Digital Commons Network^™

Fusion For Object Detection, Pan Wei

Theses and Dissertations

In a three-dimensional world, for perception of the objects around us, we not only wish to classify them, but also know where these objects are. The task of object detection combines both classification and localization. In addition to predicting the object category, we also predict where the object is from sensor data. As it is not known ahead of time how many objects that we have interest in are in the sensor data and where are they, the output size of object detection may change, which makes the object detection problem difficult. In this dissertation, I focus on the task …

Her Milkshake Brings Out The Girls In Amman: Examining Questions About Sexual Desire And Societal Influences Among Same-Sex Desiring Women In Jordan, Caitlin Marlena Ostrowski

Theses and Dissertations

In the Middle East and in many majority Muslim nations, homosexuality, including homosexual acts, identities, desires, and discussions of those, is considered taboo. Utilizing a feminist theoretical orientation, this project examined the ways in which same-sex desiring women in Amman, Jordan view the concept of sexually desiring and its relationship to identities. It also examined the pressures placed on them to abide by and navigate familial and religious expectations that conflict with their sexuality. This project drew upon 15 interviews from Muslim and Christian women in Amman using semi-structured and unstructured interviews and participant observation. After analysis, it was concluded …

Evaluation Of Herbicide Tolerance And Interference Potential Among Weedy Rice Germplasm, Swati Shrestha

Theses and Dissertations

Weedy red rice is conspecific weed of rice, identified as a threat to global rice production. As weedy rice is more tolerant to stresses than cultivated rice and has wide genetic and morphological variation we hypothesized that weedy rice has high herbicide tolerance and weed suppressive potential. Herbicide tolerance and weed suppressive potential of 54 weedy rice accessions were evaluated and the traits were associated with molecular markers. Accessions B2, B20 and S11 showed high tolerance to glyphosate and B49, B51 and S59 had high tolerance to flumioxazin. All the accessions were controlled 100% with 1311g a.i/ha (1.5x) rate of …

Molecular Interactions Between Pvt1 Transcripts And C-Myc, Onayemi Titilayo Onagoruwa

Theses and Dissertations

This study focused on the molecular relationships between PVT1 exons 4A, 4B, 9 and c-Myc in prostate cancer. Data showed significant regulatory interactions between these exons and c-Myc which is strongest between PVT1 exon 9 and c-Myc. This will likely have implications for PCa where PVT1 and c-Myc are dysregulated.

Allomaternal Care By Conspecifics Impacts Activity Budgets Of Colobus Guereza Mothers, Dominique L. Raboin

Theses and Dissertations

In primate societies, caring for infants involves nursing, protection, provisioning, and carrying - all energetically taxing states for mothers. The cost of holding and carrying clinging infants often constrains mothers from moving and traveling, potentially reducing their food and energy intake. Alternatively, when an infant is physically separated from their mother they are at risk of predation from birds of prey or other large mammals. This requires a high level of vigilance from mothers, often further deterring them from acquiring the food and energy that they need. Allomaternal care (AMC) is hypothesized to provide mothers with a way to safely …

Creating Herstory: Female Rebellion In Arundhati Roy’S "The God Of Small Things" And "The Ministry Of Utmost Happiness", Priyanka Tewari

Theses and Dissertations

In The God of Small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness novels, the author Arundhati Roy is not only attempting to give feminist weight to the multiplicity of locations in which gender is articulated by recasting her female characters in their quest for selfhood, she is also focusing on women and women-identified characters as agents of history, thereby contributing to an ongoing project of feminist historiography.

An Investigation Of Vocal Learning Propensity In Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia Guttata), Tatsuya Hayashi

Theses and Dissertations

The investigator attempted to predict the vocal learning propensity from either family pedigree or early vocal babbling (subsong). Pedigree trees suggest the possibility that vocal learning ability may depend on family. We failed to predict vocal learning propensity from subsong, but suggested that subsong may influence vocal learning outcome.

Efficacy Of Eluted Antibiotics In 3d Printed Orthopaedic Implants, Mohammed Mehdi Benmassaoud

Theses and Dissertations

Costs associated with musculoskeletal diseases in the United States account for 5.7 % of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) [1]. As such, there is a need to pursue new ideas in orthopaedic implants that can decrease cost and improve patient care. In the recent years, 3D printing using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) or Stereolithography (SLA) has opened several exciting possibilities to create orthopaedic implants. Such implants can be engineered to release antibiotics in a controlled manner either by infusing the drug into the material during manufacturing or by using built-in design features such as micro-channels and reservoirs [2]. The use …

Development Of A Subsurface Landfill Fire Risk-Index, Samain Sabrin

Theses and Dissertations

Landfill subsurface fires create environmental hazards by emitting potentially dangerous particulates into the atmosphere and damaging liners, potentially contaminating surrounding soil and groundwater aquifers with leachate. Currently, the only means of detecting underground fires are physical tests. This paper is used to describe an index that can be employed to track fire risk across a landfill. The landfill parameters analyzed for fire risk susceptibility in Chapter 1 include residual nitrogen concentration, oxygen exceedance, methane concentration, carbon monoxide level, methane and carbon dioxide ratio and monitoring well temperature. Incorporating these factors, a landfill fire index ranging from 1 to 10 was …

An Ecological And Distributional Analysis Of Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus Longaeva), Gregory Watson Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the impacts of climate change is critical for improving the conservation and management of ecosystems worldwide. Ecosystems vary along a precipitation and temperature gradient, ranging from tropical jungles to arid deserts. The Great Basin is a semi-arid eco-region that is found within the western United States. Plant communities within the Great Basin range from sagebrush valleys to sub-alpine conifer forests found at high elevation areas. It is predicted that the Great Basin will experience prolonged periods of drought, more intense fires, and greater variability in average annual and monthly precipitation, all in response to changes in climate patterns. At …

Video Prompting Delivered Via Augmented Reality To Teach Transition-Related Math Skills To Adults With Intellectual Disabilities, Giulia Cacciatore

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a video-based instruction packet as a method of teaching math-based vocational skills delivered through augmented reality to three adults with intellectual disabilities. The dependent variable was the percentage of steps performed correctly to solve each selected type of math problem. The independent variable was the video-based math intervention delivered via augmented reality, which modeled the individual steps for solving three different multi-step math problems: (1) adjusting a recipe to serve a different number of people, (2) calculation of salary, (3) calculation of unit prices. Visual and statistical analysis demonstrated …

Exploration Of Antimicrobial Activity In Natural Peptides And High-Throughput Discovery Of Synthetic Peptides, Emma Kay Dallon

Theses and Dissertations

Despite many medical advances, antibiotic resistant bacteria increasingly plague the modern world, necessitating discovery of new antibiotics. One area of nature that can provide inspiration for antibiotics is antimicrobial peptides. Many of these peptides exist in nature, with some classes that have not been studied or characterized well. One such class is the defensin-like peptides generated by the plant Medicago truncatula as part of their symbiotic relationship with Sinorhizobium meliloti. Nodule-specific Cysteine Rich (NCR) peptides are defined by the presence of multiple cysteines, and regulate the growth of S. meliloti within plant cells. While some of these NCR peptides have …

Species Delimitation Predictions Using Mitochondrial And Nuclear Dna Sequences From The Heteromys Pictus-Spectabilis Species Complex, Joanna Rosa Bateman

Theses and Dissertations

Heteromys pictus-spectabilis is a species complex within the subfamily Heteromyinae (Family: Heteromyidae) that is distributed along the western and southern Mexican coast and surrounding environments. Currently, the species complex is accepted as being 2 separate species (H. pictus and H. spectabilis), but this also renders H. pictus paraphyletic. Therefore, the species complex requires re-evaluation in order to resolve the paraphyly. Mitochondrial DNA sequences from a previously existing ~720 specimen database compiled by Victoria Vance were used in conjunction with new nuclear DNA sequences sequenced for the purpose of this study to generate multiple phylogenetic trees via the software programs RAxML, …

The Responses Of Ants And Other Invertebrates To Fire And Rodent Activity In North American Deserts, Joshua David Day

Theses and Dissertations

Human activities are increasing the size, frequency and severity of disturbance across earth’s ecosystems including deserts. Exotic annual grasses have altered fire regimes by increasing the size, frequency, and severity of fires in these systems. Invertebrates make up a large proportion of ecosystem diversity, provide a wide range of ecosystem functions, and are good indicators of ecosystem function and resilience. Ants are particularly good indicators of ecosystem stability. The ability of rodents to modify plant community structure post-fire, could result in rodent communities having important indirect effects on invertebrate communities. In chapter 1 we report changes in ant forager abundance …

Fluorescent Labeling Of Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Model Dna, Janice Darko

Theses and Dissertations

Global threats to treatment of bacterial infections due to antibiotic resistance (AR) have been on the rise in recent years. Current diagnostic tests identify bacteria by using blood culture, which takes more than 24 hours. This study focuses on the fluorescent labeling of DNA derived from bacterial AR genes (KPC & VIM) and other model DNAs using oligreen dye (OG) and molecular beacons (MB). A NanoDrop 3300 fluorospectrometer was used to take fluorescence measurements. Linear dynamic range and labeling efficiency were dependent on the following optimized conditions: dilution factor of OG (200 fold), buffer (20 mM Tris HCl, pH 8), …

The Effects Of Ice And Tens Combination Treatment On Knee And Hip Joint Neuromechanics In Individuals With Experimentally Induced Knee Pain During Running, Sunku Kwon

Theses and Dissertations

Context: Knee injury is a common problem for runners. Knee pain is a common symptom in knee injury and is associated with alterations in knee and hip muscle activation and hip joint angles. Relieving pain through intervention may help to restore neuromuscular function. Objective: To examine the effects of ice and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) combination treatment on perceived knee pain, hip frontal plane angle, and muscle activation during running in individuals with experimental knee pain (EKP). Design: Crossover. Setting: Laboratory. Subjects: 19 participants (11 males and 8 females, 23.2 ± 1.9 y, 176 …

Composition Of The Community Of Small Mammals In The Great Basin Desert, Samantha Elizabeth Phillips

Theses and Dissertations

Small mammals are a keystone guild in arid ecosystems; often exhibiting top-down control of the diversity and structure of plant communities. However, changing climate, shifting fire regimes, and the invasion of exotic plants are modifying the structure of arid systems. Environmental changes in these arid systems are likely altering small mammal communities, and therefore, their ecological role. We examined two aspects of the community composition of small mammals in the Great Basin: changes in community composition since large scale sampling of the region began in 1930, and the current population of a sensitive species of small mammal, the dark kangaroo …

Neuroimmune-Mediated Alcohol Effects On Ventral Tegmental Area Microglia And Infiltrating Leukocytes, Travis Jonathan Clarke

Theses and Dissertations

Microglia are the primary immune cell in the central nervous system and are known as the “resident” macrophages in the central nervous system (CNS). While microglia are classically known as the immune cells of the CNS, their role has more recently been shown to extend far beyond immunity. The effects of ethanol on the brain are closely linked to neuroimmune responses mediated by microglia that are present in the healthy brain from the time of development. Though microglia have been classified as the “resident” immune cells of the CNS, new research suggests that other immune cells may be implicated in …

A Graph Theoretical Analysis Of Functional Brain Networks Related To Memory And Healthy Aging, Ty Alvin Bodily

Theses and Dissertations

The cognitive decline associated with healthy aging begins in early adulthood and is important to understand as a precursor of and relative to mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease. Anatomical atrophy, functional compensation, and network reorganization have been observed in populations of older adults. In the current study, we examine functional network correlates of memory performance on the Wechsler Memory Scale IV and the Mnemonic Discrimination Task (MST). We report a lack of association between global graph theory metrics and age or memory performance. In addition, we observed a positive association between lure discrimination scores from the MST and right …

Minnesota Multiphasic Inventory-2 Restructured Form (Mmpi-2-Rf) Personality Characteristics Of Parents Evaluated For Child Neglect, Emily Burch

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to examine Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Assessment-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) profiles of parents who underwent psychological evaluation subsequent to substantiated claims by the Florida Department of Children and Families of child neglect. A second purpose was to assess profile differences between this sample and a sample of parents with substantiated claims of child physical abuse, with a particular focus on evaluating comparative levels of internalizing factors, externalizing factors, and defensiveness. Samples were also compared in regards to their levels of substance usage, as this was shown in prior literature to be a salient psychosocial factor …

Nannochloris Sp. And Oocystis Sp. Algae Exposed To Osmotic Stress For Increased Lipid Production For Use In Biofuels, Laura M. Chavez

Theses and Dissertations

Algal biofuel research is important due to the potential need for replacement of non-renewable fossil fuels and a changing global climate. Under stress, algal cells tend to increase neutral lipid production, which are a suitable source for biofuels. The goal of this study was to subject Nannochloris sp.. and Oocystis sp. algal cells to osmotic stress by modifying sucrose and salinity levels in different treatment medias.

The treatment containing the lowest salinity (15 ppt) and no sucrose yielded the highest lipid fluorescence/cell in Nannochloris sp.. cells (0.00142 ± 0.00044) on day 2 while the treatment containing highest salinity (35ppt) …

Generational Status And Views On Nonconforming Gender Expression Among Individuals Of Mexican Origin, Bianca C. Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

Despite recent change of perspectives and an increase of acceptance of gender nonconformity, the concept of gender still remains a controversial topic. Gender continues to be a developing idea and maintains an influential role in many cultural contexts. Examining facets of gender in various settings can perhaps enlighten our comprehension of such and a further understanding of those who express gender nontraditionally. This study examines the concept of gender in a less traditional stance, exploring views of non-conforming gender expression among generations of Mexican Americans and individuals of Mexican origin. Through analysis of survey data on views of gender nonconformity …

Questing Activity Of Cattle Fever Tick Larvae, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) Microplus (Acari: Ixodidae): Environmental Influences And Implications For Control In South Texas, Brenda Leal

Theses and Dissertations

Questing ticks ascend stems, leaves, or rocks, extend their front legs, and wait poised for attachment to a passing host. Ixodid ticks have four developmental stages. Because ticks detach and molt between stages most ticks require three separate hosts to complete their lifecycle. Three-host ticks quest for a new host between each stage, whereas a few specialist tick species remain on and thus require only a single host. These one-host ticks only quest for hosts as larvae. As much as 90% of the life cycle may consist of questing when hosts are scarce. Most of the literature on questing relates …

Characterizing Polychlorinated Biphenyl Degradation Potential In Surface Water Bacteria From Rio Grande Valley, Texas Reservoirs, Alisha M. Janiga

Theses and Dissertations

The Donna Reservoir in Donna, Texas is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) pollution. This reviews the current understanding of PCBs and investigate the potential of PCB degradation by native bacteria communities in the Donna Reservoir. The metabolic diversity, biphenyl tolerance, bphA1 presence were tested on surface water samples from the Donna Reservoir. The Ecoplate data suggest that the communities have a diverse metabolic capacity and the degree of plant life may interact with carbon type metabolism but not the rate of growth. Biphenyl growth curves showed that all the samples from the Donna Reservoir are tolerant to the average PCB …

Improving The Active Straight Leg Raise By Active And Passive Partner Assisted Stretching, Cortney R. Payne

Theses and Dissertations

The Functional Movement Screen has been a very popular tool for assessing athlete’s movements and predicting future risk of injury. In the hierarchy of this screen, the active straight leg raise reigns supreme. They have shown that improvements in this movement correlate to improvements in other movements but not vise versa. It is important to find a way to quickly improve this functional movement, so it can be utilized in group settings to help potentially reduce the risk of injury in athletes. The findings of this study will serve to be valuable in sports injury and improvement in performance. The …

Environmental Conditions In San Martin Lake: Effects Of Eutrophication In An Estuary Associated With The Laguna Madre, Wendy L. Rogers

Theses and Dissertations

San Martin Lake is a shallow water Estuary in the lower Laguna Madre off the Port of Brownsville Shipping channel. It is influenced both by incoming tides and waste water runoff both from local farms and the Brownsville water treatment plants. The resulting mixture of eutrophic water and incoming sea water creates the perfect mix for a potential algal bloom. This study looks at the nutrient levels and environmental conditions in the main basin of the estuary to establish baseline levels and to observe the rate of nutrient clearing being accomplished in this environment. As sport recreation in the area …

Survey Assessment Of Community Knowledge And Prevention Of Chagas Disease And Its Vector In Hidalgo And Cameron Counties, Adam Dennis Wiejaczka

Theses and Dissertations

Chagas disease, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, kills thousands of people annually and is the dominant cause of infectious myocarditis worldwide. Kissing bugs are vectors that carry T. cruzi . and are found in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV). There is no vaccination nor cure for Chagas. The best mechanism of prevention is to control vector infestations. Little research is available regarding the level of understanding local communities have about Chagas.

Our goal was to test the knowledge of several communities in the LRGV on Chagas disease. Our hypothesis states that local communities do not have sufficient …

Modeling Coastal Vulnerability For Insight Into Mangrove And Coral Reef Conservation Efforts In Cuba, Maria Gomez

Theses and Dissertations

Cuba’s expansive coral reefs and mangrove habitats provide a variety of ecosystem services to coastal communities including nursery grounds for fisheries, shoreline stability, and storm and flood protection. While Cuba’s coastal habitats are some of the most preserved in the Caribbean, they are under increasing threat of degradation from the impacts of climate change, increased tourism, and coastal development. With the goal of sustainable development, Cubans need to assess the storm and flood protection benefits these coastal habitats provide, and integrate this information into future expansion and management plans within the National Protected Areas System (SNAP). Using the open source …

Methods For Detection Of And Therapy For Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae, Olivia Tateoka Brown

Theses and Dissertations

As antibiotic resistant bacterial strains are becoming more prevalent in healthcare settings, it is necessary to find alternative methods of detecting and treating these infections. One of the antibiotic resistant strains of interest is the carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). CREs have the ability to evade some of the most potent antibiotics currently in use and employ carbapenemases to negate the effect of antibiotics. The three most common carbapenemase genes, found in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae along with a gene found only in Escherichia coli were chosen to create a qPCR assay for rapid detection of resistant infections. The carbapenemase genes are KPC, VIM …

The Relationship Between Brooding, Cognitive Anxiety Sensitivity, Physical Anxiety Sensitivity, And Suicide Behaviors In Latino/A College Students, Eric E. Escamilla

Theses and Dissertations

The current study explored if (1) brooding, cognitive anxiety sensitivity (AS), physical anxiety sensitivity (AS), and suicide behaviors will be strongly correlated; (2) brooding will mediate the relationship between cognitive AS and suicide behaviors; (3) brooding will mediate the relationship between physical AS and suicide behaviors; (4) physical AS will moderate the relationship between cognitive AS and suicide behaviors, (5) brooding will mediate the relationship between the physical AS and cognitive AS interaction with suicide behaviors in a Latino/a college student sample. All hypotheses were supported except for physical AS significantly moderating the relationship between cognitive AS and suicide behaviors. …