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2010

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Articles 15871 - 15900 of 18896

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Fau Climate Change Initiative Priority Theme: Research, Engineering, And Adaption To A Change Climate., Leonard Berry, Marguerite Koch, Center For Environmental Studies, Brian Benscoter, Xavier Comas, Donna Devlin, Maria Fadiman, E. Gerstein, Denise L. Herzing, Tobin Hindle, Sarah L. Milton, Anton E. Oleinik, C. Edward Proffitt, Jorge I. Restrepo, Tara L. Root, Jeanette Wyneken,, Zhixiao Xie, Xing-Hai Zhang, Ann-Margaret Esnard, Diana Mitsova, J. Murley, J. Vos, Monica Escaleras, M. Mehallis, Eric H. Shaw, Guillermo John Hardman, Julie Lambert, G. Thomas, Madasamy Arockiasamy, Frederick Bloetscher, G. Carvalho,, Manhar R. Dhanak, George V. Frisk, Evangelos I. Kaisar, Hari Kalva, Daniel E. Meeroff, Jarice Rodriguez, Panagiotis (Pete) D. Scarlatos, Ravi Shankar, Ramesh Teegavarapu, Clifford T. Brown, Francis Mcafee, Patricia Widener, Fraser R. Dalgleish, M. Dennis Hanisak, S. Mcmulloch, Gregory O'Corry-Crowe, Shirley A. Pomponi, John K. Reed, John Scarpa, Joshua Voss, Barry N. Heimlich, R. Alvarez, J. Jolley, A. Edwards, Charles E. Schmidt College Of Science, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, College Of Business, Dorothy F. Schmidt College Of Arts And Letters, College Of Education, College Of Engineering And Computer Science Jan 2010

Fau Climate Change Initiative Priority Theme: Research, Engineering, And Adaption To A Change Climate., Leonard Berry, Marguerite Koch, Center For Environmental Studies, Brian Benscoter, Xavier Comas, Donna Devlin, Maria Fadiman, E. Gerstein, Denise L. Herzing, Tobin Hindle, Sarah L. Milton, Anton E. Oleinik, C. Edward Proffitt, Jorge I. Restrepo, Tara L. Root, Jeanette Wyneken,, Zhixiao Xie, Xing-Hai Zhang, Ann-Margaret Esnard, Diana Mitsova, J. Murley, J. Vos, Monica Escaleras, M. Mehallis, Eric H. Shaw, Guillermo John Hardman, Julie Lambert, G. Thomas, Madasamy Arockiasamy, Frederick Bloetscher, G. Carvalho,, Manhar R. Dhanak, George V. Frisk, Evangelos I. Kaisar, Hari Kalva, Daniel E. Meeroff, Jarice Rodriguez, Panagiotis (Pete) D. Scarlatos, Ravi Shankar, Ramesh Teegavarapu, Clifford T. Brown, Francis Mcafee, Patricia Widener, Fraser R. Dalgleish, M. Dennis Hanisak, S. Mcmulloch, Gregory O'Corry-Crowe, Shirley A. Pomponi, John K. Reed, John Scarpa, Joshua Voss, Barry N. Heimlich, R. Alvarez, J. Jolley, A. Edwards, Charles E. Schmidt College Of Science, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, College Of Business, Dorothy F. Schmidt College Of Arts And Letters, College Of Education, College Of Engineering And Computer Science

Faculty Scholarship

Globally, sea level rise has the potential to impact two billion people living along coastlines. In South Florida, sea level rise is already a threat to coastal infrastructure and will continue to require new engineering solutions. Research universities, particularly those with strengths in hydrology, engineering, and ocean sciences, will play a major role in human adaptation to a rapidly changing climate; FAU can be one of these institutions with its current interdisciplinary climate change research. FAU’s premier engineering program provides opportunities to develop and apply new technologies to ascertain climate change impacts and develop solutions to assist in adaptation

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Patterns And Mechanisms Of The Exploitation Of Mutualisms, Ellen Mcgrail Reid Jan 2010

Patterns And Mechanisms Of The Exploitation Of Mutualisms, Ellen Mcgrail Reid

LSU Master's Theses

Mutualisms are reciprocally exploitative interactions providing net benefits to both partners. These interactions can be exploited, in turn, by individuals that take advantage of benefits offered by one or both partners in a mutualism, while offering no benefits in return. For many mutualist-exploiter interactions the mechanisms allowing exploitation, and the maintenance of mutualisms in the face of exploitation, are still poorly understood. Here I describe manipulative field and laboratory experiments to investigate the mechanisms used by an exploiter to invade an ant-plant mutualism. I tested two non-mutually exclusive hypotheses for how a coreid (Mozena sp., Hemiptera: Coreidae) feeds on mymecophytic …

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Comparative Studies Of Innate Host Defense Mechanisms Against Virulent And Avirulent Species Of Microsporidia, Amber Lynn Mathews Jan 2010

Comparative Studies Of Innate Host Defense Mechanisms Against Virulent And Avirulent Species Of Microsporidia, Amber Lynn Mathews

LSU Master's Theses

Microsporidia are ubiquitous, obligate intracellular eukaryotes that cause chronic diarrhea and disseminated diseases in humans, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Macrophages, cellular components of the innate immune system, are believed to be the source of dissemination of this pathogen throughout the body. Little is known about the innate immune response to microsporidia. Macrophages are a source of interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-23 and play an essential role in the link between innate and adaptive immunity. The focus of this thesis is the investigation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling mechanisms and IL-12 and IL-23 production regulated by Toll-like receptor (TLR) …

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Influences On Public Support For Green Infrastructure: An Examination Of Urban Wetland Restoration In Post-Katrina New Orleans, Lynette C. Overholser Jan 2010

Influences On Public Support For Green Infrastructure: An Examination Of Urban Wetland Restoration In Post-Katrina New Orleans, Lynette C. Overholser

LSU Master's Theses

The research examines patterns of likely support for urban wetland restoration in the Greater New Orleans area. Through multi-variate statistical analysis of responses derived from an original survey of homeowners in New Orleans, key factors are identified that explain variation in residents’ willingness to accept such areas and their perceptions of ecological benefits associated with a theoretical wetlands restoration design for the Gentilly area. Further, the analysis determines the extent to which direct experience with Hurricane Katrina may influence public support for this and other green infrastructure projects. The results of the data collected show that many people in New …

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Estuarine Phytoplankton Response To Annual And Manipulated River Inputs, Jessica Czubakowski Jan 2010

Estuarine Phytoplankton Response To Annual And Manipulated River Inputs, Jessica Czubakowski

LSU Master's Theses

River water entering estuaries affects the physical and chemical environment at irregular intervals creating a highly dynamic aquatic habitat. Phytoplankton are important primary producers in estuaries that respond quickly to their changing environment. Since 1991, Breton Sound estuary in southeast Louisiana has been directly influenced by Mississippi River water through the Caernarvon Freshwater Diversion structure. Over a 12 month period, the phytoplankton response was examined, in terms of biomass, abundance, community composition and potential phycotoxin production to seasonal changes in river input into the estuary. Within this 12 month period, a short pulse study was also carried out to examine …

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Copper Oxide Wire Particles In Feed Pellets For Controlling Gastrointestinal Nematode Infection In Ewes And Lambs, Sarah Tammy Nicole Orlik Jan 2010

Copper Oxide Wire Particles In Feed Pellets For Controlling Gastrointestinal Nematode Infection In Ewes And Lambs, Sarah Tammy Nicole Orlik

LSU Master's Theses

Gastrointestinal nematode parasites cause extensive damage to small ruminants, and Haemonchus contortus is a major concern to production. In the past, small ruminants were dewormed at regular intervals and control methods were based primarily on the use of anthelmintics. At present, anthelmintic resistance has been reported worldwide and has developed into a serious problem for small ruminant management programs. In view of this, alternate control methods are needed. One alternative method is the use of copper oxide wire particles (COWP). Three independent trials were conducted during Spring, Summer, and Fall of 2008. Two trials evaluated the effect of COWP in …

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Understanding The Use Of Barrier Islands As Nesting Habitat For Louisiana Birds Of Concern, Cecilia Marie Leumas Jan 2010

Understanding The Use Of Barrier Islands As Nesting Habitat For Louisiana Birds Of Concern, Cecilia Marie Leumas

LSU Master's Theses

Colonial nesting seabirds are threatened by habitat loss and degradation, human disturbance, predation, and climate change. Several species of conservation concern concentrate high percentages of their total U.S. populations in Louisiana breeding colonies. We studied seabirds, including Royal Terns, Sandwich Terns, and Black Skimmers, nesting on Isles Dernieres barrier islands along the Gulf coast of Louisiana. Two of the four islands in this chain host extensive seabird colonies and two do not. We used an experimental approach to test the hypothesis that large terns and skimmers are prevented from nesting on Trinity Island, the largest of the Isles Dernieres, by …

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Towards Cloning A Tyrosinase Gene From Pitayas, Kurt J. Chamberlain Jan 2010

Towards Cloning A Tyrosinase Gene From Pitayas, Kurt J. Chamberlain

Honors Program Theses

Betalains, such as those produced by pitayas, are water-soluble nitrogen-containing pigment molecules (Gandia-Herrero et al., 2005). In most families of the Caryophyllales, betalains replace anthocyanins, which are the pigment molecules found in all other families of flowering plants (Strack et al., 2001). Betalains accumulate in the flowers, fruits, and occasionally vegetative tissues of these plants (Strack et al., 2001). Depending on the structure of the molecule, betalains are classified as either betacyanins or betaxanthins. Betacyanins contribute to red-violet coloration, while betaxanthins contribute to the yellow-orange coloration found only in a limited number of plant species (Gandia-Herrero et al., 2005). The …

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Formation Of The Neural Tube Epithelium Basement Membrane During Secondary Neurulation In The Chick Embryo, Leslie Ann Mataya Jan 2010

Formation Of The Neural Tube Epithelium Basement Membrane During Secondary Neurulation In The Chick Embryo, Leslie Ann Mataya

Honors Program Theses

Neurulation, the formation of the neural tube, is an important process in the development of vertebrates. Because this organ ultimately becomes the central nervous system of the organism, the proper development of a fully-functioning neural tube is paramount to its survival. Neural tube defects, like spina bifida and anencephaly, are among the most common congenital malformations present in live human births. The prevalence of these defects is a definite concern to medicine and human health.

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Physical Therapy Availability In The Rural Counties Of Iowa, Kelsea Elizabeth Leacox Jan 2010

Physical Therapy Availability In The Rural Counties Of Iowa, Kelsea Elizabeth Leacox

Honors Program Theses

According to the Iowa Physical Therapy Association [IPT A], physical therapy [PT] is a vital part of a healthy society, because it allows people to "achieve and maintain mobility and quality of life without surgery or prescription medication" (IPT A, 2009). There have been no published studies researching the availability of PT in rural areas of Iowa (Wilson, Lewis, & Murray, 2009; Institute of Medicine [IOM], 2005). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether PT availability in rural Iowa counties is an issue of concern. Preliminary and qualitative research was conducted to examine this topic. The importance of …

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Structure Elucidation Of A Glycosylated Benzyl Ester Of Salicylic Acid From The North American Prairie Plant Oligoneuron Rigidum, Sarah Katherine Miesner Jan 2010

Structure Elucidation Of A Glycosylated Benzyl Ester Of Salicylic Acid From The North American Prairie Plant Oligoneuron Rigidum, Sarah Katherine Miesner

Honors Program Theses

The organic extract from Oligoneuron rigidum displayed anti-microbial activity, indicating a potential future use as a natural food preservative. Three novel compounds were isolated from the active extract. The skeletal structure of the three compounds was determined by spectral methods, and the final structural component that remained to be determined was the locations of the acetate groups. Neutral permethylations were performed on the compounds as the first step in determining the locations of the acetate groups; however, the permethylation technique proved to be ineffective, causing cleavage of the native compounds. The structure elucidation will be complete when a non-degradable method …

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Butterfly Response To Floral Resources At A Heterogeneous Prairie Biofuel Production Site, Benjamin J. Hoksch, Mark C. Myers Jan 2010

Butterfly Response To Floral Resources At A Heterogeneous Prairie Biofuel Production Site, Benjamin J. Hoksch, Mark C. Myers

Undergraduate Student Work

In the Midwestern USA, current biofuel production systems rely on high input monoculture crops that do little to support biodiversity or protect soil and water resources. The University of Northern Iowa’s Tallgrass Prairie Center is investigating the feasibility of cultivating and harvesting diverse mixes of native prairie vegetation as a sustainable biofuel. In 2009, we established 48 research plots seeded with one of four treatments: 1) switchgrass monoculture, 2) warm-season grass mix (5 species), 3) biomass mix (16 species of grasses and forbs), or 4) prairie mix (32 species of grasses and forbs). We hypothesized that more diverse plant communities …

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Visible Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging For The Identification And Discrimination Of Brown Blotch Disease On Mushroom (Agaricus Bisporus) Caps, Edurne Gaston, Jesus Maria Frias, Patrick J. Cullen, Colm O’Donnell, Aoife Gowen Jan 2010

Visible Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging For The Identification And Discrimination Of Brown Blotch Disease On Mushroom (Agaricus Bisporus) Caps, Edurne Gaston, Jesus Maria Frias, Patrick J. Cullen, Colm O’Donnell, Aoife Gowen

Articles

Brown blotch, caused by pathogenic Pseudomonas tolaasii (P. tolaasii), is the most problematic bacterial disease in Agaricus bisporus mushrooms. Although it does not cause any health problems, it reduces the consumer appeal of mushrooms in the market place, generating important economical losses worldwide. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is a non-destructive technique that combines imaging and spectroscopy to obtain information from a sample. The objective of this study was to investigate the use of HSI for brown blotch identification and discrimination from mechanical damage on mushrooms. Hyperspectral images of mushrooms subjected to i) no treatment, ii) mechanical damage or iii) …

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Postharvest Hardness And Color Evolution Of White Button Mushrooms (Agaricus Bisporus)., Debabandya Mohapatra, Zuberi M. Bira, Joseph Kerry, Jesus Maria Frias, Fernanda A.R. Oliveira Jan 2010

Postharvest Hardness And Color Evolution Of White Button Mushrooms (Agaricus Bisporus)., Debabandya Mohapatra, Zuberi M. Bira, Joseph Kerry, Jesus Maria Frias, Fernanda A.R. Oliveira

Articles

The quality evaluation of mushrooms was studied by storing fresh white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) for 6-8 days, at various controlled temperature conditions (3.5 -15°C) and measuring the instrumental textural hardness and color of the mushroom cap for different product batches. A non linear mixed effect weibull model was used to describe mushroom cap texture and color kinetics during storage considering the batch variability into account. Storage temperature was found to play a significant role in controlling texture and colour degradation. On lowering storage temperature i) the extent of the final browning extent in the mushroom after storage …

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Distribution Of Deep-Water Commercial Fisheries Species-Golden Crab, Tilefish, Royal Red Shrimp-In Deep-Water Habitats Off Eastern Florida From Submersible And Rov Dives., John K. Reed, Stephanie Farrington Jan 2010

Distribution Of Deep-Water Commercial Fisheries Species-Golden Crab, Tilefish, Royal Red Shrimp-In Deep-Water Habitats Off Eastern Florida From Submersible And Rov Dives., John K. Reed, Stephanie Farrington

Faculty Scholarship

The purpose of this study is to document the occurrence and distribution of golden crab, blueline tilefish, golden tilefish, and royal red shrimp in deep-water habitats (200 m to ~900 m) off eastern and southern Florida, within the jurisdiction of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC). The scope of this study extends from the latitude of the north Florida border to the Dry Tortugas and out to the boundary of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone which is ~900 m deep within the Straits of Florida. Videotapes from manned submersible and ROV dives were selected to be representative of the …

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Role Of Kappa-Opioid Receptors In The Effects Of Salvinorin A And Ketamine On Attention Behavior In Rats, Christina L. Nemeth, Tracie A. Paine, Joseph E. Rittiner, Cécile Béguin, F. Ivy Carroll, Bryan L. Roth, Bruce M. Cohen, William A. Carlezon Jr. Jan 2010

Role Of Kappa-Opioid Receptors In The Effects Of Salvinorin A And Ketamine On Attention Behavior In Rats, Christina L. Nemeth, Tracie A. Paine, Joseph E. Rittiner, Cécile Béguin, F. Ivy Carroll, Bryan L. Roth, Bruce M. Cohen, William A. Carlezon Jr.

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Background: Disruptions in perception and cognition are characteristic of psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia. Studies of pharmacological agents that alter perception and cognition in humans might provide a better understanding of the brain substrates of these complex processes. One way to study these states in rodents is with tests that require attention and visual perception for correct performance. Methods: We examined the effects of two drugs that cause disruptions in perception and cognition in humans—the kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) agonist salvinorin A (salvA; 0.125–4.0 mg/kg) and the non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine (0.63–20 mg/kg)—on behavior in rats using the 5-choice serial …

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A Need For Picture Books Showing Girls Playing Organized Team Sports, Lisa A. Heiden Jan 2010

A Need For Picture Books Showing Girls Playing Organized Team Sports, Lisa A. Heiden

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this project was to create a children's picture storybook depicting female characters participating in competitive team athletics. The book shows a young girl learning about the game of basketball and sharing the experience with her older sister. The researcher has a long history of athletic participation and a deep passion for sports. These experiences allowed the researcher to capture the essence of the sport of basketball and create a picture book for children that engages the reader and possibly encourages participation in athletics for children of various ages. The book gives young, athletic girls an early experience …

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Assessing Cumulative Human Impacts On Northern Woodland Caribou With Traditional Ecological Knowledge And Resource Selection Functions, Jean Lieppert Polfus Jan 2010

Assessing Cumulative Human Impacts On Northern Woodland Caribou With Traditional Ecological Knowledge And Resource Selection Functions, Jean Lieppert Polfus

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) are federally listed and declining across Canada because of the cumulative impacts of human infrastructure development. The Atlin northern mountain herd, in the territory of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN), British Columbia, is less affected by development than southern herds. However, recent low productivity in this herd suggests that the impacts of development (i.e., roads, mines, cabins and towns) may be accumulating. To predict the cumulative impact of human development on the Atlin herd, we developed seasonal resource selection functions (RSF) at 2 spatial scales with data from 10 global positioning system collared …

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Biological Control: Effects Of Tyria Jacobaeae On The Population Dynamics Of Senecio Jacobaea In Northwest Montana, Kimberly Kay Crider Jan 2010

Biological Control: Effects Of Tyria Jacobaeae On The Population Dynamics Of Senecio Jacobaea In Northwest Montana, Kimberly Kay Crider

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Biological control, using introduced, specialist insects is a common strategy for controlling plant invasions. However, the efficacy of biological control agents in controlling their host plants is rarely quantified population level. I quantified the impact of a specialist biological control agent, the cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae) on its host plant, tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) in northwest Montana. Cinnabar moth damage and its effects on important plant vital rates were tested with and without specialist herbivores. The presence of moth larvae corresponded to a reduction in population growth rates to less than one, compared to herbivore-free controls, indicating the potential for …

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Elemental Stoichiometry Of Freshwater Hyporheic Microorganisms, Alejandra Valenzuela Jan 2010

Elemental Stoichiometry Of Freshwater Hyporheic Microorganisms, Alejandra Valenzuela

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The work presented herein is part of the Microbial Observatory Project in the Nyack Floodplain. The Nyack Valley Floodplain is a glacier-carved floodplain in the Middle Fork of the Flathead River on the south west border of Glacier National Park and north of the Great Bear Wilderness in northwest Montana. The study focuses on the bacterial diversity including elemental stoichiometry along a hyporheic flowpath underlying the Nyack floodplain. We isolated and characterized 44 bacterial strains, sampled microbial biofilm communities across the floodplain, characterized the bacterial isolates and determined elemental ratios (C:N:P). We tested the hypothesis that while the elemental stoichiometry …

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Escaping The Extinction Vortex: Identifying Factors Affecting Population Performance And Recovery In Endangered Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep, Heather Elizabeth Johnson Jan 2010

Escaping The Extinction Vortex: Identifying Factors Affecting Population Performance And Recovery In Endangered Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep, Heather Elizabeth Johnson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

An extinction vortex is one of the greatest threats to endangered species; when demographic, environmental, and genetic stochasticity interact with each other and with deterministic factors, such as habitat quality, to reinforce the demise of a small population. To successfully escape an extinction vortex and enable species recovery, all processes that affect endangered populations should be comprehensively assessed and incorporated into conservation plans. For my dissertation, I worked in conjunction with California Department of Fish and Game to develop a comprehensive research program to guide recovery efforts for federally endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, the rarest subspecies of mountain sheep …

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Expanding The Role Of Criterion A2 In Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Daniel Evan Dewey Jan 2010

Expanding The Role Of Criterion A2 In Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Daniel Evan Dewey

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Posttraumatic stress disorder is a psychiatric construct that refers to symptoms that may follow exposure to a traumatic event. The current definition of a traumatic event differentiates between the objective event, criterion A1, and an individual’s subjective response, criterion A2. This study investigated the importance of criterion A2 and other intense negative emotions in the development of PTSD. Self-report measures were used to determine the presence or absence of the event criteria A1 and A2, PTSD symptoms, and intensity of emotion type at the time of an event. Criterion A2 emotions at the time of the event were associated with …

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The Unconscionable Health Gap: A Global Plan For Justice, Lawrence O. Gostin Jan 2010

The Unconscionable Health Gap: A Global Plan For Justice, Lawrence O. Gostin

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

International norms recognize the special value of health. The WHO Constitution states that “the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health” is a fundamental human right. The right to health, moreover, is a treaty obligation with clear obligations. Despite robust international norms, unconscionable health disparities exist between the world’s rich and poor, causing enormous suffering. The WHO urges “closing the health gap in a generation” through action on the social determinants of health. As the Marmot Commission observed: “the social conditions in which people are born, live, and work are the single most important determinant of good or ill …

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Community Development For A White City: Race Making, Improvementism, And The Cincinnati Race Riots And Anti-Abolition Riots Of 1829, 1836, And 1841, Silas Niobeh Crowfoot Jan 2010

Community Development For A White City: Race Making, Improvementism, And The Cincinnati Race Riots And Anti-Abolition Riots Of 1829, 1836, And 1841, Silas Niobeh Crowfoot

Dissertations and Theses

This project is an historical ethnography and a cultural history of the anti-black race riots and anti-abolition riots in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1829, 1836, and 1841. It is also a case history in an urban and commercial/early industrial context of the idea that violent social practices such as riots, as well as law and the customary practices of everyday living, are deployed as race making technologies, actually constructing racial categories. By extending this constructivist concept to the conversion of space to place through the human ascription of meaning, this study also examines racial violence as a strategy for place making …

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Medical Image Segmentation Using A Genetic Algorithm, Payel Ghosh Jan 2010

Medical Image Segmentation Using A Genetic Algorithm, Payel Ghosh

Dissertations and Theses

Advances in medical imaging technology have led to the acquisition of large number of images in different modalities. On some of these images the boundaries of key organs need to be accurately identified for treatment planning and diagnosis. This is typically performed manually by a physician who uses prior knowledge of organ shapes and locations to demarcate the boundaries of organs. Such manual segmentation is subjective, time consuming and prone to inconsistency. Automating this task has been found to be very challenging due to poor tissue contrast and ill-defined organ/tissue boundaries. This dissertation presents a genetic algorithm for combining representations …

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Molecular Changes Associated With Anoxia Tolerance In Austrofundulus Limnaeus Embryos, Camie Lynn Meller Jan 2010

Molecular Changes Associated With Anoxia Tolerance In Austrofundulus Limnaeus Embryos, Camie Lynn Meller

Dissertations and Theses

Embryos from the annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus have a unique and unequalled ability among vertebrates to withstand extended periods of anoxia (maximum lethal time to 50% mortality of 65 days at 25°C). In addition, tolerance of anoxia is gained and subsequently lost during the normal development of this species. Thus, anoxia tolerant and anoxia sensitive individuals can be compared within the same species, making A. limnaeus an excellent model for studying the molecular changes associated with survival of oxygen deprivation in vertebrates. The aim of this project is to analyze the molecular changes associated with anoxia tolerance in the embryos …

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Anaerobic Degradation Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons At A Creosote-Contaminated Superfund Site And The Significance Of Increased Methane Production In An Organophilic Clay Sediment Cap, Kiara L. Smith Jan 2010

Anaerobic Degradation Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons At A Creosote-Contaminated Superfund Site And The Significance Of Increased Methane Production In An Organophilic Clay Sediment Cap, Kiara L. Smith

Dissertations and Theses

The overall goal of this work was to investigate microbial activity leading to the anaerobic degradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and an organophilic clay sediment cap used at a creosote-contaminated Superfund site. To determine whether or not PAHs were being degraded under anaerobic conditions in situ, groundwater and sediment porewater samples were analyzed for metabolic biomarkers, or metabolites, formed in the anaerobic degradation of naphthalene (a low-molecular weight PAH). In addition, a groundwater push-pull method was developed to evaluate whether the transformation of deuterated naphthalene to a deuterated metabolite could be monitored in situ and if conservative rates of transformation …

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Characterization Of Novel Functions And Topologies In Rna, Aaron Steven Burton Jan 2010

Characterization Of Novel Functions And Topologies In Rna, Aaron Steven Burton

Dissertations and Theses

The RNA World hypothesis describes a period of time during the origins of life in which RNA molecules performed all catalysis and were the only form of information storage. A great deal of evidence has been obtained in support of this hypothesis, however a few key demonstrations are lacking. The first demonstration is of a molecule capable of self-replication that could have plausibly arisen from the prebiotic soup. Previously in the Lehman Laboratory, a 198-nucleotide RNA was discovered that could be fragmented into as many as four pieces ranging from 39 - 63 nucleotides in length. When these pieces were …

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The Design Of A Novel Tip Enhanced Near-Field Scanning Probe Microscope For Ultra-High Resolution Optical Imaging, Derek Brant Nowak Jan 2010

The Design Of A Novel Tip Enhanced Near-Field Scanning Probe Microscope For Ultra-High Resolution Optical Imaging, Derek Brant Nowak

Dissertations and Theses

Traditional light microscopy suffers from the diffraction limit, which limits the spatial resolution to λ/2. The current trend in optical microscopy is the development of techniques to bypass the diffraction limit. Resolutions below 40 nm will make it possible to probe biological systems by imaging the interactions between single molecules and cell membranes. These resolutions will allow for the development of improved drug delivery mechanisms by increasing our understanding of how chemical communication within a cell occurs. The materials sciences would also benefit from these high resolutions. Nanomaterials can be analyzed with Raman spectroscopy for molecular and atomic bond information, …

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Evolution And Function Of The Plant Cell Wall Synthesis-Related Glycosyltransferase Family 8, Yanbin Yin, Huiling Chen, Michael G. Hahn, Debra Mohnen, Ying Xu Jan 2010

Evolution And Function Of The Plant Cell Wall Synthesis-Related Glycosyltransferase Family 8, Yanbin Yin, Huiling Chen, Michael G. Hahn, Debra Mohnen, Ying Xu

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Carbohydrate-active enzyme glycosyltransferase family 8 (GT8) includes the plant galacturonosyltransferase1-related gene family of proven and putative a-galacturonosyltransferase (GAUT) and GAUT-like (GATL) genes. We computationally identified and investigated this family in 15 fully sequenced plant and green algal genomes and in the National Center for Biotechnology Information nonredundant protein database to determine the phylogenetic relatedness of the GAUTs and GATLs to other GT8 family members. The GT8 proteins fall into three well-delineated major classes. In addition to GAUTs and GATLs, known or predicted to be involved in plant cell wall biosynthesis, class I also includes a lower plantspecific GAUT and GATL-related …

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