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2013

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Theoretical Studies Of Nanostructure Formation And Transport On Surfaces, Maral Aminpour Jan 2013

Theoretical Studies Of Nanostructure Formation And Transport On Surfaces, Maral Aminpour

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation undertakes theoretical and computational research to characterize and understand in detail atomic configurations and electronic structural properties of surfaces and interfaces at the nano-scale, with particular emphasis on identifying the factors that control atomic-scale diffusion and transport properties. The overarching goal is to outline, with examples, a predictive modeling procedure of stable structures of novel materials that, on the one hand, facilitates a better understanding of experimental results, and on the other hand, provide guidelines for future experimental work. The results of this dissertation are useful in future miniaturization of electronic devices, predicting and engineering functional novel nanostructures. …


Estimated Diets, Diet Overlap, And Winter Habitat Associations Of Four Grassland Sparrows In Florida Dry Prairie, Marianne Korosy Jan 2013

Estimated Diets, Diet Overlap, And Winter Habitat Associations Of Four Grassland Sparrows In Florida Dry Prairie, Marianne Korosy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

North American grassland birds show long-term population declines that generally exceed the declines of other bird groups. Efforts to conserve grassland birds require knowledge of diet and habitat requirements during both the breeding and nonbreeding periods of annual life cycles. This dissertation investigated sparrow habitat associations within two defined plant communities of the dry prairie ecosystem, the dry-mesic and wet-mesic prairie, for four prescribed fire treatments over two consecutive winters. Grasshopper and Henslow’s sparrows showed higher relative abundance in wet-mesic prairie and Bachman’s Sparrows were more abundant in dry-mesic prairie across all fire treatments. Abundances of Grasshopper and Bachman’s sparrows …


The Role Of Mitochondrial Omi/Htra2 Protease In Protein Quality Control And Mitophagy, Camilla Ambivero Jan 2013

The Role Of Mitochondrial Omi/Htra2 Protease In Protein Quality Control And Mitophagy, Camilla Ambivero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Omi/HtrA2 is a mitochondrial serine protease with a dual and opposite function depending on its subcellular localization. Most of the previous studies focused on Omi/HtrA2’s pro-apoptotic function when the protein is released to the cytoplasm. It is becoming apparent that the main function of Omi/HtrA2 is within the mitochondria, where it has a pro-survival role. However, its mechanism is still poorly understood. To this end, we used the yeast two-hybrid system to dissect the Omi/HtrA2 pathway by identifying novel interactors and substrates. Our studies revealed a novel function of Omi/HtrA2 in the regulation of a deubiquitinating (DUB) complex. In addition …


The Cytopathic Activity Of Cholera Toxin Requires A Threshold Quantity Of Cytosolic Toxin., Carly Bader Jan 2013

The Cytopathic Activity Of Cholera Toxin Requires A Threshold Quantity Of Cytosolic Toxin., Carly Bader

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cholera toxin (CT), secreted from Vibrio cholerae, causes a massive fluid and electrolyte efflux in the small intestine that results in life-threatening diarrhea and dehydration which impacts 3-5 million people per year. CT is secreted into the intestinal lumen but acts within the cytosol of intestinal epithelial cells. CT is an AB5 toxin that has a catalytic A1 subunit and a cell binding B subunit. CT moves from the cell surface to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by retrograde transport. Much of the toxin is transported to the lysosomes for degradation, but a secondary pool of toxin is diverted to the …


Characterization Of Motility Alterations Caused By The Impairment Of Dynein/Dynactin Motor Protein Complex, Swaran Nandini Jan 2013

Characterization Of Motility Alterations Caused By The Impairment Of Dynein/Dynactin Motor Protein Complex, Swaran Nandini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Transport of intracellular cargo is an important and dynamic process required for cell maintenance and survival. Dynein is the motor protein that carries organelles and vesicles from the cell periphery to the cell center along the microtubule network. Dynactin is a protein that activates dynein for this transport process. Together, dynein and dynactin forms a motor protein complex that is essential for transport processes in all the vertebrate cells. Using fluorescent microscope based live cell imaging techniques and kymograph analyses, I studied dynein/dynactin disruptions on the intracellular transport in two different cell systems. In one set of experiments, effects of …


Solid Phase Extraction Room Temperature Fluorescence Spectroscopy For The Direct Quantification Of Monohydroxy Metabolites Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Urine Samples, Korina Jesusa Calimag Jan 2013

Solid Phase Extraction Room Temperature Fluorescence Spectroscopy For The Direct Quantification Of Monohydroxy Metabolites Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Urine Samples, Korina Jesusa Calimag

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are important environmental pollutants generally formed during incomplete combustion of organic matter containing carbon and hydrogen. Introduced into the human body by adsorption through the skin, ingestion or inhalation, the biotransformation processes of PAH lead to the formation of multiple metabolites. Due to the short elimination lifetime from the body, the quantitative determination of monohydroxy-PAH (OH-PAH) in urine samples provides accurate information on recent exposure to environmental PAH. Urine analysis of OH-PAH with established methodology relies on sample clean-up and pre-concentration followed by chromatographic separation and quantification. Although chromatographic techniques provide reliable results in the analysis …


Enhanced Two-Photon Absorption In A Squaraine-Fluorene-Squaraine Dye: Design, Synthesis, Photophysical Properties, And Solvatochromic Behavior, William Moreshead Jan 2013

Enhanced Two-Photon Absorption In A Squaraine-Fluorene-Squaraine Dye: Design, Synthesis, Photophysical Properties, And Solvatochromic Behavior, William Moreshead

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The discovery of any new technology is usually accompanied by a need for new or improved materials which make that technology useful in practical applications. In the case of two-photon absorption (2PA) this has truly been the case. Since its first demonstration in 1961, there has been an ever increasing quest to understand the relationships between two-photon absorption and the structure of two-photon absorbing materials. This quest has been motivated by the many applications for 2PA which have been reported, including fluorescence bioimaging, 3D microfabrication, 3D optical data storage, upconverted lasing, and photodynamic therapy. The work presented in this dissertation …


Development Of Micro Volume Dna And Rna Profiling Assays To Identify The Donor And Tissue Source Of Origin Of Trace Forensic Biological Evidence, Brittany Morgan Jan 2013

Development Of Micro Volume Dna And Rna Profiling Assays To Identify The Donor And Tissue Source Of Origin Of Trace Forensic Biological Evidence, Brittany Morgan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In forensic casework analysis it is necessary to obtain genetic profiles from increasingly smaller amounts of biological material left behind by perpetrators of crime. The ability to obtain profiles from trace biological evidence is demonstrated with so-called ‘touch DNA evidence’ which is perceived to be the result of DNA obtained from shed skin cells transferred from donor to an object or person during physical contact. However, the current method of recovery of trace DNA involves cotton swabs or adhesive tape to sample an area of interest. This "blindswabbing" approach may result in the recovery of biological material from different individuals …


Squaraine Dyes, Design And Synthesis For Various Functional Materials Applications, Yuanwei Zhang Jan 2013

Squaraine Dyes, Design And Synthesis For Various Functional Materials Applications, Yuanwei Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation contains the synthesis and characterization of squaraine based new functional materials. In the first part of this thesis work, a water soluble benzothiazolium squaraine dye was synthesized with pyridium pendents, and controlled aggregation properties were achieved. After formation of partially reversible J-aggregation on a polyelectrolyte (poly(acryl acid) sodium salt) template, the nonlinear, two-photon absorption cross section per repeat unit was found to be above 30-fold enhanced compared with nonaggregate and/or low aggregates. Using a similar strategy, sulfonate anions were introduced into the squaraine structure, and the resulting compounds exhibited good water solubilities. A ‘turn on’ fluorescence was discovered …


Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 (Bmp-7) Polarizes Monocytes Into M2 Macrophages, Crystal Rocher Jan 2013

Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 (Bmp-7) Polarizes Monocytes Into M2 Macrophages, Crystal Rocher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which an accumulation of fatty acids and cholesterol occurs to form a plaque in small and large arteries. Monocyte polarization to classic M1 macrophages or alternative M2 macrophages is an important area of research that can determine the severity of disease progression. BMP-7 is a key growth factor responsible for directing differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into brown fat cells, suggesting a role of BMP-7 in cellular plasticity; however, its role in monocyte polarization is yet to be revealed. In the current study, we hypothesize that monocyte treatment with BMP-7 will significantly result in …


Capillarity: A Theory Of Mlearning And Its Application In Emerging Markets, David Rogers Jan 2013

Capillarity: A Theory Of Mlearning And Its Application In Emerging Markets, David Rogers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The theory of capillarity is an organic metaphor invoked to explore the role of network communications as a vehicle for education in a healthy society. Capillarity is offered as a theory in two parts: a mechanism for distribution and a method for engagement. Capillarity seeks to build an architecture that reflects radical humanism's emphasis on access and inclusion as a vehicle for classical humanism's emphasis on the individual expansion of potential and consciousness. The technical instrument whereby this program of humanist education may be deployed is mLearning


Terrorism: The Effect Of Positive Social Sanctions, Curtis Hibbert Jan 2013

Terrorism: The Effect Of Positive Social Sanctions, Curtis Hibbert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research shows that relative deprivation, mental illness, culture, ideology, and various forms of social learning are often identified as factors that can lead an individual to terrorism. However, understanding the value of influences in the form of positive social sanctions through social contact has not been fully explored throughout terrorist studies. In regards to influencing behavior, positive social sanctions elicit a desired behavior which is reinforced through praise or rewards. By utilizing a case study approach, this thesis looks to determine the significance of positive social sanctions through social contact on select individuals who have committed an act of terror …


Dangerous Instincts, Kirsten Holt Jan 2013

Dangerous Instincts, Kirsten Holt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Dangerous Instincts is a collection of poems unified thematically by recurring and interstitial questions of the wilderness, the natural sciences - particularly astrophysics - the occult, and the mythic universe. These poems explore the mystical implications of the natural world and its meaning in the aesthetic consciousness, particularly in a highly secular century. Implied is the poet’s selfdiscovery and search for the divine. The collection emerges, not simply as interpretation, but a means of coming to terms with the fear of and compulsion to question the universe, and through those questions find illumination in the ordinariness of lived life and …


Zora, Genevieve Tyrrell Jan 2013

Zora, Genevieve Tyrrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-media memoir uses a variety of forms from short epigrammatic essays to straightforward stories and graphic narratives to explore the author’s coming-of-age experiences augmented by chronic illness. Trying to succeed in the film industry, romance, and family situations, the young female narrator navigates the often unexpected or disappointing consequences of having an autonomic nervous system disorder. Relationships between conflicting identities emerge—between healthy versus sick self, projected/envisioned versus actual self, and tough versus vulnerable self—as the narrator journeys toward a more complete and accepting self-understanding.


Psychopathology And Functional Impairment In Adolescents With Social Anxiety Disorder, Franklin Mesa Jan 2013

Psychopathology And Functional Impairment In Adolescents With Social Anxiety Disorder, Franklin Mesa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although social anxiety disorder is most often diagnosed during adolescence, few investigations have examined the clinical presentation of this disorder exclusively in adolescents. Prior studies have demonstrated that some clinical features of SAD in adolescents are unique relative to younger children with the condition. Furthermore, the extant literature on daily functional impairment in this population is limited. In this investigation, multiple areas of functioning were examined in adolescents with SAD (n = 16) and normal control adolescents (n = 14): specific social skills, subjective distress and physiological reactivity during one speech performance task and one social interaction task; alcohol use …


Delineating Key Genetic Components On Linear Plasmid 36 That Contribute To Its Essential Role In Borrelia Burgdorferi Mammalian Infectivity., Tisha Choudhury Jan 2013

Delineating Key Genetic Components On Linear Plasmid 36 That Contribute To Its Essential Role In Borrelia Burgdorferi Mammalian Infectivity., Tisha Choudhury

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi is the etiologic agent of Lyme disease. This pathogen has a complex enzootic life cycle that involves passage between the tick vector (Ixodes scapularis) and various vertebrate hosts with humans being inadvertent hosts. There is a pressing need to study the genetic aspects of the B. burgdorferi infectious cycle and particularly spirochete genes involved in mammalian infectivity so as to develop novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies to combat Lyme disease. The B. burgdorferi genome is fragmented and comprised of a single 900 kb linear chromosome and multiple linear and circular plasmids. It has been observed that …


Mixed Valence Copper(Cu)/Silica Nanocomposite: Synthesis, Characterization And Systematic Antimicrobial Studies, Mikaeel Young Jan 2013

Mixed Valence Copper(Cu)/Silica Nanocomposite: Synthesis, Characterization And Systematic Antimicrobial Studies, Mikaeel Young

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Copper (Cu) compounds are widely used as effective agricultural bactericides. Continuous use of these materials has led to Cu accumulation in soil over time. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) is concerned about potential Cu contamination in the environment. Improving biocidal efficacy of Cu is an attractive alternative, allowing reduction of Cu amount per application. In this research, we focused on making watersoluble mixed-valence Copper/Silica composite nanogel (CuSiNG) material. The objective is to improve the efficacy of Cu by manipulating Cu valence states. It has been shown in the literature that Cu (0) and Cu (I) states are …


Immuno-Pcr Detection Of Lyme Borreliosis, Micah Halpern Jan 2013

Immuno-Pcr Detection Of Lyme Borreliosis, Micah Halpern

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lyme borreliosis, more commonly referred to as Lyme disease, is the fastest growing zoonotic disease in North America with approximately 30,000 confirmed cases and 300,000 estimated infections per year. In nature, the causative agent of Lyme disease, the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, cycles between Ixodes sp. ticks and small mammals. Humans become infected with Lyme disease after being bitten by an infected tick. The primary indicator of a Borrelia burgdorferi infection is a bull’s eye rash typically followed by flu-like symptoms with treatment consisting of a 2-4 week course of antibiotics. If not treated, later stages of the disease can result …


Terpene And Terpenoid Emissions And Secondary Organic Aerosol Production, Rosa M. Flores Jan 2013

Terpene And Terpenoid Emissions And Secondary Organic Aerosol Production, Rosa M. Flores

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Approximately 90% of fine aerosol in the Midwestern United States has a regional component with a sizable fraction attributed to secondary production of organic aerosol (SOA). The Ozark Forest is an important source of biogenic SOA precursors like isoprene (> 150 mg m-2 d-1), monoterpenes (10-40 mg m-2 d-1), and sesquiterpenes (10-40 mg m-2d-1). Anthropogenic sources include secondary sulfate and nitrate and biomass burning (51-60%), vehicle emissions (17-26%), and industrial emissions (16-18%). Vehicle emissions are an important source of volatile and vapor-phase, semivolatile aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons that are important …


The Relationship Between Castor Bean Stem Diameter And Extrafloral Nectary Gland Size, Victor D. Carmona, Stephen Line, Kevin Hong Jan 2013

The Relationship Between Castor Bean Stem Diameter And Extrafloral Nectary Gland Size, Victor D. Carmona, Stephen Line, Kevin Hong

Biology Faculty Works

This project sought to characterize plant defense investment in the castor bean (Ricinus communis L.), an exotic myrmecophyte in southern California, with respect to life history strategies. Experimental evidence suggests that exotic myrmecophytes can form mutually beneficial associations with exotic ants regardless of the differences in shared evolutionary histories. Castor bean plant investment in defense was evaluated by measuring the area on extra-floral nectary (EFN) glands. Life history strategies may change with respect to plant size and was therefore evaluated in terms of basal stem diameter (


Relationship Between Elaiosome And Efn Gland Size In Castor Bean (Ricinus Communis L.), An Exotic Mymercophyte In Southern California, Victor D. Carmona, Andrew Henslin, Lisa Liceaga Jan 2013

Relationship Between Elaiosome And Efn Gland Size In Castor Bean (Ricinus Communis L.), An Exotic Mymercophyte In Southern California, Victor D. Carmona, Andrew Henslin, Lisa Liceaga

Biology Faculty Works

Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) relies on seed dispersal by attracting ants with elaiosomes; lipid rich seed appendages, which serve as a source of food for ant larvae. Additionally, castor bean petioles and inflorescences have extra floral nectary (EFN) glands that secrete sugars that also attract ants, which in return, defend against herbivores. We propose that in order to attract ants, castor bean would have to balance allocation of energy toward plant defense and seed dispersal per the Principle of Allocation. Specifically, we hypothesized that in castor bean, an increase in elaiosome size would correspond to result in …


Anthropogenic Impacts Of Irrigation On The Arthropod Community Structure Of A Coastal Sage Scrub Habitat In Los Angeles, Victor D. Carmona, Justin Aquino, Mindi Catala Jan 2013

Anthropogenic Impacts Of Irrigation On The Arthropod Community Structure Of A Coastal Sage Scrub Habitat In Los Angeles, Victor D. Carmona, Justin Aquino, Mindi Catala

Biology Faculty Works

We evaluated the effects of an irrigation system on the community structure of arthropods in a coastal sage scrub chaparral habitat. We placed 5 traps in the irrigated site and 5 traps in control site, for a total of 10 sticky traps (using Tree Tanglefoot) in an area adjacent to Ballona Wetlands in Los Angeles, California. The traps were set at the irrigated and non-irrigated site on Telegraph Weed for one week. Results showed that morphospecies richness, relative abundance, and taxonomic order representation were higher at the control site than at the irrigated site. Our study documents how anthropogenic impacts …


Behavior And Survival Of Mytilus Congeners Following Episodes Of Elevated Body Temperature In Air And Seawater, W. Wesley Dowd, George N. Somero Jan 2013

Behavior And Survival Of Mytilus Congeners Following Episodes Of Elevated Body Temperature In Air And Seawater, W. Wesley Dowd, George N. Somero

Biology Faculty Works

Coping with environmental stress may involve combinations of behavioral and physiological responses. We examined potential interactions between adult musselsʼ simple behavioral repertoire – opening/closing of the shell valves – and thermal stress physiology in common-gardened individuals of three Mytilus congeners found on the West Coast of North America: two native species (M. californianus and M. trossulus) and one invasive species from the Mediterranean (M. galloprovincialis). We first continuously monitored valve behavior over three consecutive days on which body temperatures were gradually increased, either in air or in seawater. A temperature threshold effect was evident between 25 and 33°C in several …


Estimation Of Performance Indices For The Planning Of Sustainable Transportation Systems, Alexander Paz, Pankaj Maheshwari Jan 2013

Estimation Of Performance Indices For The Planning Of Sustainable Transportation Systems, Alexander Paz, Pankaj Maheshwari

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Research

In the context of sustainable transportation systems, previous studies have either focused only on the transportation systemor have not used a methodology that enables the treatment of incomplete, vague, and qualitative information associated with the available data. This study proposes a system of systems (SOS) and a fuzzy logic modeling approach. The SOS includes the Transportation, Activity, and Environment systems. The fuzzy logic modeling approach enables the treatment of the vagueness associated with some of the relevant data. Performance Indices (PIs) are computed for each system using a number of performance measures. The PIs illustrate the aggregated performance of each …


Treaties In Force: A List Of Treaties And Other International Agreements Of The United States In Force On January 1, 2013, United States Department Of State Jan 2013

Treaties In Force: A List Of Treaties And Other International Agreements Of The United States In Force On January 1, 2013, United States Department Of State

Historical and Topical Legal Documents

No abstract provided.


Acetyl Radical In Tobacco Smoke: Detection, Quantification And Simulation, Na Hu Jan 2013

Acetyl Radical In Tobacco Smoke: Detection, Quantification And Simulation, Na Hu

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Free radicals are present in cigarette smoke and can have a negative effect on human health by attacking lipids, nucleic acids, proteins and other biologically important species. However, because of the complexity of the tobacco smoke system and the dynamic nature of radicals, little is known about the identity of the radicals, and debate continues on the mechanisms by which those radicals are produced. In this study, acetyl radicals were trapped from the gas phase using 3-amino-2, 2, 5, 5- tetramethyl-proxyl (3AP) on solid support to form stable 3AP adducts for later analysis by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass …


Induction Of Microalgal Lipids For Biodiesel Production In Tandem With Sequestration Of High Carbon Dioxide Concentration, Wilbel J. Brewer Jan 2013

Induction Of Microalgal Lipids For Biodiesel Production In Tandem With Sequestration Of High Carbon Dioxide Concentration, Wilbel J. Brewer

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

There is no doubt that sufficient energy supply is indispensable for the fulfillment of our fossil fuel crises in a stainable fashion. There have been many attempts in deriving biodiesel fuel from different bioenergy crops including corn, canola, soybean, palm, sugar cane and vegetable oil. However, there are some significant challenges, including depleting feedstock supplies, land use change impacts and food use competition, which lead to high prices and inability to completely displace fossil fuel [1-2]. In recent years, use of microalgae as an alternative biodiesel feedstock has gained renewed interest as these fuels are becoming increasingly economically viable, …


Effects Of Ethylene On Secondary Xylem Formation In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Haley M. Rupp Jan 2013

Effects Of Ethylene On Secondary Xylem Formation In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Haley M. Rupp

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Ethylene has myriad roles as a plant hormone, ranging from senescence and defending against pathogen attacks to fruit ripening and interactions with other hormones. It has been shown to increase cambial activity in poplar, but the effect on wood formation in Arabidopsis hypocotyl has not previously been studied. The Auxin-Regulated Gene involved in Organ Size (ARGOS), which increases organ size by lengthening the time for cell division, was found to be upregulated by ethylene. We tested the effect of ethylene treatment at 10 and 100 µM ACC on three genotypes of Arabidopsis, Col0 (wild-type), an ARGOS deficient mutant (argos), and …


Factors Affecting Diporeia Growth Rates In Lake Superior, Miles J. Corcoran Jan 2013

Factors Affecting Diporeia Growth Rates In Lake Superior, Miles J. Corcoran

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

An ability to predict population dynamics of the amphipod Diporeia is important in understanding how energy pathways in the Lake Superior food web might be altered by disturbances to the ecosystem. Estimating growth rates for this prominent prey item for fish requires information on the physiological effects of changes to its environment. These effects have been investigated for Diporeia in other Great Lakes, but little is known about Lake Superior populations. The primary objective of this study is to obtain quantitative data for rates of Diporeia respiration and consumption that can be incorporated into a bioenergetics model for Lake Superior. …


Simulations Of Newtonian And Non-Newtonian Flows In Deformable Tubes, Abdallah A. Al-Habahbeh Jan 2013

Simulations Of Newtonian And Non-Newtonian Flows In Deformable Tubes, Abdallah A. Al-Habahbeh

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open

Computational models for the investigation of flows in deformable tubes are developed and implemented in the open source computing environment OpenFOAM. Various simulations for Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids under various flow conditions are carried out and analyzed. First, simulations are performed to investigate the flow of a shear-thinning, non-Newtonian fluid in a collapsed elastic tube and comparisons are made with experimental data. The fluid is modeled by means of the Bird-Carreau viscosity law. The computational domain of the deformed tube is constructed from data obtained via computer tomography imaging. Comparison of the computed velocity fields with the ultrasound Doppler velocity …