Tissue Engineering Applications, Jennifer Mccool

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the comparison of the electrospun silk scaffolds to the electrospun silk fibroin gel scaffolds. Moreover, this study examined the differences in cross-linking effects of genipin and methanol as well as solvents on the mechanical properties and cell compatibility of the scaffolds. Silk scaffolds were electrospun from an aqueous solution or 1,1,1,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) without genipin, immediately after 8 % (wt) genipin was added to the solution, and 18 hours after genipin blended with the solution. Uniaxial tensile testing determined that the silk scaffolds electrospun from water exhibit a higher modulus and peak stress than that of the …