Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring The Mechanism Of Shp2 And Egfr/Her2 Cooperation In Breast Cancer Cell Signaling, Zachary Raymond Hartman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Src homology 2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP2) has been established as a critical mediator of cancer-related cell signaling downstream of receptor tyrosine kinases like EGFR and HER2. As such, targeting of SHP2 is being recognized as a potentially viable therapeutic option in HER2-positive and triple-negative breast cancers. In this report, I employed molecular and cellular biology techniques to further elucidate the role of SHP2 downstream of receptor tyrosine kinases in breast cancer cell lines. In this way, I was able to contribute knowledge to how SHP2 controls triple-negative cell motility. In addition, the mechanism of SHP2 control of …

Development Of Methods For The Detection Of Chemical And Biological Warfare Agents, Megan Rea Dejesus

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation sought to find conditions that enabled the characterization of weapons of mass destruction, be that chemical, explosives, or biological, and find unique ion signals for those materials. Chapter 2 examines how to improve the analytical capability of the pulsed glow discharge through an increased understanding of the ionization processes inherent to the technique. Results of a parametric evaluation of ionization processes in the plasma demonstrated that within the glow discharge ion source there are conditions that can be determined which will enhance the signal of the analytical ion. A key innovation was the determination, that in constant power …

Fracture Toughness Of A Hyperelastic Material During Surgical Cutting, Kevin Smith

HIM 1990-2015

Despite being one of the most important organs of vertebrates, the material properties of skin are also one of the most poorly understood. In the field of designing medical devices and surgical tools there are significant advantages to having a model that describes the interaction of forces between a blade tip and skin during surgical cutting. In general, skin can best be described as a composite layer consisting of a viscoelastic dermis with interwoven collagen and elastin fibers beneath a superficial epidermis. The purpose of this research is to study the fracture toughness of porcine skin during practical cutting applications, …

Development And Validation Of An Absorption Sensor For Time-Resolved Measurements Of Co And Co2, Kyle Thurmond

HIM 1990-2015

A sensor was developed for simultaneous measurements of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide fluctuations in internal combustion engine exhaust gases. This sensor utilizes low-cost and compact LEDs that emit in the 3-5[micro]m wavelength range which are more appropriate for practical applications than the more traditionally used lasers. An affordable, fast response sensor that can measure these gases has broad application that can lead to more efficient, fuel flexible engines and regulations of harmful emissions. LEDs have a more spectrally broad and diverging emission than lasers which presented many design challenges. The optical design software ZEMAX was utilized to overcome these …

The High Cost Of Child Support In Rape Cases: Finding An Evidentiary Standard To Protect Mother And Child From Welfare’S Cooperation Requirement, Aviva Nusbaum

Fordham Law Review

    Indigent single parents who turn to welfare for financial support must cooperate with their state’s child support enforcement requirements before receiving some or all of their benefits. Single parents are required to provide information about the absent parent because states use the information to pursue the absent parent for child support. While child support helps reduce poverty and increase parental emotional support for children, it can also be very dangerous for some single mothers. The good cause exception exempts parents from child support enforcement when it would be contrary to the “best interests of the child.” Mothers and children who …

A Good Old Age: Experiencing A Satisfying Life, Kaitlin Thimann

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The definition of successful aging has been changing, however, there is a lack of current studies on existing aging trends and how to experience a good old age. The purpose of this study is to identify and describe themes and factors that can lead to an individual experiencing a good old age. This study is a qualitative, exploratory ethnography in which interviews were used to gather information on a good old age from adults aged sixty-five and older. The study revealed that there were several common factors throughout the interviews. Physical and mental health, social support, and financial stability are …

The Effects Of Anthropogenic Noise On The Foraging Efficiency Of A Gleaning Bat And The Activity Levels Of A Natural Bat Assemblage, Jessie Patrice Bunkley

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Anthropogenic noise is prevalent across many landscapes, posing a threat of disturbance to countless human and wildlife populations. Studies have revealed that a variety of organisms are negatively affected by an increasingly loud soundscape, including auditory predators such as bats. Bats that exhibit a gleaning hunting strategy passively listen for low frequency, prey-produced sounds. Anthropogenic noise often falls within the same spectral range as important prey cues, potentially masking these signals. I investigated the effects of two sources of anthropogenic noise, traffic and gas compressor station noise, on the foraging efficiency of the North American gleaning bat Antrozous pallidus in …

Electrochemical Reduction Of Aqueous Uranium, Jonathan M. Scaggs

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The electrochemical reduction of uranium in acidic aqueous environments with the express purpose of generating U(III) consistently is critically evaluated. Generating U(III) in an aqueous environment is difficult and extremely unstable and has historically been difficult to achieve and isolate for further investigation. The electrochemical cell, electrodes, supporting electrolytes, and pH’s are all reviewed and evaluated for the purpose of optimizing the systemic requirements to electrochemically generate U(III). Several new types of electrochemical cells to include two new spectroelectrochemical for UV-Vis and FT-Raman investigation were designed and tested for the purpose of analyzed the redox species of aqueous uranium generated …

Distribution Of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha) In Upper-Columbia River Sub-Basins From Environmental Dna Analysis, Matthew Benjamin Laramie

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Determining accurate species distribution is crucial to conservation and management strategies for imperiled species, but challenging for small populations that are approaching extinction or being reestablished. We evaluated the efficacy of environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis for improving detection and thus known distribution of Chinook salmon in the Methow and Okanogan Sub-basins of the Upper-Columbia River, Washington, USA. We developed an assay to target a 90 base pair sequence of Chinook DNA and used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to quantify the amount of Chinook eDNA in 1-L water samples collected at 48 sites in the sub-basins. We collected samples once …

East Coast Salt Marsh Response To Sea Level Rise: Microbial Community Function And Structure, Matt R. Simon

All Theses And Dissertations

Coastal salt marshes are under stress from anthropogenic climate change-induced sea level rise (SLR). Sediment microbial decomposition is a major driver of marsh subsidence and any impact of SLR on this biotic process would have a direct effect on marsh surface elevation relative to sea level. Furthermore, sensitivity to SLR of microbial community composition may play a role in the functional response. I collected sediment from six coastal marshes on the United States Atlantic East coast, exposed it to simulated sea level rise and measured total respired carbon over a three week period. My results indicated that SLR caused a …

Dying For A Solution: Incidental Taking Under The Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Andrew G. Ogden

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

The almost century-old Migratory Bird Treaty Act (“MBTA”) is straining to fulfill its statutory purpose of protecting migratory birds from the changing and growing threats of a modern industrial society. With approximately 600 million bird deaths per year from a host of anthropogenic activities and infrastructure, including alternative energy projects, oil and gas development, antennas, power lines and buildings, migratory bird populations are under stress that will increase significantly in the near future from a momentous growth in wind energy activity.

Since the 1970s, the Fish and Wildlife Service (“FWS”) has attempted to reconcile the MBTA’s conservation policy and strict …

Articulating Moral Bases For Regional Responses To Deforestation And Climate Change: Africa, Amelia Chizwala Peterson

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

Deforestation and desertification, archenemies of efforts to maintain forests as sinks for greenhouse gas emissions, are marching on unabated in Africa, where 90 percent of forests were lost in West Africa over the last century alone. Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement, whose work to restore some of Kenya’s decimated forests predates the connections made by the climate science community between deforestation and climate change, wrote:

Today we are faced with a challenge that calls for a shift in our thinking, so that humanity stops threatening its lifesupport system. We are called to assist the Earth to heal …

Development Of Pd Catalyzed Amidations & Applications To The Synthesis Of Heterocycles, Adam Jason Rosenberg

Dissertations - ALL

Chapter 1

A brief overview of C-N amide bond formation: past methods and current catalytic approaches.

Chapter 2

A facile synthesis of imidazo[4,5-b]pyridines and -pyrazines is described using a Pd-catalyzed amide coupling reaction. This reaction provides quick access to products with substitution at N1 and C2. A model system relevant to the natural product pentosidine has been demonstrated, as well as the total synthesis of the mutagen 1-Me-5-PhIP.

This reaction was then further explored to utilize more readily available catalytic components and to increase the substrate and amide scope.

Chapter 3

The C2 amination of imidazo[4,5-b]pyridines was accomplished through C2 …

Number 17, 2013, Palara Editors

PALARA: Publication of the Afro-Latin/American Research Association

Complete Issue

Analysis Of Energy Flow In Us Globec Ecosystems Using End-To-End Models, J. J. Ruzicka, J. H. Steele, S. K. Gaichas, T. Ballerini, D. J. Gifford, R. D. Brodeur, E. E. Hofmann

CCPO Publications

End-to-end models were constructed to examine and compare the trophic structure and energy flow in coastal shelf ecosystems of four US Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC) study regions: the Northern California Current, the Central Gulf of Alaska, Georges Bank, and the Southwestern Antarctic Peninsula. High-quality data collected on system components and processes over the life of the program were used as input to the models. Although the US GLOBEC program was species-centric, focused on the study of a selected set of target species of ecological or economic importance, we took a broader community-level approach to describe end-to-end energy flow, from …

Conservation Genetics Of Gar (Atractosteus Spp.), Sandra Elizabeth Bohn

Master's Theses

The alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula) is a large-bodied species of fish that historically was widely distributed in coastal drainages around the Gulf of Mexico and well north in the Mississippi River basin. Currently this species is experiencing population declines across much of its range. However, in some parts of its range, such as Texas, this species has shifted from being viewed as a trash fish to being the target or a growing sport fishery. As populations decline and angling pressure increases, different state agencies are faced with the common challenge of developing the most effective methods for managing …

Development And Evaluation If Best Management Practices For Highway Runoff Pollution Control, Tian C. Zhang, John S. Stansbury, Massom Moussavi

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Storied Lives In A Living Tradition: Women Rabbis And Jewish Community In 21st Century New Mexico, Miria Kano

Anthropology ETDs

Between 2001 and 2012, I collaborated with Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, Rabbi Malka Drucker, Rabbi Shefa Gold, Rabbi Min Kantrowitz, and Rabbi Deborah Brin to investigate the challenges and opportunities afforded by womens recent attainment of rabbinic ordination. As members of the first and second generations of women rabbis, they offer unique perspectives on the recent histories of both American and Jewish cultures. This dissertation is a narrative exploration of how these rabbis came of age, cultivated self-understanding, chose careers as spiritual leaders, crafted public identities, and formed communities in 20th/21st Century American Jewish societies. This research focuses on the role …

Management Of Katahdin Hair Sheep, Elizabeth Ann Backes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this research were to determine the effects of different management practices on Katahdin hair sheep performance. For experiment 1, over 2 yr, 5, 0.4-ha pastures were allocated randomly to 1 of 2 grazing treatments: 1) Continuous; or 2) 4-cell rotation. Fifty yearling Katahdin ewes (53 ± 0.7 kg initial BW; 3.3 ± 0.09 initial BCS) were stratified by BW and BCS and allocated randomly to pastures in early May. Grazing d, basal cover, forage quantity or quality did not differ across treatments; however, sampling date effects were detected for forage quantity and quality. Beginning and end of …

Electrostatic Spray Application Of Food-Grade Organic Acids And Plant Extracts To Decrease Escherichia Coli O157:H7 And Salmonella Typhimurium On Select Produce, Leighanna Maeree Massey

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Both consumers and suppliers have been negatively affected by an increase in foodborne pathogens contaminating fruits. Consequently, there is a need for the development of more efficient antimicrobials and application techniques to decrease contamination. Natural preservatives such as organic acids and plant extracts have demonstrated promising results in decontaminating produce. In addition, the effectiveness of such preservatives may be enhanced by the use of an electrostatic sprayer. The objective of this research was to determine the combinations and concentrations of organic acids and plant extract that were able to reduce Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) and Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EC) inoculated fruits …

Examining The Relations Among Trauma, Distress, Resilience, And Physical Health, Kathryn Elizabeth Chaisson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the role of traumatic distress as a mediator in the relation between trauma exposure and somatic malaise and healthcare utilization. Resilience was examined as a moderator between trauma exposure and somatic malaise and healthcare utilization, then between trauma exposure and traumatic distress. A total of 206 female participants recruited from an obstetrics and gynecology specialty practice completed measures of trauma exposure, traumatic distress, resilience, somatic malaise, and healthcare utilization. Multiple hierarchical regressions were performed to test the hypothesized relations. Results indicated that trauma exposure was a significant predictor of traumatic distress and resilience, and of somatic malaise …

Relationships Between Landscape Factors And Crayfish Density And The Interacting Effects Of Grazing And Increased Sedimentation On Algal Biomass, Katheryn Haley Rose

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In recent years in the United States there has been a rapid expansion in anthropogenic sources of sediment in streams including construction, agriculture, and drilling for natural gas. Potential effects land disturbance associated with activities from natural gas development on aquatic biota in surrounding streams have not yet been well documented. An increase in inorganic sediment in streams can be detrimental to organisms through a variety of mechanisms including alteration of dominant substrate type, higher turbidity resulting in lower visibility, and burial of food resources such as algae and detritus. Increasing sedimentation in stream environments through anthropogenic disturbance is a …

Development Of Novel Subunit Vaccine Against H5n1 Influenza, Lu Zhang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Influenza is a common infectious disease resulting from a frequently mutated RNA virus. Vaccination is currently the most effective method to prevent people from seasonal or pandemic influenza. The production of traditional egg-based influenza vaccine is time-consuming and provides limited effect against new strains. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a rapid method to produce influenza vaccines. We proposed a novel influenza vaccine based on the E.coli expression system. Hemagglutinin (HA) is the major target surface protein of influenza virus for vaccine development. In this study, we sub-cloned the HAs encoding gene into an E. coli expression vector; the signal …

Age, Growth, Mortality, And The Effects Of Trawling On Mortality Of The Longspine Porgy, Stenotomus Caprinus, Cher Marie Newman

Master's Theses

Stenotomus caprinus (Longspine Porgy) is one of the most abundant bycatch species caught in trawl fisheries in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Biological data of length, weight, and abundance have been collected since 1972 on the Southeast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program (SEAMAP) surveys with a variety of GOM species, including Longspine Porgy, using trawl nets during groundfish surveys. In 2010-2011 five Longspine Porgy were obtained from Groundfish and Pelagic surveys at each station for further analysis. Age distribution was determined through von Bertalanffy length and weight-age models. The samples were separated into two regions of the GOM to …

Adsorption/Desorption Process Of Stimuli-Responsive Polymers On Simulated Natural Surfaces Using Qcm-D & Afm Analysis, Yan Zong

Master's Theses

The stimuli-responsive adsorption of polyelectrolytes to biosurfaces provides an important vehicle for development of protective coatings, delivery of therapeutic agents, and cosmetic applications. Developing a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms and kinetics of adsorption/desorption processes of polymeric systems to biological surfaces is of critical importance in predicting performance and designing new formulations. This study describes quartz crystal microbalance and atomic force microscopy analysis of a poly(methyl vinyl ether-alt-maleic anhydride) copolymer (Gantrez® S97 BF) adsorption on dental mimicking surfaces to determine properties including thickness, morphology, viscoelasticy, and rate of adsorption/desorption of the polymer layer as a function of solution environment. A …

Friction Ridge Dysplasia And Its Preponderance In The Afghanistan Population, Chelsea Elyse Woullard

Master's Theses

Friction Ridge Dysplasia is a rare genetic disorder in which the friction skin ridge units do not fuse together to form continuously flowing friction ridges. The skin affected by Friction Ridge Dysplasia is generally localized to one area and gives a similar appearance of the pebbled state of skin on the snout of a dog. Many authors have briefly discussed Friction Ridge Dysplasia in their publications; however, in-depth reflection as to the cause and rate of occurrence of Friction Ridge Dysplasia has not been documented. The objective of this study is to determine whether or not Friction Ridge Dysplasia is …

Sensitivity And Species Specificity Of Bisulfite Modification And Pyrosequencing Technology Used To Identify Tissue-Specific Dna Methylation Patterns In Common Biofluids Foudn In Crime Scenes, Sitara Christian Shirwani

Master's Theses

In order to convict the guilty or exonerate the innocent in criminal cases, it is crucial to reconstruct the crime scene and/or determine the nature of the crime. Identifying the different biofluids found at a crime scene can help shed light on these aspects of forensic casework. Recently, DNA methylation has been used as a means of identifying biological materials, as opposed to conventional protein/enzyme based methods. DNA methylation is the addition of a methyl group to the 5' carbon on a cytosine base (C), which is directly followed by a guanine base (G) and are called CpG sites. The …

Narratives By Six Year Old And Nine Year Old Boys: Brute: Institutional, And Non-Institutional Mental Facts, Adam Craig Whipple

Master's Theses

Brute facts, institutional facts, and non-institutional mental facts were studied. The philosophy of constructionism and the theory of intent provided a framework for this research. Intentionality provided the basis for social facts. Brute, institutional, and noninstitutional mental facts were operationally defined. This study analyzed the use of these facts in the narratives of 6-year-old boys and 9-year-old boys. There were a total of 19 participants in this research. This research established brute, institutional, and non-institutional mental facts as appropriate operational categories for studying children's narratives. The 6-year-old boys produced more brute facts than the 9-year-old boys. The 9-year-old boys produced …

Assessing Respiration Rates And Nutrient Dynamics Of Aritifical Reef Biofilms And Bacterioplankton In The Mississippi Sound, Lynn Elizabeth Wilking

Master's Theses

Artificial reefs are primarily used to provide a suitable habitat for target fish populations, but the structures can also improve water quality and benefit non-target organisms. Laboratory incubation experiments were conducted in the presence of biofilm on rubble and in its absence to examine bacterial growth, community respiration, and nutrient dynamics at four artificial reef habitats in the Mississippi Sound. Biofilm samples were also collected from settlement plates deployed at each site and were analyzed for 813C and 81sN stable isotope content. Respiration rates were always higher in the presence of biofilm but bacterial abundance often declined over time, and …

Factors Affecting The Surface-Mediated Reduction Of Plutonium In The Presence Of Pure Mineral Phases, Amy Hixon

All Dissertations

The overall objective of the research is to investigate the mechanistic and kinetic aspects of the surface-mediated reduction of plutonium. The first chapter is a critical review of plutonium sorption to pure mineral phases. The objective is to study if and how the mechanisms by which plutonium interacts with mineral surfaces are connected to mechanisms for the surface-mediated reduction of plutonium. The main conclusion of the review is that advanced spectroscopy, microscopy, and molecular modeling are needed to fully understand not only the surface structure of pure mineral phases, but also the coordination and bonding environment of plutonium surface complexes. …