Digital Commons Network^™

Utilizing Next Generation Sequencing To Generate Bacterial Genomic Sequences For Evolutionary Analysis, Derrick C. Scott

Theses and Dissertations

Many important questions in the field of prokaryotic biology cannot be answered due to the low availability of sequenced and finished genomes. Recent improvements in technology and decreases in price have made the ambition of de novo bacterial genomic sequencing a reality for a wide range of researchers. However, with the advancement of sequencing technology comes the need for an evaluation to determine the most reliable bioinformatics methods in generating a complete and accurate assembly. Biases inherent in the sequencing technology and GC-rich genomes complicate genome assemblies. Here, we sequenced bacterial strains from the GC-rich Caulobacter genus and the closely …

Helping Children With Autism Learn With Mathematics Software, Michelle Hansen

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are conditions where a person may exhibit developmental disabilities, significant social, communication and behavioral challenges, and process information differently than people without ASD. The Federal Government guidelines mandate inclusion of all students into the public school facilities. All school age children in the United States are afforded the same opportunities for public education.

The goal of this investigation was to evaluate the effectiveness of Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI) as a treatment for teaching mathematics to a group of autistic pupils in an elementary school environment. The public later elementary school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and had …

Embodying Ritual Performance: An Iconographic Analysis Of Burial 38 At The Etowah Site, Amy M. Goldstein

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is an iconographic study of Burial 38 from Mound C at the Etowah, a Mississippian mound site in present-day Northwest Georgia. The goal of this study was to gain an understanding of the iconographic meaning of the artifacts in Burial 38 as well as the significance of the arrangement of individuals within the burial and its relationship with Mound C more broadly. Applying theories of relational ontology, performance, and gender, I build on King’s (2010) interpretation of Mound C’s final construction phases as a ritual event that transformed the mound into a sacred center, melded foreign and local …

Gas-Phase, Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation Of Propanoic Acid Over Supported Group Viii Noble Metals, Yuliana K. Lugo José

Theses and Dissertations

Recent advances for the deoxygenation of biomass, have demonstrated that hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) is one of the most promising route for the upgrading pyrolysis bio-oils. Catalytic hydrodeoxygenation of pyrolysis bio-oil have shown to be an efficient and economical process, since the raw materials consist mainly of waste. Propanoic Acid (PAc) is considered as one of the main constituents of pyrolysis bio-oils. However, these carboxylic acids are extremely corrosive and difficult to deoxygenate. Therefore, much effort have been given to the development of novel catalytic techniques, to improve the activity, stability and selectivity for the HDO of carboxylic acids.

This dissertation explores …

Mechanical Properties Of Diet And Its Effect On Oral Health, Varsha Kapoor

Theses and Dissertations

The predominant diet fed to captive carnivores consists of ground meat formulated to provide full nutritional requirements. However, this ground meat diet completely lacks the mechanical properties such as toughness, hardness and stiffness of the foods the animals would eat in the wild. The goal of this research was to evaluate the effect of mechanical properties of diet on oral health by comparing prevalence of periodontal disease and calculus accumulation in wild and captive felids. One-way ANOVA analysis of variance indicated that these differences are statistically significant (P

Charleston’S Magnolia Umbra Cemetery District: A Necrogeographic History, Timothy John Hyder

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper is to parse the deeper historical meanings of the establishment and expansions within the Magnolia Umbra Cemetery District (MUCD), a collection of 26 different, yet contiguous, cemeteries in Charleston, South Carolina founded by a diverse cross-section of the city's nineteenth century population, by utilizing the framework of necrogeography. This methodology hinges on the notion that one can derive useful analysis of the living by analyzing the landscapes of the dead. Cemeteries, in this lens, are not constructions of the dead but of the living, and therefore the choices of cemetery location, style, and monumentation are …

Getting Away With Murder: Hazing, Hegemonic Masculinity, And Victimization, Toniqua Charee Mikell

Theses and Dissertations

Robert Champion, a drum major in the Florida A&M University marching band was beaten to death on, November 19, 2011. He was 26 years old. Champion is the latest victim of a FAMU band hazing incident known infamously as “Crossing Bus C.” The incident at FAMU represents one of the countless hazing rituals that occur each year. On college campuses, it is believed that as many as 55% of students on various teams or members of student organizations experience some form of hazing. This study highlights the complexity of hazing as it relates to its operationalization, its history, and its …

Handcuffing Speech: Federal Fraud Statutes And The Criminalization Of Advertising, Carmen Maye

Theses and Dissertations

The potential criminalization of deceptive advertising implicates the adequacy of regulatory oversight by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the proper balance between the free flow of information and the Government’s role in consumer protection. Is there a need for, and room for, both FTC and Department of Justice (DOJ) oversight on the deceptive advertising front? These issues have ramifications for the courts, who bear the burden of adjudicating challenged applications of that policy, and also for the orderly functioning of government, which must accommodate the convergence of competing interests and divisions of authority.

Many fraudulent schemes are perpetuated without …

Two Essays On Time Perceptions And Patience, Frank May

Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation examines how the properties inherent to time can affect perception of wait time and, consequently, patience. Patience, or the willingness to forgo a smaller reward in the present in order to obtain a larger reward in the future, is an important construct in the consumer behavior literature. I focus on how consumers perceive wait time when faced with an intertemporal choice between a smaller-sooner option and a larger-later one (e.g., receive less money earlier vs. more money later). In this type of situation, wait time is standing between the individual and a better option. I argue that the …

Functional Characterization Of Fro4 And Fro5: Two Members Of The Ferric Chelate Reductase Family Of Arabidopsis, Grandon Thomas Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

Iron (Fe) is the fourth most abundant element within the earth’s crust and is an essential micronutrient for plants and animals. Fe plays key roles in photosynthesis, respiration and chlorophyll biosynthesis in plants and in hemoglobin in animals. Like Fe, copper (Cu) is also an important micronutrient in plants and is needed for photosynthesis and respiration, especially in the important copper-containing protein plastocyanin. Copper also is important in scavenging reactive oxygen species and ethylene perception. The reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ at the root surface of Arabidopsis thaliana during times of Fe deficiency has been a well-characterized process; however, reduction …

Six1 Overexpression Promotes Epithelial– Mesenchymal Transition And Malignant Progression In Models Of Cervical And Colon Cancer, Hanwen Xu

Theses and Dissertations

Inappropriate expression of embryonic genes, particularly homeodomain transcription factors, contributes to tumorigenesis and tumor progression. The overexpression of Six1, a member of the Six family of homeodomain transcription factors, has been found in various human cancers, and is associated with tumor progression and metastasis. We have previously determined that the expression of SIX1 mRNA increased during in vitro progression of human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16)- immortalized human keratinocytes (HKc/HPV16) toward a differentiation-resistant (HKc/DR) phenotype. However, the mechanism(s) of how Six1 promotes HPV16- mediated transformation remain unknown. In this study, we explored the role of Six1 at early stages and late …

Role Of Chronic Inflammation On Liver Function During Cachexia Progression In The ApcMin/+ Mouse Model, Aditi Narsale

Theses and Dissertations

Cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome that manifests during the advanced stage of chronic diseases and is characterized by a progressive loss of body mass sustained by underlying inflammation. The ApcMin/+ mouse is an established model of cachexia that exhibits a gradual loss of body mass correlating with increasing tumor burden and plasma IL – 6 levels. Moreover it also mimics other secondary characteristics observed in cachectic patients like splenomegaly, elevated plasma endotoxin levels, gut barrier dysfunction, hypogonadism and an overall hypermetabolic state. Liver controls the energy metabolism in the body by regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, glycogen storage, filtration of …

Genetic Background Influences Behavior And Responses To Epigenetic Changes Induced By A Methyl-Donor Diet, Kimberly R. Shorter

Theses and Dissertations

With recent strides in epigenetics, mainstream media informs the public that we can “beat our genes” by, for instance, changing our diet. Genetics, however, still plays a role in phenotype. Folate and other methyl-donor pathway components are widely supplemented due to their ability to prevent neural tube defects during prenatal development. In addition to vitamins, these compounds are also added to commercial flour, energy drinks, and other supplements. Several lines of evidence suggest that these supplements act through epigenetic mechanisms, including altering DNA methylation. Increasing evidence suggests potential deleterious effects of excessive folate. Given the benefits of these compounds, risk …

Dietary Inflammatory Index And Its Relationship With Inflammation, Metabolic Biomarkers And Mortality, Nitin Shivappa

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Diet and its components are known to play an important factor in the process of inflammation and in turn on the health effects that are related to inflammation like cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Previous research so far has mainly looked at the effect of specific food or nutrients on inflammation and health outcomes. In this regard a new literature derived and population based dietary index called Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) was developed after carefully screening around 6000 articles that looked at the association between 45 food parameters and 6 commonly studied inflammatory markers. The list of food parameters includes …

Antenatal Anxiety Predicting Child Outcomes In Fragile X Syndrome, Ashley Nicole Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

A relationship between maternal anxiety during pregnancy, known as antenatal anxiety, and negative child outcomes has been consistently shown in the literature. Children of mothers who experienced antenatal anxiety have higher rates of physical, behavioral, cognitive, and emotional deficits compared to children whose mothers did not experience clinical levels of anxiety during pregnancy. To date, research on antenatal anxiety and child outcomes is almost exclusively limited to non-clinical populations. Therefore, little is known about the relationship between maternal anxiety during pregnancy and suboptimal cognitive and behavioral development in children with disabilities. Families with fragile X syndrome (FXS) are a unique …

Plant-Biomimetic Hydrogel Actuators: Creating Movement In Hydrogels Through The Study Of Plants, Christen Rhodes

Theses and Dissertations

Plants are sessile organisms that have developed methods of movement to respond to environmental stimuli. Some of the approaches feature the unequal expansion of cells and controlling deformation direction through fibers under swelling and drying. Hydrogels are three dimensional polymer networks that have the capacity for large volume changes due their affinity for water and can be tough and/or stimuli-responsive. In this paper, three preliminary plant-biomimetic hydrogel actuator designs are discussed and tested from wet to dry. The first actuator design, termed a 1%-0.1% bilayer, features two layers of different swelling and drying rates due to differences in cross-linking density. …

Longitudinal Changes In The Inflammatory Potential Of Diet And Risk Of Cancer In Women, Fred Kinyuytabung

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: The dietary inflammatory index (DII) assesses an individual’s overall diet quality with regards to its inflammatory potential on a continuum from maximally anti-inflammatory (lower or healthier DII scores) to maximally pro-inflammatory (higher or unhealthy DII scores). The DII measured at one point in time has been associated with cancer risk in previous studies; however, data are lacking regarding the change in DII over time and how these changes impact cancer risk. We assessed changes in the DII, and evaluated associations between cumulative history, and changes over time in dietary inflammatory potential, and risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) and breast …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Esri Story Maps As Effective Teaching Tools, Caitlin Strachan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore teachers’ perceptions of Esri Story Maps as effective teaching tools. Story Maps are a relatively new web application within Esri’s web-based GIS platform, ArcGIS Online. They combine digitized, dynamic maps with other story elements (i.e., title, text, legend, popups, and other visuals) to help the creator effectively convey a message. The relative ease associated with using and creating a Story Map as well as the simple, non-technical interface makes them ideal for use as an educational technology. Survey data were collected at several professional development events in the spring of 2014 in …

Using Comparative Metagenomics To Determine The Role Of Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) As Sentinels For Human Respiratory Health, Sarah H. Stellick Seepaulsingh

Theses and Dissertations

Cetaceans are proposed as sentinel species for assessing the health of marine ecosystems and human coastal populations. This relationship has been based on similarities in the bioaccumulation of pollutants by cetaceans and humans, as well as their susceptibility to infectious disease. Respiratory disease represents a major cause of mortality in humans and cetaceans, and culture-dependent studies and 16S rDNA gene sequencing have identified known human respiratory pathogens from immunocompromised and healthy dolphins.

To broaden our understanding of the microbial community associated with dolphin upper respiratory tracts (URT), we characterized metagenomes generated from the URT of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) …

Role Of Apelin And Endothelin Systems In The Pain Associated With Sickle Cell Disease, Terika Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a common genetic blood disorders that is characterized by painful vaso-occlusive episodes (VOEs), which are the major cause of hospitalizations for these patients. One of the mechanisms that may contribute to the development of painful VOEs is the imbalance between vasoconstrictors and vasodilators. This thesis focuses on the vasoconstrictors endothelin-1 (ET-1), which is elevated during VOEs and is pro-nociceptive, and angiotensin II (Ang II) and the vasodilator apelin, which has anti-nociceptive properties. This thesis tested two hypotheses: 1) an imbalance between the vasoconstrictive and pro-nociceptive systems and vasodilatory and anti-nociceptive systems contributes to pain in …

Enhancing Peripheral Opioid Analgesia: Development Of Viral Vector And Small Peptide Therapies, Sherika Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Chronic neuropathic pain often decreases quality of life, incurs high medical costs and is difficult to treat. Neuropathic pain can develop as a result of nerve damage induced by trauma or diseases such as diabetes and cancer. This type of pain is often resistant to standard treatments for chronic pain. Effective and safe treatments for persistent neuropathic pain remain an unmet therapeutic need. The primary objective of this work was to test the hypotheses that peripheral opioid analgesia can be enhanced using a herpes simplex virus vector gene therapy approach and peripheral opioid tolerance can be prevented by blocking opioid …

Status Epilepticus Induced Alterations In Hippocampal Anatomy And Neurotransmission, Denise K. Grosenbaugh

Theses and Dissertations

Status epilepticus (SE) is a life-threatening neurologic emergency occurring when the brain is in an unrelenting state of seizure activity. Approximately 40% of people who encounter a single event of SE go on to develop epilepsy, characterized by spontaneously occurring seizures. While the exact mechanisms underlying seizure origin are not understood, at a fundamental level seizures initiate due to an imbalance between inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmission. We explored the impact of SE and the development of epilepsy on GABAA receptor mediated inhibitory neurotransmission and kainate receptor (KAR) mediated excitatory neurotransmission.

Stiripentol (STP), a positive allosteric modulator of the GABAA receptor, …

Muscarinic Modulation Of Basolateral Amygdala, Lei Liu

Theses and Dissertations

The basolateral amygdala (BL) receives a dense cholinergic innervation from the basal forebrain. Despite the importance of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) in fear learning, consolidation, and extinction, there have been no studies that have systematically investigated the functional role of mAChRs in regulating emotional processing in the BL. To address this critical knowledge gap we combined brain slice whole-cell recording, optogenetics, and immunohistochemistry to determine how muscarine, acting on mAChRs, regulates neuronal oscillations, synaptic transmission and plasticity in the BL.

Neurons in the BL oscillate rhythmically during emotional processing, which are thought to be important to integrate sensory inputs, allow …

Biopolymeric Hydrogels Functionalized With Tobacco Mosaic Virus For In Vitro Three Dimensional Culture And Differentiation Of Stem Cells And In Vivo Tissue Regeneration, Jittima Amie Luckanagul

Theses and Dissertations

Plant viruses have been highlighted among material research due to their well-defined structures in nanoscale, mono-dispersity, stability, and chemical functionalities. Each of the thousands coated protein subunits on a viral nanoparticle can be homogenously modified, chemically, and genetically with a functional ligand leading to a high-density and spatial distribution of ligands on each particle (multivalency). Many reports from our group have clearly shown that virus coated substrates induced the acceleration of bone marrow stromal cells differentiation into bone cells. We hypothesized that this phenomenon could rely on the multivalency that the viral nanoparticle has to offer. Moving to a more …

An Examination Of Relationship Factors Contributing To Student Persistence In Ing Run For Something Better, Brice Leon Sampson Cockfield

Theses and Dissertations

There is sufficient empirical evidence that children are more unfit now than ever before in the history of the United States. Defeating childhood obesity is a critical agenda issue for the First Lady Michelle Obama as the medical community and the United States at large continually cite research that obesity, poor nutrition, and low physical activity may affect children’s cognitive and physical outcomes. Much of the research in this area is quantifiable and measurable through body mass index, the number of repetitions of certain exercises, and physical stamina. As schools search for solutions to address this epidemic, school nutrition and …

Tradition Or Technology?: The Impact Of Paper Versus Digital Map Technology On Students’ Spatial Thinking Skill Acquisition, Larianne Collins

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates whether spatial learning outcomes differ with respect to different instructional media. Specifically, it examines traditional, paper aerial imagery as compared to digital imagery visualized with 3D globes. Two research questions provided the focus: 1) Does spatial thinking skill development differ between analog (paper) and digital map media; 2) Does spatial thinking skill development differ based on attitudes toward geography, past travel experience, or demographic variables such as gender, and are there interaction effects among them related to the different media?

Spatial thinking skill development was measured as students received instruction using either paper or digital maps. Spatial …

A Three-Dimensional In Vitromodel Of Atherogenesis, Pin Hsuan Chang

Theses and Dissertations

Atherosclerosis is the narrowing of arteries caused by accumulation of cholesterol, calcium and other cellular debris in the inner arterial wall. While extensive studies have been focusing on the inflammatory mechanisms of the disease, pathological and experimental evidence has shown that regions of disturbed flow are susceptible to the atherogenesis. To further understand the relationship between hemodynamics and atherogenesis, this research aims to generate a dynamic, 3D in vitro model of atherogenesis. This will allow for the investigation of specific cellular and molecular mechanisms of plaque formation that will pave the way for new therapies for the disease. A novel …

How Much Do Groups Still Matter To Politics? An Examination Of Group Influences On Public Opinion, Lauren E. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Public opinion plays an important role in democracy. A system of government designed specifically to be by the people, for the people and of the people must by necessity listen to the opinions of the people. Accordingly, an important research agenda is determining conditions under which public opinion is listened to and translated into government responsiveness. Most of the public opinion literature answering this question focuses specifically on individual opinion. I argue that this is problematic because politics is ultimately carried out in terms of the collective. Further, I argue that collective opinion is often voiced through groups in society …

The Effects Of Exercise Training On Cognitive Reserve And Cognitive Function In Healthy Older Women, Katie Marie Becofsky

Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive reserve theory suggests that physical activity may protect individuals from cognitive decline. At the brain level, greater cognitive reserve may manifest as greater neural network efficiency. Our purpose was to investigate 1) whether participation in a 16-week walking program increased brain efficiency, and 2) whether increased brain efficiency correlated with change in fitness and task performance. Our secondary purpose was to investigate whether exercise training improved performance on a battery of cognitive tasks, particularly executive functioning performance. Seventeen healthy but sedentary women aged 60-75 years participated in a supervised walking program; eighteen women served as a non-randomized control group. …

Lost In The Middle Kingdom: Teaching New Languages Using Serious Games And Language Learning Methodologies, Renaldo Justin Doe

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the design and development of a serious video game for language learning entitled Lost in the Middle Kingdom. Our game utilizes several language learning methodologies including second language acquisition theory, content-based instruction, and task-based language teaching. This thesis examines previous language learning games and their drawbacks in order to create a more effective experience. Lost in the Middle Kingdom seeks to balance language learning with fun and intuitive gameplay in order to deliver a form of interactive media that is accepted by both the gaming and research communities. Our test data illustrates the strengths and weaknesses …