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Resolving The 150 Year Debate Over The Ecological History Of The Common Periwinkle Snail, Littorina Littorea, In Northeast North America, April M H Blakeslee

Doctoral Dissertations

Littorina littorea (common periwinkle snail) is highly abundant in both Europe and North America. A known native of Europe, its presence in North America has been the subject of a one-hundred year debate. Prior published work attempting to resolve its cryptogenic (=uncertain origin) status with historical, archaeological, ecological and/or genetic data were not successful. I therefore included novel parasite and molecular evidence to definitively resolve L. littorea's North American cryptogenic status.

First, I explored trematode species richness patterns in European versus North American L. littorea and two co-occurring native congeners, L. saxatilis and L. obtusata. Through extensive field and literature …

Interactions Between Two Invasive Crab Predators, Carcinus Maenas And Hemigrapsus Sanguineus, And Consequences For The Native Community, Blaine David Griffen

Doctoral Dissertations

With continued globalization, species are being transported and introduced into novel habitats at an accelerating rate. As invasive species become more common, interactions between invasive species will also increase and may alter the way that these species impact invaded communities. The European green crab Carcinus maenas is an aggressive predator that was introduced to the east coast of North America in the mid 1800s and often has detrimental impacts on prey communities. A newer invasive predator, the Asian shore crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus, was first discovered on the Atlantic coast in the 1980s, and now inhabits many of the same regions …

Valence And Structure Relationships In Oligonucleotides, Carrie Ann May

Doctoral Dissertations

There are many models that can be used to estimate the degree of shielding and predict the valence of a nucleic acid. Here, Counter-ion Condensation theory and Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations are compared with an experimental approach. Membrane-Confined Electrophoresis was used to measure the effective valence of several nucleic acid oligomers. The Debye-Huckel-Henry equation was then utilized to calculate the valence of these oligomers. The valence was determined to be -17.86 (+/- 1.03) for a 20 base-pair double-stranded DNA oligomer in 93 mM KCl and 10 mM Tris HCl, pH 8. This experimental value agrees well with rigorous Grand …

Fullerene-Acene Chemistry: Part I Studies On The Regioselective Reduction Of Acenes And Acene Quinones; Part Ii Progress Toward The Synthesis Of Large Acenes And Their Diels-Alder Chemistry With [60]Fullerene, Andreas John Athans

Doctoral Dissertations

The regioselective reduction of acenes and acene quinones has been studied. Using hydriodic acid (HI) in acetic acid (HOAc) as reductant, it was found that acenes smaller than five rings reduce in a regioselective fashion. It was also found that phenyl substituted acenes with as many as seven rings will reduce regioselectively to leave the internal terphenyl moieties intact. In the cases of 6,13-diphenylpentacene and 5,7,12,14-tetraphenylheptacene quinone, reduction occurs at alternating rings such that the end rings and the internal terphenyl moieties were left intact. When large unsubstituted acenes are reduced, the reduction occurs with no selectivity resulting in complex …

A Statistical Approach To Understanding Microcosm Methods For Microbially Mediated Dechlorination Of Trichloroethene In Bedrock Aquifers, Stephen J. Druschel

Doctoral Dissertations

Microcosms were evaluated using statistical methods to advance the measurement and characterization abilities for in situ reductive dechlorination of trichloroethene (TCE) in fractured rock aquifers. Microcosms constructed with unincubated crushed rock in groundwater provided the best microcosm model of in situ TCE degradation, when prepared and incubated to simulate the in situ environment. Microcosms constructed with only groundwater were effective at modeling the TCE degradation only when the microcosms were amended with (total) organic carbon (TOC). Incubation of crushed rock core within the residual TCE plume caused a substantial decline in TCE degradation for biotic intrinsic microcosms, suggesting an effect …

Structural And Functional Pulmonary Imaging Using Hyperpolzarized Xenon-129, Iga Muradyan

Doctoral Dissertations

We describe applications of hyperpolarized 129 Xe to pulmonary imaging. Unique characteristics of this gas such as its polarizability and diffusibility in tissue allow probing important properties of the lungs. Three methods that study structure and function of the lungs, Chemical Shift Saturation Recovery (CSSR), Xenon polarization Transfer Contrast (XTC) and Dixon, and their application to human studies for the first time are the focus of this work.

CSSR measures the global fractional gas transport, F(t) in the lungs. Using this method the dynamics of gas exchange were studied. A model describing this process was derived and used to interpret …

The Maintenance, Evolution, And Impacts Of Inducible Morphological Defenses In Mytilus Edulis: Responses To Multiple And Invasive Predators, Aaren Scott Freeman

Doctoral Dissertations

The burgeoning field of phenotypic plasticity and inducible defenses has documented a wide variety of predator-induced defenses. I this dissertation I have explored induced defenses in the marine mussel Mytilus edulis as they are affected by (a) shared evolutionary history with invasive crab predators, (b) specificity of responses to multiple predators (singly and combined) with different foraging strategies, and (c) spatial and temporal variation in the expression of predator specific induced defenses in situ.

Mytilus from southern New England expressed induced shell thickening when exposed to waterborne cues from the crab Hemigrapsus , but "naive" northern mussel populations do not …

Dissecting The Pennsylvania Anatomy Act: Laws, Bodies, And Science, 1880--1960, Venetia M. Guerrasio

Doctoral Dissertations

When the Pennsylvania Legislature passed a mandatory anatomy law in 1883, they were conceding to medicine and science the need for human dissection "material." The legislature was also conceding authority, entrusting physicians and scientists to regulate the messy business of human dissection. In addition to providing bodies for dissection, the Pennsylvania Anatomy Act of 1883 created a modern, state-level bureaucratic entity run by medical experts empowered with self governance: the Anatomical Board of Pennsylvania. Scholars have paid scant attention to the post grave-robbing history of anatomy and dissection in the United States. When the state engaged in body procurement for …

Studies Of Verticillium Wilt And Characterization Of Candidate Verticillium Wilt Resistance Genes In The Mint Species Mentha Longifolia (L) Huds, Kelly Jean Vining

Doctoral Dissertations

To investigate the genetic basis of verticillium wilt resistance in mint (Mentha L., Lamiaceae), wild-collected germplasm obtained from the United States Department of Agriculture was employed to develop breeding populations for wilt resistance screening and molecular genetic study, including cloning of candidate verticillium wilt resistance genes.

A collection of fourteen Mentha longifolia accessions from Europe, Asia and South Africa was analyzed for morphological traits, oil composition, and verticillium wilt resistance. In addition, a preliminary molecular diversity assessment was conducted utilizing randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. The accessions were found to be diverse regarding all observed traits and the South …

Role Of The Biofilm In Metals Accumulation By Fucoid Algae And Their Surrounding Rock Surfaces, Joan Lydia Beskenis

Doctoral Dissertations

Both inanimate and animate intertidal surfaces including Fucus and Ascophyllum develop a biofilm that can bind metals contributed by non-point and point sources of pollution. The biofilm also functions as a habitat for the many organisms, i.e. bacteria, diatoms and other algal cells that are part of the biofilm and contribute to the polysaccharide matrix. Examinations of the biofilm were quantified by polysaccharide analysis using a spectrophotometer. Biofilm samples were recovered from both intertidal rock surfaces and the surface of the surrounding fucoid algae to determine if they bind Cu and Zn. Locations in Kittery, Maine differed by the amount …

Glycoprotein Hormone Receptors In Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon Marinus): Identification, Characterization And Implications For The Evolution Of The Vertebrate Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal/Thyroid Axes, Mihael Freamat

Doctoral Dissertations

The vertebrate hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) endocrine axes involve specific interaction between pituitary glycoprotein hormones GpH (lutropin LH, follitropin FSH, thyrotropin TSH) and glycoprotein hormone receptors GpH-R (LH-R, FSH-R and TSH-R respectively).

GpHs and GpH-Rs originate in a common ancestral ligand/receptor pair. Their duplications were followed by divergent evolution resulting in the emergence of a novel, pituitary/peripheral gland control level. It is estimated that this occurred more than 500 million years ago (mya), before or concomitant with the divergence of the jawed vertebrates (Gnathostomes) lineage from their jawless (Agnathan) ancestors. This coincides with the estimated time of divergence of …

The Roles Of Brook Trout And Larval Two -Lined Salamanders As Predators In Streams, Garrett Evan Barr

Doctoral Dissertations

To test the effects of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) on stream macroinvertebrates and salamander larvae, I conducted a large-scale manipulation of trout presence in the White Mountain National Forest, NH. I included 9 streams in the study: 3 with trout, 3 without fish, and 3 without fish to which I added trout. I measured invertebrate benthic density before and 1 yr following trout translocation and drift density before, shortly following, and 1 yr following trout translocation. I also measured larval two-lined salamander (Eurycea bislineata) density and day and night activity on the stream substrate surface before and 1 yr following …

Climate Change And Invasive Species Interact To Impact Succession And Diversity In Gulf Of Maine Marine Fouling Communities, Jennifer Anne Dijkstra

Doctoral Dissertations

Gulf of Maine subtidal communities have changed in recent years resulting from anthropogenic pressures such as climate change and the introduction of non-indigenous species. Sea surface temperatures have risen while salinity is predicted to decline; concurrently invasive tunicates (ascidians) became conspicuous members of fouling communities. These abiotic and biotic changes may lead to shifts in species composition, diversity and succession. The goals of these studies were to examine the relationship between depressed salinities and invasive tunicate species and to determine the impact of climate change and invasive species on diversity, succession and community homogeneity.

Anthropogenic impacts on diversity, succession, species …

Sustainability Of New Hampshire's Sawmill Industry And Its Forest Resource Base, Difei Zhang

Doctoral Dissertations

Sustaining our forests is vital for a healthy ecosystem and for the future of forest industry. To sustain the regional sawmill industry as well as the associated forest resource base, the key is to track the consumption and inventory of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.), the most dominant commercial species in New Hampshire. This research profiled the sawmill industry in New Hampshire and Vermont in terms of production, consumption, labor characteristics and regulating economic and policy issues. We examined the sustainability of the industry and its resource base; with a specific focus on the white pine sawmill industry and …

Searching Under Stress: Anxiety And Selective Information Exposure, Melissa K. Surawski

Doctoral Dissertations

For centuries, political philosophers have argued that emotion clouds rational judgment and should be avoided at all costs. In light of advances made in the fields of social cognition, political science, and social psychology, however, the question of how affective states work in conjunction with cognitive processes has been approached anew, and interesting patterns have emerged in the data. They theory of affective intelligence (Marcus, Neuman, & MacKuen, 2000) posits that emotional arousal, particularly anxiety, alerts organisms to gather and evaluate information from the environment that can be useful for self-protection. On the other hand, terror management theory (Solomon, Greenberg, …

Glyspy: A Software Suite For Assigning Glycan Topologies From Sequential Mass Spectral Data, Anthony Lapadula

Doctoral Dissertations

GlySpy is a suite of algorithms used to determine the structure of glycans. Glycans, which are orderly aggregations of monosaccharides such as glucose, mannose, and fucose, are often attached to proteins and lipids, and provide a wide range of biological functions. Previous biomolecule-sequencing algorithms have operated on linear polymers such as proteins or DNA but, because glycans form complicated branching structures, new approaches are required. GlySpy uses data derived from sequential mass spectrometry (MSn), in which a precursor molecule is fragmented to form products, each of which may then be fragmented further, gradually disassembling the glycan. GlySpy resolves the structures …

The Function Of Pab1 In Translation And In Puf3 Dependent Deadenylation, Darren J. Lee

Doctoral Dissertations

The involvement of the poly(A)-binding protein (PAB1) in deadenylation and translation is well known. How PAB1 inhibits deadenylation and promotes translation is not well understood. I have analyzed PAB1 variants, containing entire domain deletions and substitutions of yeast residues with human residues. Chapter I discusses and provides in vivo translation rates of strains containing PAB1 variants, defects in mRNA degradation proteins, and defects in translation components. In chapter II, I address the role of PAB1 in regulated deadenylation. For this analysis I studied the effect of PUF3, a member of the PUF family of proteins that bind specific 3' UTR …

Uncovering Unique N-Linked Glycan Structural Isomers In Cancer Via Ms(N) Disassembly, Justin Michael Prien

Doctoral Dissertations

Molecular glycosylation is involved in key developmental roles including control of cell differentiation, innate immunity and signal transduction. Equally as demonstrable are numerous aspects of tumor development, from cellular proliferation to angiogenesis and metastasis. This sensitivity to cellular pathological is reflected in the diversity of glycoforms presented on glycoproteins. In spite of the potential utility of using molecular glycosylation as potential diagnostic and therapeutic agents little has been accomplished in bringing these capabilities to the clinic. Reasoning for this omission must relate to the paucity of analytical protocols to understand the full details of glycan structure. Analytical advancement in ion …

Development And Application Of Methods For Analysis Of Fungal Glycosphingolipid Structure And Functional Interactions, Emma Adhiambo Arigi

Doctoral Dissertations

Fungal lectins from the mushrooms Polyporus squamosus and Coprinus cinereus have an affinity for beta-galactosides, with extended binding sites for the non-reducing terminal trisaccharide sequence NeuAcalpha2→6Galbeta1→4Glc/GlcNAc, and substituted beta-galactosides resembling mammalian blood group determinants, respectively. In considering the possibility that glycosylinositol phosphorylceramides (GIPCs) could be endogenous ligands of such fungal lectins, structural characterization of glycosphingolipids (GSLs) from the fruiting bodies of these mushrooms was performed. The extraction, isolation and purification of the lipids, and their subsequent characterization by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry (MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was performed. One monohexosylceramide (CMH) and three major GIPCs were …

I The Synthesis And Coordination Chemistry Of Novel 1,1,1-Tris(Aminomethyl)Ethane (Tame) Derived Ligands And Their Use As Size Selective Fluorescent Zinc(Ii) Sensors Ii The Synthesis Of Strongly And Weakly Binding Ligands With Nitrogen, Oxygen, And Sulfur-Donor Groups To Be Used As Receptors In Fluorescent Ratiometric Indicators For Transition Metal Ions, Daniel Patrick Kennedy

Doctoral Dissertations

The Ni(II)-mediated template synthesis of the novel chelator TAMEpyr, where TAMEpyr =N,N',N"-tris(2-pyridylmethyl)-1,1,1-tris(aminomethyl)ethane, and its coordination chemistry with a host of metal ions is presented. Structural data for [Zn(TAMEpyr)]2+ show the propensity of the ligand for an octahedral coordination geometry. Solution studies of TAMEpyr further illustrate the chelator's flexibility. Lastly, the pyridyl groups of the parent ligand TAMEpyr were exchanged with a host of azaheterocycles affording a collection of novel TAME derived chelators.

The Ni(II)-template chemistry developed to prepare the novel chelator TAMEpyr was exploited in the preparation of novel Zn(II)-selective fluorescent sensors. The molecules TAMEisoquin and 6,7-DMTI possess the fluorophore-spacer-receptor …

The Development Of Tools To Allow Genetic And Genomic Analysis Of Frankia, Tania Rawnsley Spenlinhauer

Doctoral Dissertations

Frankia, a nitrogen-fixing actinomycete, forms a symbiotic association with a variety of woody dicotyledonous plants. The lack of standard genetic tools for this important bacterium has hindered studies on the molecular biology of this symbiosis. We are interested in developing tools for the genetic analysis of Frankia physiology and its interactions with its host plants. Our approach has focused on the development of a physical and genetic map of the Frankia chromosome by macrorestriction analysis. Agarose-embedded chromosomal DNA plugs were prepared from three Frankia isolates: Eul1c, EAN1pec and Ccl3. The genome sizes of the three strains were determined by pulse-field …

The Comradeship Of The "Happy Few": Henry James, Edith Wharton, And The Pederastic Tradition, Sharon Kehl Califano

Doctoral Dissertations

The recent scholarly reevaluation of Henry James in terms of queer theory has created a need to reexamine James' influence on Edith Wharton and her works. In this dissertation, I explore how James introduced Wharton to a circle of friends (the "Happy Few"), a group of queer men-of-letters who provided the author with both a literal and figurative space for discovering an interiorized, masculine queer self. Specifically addressing the years between 1905 and 1910, I show in this study how Wharton's initiation into queer culture and her introduction to the pederastic tradition, as reimagined through Walt Whitman's paradigmatic "comradeship," gave …

Soliton Dynamics And Self-Induced Transparency In Nonlinear Nanosuspensions, R. El-Ganainy, D. N. Christodoulides, C. Rotschild, M. Segev

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

We study spatial soliton dynamics in nano-particle suspensions. Starting from the Nernst-Planck and Smoluchowski equations, we demonstrate that in these systems the underlying nonlinearities as well as the nonlinear Rayleigh losses depend exponentially on optical intensity. Two different nonlinear regimes are identified depending on the refractive index contrast of the nanoparticles involved and the interesting prospect of self-induced transparency is demonstrated. Soliton stability is systematically analyzed for both 1D and 2D configurations and their propagation dynamics in the presence of Rayleigh losses is examined. The possibility of synthesizing artificial nonlinearities using mixtures of nanosuspensions is also considered.

Fluvial Geomorphologic And Hydrodynamic Assessment In The Tidal Portion Of The Lower Rio Grande River, Us-Mexico Borderland, A. Ernest, B. Bokhim, N. B. Chang, I. J. Huang

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

With fast population growth and economic development in the US-Mexico Borderland, water diversion and usages has reduced the flow substantially in the Low Rio Grande River (LRGR). Tidal portion of the LRGR has posed an environmental drought issue since 1993 and the channel clogged with the invasion of non-native plants also causes environmental problems. As a result of the intensity of these natural and manmade factors, the Rio Grande stopped flowing to the sea in February 2001. The flows were reduced to a point that they were unable to push out the sand deposited at the mouth. Geomorphologic evolution in …

Adaptive Capacity And Learning To Learn As Leverage For Social-Ecological Resilience, Ioan Fazey, John A. Fazey, Joern Fischer, Kate Sherren, John Warren, Reed F. Noss, Stephen R. Dovers

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Adaptive capacity is increasingly recognized as essential for maintaining the resilience of social-ecological systems and for coping with environmental change. Four main requirements enable societies to successfully adapt to change: (1) the will and intention to maintain social-ecological resilience, (2) knowledge about current problems and the desired direction of change, (3) proactive behavior, and (4) the capacity to change existing patterns of behavior. The adaptive capacity of societies can be greatly enhanced by fostering the adaptive capacity of their individual members. Considerable knowledge about how to foster the adaptability of individuals exists in the science of education and in cognitive …

Impact Of Trivalent Arsenicals On Selenoprotein Synthesis, Denis Ganyc, Sarah Talbot, Fanta Konate, Sarah Jackson, Brian Schanen, William Cullen, William T. Self

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

BACKGROUND: Exposure to arsenic has been associated with development of skin, lung, bladder, liver, and kidney cancer. Recent evidence suggests that an increase in oxidative stress in cells treated with arsenicals represents the molecular mechanism behind arsenic-induced carcinogenesis. Selenium, in the form of selenocysteine, is necessary for the activity of several enzymes with a role in defense against reactive oxygen species. A mutual sparing effect between arsenic and selenium has been shown in animal studies when both metalloids are present in high concentrations. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether changes in selenoprotein synthesis may be an underlying mechanism behind arsenic-induced carcinogenesis, we …

Effects Of Environmental And Land Use Regulation In The Oil And Gas Industry Using The Wyoming Checkerboard As An Experimental Design (Retraction Of Vol 92, Pg 1588, 2002), Mitch Kunce, Shelby Gerking, William Morgan

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

No abstract provided.

Dune Vegetation Fertilization By Nesting Sea Turtles, Laura B. Hannan, James D. Roth, Llewellyn M. Ehrhart, John F. Weishampel

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Sea turtle nesting presents a potential pathway to subsidize nutrient-poor dune ecosystems, which provide the nesting habitat for sea turtles. To assess whether this positive feedback between dune plants and turtle nests exists, we measured N concentration and delta N-15 values in dune soils, leaves from a common dune plant ( sea oats [Uniola paniculata]), and addled eggs of loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green turtles ( Chelonia mydas) across a nesting gradient ( 200 - 1050 nests/km) along a 40.5-km stretch of beach in east central Florida, USA. The delta N-15 levels were higher in loggerhead than green turtle eggs, …

An Ultra-High Discrimination Y Chromosome Short Tandem Repeat Multiplex Dna Typing System, Erin K. Hanson, Jack Ballantyne

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

In forensic casework, Y chromosome short tandem repeat markers (Y-STRs) are often used to identify a male donor DNA profile in the presence of excess quantities of female DNA, such as is found in many sexual assault investigations. Commercially available Y-STR multiplexes incorporating 12-17 loci are currently used in forensic casework (Promega's PowerPlex (R) Y and Applied Biosystems' AmpF/STR (R) Yfiler (R)). Despite the robustness of these commercial multiplex Y-STR systems and the ability to discriminate two male individuals in most cases, the coincidence match probabilities between unrelated males are modest compared with the standard set of autosomal STR markers. …

Gene Expression And The Evolution Of Phenotypic Diversity In Social Wasps, Eric A. Hoffman, Michael Ad Goodisman

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

Background: Organisms are capable of developing different phenotypes by altering the genes they express. This phenotypic plasticity provides a means for species to respond effectively to environmental conditions. One of the most dramatic examples of phenotypic plasticity occurs in the highly social hymenopteran insects ( ants, social bees, and social wasps), where distinct castes and sexes all arise from the same genes. To elucidate how variation in patterns of gene expression affects phenotypic variation, we conducted a study to simultaneously address the influence of developmental stage, sex, and caste on patterns of gene expression in Vespula wasps. Furthermore, we compared …