Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Precipitation Manipulation On Carbohydrate Dynamics And Mortality In A Piñon-Juniper Woodland, Lee Turin Dickman

Biology ETDs

Drought-induced forest mortality is an increasing global problem with far-reaching consequences, yet mortality mechanisms remain poorly understood. Depletion of non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) stores has been implicated as a major factor in drought-induced mortality, but experimental field tests are rare. We conducted an ecosystem-scale precipitation manipulation experiment and evaluated leaf and twig NSC dynamics of two co-occurring conifers with different water regulation strategies; the relatively drought-averse piñon pine (Pinus edulis) and relatively drought-tolerant oneseed juniper (Juniperus monosperma). Experimental drought caused decreased leaf starch in dying trees of both species and increased allocation to glucose and fructose in juniper, consistent with osmoregulation …

Disentangling Historical Biogeography And Anthropogenic Introductions: A Case Study Of Red Shiner (Cyprinella Lutrensis), Tracy A. Diver

Biology ETDs

Aim: Determine evolutionary events that have shaped observed patterns of diversity in Red Shiner within the Rio Grande Basin, New Mexico. Location: Pecos, Delaware, Rio Grande and Canadian Rivers, New Mexico, United States. Methods: We used DNA sequence data from two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome b and ND4), nuclear RAG-1 intron, and geometric-morphometric and meristic data to test alternative hypothesis regarding the evolutionary history of native populations of Red Shiner in New Mexico. Results: MtDNA gene trees revealed deeply divergent lineages (Great Plains and Coastal) with in situ diversification within each geographic lineage between the Rio Grande and Pecos River. Nuclear …

From Script To Screen To Syllabus: The Path To Curriculum Design For Undergraduate Film Production Programs, Peter J. Muir

Dissertations

Nothing has impacted western society more than media. Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dali Lama, wrote that “film and television, newspapers, books and radio together have an influence over individuals that was unimagined a hundred years ago.” The responsibility of creating these cultural artifacts, particularly within motion picture production, is a delicate balance between artistic vision and craft-oriented vocation; the contemplative mind skills of a wise citizen with the functional hand skills of a tradesperson. Undergraduate film production education provides the best avenue for development of this duality. However, within these programs, little is known regarding how curriculum is fashioned and …

Pathways To Cyber Bullying From Bystander To Participant: Secondary School Students’ Perspectives, Michele L. Siderman

Dissertations

The author conducted a qualitative analysis of student artifacts to explore the pathway and experiences of students who had never bullied in the traditional sense but had cyber bullied through the use of social networking sites. In addition, the author explored students’ understanding of the difference between traditional and cyber bullying and their perceptions of the victim receiving the online bullying messages. A transcendental phenomenological approach was employed. The student artifacts analyzed were assignments from a required ninth grade character education class, which included a self-reflective survey, journals, a six-paragraph paper, and an online photo story project.

Results indicated that …

Molecular Characterization Of The Freshwater Snail Physella Acuta, Journey R. Nolan

Biology ETDs

Current insights into general animal biology, including immune function, are derived mostly from a few model organisms, a necessity imposed by effort required for in-depth studies. Modern next-generation sequencing (NGS) enables genomics-level investigations to test whether specific aspects of biology are general or unique across animal phylogeny. Meaningful comparisons require thorough identification of phylogenetically-relevant species. To provide a touchstone for Biomphalaria glabrata, a freshwater snail that is a major study model for invertebrate immunity, physid snails (Physidae; Hygrophila; Panpulmonata; Gastropoda; Mollusca) will be developed as a model for comparative immunogenomics. Chapter 1 introduces current research capabilities and details the rationale …

Systematics Within The Zopheridae Complex (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea), Nathan Patrick Lord

Biology ETDs

The Ironclad Beetles, Cylindrical Bark Beetles, and Monommatid Beetles are a cosmopolitan family with over 1,700 species worldwide. Now constituting members from three previous families (Zopheridae, Monommatidae, Colydiidae), Zopheridae represent a wide array of morphological diversity and variability. Larvae of most members are fungivores/detritovores, while some are suspected of boring into sound wood. Adults are predaceous or fungivores, and some zopherids have been linked to the spread of fungal disease. Morphologically, adults are hard to separate from other tenebrionoid families. Zopherids can be distinguished by 9-11 segmented antennae with a usually abrupt, 1-3 segmented club, antennal insertions concealed from above, …

Book Reviews, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Synthesis And Characterization Of Multi-Component Enrichment Polymer Layers For Chemical Sensor Applications, James Giammarco

All Dissertations

This dissertation presents the building and study of a "universal" enrichment polymer layer system (EPLS). Thin polymer films have been utilized as enrichment layers for evanescent waveguide chemical sensors. The chemical nature of the polymer provides affinity which promotes the analyte to be absorbed. Having one highly sensitive polymer layer is suitable for a single target volatile organic compound (VOC). Here, the development of multi-layered and multi-component thin polymer films has been done to allow for more diverse affinity. Several parameters were identified to make the EPLSs suitable as enrichment layers for chemical sensor devices. The evanescent sensor devices used …

Molecular Dynamics Simulations Using Advanced Sampling And Polarizable Force Fields, Tugba Kucukkal

All Dissertations

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out for aqueous dipeptides, water over self-assembled monolayer (SAM) surfaces, and the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) ion channel. The main goal is to use advanced methods to increase the accuracy of molecular dynamics simulations while seeking solutions to problems relevant to chemistry, biophysics and materials science. In addition, activation energies of several cyclodimerization reactions were studied quantum mechanically. The simulations of the aqueous dipeptides and SAM surfaces involve modeling and detailed analysis of interfacial water, which is of interest to a range of fields from biology to materials science. For example, water has a …

Three Essays Evaluating Health Impacts Of The National School Lunch Program, Janet Peckham

All Dissertations

This research focuses on the health impacts of participation in the National School Lunch Program, a program providing free and reduced-cost lunches for income-eligible students and minimally subsidizing lunches for income-ineligible students. In the past decade, increasing incidence of childhood obesity, particularly among low-income individuals has drawn scrutiny over the NSLP's role in the health of student-aged children.

The first chapter introduces the reader to the NSLP, providing a history of the program since its inception at the turn of the 20th century and addressing current issues in the economic literature regarding health impacts of program participation. The second chapter …

A Characterization Of Gold Nanoparticle Uptake By Mammalian Cells, Thomas Garner

All Dissertations

Over the past decade, there has been an exponential growth in products and applications that utilize nanotechnology, as these materials present exciting opportunities for the development of new products, enhancement of existing products, and the evolution of innovative procedures. However, this recent growth has occurred in the absence of detailed knowledge concerning the interactions of nanoparticles with biological systems. Nanoparticles must usually be bioavailable in order to elicit a biological response, and to reach an active site they must usually cross a membrane. As a result, cell culture studies have proven to be beneficial and are generally one of the …

Climate Impacts On Zooplankton Population Dynamics In Coastal Marine Ecosystems, Harold P. Batchelder, Kendra L. Daly, Cabell S. Davis, Rubao Ji, Mark D. Ohman, William T. Peterson, Jeffrey A. Runge

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The 20-year US GLOBEC (Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics) program examined zooplankton populations and their predators in four coastal marine ecosystems. Program scientists learned that environmental controls on zooplankton vital rates, especially the timing and magnitude of reproduction, growth, life-cycle progression, and mortality, determine species population dynamics, seasonal and spatial distributions, and abundances. Improved knowledge of spatial-temporal abundance and distribution of individual zooplankton taxa coupled with new information linking higher trophic level predators (salmon, cod, haddock, penguins, seals) to their prey yielded mechanistic descriptions of how climate variation impacts regionally important marine resources. Coupled ecological models driven by improved regional-scale climate …

Qualitative Action Research On The Benefits Of Adding Humor And Aspects Of Play In An Elementary Art Education Classroom With Sixth Graders, Kelly Macagnone

Art Education Projects

This qualitative action research study explored the benefits of using humor and aspects of play as teaching strategies in the art classroom. This study was conducted in a small Catholic elementary school located in Western New York. One sixth grade class, composed of nine students, participated in this study. Data was collected and analyzed a period of ten weeks. Conducted through the theory of constructivism, students were engaged and encouraged to construct deep understandings of important concepts in the art classroom through the tools of humor and play. My focus was how the students’ perceived humor and play in the …

A Basic Qualitative Study Investigating How Middle School Art Teachers In Urban And Suburban Settings Employ Aspects Of Multiculturalism, Teresa J. Burgio

Art Education Projects

Abstract

I began this qualitative study on multicultural education in the classroom because I wanted to find out how art teachers implement multiculturalism and also how students react. I also wanted to learn what resources are used and strategies for this type of teaching. I chose an urban middle school with a sixth grade art class and a suburban middle school with a seventh grade art class. I taught as a substitute at these schools and these teachers informed me they teach multiculturalism in the art room. Both teachers are experienced and have been teaching art for over 15 years. …

Structural Characterization Of Super-Acid Oligomerized Fatty Esters., Esam Allehyani

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Fatty acid methyl esters can be oligomerized with very strong acid catalysts - superacids such as tetrafluoroboric or triflic acid with formation of dimer and trimer fatty acids at much lower temperature, such as 80-90 °C, than what is used presently. Insight into the reaction of polymerization of fatty esters/ acids can be obtained by structural characterization. This would determine the properties of the oligomeric products and their ability to substitute currently used materials. It was presumed that dimer fatty, trimer fatty acid esters, and oligomeric fatty acid esters are produced by polymerization of fatty acid methyl esters by a …

Membrane-Protein Dynamics: New Perspectives In Fcepsilonri Signaling Through Single Particle Tracking, Patrick J. Cutler

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Under physiological conditions IgE binds to its high affinity receptor, FcεRI. The aggregation of IgE-FcεRI by crosslinker initiates intracellular signaling resulting in the release of histamines and other cellular mediators that are the basis for allergic disease. In the field of IgE-FcεRI, receptor immobilization was thought to trigger signaling. Recent single particle tracking (SPT) experiments presented evidence supporting the hypothesis that small mobile aggregates are signaling competent. SPT is an important method for investigating spatio-temporal relationships at the subcellular level. New SPT tools are necessary to adequately investigate this hypothesis. The studies presented here both develop and apply tools for …

Apakah Kreativitas Dan Sikap Terhadap Ilmu Ekonomi Meramalkan Partisipasi Politik Mahasiswa? Peran Mediasi Efikasi Politik Pada Mahasiswa Di Malang, Jawa Timur, Juneman Abraham, Diantini Ida Viatre

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

This research aims to find the psychological mechanism of students’ political participation. The research was designed with predictive correlational design and the data analysis technique was path analysis. The dependent variable was political participation intention. The predictor variables were creativity and students’ attitude toward economics. The mediator variables were the necessary political experience and political efficacy. One hundred and four students of Department of Psychology, FPPsi, Malang State University, participated (Mage = 19.50 years old; SDage = 2.397 years). The research found that creativity and attitude toward economics are significant predictors for students’ political participation intention and this prediction is …

Hybridity On Architecture And Urban Spaces In The Colonial Tin Mining Town Of Muntok-Bangka, Kemas Ridwan Kurniawan, Ratu Arum Kusumawardhani, Evawani Ellisa, Muhammad Nanda Widyarta

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

This paper concerns the importance of socio-cultural hybridity in the process of architecture and urban development. It confronts spatial particularity occurring between the discourses of colonialism and multiculturalism. As a result of centuries of dynamic interaction amongst several ethnic groups including Malay, Chinese and European, Muntok as the colonial capital town of Bangka Island before 20thcentury offers various architectural edifices and urban forms. The scope of this paper focuses on the intersection between colonial history and hybridity itself and the research analyses its material represent through architecture and urban form. The methods of the research are conducted through a combination …

Social Regulation Of Male Reproductive Plasticity In An African Cichlid Fish, Karen P. Maruska, Russell D. Fernald

Faculty Publications

Social interactions with the outcome of a position in a dominance hierarchy can have profound effects on reproductive behavior and physiology, requiring animals to integrate environmental information with their internal physiological state; but how is salient information from the animal's dynamic social environment transformed into adaptive behavioral, physiological, and molecular-level changes? The African cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni, is ideally suited to understand socially controlled reproductive plasticity because activity of the male reproductive (brainpituitary gonad) axis is tightly linked to social status. Males form hierarchies in which a small percentage of brightly colored dominant individuals have an active reproductive axis, defend …

Consolidation And Suspension Of Mud From Lake Lery And Relevance To Wetland Restoration In Louisiana, Edward L. Lo

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Area-Wide Management Of Aedes Albopictus. Part 2: Gauging The Efficacy Of Traditional Integrated Pest Control Measures Against Urban Container Mosquitoes, Dina M. Fonseca, Isik Unlu, Taryn Crepeau, Ary Farajollahi, Sean P. Healy, Kristen Bartlett-Healy, Daniel Strickman, Randy Gaugler, George Hamilton, Daniel Kline, Gary G. Clark

Faculty Publications

Background: Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus (Skuse) is an important disease vector and biting nuisance. During the 2009 active season, six ∼1000-parcel sites were studied, three in urban and three in suburban areas of New Jersey, United States, to examine the efficacy of standard integrated urban mosquito control strategies applied area wide. Active source reduction, larviciding, adulticiding and public education (source reduction through education) were implemented in one site in each county, an education-only approach was developed in a second site and a third site was used as an untreated experimental control. Populations were surveyed weekly with BG-Sentinel traps and ovitraps. Results: …

Formin-Based Control Of The Actin Cytoskeleton During Cytokinesis, K. Adam Bohnert, Alaina H. Willet, David R. Kovar, Kathleen L. Gould

Faculty Publications

Cytokinesis, the terminal event in the canonical cell cycle, physically separates daughter cells following mitosis. For cleavage to occur in many eukaryotes, a cytokinetic ring must assemble and constrict between divided genomes. Although dozens of different molecules localize to and participate within the cytokinetic ring, the core machinery comprises linear actin filaments. Accordingly, formins, which nucleate and elongate F-actin (filamentous actin) for the cytokinetic ring, are required for cytokinesis in diverse species. In the present article, we discuss specific modes of formin-based actin regulation during cell division and highlight emerging mechanisms and questions on this topic. © 2013 Biochemical Society.

Characterization Of Microsatellite Loci For A Threatened Species, The King Rail, Rallus Elegans, Using A Next-Generation Sequencing Protocol, Carol L. Brackett, James M. Maley, Robb T. Brumfield, Susan B. Mcrae

Faculty Publications

The King Rail Rallus elegans (Audubon) has experienced population declines of 4.6 % per year on average since the 1960s. Wetland loss, most severely affecting inland marshes, has significantly reduced this species' distribution to the coastal margins of its historic range. Polymorphic microsatellite markers were generated by 454 pyrosequencing of genomic DNA from King Rails, and Clapper Rails R. longirostris from Louisiana after AFLP enrichment and barcoding of restriction fragment cut sites across individuals. Of 1,419 microsatellite-containing sequences, 20 hypervariable microsatellite loci with up to 20 different alleles were identified at the alignment stage. We characterized nine loci, tested variability …

Evaluation Of Hand-Held Meters For Determination Of Hemolymph Lactate And Protein Concentrations In Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus Clarkii, Christopher P. Bonvillain, D. Allen Rutherford, William E. Kelso, Christopher C. Green

Faculty Publications

We evaluated the accuracy of an Accutrend® lactate meter and a Reichert® Vet 360 temperature compensated refractometer for determining red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) hemolymph lactate and protein concentrations, with results compared to measurements obtained from spectrophotometric analyses. Results from the lactate meter (R2 = 0.926) and refractometer (R2 = 0.830) both demonstrated strong relationships with spectrophotometer measurements, indicating that these instruments provide rapid, reliable, and economical methods for determining crayfish hemolymph lactate and protein concentrations. Both meters can provide on-site information to commercial crayfish farmers and processors to assess crayfish health and stress levels, and can also …

Phylogeny, Diversity, And Biogeography Of Southeast Asian Spiny Rats (Maxomys), Anang S. Achmadi, Jacob A. Esselstyn, Kevin C. Rowe, Ibnu Maryanto, M. T. Abdullah

Faculty Publications

Knowledge of the diversity and relationships of species in many groups of plants and animals in Southeast Asia is severely limited, preventing an integrative understanding of evolutionary and ecological processes in island archipelagos. We generated a 3-locus DNA sequence data set to estimate phylogenetic relationships among species and populations of Maxomys, a genus of rodents endemic to Southeast Asia. Our inclusion of Crunomys as a potential outgroup supported the monophyly of Crunomys, but the genus was deeply nested within Maxomys. Because of the relatively ancient divergences (mean uncorrected p-distances up to 0.15 in cytochrome-b sequences) among species of Maxomys and …

Microfluidic Generated Egf-Gradients Induce Chemokinesis Of Transplantable Retinal Progenitor Cells Via The Jak/Stat And Pi3kinase Signaling Pathways, Uchenna J. Unachukwu, Moira Sauane, Maribel Vazquez, Stephen Redenti

Publications and Research

A growing number of studies are evaluating retinal progenitor cell (RPC) transplantation as an approach to repair retinal degeneration and restore visual function. To advance cell-replacement strategies for a practical retinal therapy, it is important to define the molecular and biochemical mechanisms guiding RPC motility. We have analyzed RPC expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and evaluated whether exposure to epidermal growth factor (EGF) can coordinate motogenic activity in vitro. Using Boyden chamber analysis as an initial highthroughput screen, we determined that RPC motility was optimally stimulated by EGF concentrations in the range of 20-400ng/ml, with decreased stimulation …

Labrad : Vol 39, Issue 2 - December 2013, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi

LABRAD - Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Radiology Archives

• Diagnosis of Inborn Errors of Metabolism in Pakistan
• Inherited Metabolic Disorders-Presenting as Metabolic Emergencies
• Role of Biochemical Genetics Laboratary in Evaluation of IEM
• Amino Acid Chromatography for the Diagnosis of Inborn Error of Metabolism
• Polymorphism in Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) Gene
• Diagnosis of Tyrosinemia Type I
• Congential Hypothyroidism
• Congential Adrenal Hyperplasia, An Insight of Laboratory
• Inaugration Ceremony of Section of biochemical Genetics Laboratory

Good Hair, Bad Hair, Dominican Hair, Haitian Hair, Katie E. Saunders

Master's Theses - Sociology and Anthropology

The goal of this research is to build on the literature concerning presentation practices of racial and national identity. The research examines presentation practices of race and national identity among Haitian heritage residents of the Dominican Republic (DR). Haitian immigrants have been an important part of the Dominican economy and the Dominican way of life since the beginning of the 20th century. Their descendants have to manage between Haitian and Dominican identities, while under the incredible pressure of anti-Haitian prejudices. The current literature concerning Dominican presentation practices asserts that normative presentation practices hide racial blackness. However, more recent literature questions …

The Solid State Simulation Of The Structure And Vibrational Modes Of Organic, Hybrid Organometallic And Inorganic Species Using The Crystal09 Code., Steven Pellizzeri

Dissertations - ALL

An investigation of the structural and vibrational information of organic, hybrid organometallic and inorganic species was conducted using solid-state density functional theory (DFT). In this work the solid state DFT modeling was accomplished using the CRYSTAL09 code to simulate the geometries and vibrational modes of a variety of systems. These studies included: (1) the investigation of three polymorphs of vanadium phosphate, (2) three studies involving the use of 5-(4-pyridyl)tetrazole, and lastly (3) the crystal structure and simulation of α,α,α’,α’-tetrabromo-p-xylene. The studies involving 5-(4-pyridyl)tetrazole are comprised of (a) the comparison of a new polymorph to previously published crystallographic information of the …

Heat Of Combustion Of Algae For Use In A Diesel Engine, Cassia Diane Davis

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

With nearly a quarter of the world’s population living without any access to electricity or modern energy, strategies for providing energy are very important. While the use of fossil fuels can bring the much needed energy to these areas they come with a host of problems. Fossil fuel use contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and ocean acidification. In many areas fossil fuels have to be transported in. The subsequent transmission and distribution can be difficult especially in rural areas. Dependence on fossil fuels also leaves the user vulnerable to disruption in deliveries and price fluctuations. While there are …