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Quantification Of Short-Chain Fatty Acids In Cecal Material By Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Charles Harrison

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Probiotic bacteria in the human colon that produce C₂ – C₄ short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and Lactobacillus species that produce lactate in addition to SCFAs are known to have positive health benefits. These organic acids were extracted with ether from murine cecal material (from Dr. Gary Huffnagle, Univ. of Mich.) and derivatized for quantitative measurement by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Antibiotic-treated animals gavaged with Candidaalbicans had a lower level of cecal butyrate relative to untreated animals, but a higher level of butyrate when treated mice were also administered Lactobacillus johnsonii NF-1. More recent studies have demonstrated a butyrate-lowering …

Influence Of The Reducing Agent Triphenylphosphine On Cyclooxygenase-1 Metabolism Of Arachidonic Acid, Rohini Sidhu

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Cyclooxygenase (COX) metabolizes the polyunsaturated fatty acid arachidonic acid (AA) to PGG2, a cyclic endoperoxide that also contains a hydroperoxide, which is subsequently reduced to an alcohol in the enzyme to yield PGH2. Reactions catalyzed by COX-1 are significantly influenced by lipid hydroperoxides. The tyrosyl radical that abstracts the 13 pro(s) hydrogen from AA to initiate the COX catalytic cycle is generated by iron-oxo derivatives in the enzyme that result from lipid hydroperoxide interaction with heme iron. Commercial preparations of arachidonic acid (AA) contain lipid hydroperoxides that can be separated from AA by thin layer chromatography and readily reduced to …

Analysis Of The Effect Of Various Ligands On The Hydrolysis Of Ruthenium (Iii) Complexes And Interpretation Of Kinetics Of Hydrolysis Profiles By Uv-Visible Spectrophotometry, Sudheer Koneru

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Cancer is one of the major causes of death in the world. Discovery of platinum metal-based drugs like cisplatin and carboplatin have proved to be successful in cancer treatment. Due to subsequent development of resistance, side effects, and fewer toxic effects of these drugs, the usage of these drugs has been limited. Novel drugs were being synthesized utilizing the transition metals like ruthenium, osmium, and copper.

In this research, ruthenium metal complexes of the formula HL[RuCl4L2] (where L= ligand) were synthesized. These ruthenium-based drugs exist in prodrug forms which are activated into antitumor drugs by means of hydrolysis, redox reactions, …

Effects Of Duration Of Selected Music As An Intervention On Postoperative Pain In Open-Heart Surgery Patients During Chair Rest On The First Postoperative Day, Tzu-Ting Shu

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of selected music on reducing postoperative pain and use of pain relief medications in open-heart surgery patients during chair rest on the first postoperative day.

This study was conducted using a pretest-posttest experimental design. A convenience sample of 13 open-heart surgery patients from a metropolitan hospital in southeastern Michigan were randomly assigned to the music group (n = 6) and the control group (n = 7). T-test analysis showed that pain scores (numeric rating scale, NRS = 0-10) were lower in the music group than the control group after 30, …

Influence Of Clinical Research Investigator Fraud On Clinical Trial Participation, Purnachandra Garimella

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The number of clinical research investigators whom the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has disqualified or totally restricted has been increasing since 1964. In addition, several public polls and surveys indicate a major dilemma in clinical trial participation and public perceptions of clinical research. This research investigates how clinical investigator fraud or misconduct influences public perceptions of participation in clinical trials. To meet this challenge, a welldesigned electronic survey was developed for the faculty at Eastern Michigan University (EMU). The survey results indicate that 79% of respondents were ―very likely‖ to be influenced by fraud committed by their own physicians. …

Structure-Activity Relationships Of Pai-1 Inhibitors, Karen Sanders

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The inhibition of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) is anticipated to increase our understanding of various human ailments with which high levels of PAI-1 have been associated, including diabetes, stroke, and atherosclerosis. Previous accounts have reported the synthesis of inhibitors that bind to PAI-1 with a low affinity, inhibit the serpin plasma protein antithrombin III, and/or fail to inhibit PAI-1 when vitronectin, a cofactor of PAI-1 is present. The synthesis of small-molecule inhibitors of PAI-1 that improve upon these properties has been the main goal of this research. Research efforts focused on examining changes in inhibitor potency based on the manipulation …

Influence Of Metal Nanoparticles On Fluorescence Properties, Vamsi K. Kandimalla

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In this project, we studied the effect of silver and gold nanoparticles of various sizes on the fluorescence properties of tris (2, 2-bipyridyl) dichloro ruthenium (II) hexahydrate (Ru (bpy)3 2+), tryptophan and phenylalanine. For (Ru (bpy)3 2+) absorbed on silver and gold nanoparticles, the fluorescence intensity was quenched and showed a significant increase in the fluorescence lifetimes. These quenched intensities were due to energy transfer processes from the donor (Ru (bpy)3 2+) to the metal nanoparticles. Conversely, tryptophan showed enhanced fluorescence intensities with an increase in the size of the nanoparticles, which may be attributed to the effect of fluorescence …

Progress, Innovation And Technology: A Delicate "Google" Balance, Robert I. Reis

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

New York Recognition Of A Legal Status For Same-Sex Couples: A Rapidly Developing Story, Arthur S. Leonard

Articles & Chapters

In New York State at the beginning of 2010, same-sex couples cannot get married but can be married. The state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, construed the state’s marriage law in 2006 to prohibit state officials from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but said nothing in that decision about whether same-sex couples married outside the state would be considered married when they were in the state. In February 2008, an intermediate appeals court in Rochester ruled that New York’s marriage recognition law supported extending comity to a same-sex marriage performed in Canada, and several other appellate courts have …

Comparative Growth And Yield Of Channel Catfish And Channel X Blue Hybrid Catfish Fed A Full Or Restricted Ration, Bartholomew W. Green, Steven Rawles

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Growth and yield (kg/ha^-1) of the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus, Rafinesque, 1818) and the channel x blue hybrid catfish [I. punctatus female x I. furcatus (Lesueur,1840) male], which shared the Jubilee strain of channel catfish as the maternal parent, were compared in sixteen 0.1 ha earthen ponds (14,852 fish/ha^-1) during the April to November growing season. Each fish genetic group was fed a commercially formulated 32% protein feed daily to apparent satiation or at 80% of the mean daily satiation ration. Net yield and individual weight were higher for channel x …

How Reins Would Improve Environmental Protection Symposium: The Epa At 40, David Schoenbrod

Articles & Chapters

No abstract provided.

Chocorua Lake, Cooperative Extension

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Lake Kanasatka, Cooperative Extension

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Mendums Pond, Cooperative Extension

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Silver Lake, Madison, Cooperative Extension

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Sunset Lake, Hampstead, Cooperative Extension

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Central And Peripheral Trpv1 And Ros Levels On Proinflammatory Mediators And Nociceptive Behavior, Karin N. Westlund, Mikhail Y. Kochukov, Ying Lu, Terry A. Mcnearney

Physiology Faculty Publications

Background: Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channels are important membrane sensors on peripheral nerve endings and on supportive non-neuronal synoviocytes in the knee joint. TRPV 1 ion channels respond with activation of calcium and sodium fluxes to pH, thermal, chemical, osmotic, mechanical and other stimuli abundant in inflamed joints. In the present study, the kaolin/carrageenan (k/c) induced knee joint arthritis model in rats, as well as primary and clonal human synoviocyte cultures were used to understand the reciprocal interactions between reactive nitroxidative species (ROS) and functional TRPV1 channels. ROS generation was monitored with ROS sensitive dyes using live cell …

Antipredatory Defense Of Neonatal Pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana) By Yearling Male Pronghorn In Southwestern South Dakota, Christopher N. Jacques, Jonathan A. Jenks

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

Antipredatory defense of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) neonates (≤1 month old) by adult females (>18 months old) is well documented throughout the geographic range of this species. However, reports of male pronghorn defending neonates against predators are limited to a single study in northwestern Wyoming where occurrences were documented of adult males assisting female pronghorn in defending neonates against coyotes (Canis latrans). To our knowledge, defense of neonatal pronghorn by yearling males (12–18 months old) has not been reported previously for this species. We report occurrences of antipredatory defense of neonatal pronghorn by yearling males in southwestern South Dakota

The Influence Of Didymosphenia Geminate On Fisheries Resources In Rapid Creek, South Dakota – An Eight Year History, D.A. James, S.R. Chipps

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

The aquatic nuisance diatom Didymosphenia geminata was established in Rapid Creek in the Black Hills of South Dakota in 2002. Shortly thereafter, large declines (>50%) of the naturalized brown trout Salmo trutta population were observed. We evaluated the influence of water resources and D. geminata on (1) declines in brown trout biomass, (2) changes in food resources, and (3) diet of brown trout in Black Hills streams. Drought conditions were largely responsible for trout declines in Black Hills streams. However, comparison of brown trout sizestructure between the pre-D. geminata and post-D. geminata periods revealed that juvenile brown …

Fierce Flames And The Golden Lotus: Case Studies On The Madness And Creativity Connection, Reuben Jay Swindall

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

A historical/biographical analysis of the connection between creativity and a variety of psychoses including: syphilis, epilepsy, schizophenia and manic-depression/bi-polar disorder. The figures examined are Gustave Flaubert, Hector Berlioz, Friedrich Nietzsche, Rainer Maria Rilke, Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath.

Human-Black Bear Interactions In Missoula Montana, Jerod A. Merkle

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The increasing frequency and distribution of human-wildlife interactions is a direct result of a growing human footprint worldwide. Specifically, the effects of urbanization can be significant for many species, including American black bears (Ursus americanus). Human-black bear interactions (HBI) resulting in property damage, injury or death to humans, or fear of injury or death to humans are increasing in number and extent throughout North America, and wildlife management agencies are interested in reversing this trend. Using a case study of HBI in Missoula, Montana, my objectives were to examine temporal patterns of human behaviors and attitudes regarding HBI, develop a …

Uncertainty Monitoring In Sprague-Dawley Rats (Rattus Norvegicus), Leslie Anne Angel

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Comparative psychologists have explored the metacognitive capabilities of rhesus monkeys, a capuchin monkey, an orangutan, a dolphin, pigeons, and rats. Previous research with rats has demonstrated inconsistent results (Foote & Crystal, 2007; Smith & Schull, 1989). In the current study, two Sprague-Dawley rats were tested in a tone-length discrimination task in which they were prompted to press one of two levers indicating "short" or "long" depending on the duration of a tone. They also had the option to opt out of some trials. If the subjects knew when they did not know the answer to the task, they were expected …

How The Biological/Social Divide Limits Disability And Equality, Martha T. Mccluskey

Journal Articles

What is disability - a biological or social condition? In the conventional equality frameworks, the division between biology and social identity puts disability at the bottom of the formal equality hierarchy, but at the top of the substantive equality hierarchy. Compared with race and then gender, disability deserves the least protection against formal discrimination, on the theory that disadvantages are based on real and relevant functional differences more than on suspect social judgments. But turning to substantive equality, disability’s supposed greater biological basis justifies affirmative accommodation of difference, compared to the social differences of race, with gender in the middle …

Remote Siting And Plant Cost Of A Sofc Power Plant Fed By A Mihb In An Extended Deployable Coast Guard Ice Breaker, Elizabeth Newton

Open Access Master's Theses

In today's world two of the biggest issues are the environment and the economy. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) with a Metal Hydride bed is the most effective and environmentally friendly source of power. The use of hydrogen as a fuel source cuts down on the use of gasoline/diesel and the carbon emissions are little to none. The United States Coast Guard is interested in the idea of implementing a more environmentally and economically friendly system on their cutters.

Methods used to develop this thesis were based upon the USCGC HEALY (WAGB-20), the Coast Guard's largest ship, was used as …

Analytical Chemistry 2.0, David Harvey

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

In-Situ Feeding In The Northern Krill, Meganyctiphanes Norvegica: A Dna Analysis Of Gut Contents, Alison Cleary

Open Access Master's Theses

The northern krill, Meganyctiphanes norvegica, is an important member of North Atlantic shelf ecosystems, serving both as prey for whales, fish and seabirds, and as a predator on phytoplankton and other zooplankton. However, understanding in-situ krill feeding is technically challenging; incubations may not be representative of krill feeding in-situ, while biomarkers and microscopic examination of gut contents suffer from limited prey type resolution and have a limited range of detectible prey. Analyzing DNA in gut contents may offer insight into M norvegica feeding in-situ unobtainable using other methodologies. The major technical difficulty in using DNA as a marker …

Clustering And Validation Of Microarray Data Using Consensus Clustering, Sarbinder Kallar

Master's Projects

Clustering is a popular method to glean useful information from microarray data. Unfortunately the results obtained from the common clustering algorithms are not consistent and even with multiple runs of different algorithms a further validation step is required. Due to absence of well defined class labels, and unknown number of clusters, the unsupervised learning problem of finding optimal clustering is hard. Obtaining a consensus of judiciously obtained clusterings not only provides stable results but also lends a high level of confidence in the quality of results. Several base algorithm runs are used to generate clusterings and a co-association matrix of …

Parallel Programming Recipes, Thuy C. Nguyenphuc

Master's Projects

Parallel programming has become vital for the success of commercial applications since Moore’s Law will now be used to double the processors (or cores) per chip every technology generation. The performance of applications depends on how software executions can be mapped on the multi-core chip, and how efficiently they run the cores. Currently, the increase of parallelism in software development is necessary, not only for taking advantage of multi-core capability, but also for adapting and surviving in the new silicon implementation. This project will provide the performance characteristics of parallelism for some common algorithms or computations using different parallel languages. …

A Two Degrees-Of-Freedom (Dof) Scanning Micromirror Using Thermocapillary Effect In Microdroplets, Rakesh Dhull

Theses

This thesis research proposes a novel and simple means of tilting micromirror on a microdroplet by utilizing thermocapillary actuated droplet deformation. Device theory, device design, fabrication, packaging, testing and results are discussed to demonstrate the operation of a 2-degrees-of-freedom (2- DOF) scanning micromirror. Thermocapillary, or Marangoni, effect and contact angle hysteresis are employed to control the droplet shape and position. Hysteresis in different liquids is studied with its influence on the stability of the droplet. The device consists of a micromirror placed onto a microdroplet, and can produce a 6.5° tilting angle when actuated at 30 V. The tilting angle …

Comparison Of Particle Deposition For Realistic Adult And Adolescent Upper Airway Geometries Using Unsteady Computational Fluid Dynamics, Jonathan Steffens

Theses

Particle deposition in the respiratory tract is studied in order to better understand the negative health effects due to cigarette smoke inhalation. Until recently, idealized models of the respiratory airways based on the original Weibel model have been used to calculate deposition. These models consist of symmetric bifurcating airways and do not take into account variations of airway diameter, and asymmetry in the human respiratory tract. Until recently, little work has been done to accurately recreate the entire upper respiratory tract including the oral cavity, pharynx, and larynx. Technological improvement has changed the way in which researchers approach this problem. …