Digital Commons Network^™

From Desegregation To Desexigration In Richmond, Virginia, 1954-1973, Leslee Key

Theses and Dissertations

This investigation explores the relationships and experiences in the urban community that connected black and white women to understand the complexities of Jim Crow, its breakdown, and the subsequent expansion of female activism in Richmond, Virginia. By examining the South’s famous department stores, Thalhimers and Miller & Rhoads, this research attempts to focus on female-created and female-oriented spaces within downtown Richmond, from 1954 until 1973, and draws a line from the Thalhimer boycott staged by African-American women in 1961 to the sit-in performed by white women in the Thalhimers male-only soup bar in 1970. Historical context is developed to show …

Flyer News, Vol. 59, No. 20 (Dec. 9, 2011), University Of Dayton

Flyer News

Student-run newspaper of the University of Dayton.

Structures, Energetics And Vibrational Frequency Shifts Of Hydrated Pyrimidine, J. Coleman Howard, Nathan I. Hammer, Gregory S. Tschumper

Chemistry Faculty Research & Creative Works

More than 70 unique micro-hydrated structures of pyrimidine, ranging in size from 1 to 7 water molecules, have been characterized with the B3LYP density functional and the 6-311++G(2df,2pd) triple-ζ split-valence basis set. Explicitly correlated MP2-F12 single-point computations were performed on each structure with a correlation consistent triple-ζ basis set to estimate the relative and dissociation energies at the MP2 complete basis set (CBS) limit. Many of these new structures have significantly lower energies than those previously reported (by as much as 12.66 kcal mol-1). For clusters with 1 and 2 water molecules, the MP2-F12 relative and dissociation energies are virtually …

Quantifying Physiological Responses Of Beef Cattle Using A Tympanic Temperature Measurement Device, Jacob John Mayer

Theses and Dissertations

The primary goals of this research were to develop an improved design for measuring tympanic temperature in groups of beef cattle, determine the ideal operating parameters of the new device, and to verify its effectiveness in a research application. Development of the continuous tympanic temperature logger (CTTL) consisted of two steps: identifying a small temperature logger capable of adequate data storage and constructing a probe to hold the logger and fit in the ear canal of a bovine animal. The minimum sampling interval needed to measure tympanic temperature in beef cattle was calculated using Fourier analysis. In addition, the differences …

Educating Mexico In Emilio Fernández's Río Escondido And Rosario Castellanos's Balún Canán, David Scott Dalton

Theses and Dissertations

Following the bloody Revolution of 1910-1917, Mexican leaders took a great interest in rebuilding their devastated, war-torn country. In an attempt to further national unity, the post-Revolutionary regime sought to construct a unified, national identity. Many officials, such as José Vasconcelos, Mexico's first Secretario de Educación, viewed education as one of the keys to redeeming the nation. These government officials, empowered by their ideals and their sense of civic duty, worked to extend educational benefits to even the most overlooked segments of Mexican society. This thesis will examine two fictional texts that consider these efforts to transform and unify …

When Did We Become Post/Human? Postmedieval: A Journal Of Medieval Cultural Studies., Angela Jane Weisl

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

Biological Community Evaluations Of Potential Black Pine Snake (Pituophis Melanoleucus Lodingi) Habitat In Mississippi, Clinton Porter Smith

Theses and Dissertations

I studied four areas in south Mississippi from 2009-2010 to examine habitat conditions and faunal communities associated with presence of black pine snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi), a candidate for federal listing. Field studies included vegetation sampling, small vertebrates trapping, and fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) mound densities estimation. Areas that supported black pine snakes exhibited vegetation communities that differed from areas that did not support pine snakes. Presence of black pine snakes was influenced by ground cover vegetation and stump hole densities. Greatest densities of ant mounds were detected in areas that supported pine snakes and gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus). Species …

Biophotonic Imaging As A Novel Approach To Study Infectious Diseases In The Bovine, Jaime E. Curbelo Rodríguez

Theses and Dissertations

Conventional bacteriological methods to establish bacterial burden and distribution in infected tissues in vivo animal models typically require extensive bacteriological procedures and therefore are time consuming. An alternative approach has been suggested to use optical markers, such as luciferases, to labeled pathogens and monitor their progress and distribution in real time. The objective of the work presented in this document was to validate the use of Biophotonic Imaging (BI) through in vitro studies as a first step toward the development of in vivo models to study infectious disease in the bovine. For example, the feasibility of detecting bioluminescent Escherichia coli …

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Heat Stress On Milk And Component Yields And Somatic Cell Count In Holstein And Jersey Cows, Daniel L. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Objective 1 was to investigate effects of heat stress and breed on milk and component yield for Holstein and Jersey cows on the same farm. Objective 2 was to determine the effects of breed on udder health as measured by somatic cell count (SCC) during times of heat stress. Data were collected from DHIA records of 142 Jersey cows and 586 Holstein cows from the University herd at Mississippi State University. During heat stress Jersey milk yield and 4% fat corrected milk (FCM) increased (P<0.01). Holstein milk yield and FCM decreased during heat stress (P<0.01). Heat stress affected somatic cell count (SCC) although effects varied by intensity of heat stress. Breed did not have an affect on SCC. Milk fat and protein percentages declined for both breeds in heat stress conditions. Milk fat but not milk protein of Jersey cows increased as stress increased from mild to severe.

Multi-Agent Cooperative Control Via A Unified Optimal Control Approach, Jianan Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Recent rapid advances in computing, communication, sensing, and actuation, together with miniaturization technologies, have offered unprecedented opportunities to employ large numbers of autonomous vehicles (air, ground, and water) working cooperatively to accomplish a mission. Cooperative control of such multi-agent dynamical systems has potential impact on numerous civilian, homeland security, and military applications. Compared with single-agent control problems, new theoretical and practical challenges emerge and need to be addressed in cooperative control of multiagent dynamical systems, including but not limited to problem size, task coupling, limited computational resources at individual agent level, communication constraints, and the need for real-time obstacle/collision avoidance. …

Juvenile Hormone Regulates Vitellogenin Gene Expression Through Insulin-Like Peptide Signaling Pathway In The Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium Castaneum, Zhentao Sheng, Jingjing Xu, Hua Bai, Fang Zhu, Subba R. Palli

Entomology Faculty Publications

Our recent studies identified juvenile hormone (JH) and nutrition as the two key signals that regulate vitellogenin (Vg) gene expression in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Juvenile hormone regulation of Vg synthesis has been known for a long time in several insects, but the mechanism of JH action is not known. Experiments were conducted to determine the mechanism of action of these two signals in regulation of Vg gene expression. Injection of bovine insulin or FOXO double-stranded RNA into the previtellogenic, starved, or JH-deficient female adults increased Vg mRNA and protein levels, thereby implicating the pivotal role for …

Crusader, December, 9, 2011, College Of The Holy Cross

Student Newspapers

The student newspaper for the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. Articles include coverage of campus events and issues, sports, editorials and special features.

Chile’S Fishing Industry, Greens Square Off On South American Sea Lions, Benjamin Witte-Lebhar

NotiSur

No abstract provided.

Water Resources Assessment Of The Rito Peñas Negras, Bruce Thomson, Abdul-Mehdi Ali

Water Resources Field Methods Reports

During the summer of 2011 students and faculty from the UNM Water Resources Program conducted an investigation of the Rito Peñas Negras in the Cuba District of the Santa Fe National Forest. The objective was to conduct an assessment of the stream and determine its characteristics, quality, and ability to meet its designated use of supporting high quality coldwater aquatic life. The Rito Peñas Negras is a small first order stream with a total length of 7.9 miles. It has one tributary, the Rito Café, which adds another 4 miles to its length. The watershed consists of 10,850 acres and …

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (Pcbs) In Stormwater From The Pajarito Plateau, Northern New Mexico., Marwin Shendo

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are distributed throughout the globe and represent an environmental threat to wildlife and human health. The New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission has established surface water standards for Wildlife Habitat and the Human Health of 14,000 and 640 pg/L respectively. Preliminary studies identified elevated levels of PCBs in stormwater samples collected from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) watersheds draining the Pajarito Plateau in northern New Mexico, including the Los Alamos County town site. PCB samples were collected at 59 stormwater runoff Site Monitoring Areas (SMAs) from 1996 to 2008 at LANL. PCB Aroclor concentrations ranged from 218,070 …

Geochemical Analysis Of Ancient Activities At Two Plazas In Cobá, Mexico, Eric G. Coronel

Theses and Dissertations

Two plazas at Cobá, Mexico, may have been the place of market activity during the classic Maya period. The intense decomposition in the warm, moist soils of the Yucatan Peninsula precludes the identification of organic artifacts in archaeological contexts, but phosphorus and trace elements accumulation in soils may provide evidence of marketing activities. The spatial patterns of P and trace element concentrations were used to elucidate the types of ancient Maya activities that took place in those plazas. Phosphorus concentrations are highly correlated (p-value <0.01) with Fe, Mn, and Zn levels in both Plaza B and D. Although the soil geochemistry of Plaza B does not show a marketplace pattern in comparison with previous studies, the elemental concentrations and distributions within Plaza D join other lines of evidence to support the premise that marketplace activities took place at that location. Soil samples were analyzed using DTPA extraction, Mehlich II, Olsen, and Portable X-Ray Fluorescence (PXRF). Experiments were performed to study the suitability of PXRF for field studies. Aspects that were studied include granule size, soil moisture content, protective plastic films that could interfere with the X-Ray signal when placing the samples on top of the analyzer, and a comparison of certified soil standards to the PXRF elemental concentration readings. The results suggest that a field laboratory could be set up to air-dry and sieve soil samples to a minimum mesh size of #10 (> 2 mm).

Wnt Signaling Exerts An Antiproliferative Effect On Adult Cardiac Progenitor Cells Through Igfbp3., Angelos Oikonomopoulos, Konstantina-Ioanna Sereti, Frank Conyers, Michael Bauer, Annette Liao, Jian Guan, Dylan Crapps, Jung-Kyu Han, Hanhua Dong, Ahmad F Bayomy, Gabriel C Fine, Karen Westerman, Travis L Biechele, Randall T Moon, Thomas Force, Ronglih Liao

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

RATIONALE: Recent work in animal models and humans has demonstrated the presence of organ-specific progenitor cells required for the regenerative capacity of the adult heart. In response to tissue injury, progenitor cells differentiate into specialized cells, while their numbers are maintained through mechanisms of self-renewal. The molecular cues that dictate the self-renewal of adult progenitor cells in the heart, however, remain unclear.

OBJECTIVE: We investigate the role of canonical Wnt signaling on adult cardiac side population (CSP) cells under physiological and disease conditions.

METHODS AND RESULTS: CSP cells isolated from C57BL/6J mice were used to study the effects of canonical …

Thermostability Of Sweet Whey As Influenced By Thermization And Addition Of Enzymatic Hydrolyzate Of Caseinate, Jingming Tao

Theses and Dissertations

Sweet whey is the liquid that separates from the cheese curd during manufacture of cheeses like Edam and Cheddar. Though highly nutritious, problems associated with whey utilizations include variability of desired functional attributes and lack of thermostability (TS), an attribute that is imperative in retort or pasteurization stable high protein drinks. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of pre-heat treatment (thermization) of fresh sweet whey and/or addition of casein hydrolyzate on the subsequent TS of whey protein concentrates (WPC). Fresh sweet wheys were obtained from the Mississippi State University Dairy Plant, separated, thermized for different time …

Traces Of Existence, Jayna Brown Quinn

Theses and Dissertations

This project report accounts for my final MFA project, Traces of Existence. This body of work began as an exploration, partially borne of the love of genealogical research translated into visual art by exploring the things my ancestors touched, be it ephemera, the soil they lived on, or artifacts they left behind, and partly as a pathway through which I could learn to understand more about my own identity, all the while finding beauty in the mundane. Although the works are personal, it is my hope that the viewer will respond to them in his/her own way, and that …

Christine De Pizan's Metaphoric Womb, Tina-Marie Ranalli

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

As a medieval woman writer, Christine de Pizan (ca. 1364-1430) was in an unusual position which necessitated not only that she establish her authority as a vernacular writer, like her male counterparts, but also that she find a way to reconcile her scholarly activity with her sex. In the Livre de la cité des dames, Christine finds a unique solution to her problem of authority and identity. It is my contention that in this work Christine presents an ingeniously crafted and multifaceted metaphor of the development of human life in the womb, what I term her “womb metaphor.” The Cité …

Stenting In The Treatment Of Acute Ischemic Stroke: Literature Review, E.A. Samaniego, Guilherme Dabus, Italo Linfante

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Two Genes For Resistance To Aflatoxin Accumulation In Maize (Zea Mays L.), John Erik Mylroie

Theses and Dissertations

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the world’s largest food crops and thus any pathogens of maize are of great importance. Aspergillus flavus is one of these pathogens and it produces a carcinogenic metabolite called aflatoxin. Efforts to reduce infection by A. flavus and subsequent aflatoxin accumulation include the development of maize lines resistant to aflatoxin accumulation. However, resistant lines that have been developed contain agronomically unfavorable traits. Gene-based markers would allow for easier transfer of resistance from resistant inbred lines into maize lines with good agronomic traits. The focus of this research was the development of gene-based markers …

Development Of Sub Models For A Phenomenological Investigation Of Diesel Engine Combustion, Lu Qiu

Theses and Dissertations

Various sub models of a multi-zone phenomenological model are developed by incorporating Dec’s conceptual model and Siebers’ mixing limited theory and validated with experiments. The spray penetration model, liquid length model and lift-off length model are verified with experiment data. The ignition delay model is then validated with experiment data at different injection timings and loads. The air entrainment model is based on Siebers’ jet theory. Sub models for the premixed heat release rate and diffusion burn rate are also included. The overall phenomenological model is at first used to match the motoring pressure curve. The important sub models are …

Differences In Fatty Acid Content Of Homogenized And Non-Homogenized Milk From Holstein And Jersey Cows, Amanda Jean Frahm

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to investigate fatty acid concentrations of homogenized and non-homogenized milk from Jersey and Holstein cows. Twenty-two, lactating Holstein (n=11) and Jersey (n=11) cows were fed the same ration with Calan® gates twice daily. Jerseys were fed 25kg DM and Holsteins were fed 30 kg DM. Feed offered was adjusted daily according to previous day orts amount. Body weight and measurements, blood, and ruminal samples were collected weekly as were feed and orts samples. Ruminal fluid was collected from six Holstein and six Jersey cows weekly (n=42). Milk weights were collected daily and samples were …

Dr. Johnson's Novel Influence: Jane Austen Illuminates Concordia Discors, Heather Ann Tucker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate Jane Austen’s illumination of Samuel Johnson’s moral precepts in seeking harmony in choice of life. Austen explores the various decisions of her characters and the effects of those choices on happiness through the use of free indirect discourse. Austen and Johnson both contend that marriage is a potential source of great happiness in an individual’s choice of life, and concordia discors between spouses offers the highest form of contentment in marriage. Johnson believed that the novelist had a moral duty to his or her reader to present characters with attainable virtue. Austen’s …

Kenaf Bast For Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites, Jinshu Shi

Theses and Dissertations

Cellulosic fibers sized from the macro-scale to the nano-scale were prepared hierarchically from kenaf bast fibers using chemicals. The process began with a hermetical alkaline retting followed by a bleaching treatment. The bleached fibers were hydrolyzed using inorganic acid, from which microfibers and cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs) were fabricated. Inorganic nanoparticle impregnation (INI) was used to treat the retted fibers for the improvement of the interfacial compatibility between the fiber and polypropylene (PP) matrix. The retted fibers and INI-treated fibers were used as reinforcement for the PP polymer composites. Film casting process was used to make CNW/PVA composites. The hermetical retting …

Human Predation Risk Effects On Adult, Male White-Tailed Deer Antipredator Behavior, Andrew Richard Little

Theses and Dissertations

Recreational hunters play an important role in managing white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus); however, the potential for deer to alter behaviors to avoid hunters has not been addressed within the risk-allocation hypothesis. I evaluated magnitude (i.e., hunter density) and temporal variation (i.e., time of day and initial and prolonged exposure) in human predation risk on movements, resource selection, and observation rates of 37 adult male deer in southern Oklahoma. Deer recognized human predation risk by increasing diel path complexity and use of security cover with greater hunter density. Moreover, deer reduced movement rates and tortuosity while seeking out areas with security …

Hydrolysis Of Organophosphate And Model Substrates In African American And Caucasian Southerners By Serum Paraoxonase-1 (Pon1) And Its Relationship To Atherosclerosis, Ryan Hunter Coombes

Theses and Dissertations

Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) is a high density lipoprotein (HDL)-associated enzyme displaying esterase and lactonase activity. PON1 hydrolyzes the oxons of several organophosphorous insecticides (e.g. paraoxon, diazoxon and chlorpyrifos-oxon) and metabolizes lipid peroxides of low density lipoproteins (LDL) and HDL. As such, PON1 plays a relevant role in determining susceptibility of organophosphate toxicity and cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to determine associations of PON1 status (i.e. genotype and activity levels) with atherosclerosis (ATH) in individuals from the Southeastern United States. An additional objective was to determine whether PON1 genotype and/or PON1 activity levels influence the capacity of PON1 to …

Functional Characterization Of The Ocfc Gene And Optimization Of Medium Components And Culture Condition For Occidiofungin Production By Burkholderia Contaminans Strain Ms14, Kuan-Chih Chen

Theses and Dissertations

he 56-kb ocfC gene cluster is required for occidiofungin production by Burkholderia contaminans strain MS14. However, the function of the ocfC gene remains unknown. Sequence analysis showed the putative protein encoded by ocfC shares significant identities to glycosyltransferase. Plate bioassays showed that occidiofungin production by the ocfC mutant (ocfC::nptII) was significantly reduced as compared with strain MS14. The occidiofungin produced by the ocfC mutant is xyloseree, which suggests the ocfC gene encodes a xylosyltransferase to add a xylose to the peptide backbone. Single variant optimization of culture condition and medium compositions was also performed in this study. The results indicated …

Study Of Food Digestion And Morphology Of Subterranean Termites From Mississippi, Timothy Joseph Arquette

Theses and Dissertations

The overall aim of this study was to provide new and updated information about subterranean termite morphology and digestive physiology. Scanning electron microscopy was used to obtain high resolution images of morphological features of the termite cuticle not discernable by light microscopy. In addition, digital scanning electron micrographs clearly show the appearance of wood particles recovered from the termite digestive tract at different stages of digestion. The ability of termites to obtain and conserve nitrogen in their diet was demonstrated by establishing whether the insect can digest chitin, as well as from determination of levels of soluble proteins and uric …