Digital Commons Network^™

Greater Sage-Grouse Seasonal Ecology And Responses To Habitat Manipulations In Northern, Utah, Eric T. Thacker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Declining greater sage-grouse populations (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter sage-grouse) have led to increased concern regarding the long-term stability of the species. Previous research has identified factors contributing to the observed population declines. Habitat degradation and loss have been implicated as major factors in population declines. Although much is known about sage-grouse biology, more information is needed about population responses to specific management actions. This research was conducted to document sage-grouse responses to site-specific management actions. Additionally, I evaluated sage-grouse temporal and seasonal habitat-use and the comparability of techniques used by range and wildlife managers to measure vegetation responses of …

The Hypericum Perforatum Herb As An Antimycobacterial Agent And Its Implications As An Additional Tuberculosis Medication, Trent W. Mortensen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

An immediate demand exists for new tuberculosis (TB) antibiotics due to the ever-increasing spread of drug-resistant strains. The drug-development process goes through four phases, the first (Phase 0) of which is to demonstrate and investigate drug effectiveness and toxicity. This research investigated the effectiveness of the Hypericum perforatum herb (commonly St. John's wort (SJW)) in its growth inhibition of mycobacteria and its viability effect on human lung cells.

Organic-solvent SJW extracts were effective at inhibiting every nonpathogenic genetically sequenced Mycobacterium isolate currently available (six isolates) in preliminary studies. Quantitative studies of five Mycobacterium isolates showed an order of concentration sensitivity …

Survival Of Mycoplasma Species In Recycled Bedding Sand And Possible Implications For Disease Transmission To Ruminants, Anne E. Justice-Allen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Mycoplasmas are a group of bacteria which are small in size, lack a cell wall, and have small genomes in comparison to other bacteria. The members of the group that are pathogenic utilize several mechanisms to evade the host's immune system. These processes affect surveillance and control mechanisms such as serologic testing and vaccination. Many of these organisms cause diseases of livestock, which heavily impact production parameters such as weight gain, milk yield, and egg production. Mycoplasmas also cause disease in people.

Mycoplasma spp. can cause mastitis, metritis, pneumonia, and arthritis. The currently documented routes of transmission of Mycoplasma spp. …

Comparative Performance Of Fluorometry And High Performance Liquid Chromatography In The Detection Of Aflatoxin M1 In Two Commercial Cheeses, Gustavo Peña

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM₁) is frequently found in milk and dairy products. It is a metabolite formed in cows from aflatoxin B1 (AFB₁), contained in animal feeds. In cheese production AFM₁ distributes between curds and whey. In this study, cows were fed 64 µg/AFB₁/d for the high treatment, and 5 µg/AFB₁/d for the low treatment, to obtain milk contaminated with AFM1 over the 0.5 µg/L and under 0.05 µg/L restrictions, respectively. Cheese was manufactured with milk contaminated with AFM₁ at 0.8 and 0.03 ìg/kg by the higher and lower …

Comparative Studies On Oxygen Mass Transfer For The Design And Development Of A Single-Use Fermentor, Kristan L. Sorenson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Accurate experimental oxygen mass transfer coefficient, a measure of how quickly oxygen travels from a gas bubble to the bulk liquid, is important for comparing performance and for evaluating the oxygen transfer capability of a fermentor. Delays in probe response and changing gas volumes upon start-up of gassing affect the accuracy of oxygen transfer measurements. To mitigate these inaccuracies, a standard correction procedure for oxygen mass transfer data was established for highly oxygenated, well-mixed fermentation systems. Probe response time correction was generated by applying a second-order response model to dissolved oxygen probes and shown to be effective within 4%. By …

Correlation Of Age-Specific Phenylalanine Levels On Intellectual Outcome In Patients With Phenylketonuria, Krista S. Viau

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study includes data collected from a retrospective chart review of patients with phenylketonuria treated at the University of Utah Metabolic Clinic. Among the
approximately 175 patients treated for phenylketonuria at this clinic, 55 patients (28 female) met the inclusion criteria for the present study. Based on the diagnostic Phe
level, 66.7% were classified as having classic phenylketonuria, 18.5% with moderate phenylketonuria, and 14.8% with mild phenylketonuria.

Subjects’ cognitive status was measured with one of three neuropsychological tests: Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children third and fourth editions and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale third edition. Due to structural differences among …

Teaching Experiences Of African American Educators In The Rural South, Ellene Polidore, Stacey L. Edmonson, John R. Slate

The Qualitative Report

A scarcity of research exists regarding the voices of African American teachers who taught in the rural South. In this study, we report the life experiences, perceptions, thoughts, and feelings of three female African American educators as they pertain to their experiences teaching before, during, and after desegregation. Three female African American educators who taught before, during, and after desegregation in the same school district in the rural South were interviewed extensively. Data analysis revealed themes that mirrored those themes found in resiliency research. By examining these resilience themes within the context of this study, a model of adult resilience …

The Use Of Microbial Community Fingerprinting As A Marker For Tracking The Source Of Water: Application To Pathogen And Groundwater Source Tracking, Mary Clement

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microbial community structure in groundwater is extremely complex and constitutes a fingerprint of water. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based fingerprinting method that is commonly used for comparative microbial community analysis, and to track specific bacterial markers in complex environments.;The Objective of this research was to propose an innovative approach for tracking the origin of groundwater, microbial source tracking and origin of surface water, based on the specific structure of the microbial community using T-RFLP analysis, which can be used for microbial source tracking.;The first specific aim was to validate the use of …

Religious And Environmental Values In Pcusa And Ucc Church Camp Programs, Ross S. Bash

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The association between denominational affiliation, as the independent variable, and (1) religious values, (2) environmental values, and (3) the integration of religious values and environmental values, as the dependent variables, in church camp programs of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (PCUSA) and the United Church of Christ (UCC) was examined through survey research of PCUSA and UCC church camps across the United States. The results indicated that there is a significant statistical relationship between PCUSA and UCC church camp programs by reference to denominational affiliation for all three dependent variables.

Constraints To Participation In An Outdoor Orientation Program, Madeleine Hoden

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Outdoor orientation programs have shown success in helping students transition to college life. Research has shown that outcomes for students participating in a first year seminar include achieving higher grade point averages, higher persistence, measured by completion of a degree, and taking less time to complete a degree program. This study used Crawford, Godbey, and Jackson's hierarchical model of structural, interpersonal and intrapersonal constraints to leisure. An online survey was used to measure constraints to participation in Adventure WV. Students tended to perceive structural constraints as the most common constraints. Results indicated that female students tended to perceive intrapersonal constraints …

Self-Construal And Insight Problem Solving, Junaid Salim Merrchant

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Self-construal research has shown that the way people view themselves impacts a variety of cognitive processes. Research has focused on two levels of self-construal: the interdependent self-construal, or when the self is represented in relation to others, and the independent self­ construal, or when the self is represented independently of others. Findings from the self­ construal and cognition research suggest that the interdependent self is associated with diffuse attention, while findings from the self-construal and creativity research indicate that the independent self is associated with divergent thinking important for creativity. The present study examined the effect of self-construal priming in …

Comparison Of Clinically Projected And Radiographically Optimal Implant Fixture Placement., William Shane Vaughn 1984-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Potential dental implant site assessment is initially determined clinically. Subsequent radiographic assessment also provides information about the quantity of available bone. It was hypothesized that the use of radiographic markers in mandibular stents to project the clinically derived placement of implant fixtures would not correspond to the optimal trajectory of the fixture based on acceptable implant placement criteria applied on Cone Beam Computed Tomography images. A retrospective audit of patients with edentulous mandibles scanned with a surgical guide was completed. A total of 218 potential implant sites in 77 patients were evaluated utilizing an implant planning software package (EZ Guide …

Simulation-Based Metrics Analysis Of An Outpatient Center., Elvin Webb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With more and more attention surrounding healthcare, Industrial Engineers have championed the task to help hospitals and outpatient centers operate as efficiently as possible. Simulation is often used to analyze hospital performance measures. The University of Louisville Health Care Outpatient Center is a relatively new building occupying 169,000 ft2 and opened in October of 2008. The clinic is experiencing uneven workloads, over scheduling of Medical Assistants, and highly variable patient waiting times. The Arena Simulation package has been used to develop a model of the outpatient center's current state. Using the data from July 2009 the model has been validated …

Cardiac Specific Transgenic Inhibition Of Nuclear Factor-Kappab (Nf-Kb) Mitigates Adverse Cardiac Remodeling And Ameliorates Cardiac Dysfunction In Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiomyopathy., Santosh Kumar Sanganalmath 1977-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background The anthracycline doxorubicin (DOX) is widely used as an effective antineoplastic drug. Cardiotoxicity leading to congestive heart failure is the primary factor limiting the clinical use of DOX. However, although a variety of approaches to protect the heart against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity have been attempted; treatment to prevent short and long term DOX-induced cardiac damage remains limited. Currently, there is no specific therapeutic strategy against this severe disease. Cardiac inflammation and myocardial apoptosis is known to contribute to DOX-induced cardiomyopathy. The nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-?B) is a part of the innate immune system and is involved in cardiac stress reactions. Since …

Neuropsychological Performance In Cannabis Users And Non-Users Following Motivation Manipulation, Michelle Stiles

Psychology

Background: Previous research has yielded conflicting results regarding the long term consequences of cannabis use on cognitive functioning. Although in the cannabis literature, there is a commonly held belief associated with cannabis use called, “amotivational syndrome” the authors were unable to find any studies of neuropsychological performance that attempted to manipulate motivation. Methods: Fifty-five undergraduates (34 cannabis users and 21 non-users) participated in an extensive neuropsychological battery. The experimenter read a statement at the beginning of the battery designed to induce motivation. Group differences on test performance were calculated with a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for tests that did …

Attitudes Toward Hazaragi, Abedin Jamal

Theses

This study examined the attitudes of young educated Hazaras towards Hazaragi, a politically low-prestigious language spoken in Afghanistan. The instrument included a questionnaire made of Attitude questions and Descriptive questions. The respondents expressed their beliefs about the linguistic entity of Hazaragi, desire to maintain Hazaragi, value of Hazaragi, and domains of use of Hazaragi. The results showed that half of the Hazaras who participated in the study considered Hazaragi to be a language whereas the other half did not. The majority of the participants demonstrated a commitment to maintain Hazaragi and to speak Hazaragi. With regards to domains of use, …

Cinderella Tales And Their Significance, Kristen Friedman

Anthropology

Variations of Cinderella tales make use of the device of changes in standing and status to suit different purposes ranging from criticism, teaching, preservation of culture, and many other aims. Cinderella tales are cyclical tales in which heroines are introduced as living in a middle to upper class with a loving father proper to their character, birth, and other traits but which they leave or are forced out of. The heroines must prove themselves and engage in work or adventure to find their way back into the class and environment in which they belong. These tales generally reward the good, …

Walking Back, Benjamin Martinez-Alvarez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

My work is organized around the search for my direction, as a person, and as an artist, my trips, my suffering, my dreams, and my family. Through my sculpture I try to describe my own experience with life, capturing the essence of those things that bring me peace or make me suffer. My three-dimensional work is influenced by Mexican expressionism and by individual artists who also searched for ideas and feelings related to cultural identity. Artists like Diego Rivera, Mardonio Magana, Octavio Medellin, and Patrocinio Varela, artists who communicated through the use of expressionism in advancing technique and style which …

Between Silver And Glass, Catherine V. Lopez

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The critical introduction explores my stories, as well as my influences, and ultimate desires for said stories. The stories themselves explore a variety of topics. They are stories about growing up. They are stories about being a girl. They are stories about the magical world we live in. They are the sort of stories I'd like to read if I ever have free time again.

From Main-Travelled Roads To Route 66: Transitions In Prairie Naturalism, Michelle Nicole Munkres

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

To best represent a people of a specific spatial and historical context, literary texts must necessarily demonstrate a vested interest and familiarity of a region and its inhabitants’ common experiences. In examining one particular aspect of regional naturalism in American literature, this study explores the basic tenets of Prairie Naturalism as defined by three major authors: Hamlin Garland, Willa Cather, and John Steinbeck. The short stories in Hamlin Garland’s Main-Travelled Roads (1891) establish the foundation of Prairie Naturalism with meticulous attention to daily lives on the plains and with political strategies to improve the lives of the oppressed. Willa Cather’s …

Impacts On Maternal Diet In A Transitional Community In Rural Costa Rica: Potential Implications For The Developmental Origins Of Obesity-Related Disorders, Allison Cantor

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This thesis examines maternal diet in a rural, transitional community in Costa Rica. Using cross-cultural categories recognized in the ethnographic literature (i.e. dietary taboos, dietary prescriptions, food cravings and the acknowledgment of a special post-partum period diet), maternal dietary practices were identified in the local community through surveys (n=45) and participant-observation (n=5), and to reflect the actual consumption patterns of pregnant and nursing women in the area, 24-hour diet recalls were administered to 5 pregnant or nursing women. In light of the recent changes that increased tourism has brought to the Monteverde Zone, focus groups were employed to determine impacts …

Trade And Exchange In The Neolithic Near East: Implications Of Obsidian Remains From Ais Yiorkis, Cyprus, Megan M. Melson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Lithic material has proven to be the most prevalent artifact to come out of the Ais Yiorkis strata, but there is also a plentitude of other artifacts, such as fauna, seeds, and the more elusive obsidian bladelets. There are currently about 42 obsidian artifacts (both fragmented and complete) in the Ais Yiorkis collection, and curiously enough, they are all in bladelet form, suggesting these artifacts were traded in from elsewhere due to the lack of obsidian debitage at the site. This obsidian has been sourced to the Chiftlik region in Anatolia (Turkey), which suggests some degree of trade within the …

Memory, Haunting And The Sensorial, Kristine Lyn Granger

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

This thesis is the exploration of my artistic development throughout my three years ofgraduate school. It follows my exploration moving from sculptural form to myrediscovery of the importance of image in my work. I am an image-based artist. Myexperience at graduate school has strengthened my identification of self. The thesisexplores personal history and it's connection to the content of my work; which hasbeen illuminated by, memory, haunting and the sensorial.

Interactive Dimensional Synthesis Of Spherical 6r Closed Chains And Planar Parallel Manipulator Via Constraint Manifold Modification, Aditya Gupta

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

In this thesis the dimensional synthesis of a spherical 6R closed chain and a class of planar parallel manipulator is discussed. The kinematic constraints of the planar as well as the spherical mechanisms relate to the constraints that limit the position of the links of planar and spherical closed chains in the Cartesian space. Quaternions are used to represent planar and spherical displacements. The problem of synthesizing smooth piecewise rational motions is converted into that of designing smooth piecewise rational curves in the space of quaternions(image space). The kinematic constraints are transformed into geometric constraints for the design of quaternion …

The Invasion Of The Colonial Ascidian Didemnum Vexillum, Into South Shore Bays Of Long Island, New York-Feeding And Metabolic Characteristics, Carlene Theresa Harrington

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The invasive ascidian, Didemnum vexillum, has recently spread into south shore bays of Long Island, New York including Great South Bay and Shinnecock Bay. In order to determine the impact this invasive species will have on these bays, colonies from Shinnecock Bay were studied, due to easiest accessibility. D. vexillum currently forms extensive mats on the pillars of Ponquogue Bridge located in Shinnecock Bay. These mats have the potential to drastically alter the structure of the ecosystem; an effect which has been observed in other waters that the species has invaded. Thus, in order to predict the impact D. vexillum …

Reverberation In The Void, Elizabeth Dee Heifferon

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

This thesis serves as the written defense for the sculptural and performance work completed by Elizabeth Dee Heifferon at Stony Brook University 2007-2010. The work originates out of a concern for reconnecting the human and the natural through mutually beneficial energy exchange. In the philosophy that guides the work, there is a focus on the dynamics of energy exchange: within bodies, between bodies and forms, and within the void. In the corporeal aspect of the work, there is an exploration of environmentally safe materials and an emphasis on physical processes incorporating elements of contemporary dance and hatha yoga. This thesis …

Hormone Influence On The Mesocortical Dopaminergic System: An Integrated Behavioral, Anatomical And In Vivo Physiological Characterization In Adult Male Rats, Teresa Marie Aubele

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The prefrontal cortices (PFC) are linked to highest-order executive functions such as working memory, planning and decision making. These complex constructs are strongly dependent on local signaling via the neurotransmitter dopamine (DA). Stimulated by male over female sex differences in PFC function and especially by the significantly greater vulnerability of males to symptoms of PFC dysfunction in disorders such as schizophrenia, the experiments of this dissertation explored behavioral and biochemical effects of gonadal hormones on PFC DA systems using adult male rats that were gonadectomized (GDX) and supplemented with either androgens or estrogens as animal models. The first studies extended …

The Ethereal State: Weddings In Modern American Feminist Drama, Andrea J. Cody

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

This study investigates weddings as moments of transition for women in three plays by American women playwrights in the late twentieth century. The study builds on the works of Gayle Austen and Judith E. Barlow on plays by American women through the application of the ideas of Stephanie Coontz, Jaclyn Geller, Chrys Ingraham, Jackie Stacey and Lynn Pearce. Jane Bowles's In the Summer House (1953) investigates the influence of the mother-daughter relationship on female identity formation and the resulting anxieties regarding marriage and maturation produced by the complexities of the mother-daughter bond. While exploring the bride's psychology, the play also …

Biological Roles And Regulation Of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (Pi3k) Isoforms, Mohar Chattopadhyay

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Class IA PI3Ks are signaling molecules that control cell survival, growth, proliferation and metabolism. Dysregulated PI3K signaling is found in patients with diseases such as diabetes and cancer. The two aims of my thesis research were (1) to determine the distinct roles of the PI3K isoforms p110Α and p110Β in regulating hepatic lipid and glucose metabolism and (2) to investigate the regulation of p110Α and p110Β by the heterotrimeric G protein GΑ_q. For aim 1, mice with liver-specific gene deletion of p110Α or p110Β were generated. My studies found that mice lacking hepatic p110Α were largely protected from …

Novel Roles Of The Conserved Argonaute Proteins During Mammalian Development: From Mirna Biogenesis To Gene Silencing, Sihem Cheloufi

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

The Argonaute proteins are highly conserved throughout evolution. They associate with diverse classes of small RNAs to mediate gene silencing in developmental programs and participate in defense responses to viruses, transposons, and cellular stress. Vertebrate genomes encode four argonaute clade proteins. In mice, Argonaute2 (AGO2) is essential for embryogenesis, oogenesis and hematopoiesis. The developmental functions of the remaining Argonaute family members, AGO1, AGO3, and AGO4, remain elusive. My thesis work focuses on exploring the function of all four Argonaute proteins during animal development. Intriguingly, individual deletions of Ago1, Ago3, and Ago4, or deficiency of all three Argonautes had no apparent …