Digital Commons Network^™

A Comparative Study Of Indicator Bacteria Present In Ice And Soda From Las Vegas Food Establishments, Kimberly Jo Hertin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Microbial analysis has long been used as an indicator of water quality. Since the passing of the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974, microbial standards have been strictly set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that the public health is protected from bacterial pathogens. The bacteriological quality of water generally deteriorates as it travels from water treatment facilities through the main distribution system and into private plumbing and distribution systems. For example, Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) values typically increase once the water has entered plumbing devices such as beverage vending machines. Upon reaching a private facility, the opportunity …

Electrochemistry Of Pani/Metal Composites In Basic Solutions, Tamthinhan Quy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Polyaniline (PANI) has been extensively investigated due to its unique conductivity, which is primarily dependent on the oxidation state of the material and the solution pH. PANI is an insulator when it is oxidized, and the solution pH exceeds four. Numerous attempts to extend PANI's conductivity to neutral and alkaline environments have been unsuccessful. However, our previous study has demonstrated that PANI/Pd composite is conductive and catalytically active in a basic solution, pH ∼ 12. Therefore, the conductivity and the electrochemical properties of PANI composites including PANI/Au, PANI/Pd and PANI/Pt were evaluated in basic solutions. The fundamental studies of PANI/metal …

Challenges In Researching The Relationship Between Delinquency And Family Dynamics In Juvenile Sex Offenders, Dio Kevin Turner Ii

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Recently developed treatment approaches on juvenile sex offenders include the offenders and their families. These approaches have some empirical support; however, little research attempts to link family dynamics and child abuse with juvenile re-offending. This study attempted to examine the family dynamics from the juveniles’ perspective. The Family Assessment Measure (FAM-III), Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), Self Reported Delinquency measure (SRD), and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire - Short Form (CTQ-SF) were used to assess family dynamics, parenting style, delinquency and childhood maltreatment, respectively. Problems with recruitment resulted in too few participants (N=6) to conduct meaningful statistical analyses. Participant responses suggested elevated impression …

Studies Toward The Development Of A Microelectrode Array For Detection Of Dopamine Through Redox Cycling, Anupama Aggarwal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Redox cycling is an electrochemical technique that cycles the reversible redox species between its oxidative states repeatedly on generator and collector electrodes. Two or more individually-addressable microelectrodes located close to each other allow redox cycling to be possible. Electrochemical behavior of a biologically important molecule, dopamine is examined under redox cycling conditions. To our knowledge, this is the first report on detection of physiological concentration of dopamine in presence of up to 100 times excess ascorbate with the use of redox cycling, without the involvement of polymer coating such as Nafion®.

Microfabrication was used to produce different geometries (parallel bands …

The Relation Between Children's Perceived Containment And Parental Antisocial Behavior, Joye L. Henrie

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Researchers have invoked a variety of theories when discussing the relation between children's orientation to authority and the development of antiSocial behavior (ASB). Here, the focus is children's sense of containment. Previous studies revealed an association between perceived containment and child externalizing behaviors. In this study, the degree to which a child's sense of containment is related to parents' level of ASB was examined. One hundred sixty aggressive children and their parents participated. I hypothesized that ineffective discipline would moderate the relation between parent ASB and child perceived containment. I expected to find an inverse relation between parents' level of …

State Space Model With Hidden Variables For Reconstruction Of Gene Regulatory Networks, Xi Wu, Peng Li, Nan Wang, Ping Gong, Edward J. Perkins, Youping Deng, Chaoyang Zhang

Faculty Publications

Background: State Space Model (SSM) is a relatively new approach to inferring gene regulatory networks. It requires less computational time than Dynamic Bayesian Networks (DBN). There are two types of variables in the linear SSM, observed variables and hidden variables. SSM uses an iterative method, namely Expectation-Maximization, to infer regulatory relationships from microarray datasets. The hidden variables cannot be directly observed from experiments. How to determine the number of hidden variables has a significant impact on the accuracy of network inference. In this study, we used SSM to infer Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) from synthetic time series datasets, investigated …

3d Surface Topography And Reflectivity Of Anisotropic Etched Silicon Micromirrors For Biomems, Re Mackay, N Lionis, Hr Le

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

This paper examines wet and dry fabrication of vertical micro-mirrors in (110) silicon for use in an innovative BioMEMS integrating gripping and micro force sensing functionalities. Wet anisotropic chemical etching in potassium hydroxide (KOH) and tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) with and without isopropanol alcohol (IPA) additive was examined. Deep Reactive Ion Etched samples were produced using inductive coupled process. 3D surface roughness of samples was examined using scanning electron microscope, interferometric profilometer and atomic force microscopy. An optic fiber displacement sensor was exploited to measure the reflectivity of uncoated or coated samples with evaporated metallic thin film. The research aimed …

Probiotic Bacterial Strains Differentially Modulate Macrophage Cytokine Production In A Strain-Dependent And Cell Subset-Specific Manner., N. Habil, W. Al-Murrani, J. Beal, A. D. Foey

School of Biomedical Sciences

Gut mucosal macrophages play a pivotal role in driving mucosal immune responses, resulting in either activation of inflammatory immune responses to pathogenic challenge or tolerance to beneficial luminal contents such as food and commensal bacteria. Macrophage responses elicited are dependent on tissue environment and the resulting cell subset, where homeostatic macrophages resemble the M2 macrophage subset and inflammatory macrophages resemble M1s. Probiotics can modulate macrophage function with outcome dependent on subset present. Using a THP-1 monocyte cell line-derived model of CD14high/low M1 and M2 macrophages, the aim of this study was to investigate the immunomodulatory effects of a panel of …

Butyrate Regulation Of Distinct Macrophage Subsets: Opposing Effects On M1 And M2 Macrophages, Ad Foey

School of Biomedical Sciences

Mucosal tolerance is central to efficient gastrointestinal tract function, tolerating food and commensal bacteria, whilst maintaining immune responsiveness to pathogens. Mucosal macrophages play a pivotal role in tolerance; whereas in inflammatory bowel disease, dysfunctional macrophages lead to tolerance breakdown, whereby commensals perpetuate inflammation. Macrophage subsets however, determine effector function: M1s are pro-inflammatory whereas M2s are antiinflammatory/regulatory. In addition to commensal bacteria, butyrate, a short chain fatty acid probiotic metabolite, may also modulate macrophage-mediated tolerance. The human monocytic cell line, THP-1, was used to investigate butyrate immunoregulation in M1 and M2 macrophages, generated by monocyte differentiation in the presence of PMA …

Hypoxia-Driven Cell Motility Reflects The Interplay Between Jmy And Hif-1Α, As Coutts, Im Pires, L Weston, Fm Buffa, Et Al

School of Biomedical Sciences

Junction-mediating and regulatory protein (JMY) is a novel p53 cofactor that regulates p53 activity during stress. JMY interacts with p300/CBP, which are ubiquitous transcriptional co-activators that interact with a variety of sequence-specific transcription factors, including hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). In addition, JMY is an actin-nucleating protein, which, through its WH2 domains, stimulates cell motility. In this study, we show that JMY is upregulated during hypoxia in a HIF-1α-dependent manner. The JMY gene contains HIF-responsive elements in its promoter region and HIF-1α is recruited to its promoter during hypoxia. HIF-1α drives transcription of JMY, which accounts for its induction under hypoxia. Moreover, …

Anxiety: An Evolutionary Approach, M Bateson, B Brilot, D Nettle

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental illnesses, with huge attendant suffering. Current treatments are not universally effective, suggesting that a deeper understanding of the causes of anxiety is needed. To understand anxiety disorders better, it is first necessary to understand the normal anxiety response. This entails considering its evolutionary function as well as the mechanisms underlying it. We argue that the function of the human anxiety response, and homologues in other species, is to prepare the individual to detect and deal with threats. We use a signal detection framework to show that the threshold for expressing the anxiety …

Chinches De Cama (Bed Bugs): Para Profesionales En El Control De Pestes, Ryan S. Davis

All Current Publications

En la última década, reportes de infestaciones de chinches de cama (Cimicidae: Cimex lectularius) han estado en aumento en todo Norte América y en otros países. De acuerdo con esto, las presentaciones de chinches de cama al Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic Lab también han aumentado. Esta hoja de datos ha sido diseñada para informar a los profesionales en el control de pestes de las complejidades involucradas en la erradicación de chinches de cama.

Bumble Flower Beetle, Taun Beddes, Ryan S. Davis

All Current Publications

The bumble flower beetle (BFB) is a common member of the Scarabaeidae (scarab) beetle family. Its common name originated because adult BFB’s often fly close to the ground and emit a loud buzzing sound similar to that of a bumble bee. Larvae (grubs) and adults are often found in or near fermenting and/or decomposing organic matter.

Corn Earworm, Diane G. Alston, Shawn Olsen, James Barnhill

All Current Publications

In Utah, there are typically three generations of corn earworm (CEW) each year. The first generation of adults either come from overwintering pupae (southern and central Utah), or migrate into northern Utah. The adult moth is tannish brown with a 1 1/2 inch wingspan. The front wings are marked with a distinct dark spot in the center and darker bands near the outer margins. The hind wings are lighter tan, with a dark band along the outer margins. The male moths have green eyes. Moth flight occurs primarily on warm, overcast evenings. Moth populations can be monitored using pheromone or …

Termitas Subterraneas, Erin Hodgson, Alan H. Roe

All Current Publications

Las termitas subterráneas son insectos sociales con un sistema de castas, y pertenecen al orden Isoptera y a la familia Termitidae. Estas termitas están relacionadas cercanamente a termitas de madera seca (Kalotermitidae) y de madera húmeda (Termopsidae).

Middle Paleolithic Hominin Lake Environments In Saharan North Africa, Cynthia Anne Bradbury

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Contemporaneous with the transition to biologically modern humans was the episodic change from wetter to drier environments in the Egyptian Sahara. At Bir Tarfawi, White Lake sediments represent a wet phase occurring prior to the last interglacial in the now hyperarid Egyptian Western Desert. One hypothesis for the development of Western Desert Pleistocene lakes was that the northward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) provided a path for summer-constrained, Atlantic-sourced precipitation resulting in local precipitation. Oxygen and carbon stable isotope analysis of climate proxies such as the gastropod, Melanoides tuberculata, indicate precipitation and groundwater sources as well as the …

Spatial Distribution And Habitat Use Of The Bliss Rapids Snail, Barry M. Bean

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

I conducted a three-year field study to gather information about the Bliss Rapids snail, Taylorconcha serpenticola, a rare aquatic mollusk endemic to the Snake River drainage of southwestern Idaho. The goals of my study were to 1) gain an understanding of the species’ distribution and dispersion in the Snake River, 2) characterize habitat relationships, and 3) evaluate methods for monitoring the species’ abundance. When monitoring at-risk species, it is important to understand their spatial distribution and habitat requirements in order to design a study that will provide reliable data with good statistical power. My study suggests the species is …

Environmental Regulation Of Dormancy Loss In Seeds Of Lomatium Dissectum, Melissa Dawn Scholten

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Lomatium dissectum (Nutt.) Mathias & Constance is a perennial plant found across much of western North America. For disturbed lands within this range, there is interest in using L. dissectum in restoration. A problem in the propagation of L. dissectum is that at the time of dispersal the seeds are dormant. Thus, prior to usage in restoration projects the type of dormancy and the procedures necessary to release dormancy in these seeds must be determined. Determining the type of dormancy and the treatments necessary to break dormancy in L. dissectum seeds was the primary focus of this study. To approach …

Modeling And Control Of A Flexible Ionic Polymer Metal Composite(Ipmc) Actuator For Underwater Propulsion, Shivakanth Gutta

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The goal of this research is to model and control the underwater vehicle propelled by IPMC actuator. IPMC consists of an ionic membrane sandwiched between two metallic electrodes. When an external voltage is applied, IPMC undergoes large deformation due to transport of ions. Due to its ability to work in aqueous environments, it can be used for developing small scale underwater vehicles.

First, Finite element approach is used to describe the dynamics of the both single and segmented IPMC actuator. In the approach presented, each element is attached with a local coordinate system that undergoes rigid body motion along with …

Factors Which Influence The Use Of Active Learning Strategies By Nursing Faculty, Deborah Lowell Shindell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nursing education is facing a crisis. Anachronistic teaching methods are no longer keeping up with the needs of new graduates entering practice. Despite a body of knowledge which supports the use of active learning in higher education, nursing faculty continue to rely on lecture as their primary pedagogical approach. Previous study of the use of research products in clinical nursing practice identified systematic factors such as characteristics of the communication of research findings and characteristics of the organization form the greatest barrier to use. This study discovers if these same barriers face nursing educators.

Using Roger‟s Theory of Diffusion of …

Students With Reading Disabilities Participating In Literature Discussions: A Case Study, Elysha Patino O’Brien

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This qualitative case study addressed a lack of research concerning literature discussions for students with learning disabilities in reading. Fourth and fifth grade students with reading disabilities participated in twice-weekly literature discussions, 30- to-60 minutes each, for 12 weeks. The students attended a Title I school and most were Hispanic males. Together, they read and discussed five postmodern picturebooks. The purpose of the study was to understand (a) reader responses to the illustrations, text, and postmodern features of the books, and (b) the individual reader’s response habits. Situated within a sociocultural frame, the theories guiding this study pertained to language …

Practicing Orthodontists' Use And Perceived Efficacy Of Self-Ligating Brackets, John-David Beuhler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Introduction.

The purpose of this study was to compare perceptions of efficacy and efficiency of Self-Ligating Brackets vs. conventional brackets between practicing Orthodontists and Orthodontic Residents.

Methods.

Cross-sectional survey research using a three-wave emailing of addresses from the current American Association of Orthodontists directory. The directors of all orthodontic residency programs in the US were asked to also distribute to all residents. The survey included five sections: (1) respondents' experience, (2) factors that influence, (3) positive or negative factors, (4) the perceived efficiency/efficacy, and (5) demographics. A 39% response rate (N=707) was obtained.

Results.

Over half (51.8%) …

Pain Tolerance And Thresholds In Women With Dyspareunia: Do Pain And Sex Primes Have Differential Effects?, Lea Thaler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Dyspareunia, defined as recurrent pain in the genital/pelvic region during sexual intercourse, is one of the most common types of female sexual dysfunction, affecting approximately 15% of women between the ages of 18 and 24. Women with dyspareunia display similar cognitive and emotional styles evidenced in other chronic pain conditions (e.g. hypervigilance for pain information, catastrophization, and negative affect); however, dyspareunia is a unique pain disorder in that it directly involves sexual functioning. This pairing of pain and sex raises the issue of conditioning. Is it possible that because intercourse is painful for women with dyspareunia, the presentation of any …

Visual Attention To Erotic Stimuli In Androphilic Male-To-Female Transsexuals, Sarah A. Akhter

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The present study investigated sex differences in visual attention to erotic stimuli by comparing three groups of individuals: heterosexual men, heterosexual women, and androphilic MtF transsexuals. Twenty men, 20 women and 13 MtF transsexuals were shown 10 split-screen slides, each featuring one nude erotic photo of a man shown on half of the screen and one nude erotic photo of a woman shown on the other half of the screen. Eye movements were tracked as participants viewed the slides. All participants were heterosexual (Kinsey 0-1) relative to gender identity, thus erotic targets for natal men were nude women in the …

Switches, Excitable Responses And Oscillations In The Ring1b/Bmi1 Ubiquitination System., Lan K Nguyen, Javier Muñoz-García, Helene Maccario, Aaron Ciechanover, Walter Kolch, Boris N Kholodenko

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

In an active, self-ubiquitinated state, the Ring1B ligase monoubiquitinates histone H2A playing a critical role in Polycomb-mediated gene silencing. Following ubiquitination by external ligases, Ring1B is targeted for proteosomal degradation. Using biochemical data and computational modeling, we show that the Ring1B ligase can exhibit abrupt switches, overshoot transitions and self-perpetuating oscillations between its distinct ubiquitination and activity states. These different Ring1B states display canonical or multiply branched, atypical polyubiquitin chains and involve association with the Polycomb-group protein Bmi1. Bistable switches and oscillations may lead to all-or-none histone H2A monoubiquitination rates and result in discrete periods of gene (in)activity. Switches, overshoots …

Switches, Excitable Responses And Oscillations In The Ring1b/Bmi1 Ubiquitination System., Lan K Nguyen, Javier Muñoz-García, Helene Maccario, Aaron Ciechanover, Walter Kolch, Boris N Kholodenko

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

In an active, self-ubiquitinated state, the Ring1B ligase monoubiquitinates histone H2A playing a critical role in Polycomb-mediated gene silencing. Following ubiquitination by external ligases, Ring1B is targeted for proteosomal degradation. Using biochemical data and computational modeling, we show that the Ring1B ligase can exhibit abrupt switches, overshoot transitions and self-perpetuating oscillations between its distinct ubiquitination and activity states. These different Ring1B states display canonical or multiply branched, atypical polyubiquitin chains and involve association with the Polycomb-group protein Bmi1. Bistable switches and oscillations may lead to all-or-none histone H2A monoubiquitination rates and result in discrete periods of gene (in)activity. Switches, overshoots …

Toxic Marine Microalgae And Shellfish Poisoning In The British Isles: History, Review Of Epidemiology, And Future Implications, Sl Hinder, Gc Hays, Cj Brooks, Ap Davies, Et Al

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The relationship between toxic marine microalgae species and climate change has become a high profile and well discussed topic in recent years, with research focusing on the possible future impacts of changing hydrological conditions on Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) species around the world. However, there is very little literature concerning the epidemiology of these species on marine organisms and human health. Here, we examine the current state of toxic microalgae species around the UK, in two ways: first we describe the key toxic syndromes and gather together the disparate reported data on their epidemiology from UK records and monitoring procedures. …

The Inquiry Game: Assessing Inquiry Skills In Low-Income Preschoolers, Irene Nayfeld

Open Access Theses

Inquiry skills in young low-income children may be an important point of intervention for promoting school readiness and later academic achievement. The current study aimed to investigate and measure the inquiry skills of low-income preschoolers. In a newly-designed, game-based assessment (the Inquiry Game), children were instructed to ask questions to determine a target picture among an array of pictures varying by color and object type. Asking constraint-seeking questions that use color and object type to eliminate multiple pictures is a more efficient strategy (and thus evidence of greater inquiry skills), in comparison to asking about a specific picture. One hundred …

25 Year Club: 30th Annual Gala, Western Michigan University

25 Year Club

25 Year Club: 30th Annual Gala

November 30, 2011

• New Inductees
• Members
• Retirees

Trematode Gill Parasite Infection In Brachyrhaphis Episcopi, Kara Million

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.