Digital Commons Network^™

Comparison Of Rna Quality From Stressed And Unstressed Recombinant Escherichia Coli, Mary Alice Salazar

All Theses

High quality, intact RNA is required for DNA microarray studies, cloning, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) analysis. There are several analytical methods used to assess the RNA quality. The RNA Integrity Number (RIN) from the Agilent Bioanalyzer is one quality control assay used to evaluate RNA. For recombinant Escherichia coli cultured under stressful conditions the RNA profiles obtained using the Agilent Bioanalyzer indicate RNA degradation; however, RNA obtained and purified in parallel from unstressed recombinant cultures indicate acceptable RNA values without significant degradation. We proposed that for stressed E. coli the RIN value is not necessarily indicative of …

Comprehensive Analysis Of A Student-Centered Active-Learning Integrated Statics And Dynamics Course For Mechanical Engineers, Marisa Orr

All Theses

The Student-Centered Active Learning in Undergraduate Programs (SCALE-UP) approach to instructional design was adapted with the goal of delivering more effective statics, dynamics and multivariate calculus instruction and integrated course curricula. Inquiry-based learning exercises were designed, incorporating material from statics and dynamics into multivariable calculus, and vice-versa, as well as integrating statics and dynamics into one course. Analysis included an exploration of student study habits, multiple measures of course effectiveness, and an examination of curricular effects. Challenges of implementation are also discussed.
Study habits of students in an integrated Statics and Dynamics course were assessed through a voluntary survey in …

The Role Of Il-1beta, Il-6, And Tnf-Alpha In Radiation-Induced Bone Loss, Stephanie Riffle

All Theses

Bone fractures greatly decrease an individual's quality of life, as well as increase an individual's risk for further complications, including death. Ionizing radiation causes bone loss, leaving bones at increased risk of fracture. This exposure, particularly in the context of cancer patients receiving radiotherapy, results in damage to normal (non-tumor) tissue. Inflammation is a common response to radiation-induced tissue damage, characterized by increased presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha. However, little is known about the roles of these cytokines in radiation-induced bone loss. This thesis hypothesized that the up regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1beta, IL-6, and …

Nutrition Knowledge And Attitudes Among Clemson University Student-Athletes, Ashley Dunnigan

All Theses

ABSTRACT
Participants in this study were 95 Clemson University student-athletes who were currently on the varsity men's and women's soccer, tennis, track and field, and swimming and diving who completed a survey on nutrition knowledge and attitudes.
The mean total point score on the survey was 17.48 + 1.71. The mean score on knowledge questions on the survey was 11.59 + 3.14 or 46.3%. Females had a slightly higher mean score (12.3+ 3.03 or 49.2%) than males (10.9 + 3.13 or 43.6%) on the knowledge questions. The mean score on attitude questions was 5.89+ 1.67 or 58.9%. Females had a …

Modeling Phosphate Adsorption For South Carolina Soils, Jesse Cannon

All Theses

Eroded sediment and the pollutants it transports are problems in water bodies in South Carolina (SC) and the United States as a whole. Current regulations and engineering practice attempt to remedy this problem by trapping sediment according to settling velocity, and thus, particle size. However, relatively little is known about most eroded soils. In most cases, little experimental data are available to describe a soil's ability to adsorb a pollutant of interest. More-effective design tools are necessary if design engineers and regulators are to be successful in reducing the amount of sediment and sediment-bound pollutants in water bodies. This study …

Effect Of Refrigerated Vacuum Storage On The Shelf Life Of Comingled Broccoli, Cauliflower, And Carrots, Ashley Spokowski

All Theses

The objective of this research was to study the interaction of comingled vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots) in a refrigerated 30% vacuum system at various temperatures for 15 days. The vegetables were trimmed, washed, and randomly separated into 200 gram lots. They were placed into vacuum chambers and sealed. Each chamber was labeled with a temperature, sampling day, and treatment identification (vacuum vs non-vacuum). Samples were stored refrigerated set at 3, 7, and 11¡C. Samples were evaluated at (0, 5, 10, and 15 days). Analytical testing included; microbial population, texture, color, and gas headspace composition. There was no evidence that …

A Statewide Seidment And Water Quality Approach To Characterize Pollution In Wadable Streams Of South Carolina, Alan Jones

All Theses

At present, little data is available concerning the overall quality of small aquatic ecosystems in South Carolina. The data presented here comprises the elemental contamination results from the first two years of an ongoing study with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources of wadeable streams in South Carolina. The overall goal of this thesis is to assess overall ecosystem quality in order to provide information needed for improved management strategies. The data focus on elemental contaminants found in water and sediments in 2006 and 2007 and relationships between metals and land cover in the drainage areas or watersheds of …

Characterization And Modification Of Helmet Padding System To Improve Shockwave Dissipation, Katelyn Howay

All Theses

Currently soldiers are being exposed a much higher number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and the resulting shockwaves. These shockwaves can cause traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) even without the occurrence of ballistic impact. The focus of this research was to reduce the amount of shockwaves soldiers are exposed to by inserting fibers and woven fabrics into a foam padding system. These fibers and fabrics facilitate the dissipation of the shockwave energy before it is able to penetrate the padding and cause TBIs.
The sound velocity of high-performance fibers, commodity fibers and woven fabric was measured using a Dynamic Modulus Tester. …

Mapping Quantitative Trait Loci Associated With Chilling Requirement And Bloom Date In Peach, Shenghua Fan

All Dissertations

Chilling requirement (CR), together with heat requirement (HR), determines bloom date (BD), which impacts climatic distribution of genotypes of temperate tree species. The molecular basis of floral bud CR is poorly understood despite its importance to fruit tree adaptation and production. A peach F2 populations developed from two genotypes with contrasting CR values was used for QTL mapping for CR, HR and BD. Using the Contender × Fla.92-2c population, 20 QTLs with additive effects were identified for three traits including one major QTL for CR and two major QTLs for BD. Particularly, one genomic region of 2cM pleiotropic for the …

Understanding The Biological And Environmental Implications Of Nanomaterials, Sijie Lin

All Dissertations

The last two decades have witnessed the discovery, development, and large-scale manufacturing of novel nanomaterials. While nanomaterials bring in exciting and extraordinary properties in all areas of materials, electronics, mechanics, and medicine, they also could generate potential adverse effects in biological systems and in the environment. The currently limited application of nanomaterials in biological and ecological systems results from the insufficient and often controversial data on describing the complex behaviors of nanomaterials in living systems. The purpose of this dissertation intends to fill such a knowledge void with methodologies from the disciplines of biophysics, biology, and materials science and engineering. …

The Effects Of Participating In A Service-Learning Experience On The Development Of Self-Efficacy For Self-Regulated Learning Of Third Graders In An Urban Elementary School In Southeastern United States, Nancy Arrington

All Dissertations

Abstract
The teacher-researcher employed multiple methods in this action research to analyze the effects of service-learning on the self-efficacy for self-regulated learning of her third-grade music students as they participated in an intergenerational project--sharing music and writing with residents in a local nursing home.
Quantitative data were analyzed using independent samples t-tests and regression analyses. The quantitative data included the results from the Children's Self-Efficacy Scale (Bandura, 2006) and progress rating scales administered by the teacher-researcher. Emergent coding of qualitative data revealed recurring themes derived from the following sources: observation and field notes, students' reflective journals, student and teacher interviews, …

Osteoclast-Mediated Cell Therapy As An Attempt To Treat Elastin-Specific Vascular Calcification, Chartrisa Simpson

All Dissertations

Vascular calcification occurs during physiological aging and is clinically recognized as a major risk factor for myocardial infarction, systolic hypertension, heart failure and coronary insufficiency caused by loss of aortic recoil. Medial arterial calcification is an active remodeling process that involves the deposition of bone-specific matrix in close association with elastic fibers. Elastin, a major structural protein in the extracellular matrix of arterial walls, provides elastic recoil to the arteries. Increasing evidence suggests that vascular calcification share features with skeletal bone formation such as bone matrix deposition and bone resorption. Bone morphogenetic proteins and bone cells have been found in …

Synthesis Of Meta-Terphenyl Scaffolded Molecules For Catalysis And Sensor Applications, Brad Morgan

All Dissertations

The utility of the m-terphenyl has been observed in a wide variety of applications since its first discovery. The tunable conformational flexibility contributes to the unique properties and resulting applications thereof. Chapter 1 goes into detail about the concepts used throughout and defines the tools needed to understand the chemistry in the
resulting chapters.
The primary use of the m-terphenyl herein is as a canopy that shields a pocket created underneath the central ring. Functionalization within this pocket allows metal binding in defined coordination environments. with the use of donor ligands attached to the flanking rings. The applications of these …

May 2010 Commencement Program, Bowling Green State University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Market Forces In Domestic Adoptions: Advocating A Quantitative Limit On Private Agency Adoption Fees, Jack Darcher

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Weed Control In Pasture And Range: 2010, Darrell L. Deneke, Mike Moechnig, Leon J. Wrage

SDSU Extension Fact Sheets

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 On The Osseointegration Of Temporary Anchorage Devices, Eden E. Cruz

Master's Theses

Titanium has been widely used for dental implants, and in particular, roughened titanium surfaces have provided a means for increasing bone apposition and strengthening the implant-to-bone interface. Finding a way to further increase osseointegration is important because there is a significant clinical benefit to patients if a stable anchor can be established instead of anchoring orthodontic hardware to the molars. In this study, the effect of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) on the ability of temporary anchorage devices (TADs) to osseointegrate was investigated. The temporary anchorage devices (TADs) used in this study were manufactured from commercially pure titanium and …

Osseointegration Of Temporary Anchorage Devices Using Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2, Erin E. Cruz

Master's Theses

Over the past 5 years, the use of titanium implants as temporary anchorage devices (TADs) has become an important tool in clinical orthodontic practices. The use of TADs have provided orthodontists a way of moving teeth against fixed objects rather than against the surrounding teeth, which tend to counteract desired motion. At present, viable attachment of TADs involves direct insertion through gingival tissue and piercing of the bone. Surface modifications such as sandblasted and acid-etched treatment or bone morphogenetic protein surface treatment, however, can be applied to the TADs to promote enhanced osseointegration, thereby allowing the TADs to serve as …

Professionials' Perceived Qualities For Collaborative Parent And Professional Partnerships, Shawn R. Sweet Piantoni

Dissertations

To truly appreciate and address the strengths and needs of children with disabilities, parents and professionals must be able to work collaboratively within longterm partnerships. Challenging the creation of parent and professional partnerships is a lack of common understanding or agreement upon what relationship qualities facilitate or deter from their development and preservation. This study investigated what relationship qualities are considered necessary according to a select group of professionals to foster collaborative partnerships between professionals and parents as well as to improve their handling of conflict. The study found that relationship qualities such as communication, respect, honesty, trust, flexibility, and …

Examining The Neuroscience Evidence For Sensory-Driven Neuroplasticity: Implications For Sensory-Based Occupational Therapy For Children And Adolescents., Shelly J. Lane, Roseann C. Schaaf

Department of Occupational Therapy Faculty Papers

When Ayres first presented the theory of sensory integration (SI), she grounded it in the neuroscience literature. Neuroplasticity was then, and is today, considered to be at the heart of this theory. This evidence-based review sought to critically examine the basic science literature to specifically identify evidence for the assumptions and tenets of Ayres' theory of SI. We reviewed literature between 1964 and 2005, within psychological, physiological, and biomedical areas, addressing neuroplasticity. The review focused on sensorimotor-based neuroplasticity; explored the data that addressed the links among sensory input, brain function, and behavior; and evaluated its relevance in terms of supporting …

A Validation Study Of The Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, And Successive (Pass) Theory And Its Relationship To Reading Achievement In Adults, Justin Moore Walker

Dissertations

This study set out to determine if the Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, Successive (PASS) cognitive processing model, a model previously investigated with children, would hold its factorial structure with adults. A collection of PASS experimental tasks were analyzed through Maximum Likelihood Factor Analysis. A four-factor solution consistent with the theoretical model was found with little variation from the literature. In addition, the extent to which the PASS experimental tasks and composite areas predicted reading achievement was examined through multiple regression. The results suggested that the PASS cognitive processing model provides adequate prediction of academic achievement in adults. The Successive PASS composite …

Organic Chemistry Preconceptions And Their Correlation To Student Success, Jodie T. Wasacz

Dissertations

When general chemistry students register for organic chemistry, they often have a negative connotation associated with the topic. It has been observed that students talk as if they are experts in what organic chemistry is and exactly how hard it is when many of them have had very little background on the subject. Some students do not even know what topics organic chemistry encompasses. By establishing a framework of where their preconceptions come from and what they are, instructors, will have a better understanding of how to address preconceptions when beginning an organic chemistry course, or perhaps even before. Furthermore, …

Factors Influencing Korean Immigrant Fathers' Involvement With Adolescent Children: The Mediating Effect Of Father Identity, Chan Young John Park

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study used an exploratory cross-sectional structural equation modeling (SEM) design, in which 376 Korean immigrant fathers were administered measures of Father Involvement, Father Identity, Acculturation, Marital Satisfaction, and Religious Commitment and a demographic questionnaire. The surveys were administered primarily in Korean church environments throughout an 18-state region. The primary purposes of this study were to test a model for factors influencing Korean immigrant fathers' involvement with their adolescent children and examine the mediating effect of Father Identity on Father Involvement. This study also aimed at finding the most influential factor on Father Involvement through a general linear model (GLM). …

A Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of Landscape Change Within The Eastern Terai, India: Linking Grassland And Forest Loss To Change In River Course And Land Use, Tanushree Biswas

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Land degradation is one of the most important drivers of landscape change around the globe. This dissertation examines land use-land cover change within a mosaic landscape in Eastern Terai, India, and shows evidence of anthropogenic factors contributing to landscape change. Land use and land cover change were examined within the Alipurduar Subdivision, a representative of the Eastern Terai landscape and the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, a protected area nested within Alipurduar through the use of multi-temporal satellite data over the past 28 years (1978 – 2006).

This study establishes the potential of remote sensing technology to identify the drivers of landscape …

Weight Discrimination: Why Current Perceptions Need To Change, Kelsey Rae Eller

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Discrimination based on weight has been labeled the last form of socially acceptable prejudice. Weight discrimination is becoming more and more prevalent in schools, the workplace, social settings, the media, and even in healthcare. Overweight and obese individuals are often stereotyped as lazy, addicted to food, and lacking self-discipline and initiative, and as a result may struggle with decreased employment opportunities, fear and shame in public, attempting dangerous weight loss methods, or even eating disorders.

This project seeks to identify and examine research that has been done on this subject in order to increase awareness of weight bias and to …

Lifespan Of Prokaryote Model Organism Escherichia Coli K-12, Hyrum Gillespie

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Bacteria are amazingly resilient organisms, in that they have evolved and adapted to the many extreme environments of Earth (from salt, to pH, to temperature extremes etc.). The bacterial lifespan and death rates are as important as its growth rates in these extreme environments. Bacteria would be useful to determine the effects of age on single cells, but because bacteria reproduce asexually by binary cell fission (clonal replication), calculating the lifespan has proven elusive. Without the determination of a lifespan, age studies using bacteria have limited application. Further, it has been proposed that organisms whose somatic cell line is not …

Metastasis Suppression In Carcinoma And Melanoma Cells, Sherry Marie Baker

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Acyl Homoserine Lactone Signaling In Pseudomonas Chlororaphis 06, Anna Hegsted

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Pseudomonas chlororaphis (PcO6), a rhizosphere bacterium, is important to agriculture because of its use as a biological control against fungus and other pests. This biological control correlates with production of phenazines; a process regulated by acyl homoserine lactones (AHSLs). Long chain AHSLs might also have an affect on the production of phenazines. My research showed that PcO6 produced long chain AHSLs and that production is affected by nutrition with more long chain AHSLs produced in rich medium than minimal medium. The nutritional studies and findings with different mutants of PcO6 altered in phenazine production suggest that control of these antifungal …

Significant Interactions With The Most Commonly Used Herbal And Nonherbal Supplements Impact Warfarin Safety And Efficacy, Brittany Jean Sagers

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Background: Nearly 20% of adult Americans used herbal therapies in 2007, but greater than two-thirds failed to report such use to their medical provider. Significant patient harm may occur when herbal supplements are taken in conjunction with warfarin; however, patients and medical providers may not be aware of these interactions and this may place patients at risk for life-threatening bleeds or thrombotic complications.

Methods: The authors determined the top 25 herbal and 25 nonherbal supplements used by Americans using sales data from 2008, and each product was reviewed for its potential to interact with warfarin. Electronic searches were conducted using …

Diffusion Monte Carlo Studies Of Quantum Solvation: Finding Nodal Functions Of Wavefunctions Using A Genetic Algorithm, Christina Hansen Howell

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Solvation is important in many chemical reactions since most reactions occur in solution. Recently, progress has been made using helium-4 nanodroplets as the solvent at temperatures close to absolute zero. Because helium-4 is a superfluid it solvates dissolved molecules much differently that does a conventional solvent. This opens up the possibility of performing new types of chemistry in the superfluid environment. However, the nature of the interaction of the dissolved species with the solvent remains poorly understood. The basic question to be answered in this project is: how does the quantum solvent perturb the rotational dynamics of the solute particles? …