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Homochiral Metal-Organic Materials: Design, Synthetic And Enantioseletive Separation, Shi-Yuan Zhang

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Owing to the growing demand for enantiopurity in biological and chemical processes, tremendous efforts have been devoted to the synthesis of homochiral metal-organic materials (MOMs) because of their potential applications in chiral separation and asymmetric catalysis. In this dissertation, the synthetic strategies for homochiral MOMs are discussed keeping the focus on their applications. Two distinct approaches have been taken to synthesize chiral structures with different topologies and accessible cavities. The chiral MOMs have been utilized in enantioselective separation of racemates.

Chiral variants of the prototypal metal-organic framework MOF-5, δ-CMOF-5 and [lambda]-CMOF-5, have been synthesized by preparing MOF-5 in the presence …

Study Of The Motility Of Biological Cells By Digital Holographic Microscopy, Xiao Yu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I utilize digital holographic microscopy (DHM) to study the motility of biological cells. As an important feature of DHM, quantitative phase microscopy by digital holography (DH-QPM) is applied to study the cell-substrate interactions and migratory behavior of adhesive cells. The traction force exerted by biological cells is visualized as distortions in flexible substrata. Motile fibroblasts produce wrinkles when attached to a silicone rubber film. For the non-wrinkling elastic substrate polyacrylamide (PAA), surface deformation due to fibroblast adhesion and motility is visualized as tangential and vertical displacement. This surface deformation and the associated cellular traction forces are measured …

Porphyrin Cross-Linkers For Generating Soluble Molecularly Imprinted Polymers From Polyethyleneimine, Mohammed R. Elshaer

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Molecular recognition is vital to many biochemical processes and is at the heart of promising bio-medically related technologies. Molecular imprinting has a long-standing history as a successful method for mimicking the molecular recognition phenomena exhibited by nature, whereby artificial receptors are prepared for a given target molecule based on synthetic polymers. The molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) contains a three dimensional network with a memorized cavity specific to the shape and functionality of the templated target molecule. The utility of traditional MIPs has been limited due to an inherent lack of solubility. We have worked toward developing a system that allows …

Chemical Induced Hypoxia Differentially Affects Gene Expression In Human Neuronal Cells, Natasha V. Pavlichko

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Previously, our laboratory used desferoxamine (DFO), to generate hypoxic conditions (a low oxygen condition) which decreased human neuronal cell viability, but some cells still survived. These surviving neurons showed no morphological changes when compared to the non-treated group. However, the alteration of several intracellular events were detected, such as an increase of hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) mRNA levels, a decrease of human mu opioid receptor (hMOR) message, and no change of human delta opioid receptor (hDOR) receptor message. Western blot analysis showed the Janus kinase (JAK)/ Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription (STAT) pathway was activated and an increase …

Transnational Organized Crime And The Illegal Wildlife Trade Global Ties And Global Crime, Zachariah Edward Long

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

World biodiversity is faced with many different threats in today's globalized world. One such threat is the emergence of transnational organized crime in the illegal wildlife trade. But why would transnational organized crime which is traditionally associated with such crimes like illegal drugs, weapons, and human trafficking be interested in the illegal wildlife trade? This thesis seeks to explore why transnational organized crime as a rational business actor would it be interested in participating in the illegal wildlife trade. To explore this relationship, this thesis will look at several different variables. First the economic conditions oflocals living with wildlife and …

May 2014 Quicknotes, Southern Adventist University

QuickNotes – Advancement e-Newsletter

QuickNotes is an e-newsletter that comes from Advancement at Southern Adventist University. May 2014 edition features the article "Summerour Hall Reopens".

Effects Of Creosote-Contaminated Sediment Extracts On Mouse Macrophage Physiology And Function, Rayna Silva

All Theses

The southern branch of the Elizabeth River, at Portsmouth Virginia is one of the most polluted systems in North America. This harbor estuary system is also home to the Atlantic Wood Superfund site, which is heavily contaminated with creosote from the Atlantic Wood (AW) preservative company that ceased production in the later 1990s. Creosote is a mixture of polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), metals, and numerous aliphatic hydrocarbons, and well known to be carcinogenic. The toxicity of sediments and pore waters from the AW site has been studied extensively using Fundulus heteroclitus, also known as the mummichog, or Atlantic killifish. Most adult …

Salivary Alpha-Amylase As An Indicator Of Body Stress Following An Acute Session Of Repetitive Jumping, Shaelee Allen

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Determining body stress levels is important when developing training programs for athletes and rehab facilities. Stress levels during exercise are commonly measured using heart rate, oxygen consumption (VO₂), and blood biomarkers. These collection measures involve training on the part of the data collector and the participant, are invasive, and themselves elicit some stress. The purpose of this study is to test whether a 10-min repetitive jumping session will cause a significant increase in salivary alpha-amylase, a potential stress biomarker. This study also looks to determine if a 20-min recovery is enough time for amylase levels to return to …

Prymnesium Parvum And Fish Kills In A Southern Nevada Man-~Made Reservoir, Tara Gregg

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The water chemistry of Lake Las Vegas (LLV), a Southern Nevada man-made reservoir, is influenced by both anthropogenic and natural sources. These sources affect the reservoir's water chemistry, which may promote harmful algal blooms (HABs) leading to massive fish kill events. Fish kills, caused by the golden algaePrymnesium parvum (P. parvum), continue to pose a threat in the reservoir. However, no effective treatments to controlP. parvumin large reservoirs such as LLV have been determined. This cross-sectional study evaluated important variables that may affectP. parvumHABs in LLV, including non-P. parvumbiomass (mg/m3), total zooplankton abundance (#/m3), temperature, TDS (salinity), mineral concentration (Ca, …

Pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana) Offspring Recruitment On The Carrizo Plain National Monument: Evaluating The Effects Of Low Population Density And Marginal Habitat Quality., Diego Ramirez Johnson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Demographic fluctuation among ungulate populations is strongly linked to variability in recruitment. Rates of recruitment are subject to various forms of density-dependent and density-independent regulation. For species which benefit from the presence of conspecifics, reduced population density can decrease rates of recruitment and trigger a decline in per capita growth. Termed the Allee effect, this scenario can cause demographic collapse and population extinction. For many ungulate species, predation on juveniles is reduced when the timing and distribution of births is synchronized within a local population. Because birth synchrony is density-dependent, it may act as a mechanism for the Allee effect …

Retirement And The Registered Nurse: The Saver Study, Shanna Field Keele

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sixty percent of U.S. registered nurses (RNs) age 45-60 have not participated in retirement planning. Further, in the next 10 to 15 years, this cohort of 1 million RNs will reach retirement age. Previous RN retirement studies have focused on RN retirement outlook, RN economic preparation for retirement, or retirement intent. However, no contemporary research explores the psychological influences in RN retirement preparation; a concern since retirement benefits have been suggested as a retention strategy to improve patient care outcomes, satisfaction, and safety by reducing RN turnover. The purpose of the SAVER study was to identify predictors of future time …

Understanding How Honey Bee Flight And Senescence Are Connected Through Oxidative Stress., Joseph Margotta

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The goal of this dissertation was to exploit the tractability of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) to understand how the physiological and cellular mechanisms that determine the onset and duration of senescence are shaped by behavioral development and behavioral intensity. These data reveal how behavior can damage cells and consequently limit lifespan. The honey bee represents the ideal model to address these factors because age, behavior, functional senescence, and lifespan are easily manipulated independently of each other while in its natural environment. I determined if there was a cause-effect relationship between honey bee flight and oxidative stress by comparing damage …

Development And Evaluation Of An Opioid Monitoring Clinic, Richard Luna Talusan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

An APRN-led Opioid Monitoring Clinic was developed and implemented in the primary care setting of Las Vegas' Department of Veterans Affairs in July 2013 to assist primary care providers (PCP) in the management of high risk patients on chronic opioid

therapy for chronic noncancer pain. The clinic assisted in monitoring patients for abuse and misuse of opioids and referred patients for treatment when abuse and misuse were discovered. A study to evaluate the OMC was undertaken from November 22, 2013

through February 23, 2014 to assess the effectiveness of the OMC in meeting its objectives. A total of 61 patients …

Understanding Selenium Distribution In Lake Mead Using A Three-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Based Water Quality Model, Xiaolu Wei

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Shallow groundwater and surface drainages in Las Vegas Wash are known to have elevated level of selenium which mainly comes from the naturally occurring geological hotspots on the southeast side of the Las Vegas Valley. Selenium fate and transport after it enters into Lake Mead from the Las Vegas Wash are not clearly understood. An open sourced three-dimensional Environmental Fluid Dynamic Code model (EFDC), developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, was used to model movement of selenium in the Boulder Basin, Lake Mead. The model was calibrated by observed data from 2006 to 2007. The concept of Lagrangian …

Addressing The Elephant In The Room: A Descriptive Analysis Of Weight-Based Harassment On College Campuses, Lynnsie Doty

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

According to the bullying and harassment literature, over 50 percent of adolescents reported that they were targets of harassment at least once a month. A major gap within this literature is that most of these studies focus predominantly on adolescents and none focuses on older cohorts. To date only five studies have focused on college populations, but none focus on weight specifically as a factor. Although many individuals may disagree, weight-based harassment is comparable to harassment based on race and sexual orientation and affects victims just as negatively. Therefore, it is time to address the elephant in the room and …

Identification And Genetic Diversity Of Lake Sturgeon Larvae On Artificial Reefs In The Huron-Erie Corridor, Jamie Marie Marranca

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There are 27 species of sturgeon worldwide and most are currently extinct, endangered or threatened. Lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens, one of the oldest species on the planet, evolved about 136 million years ago, and have had little morphological change, and are endemic to the freshwater lakes and rivers created by receding glaciers of the Laurentian ice sheet. Lake sturgeon have seen immense habitat loss due to human development and industrialization has nearly decimated populations. Changes to water and habitat quality, along with overharvesting, have caused declines to nearly 1% of their original population size. The Huron-Erie Corridor (HEC), includes the …

The Definition, Identification, And Cause Of Specific Learning Disabilities: A Literature Review, Joseph M. Cottrell

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) currently make up approximately 40% of students receiving special education. The definition of SLD has not changed since the original special education law was implemented in 1975. Even with the recent changes to special education law in 2004, the definition stayed the same. Some professionals believe this lack of change reveals consistency while other scholars believe this lack of change reveals a lack of knowledge about what SLDs really are. The definition of SLD gives little insight regarding the etiology of the disorder. There are three prominent theories regarding the cause of SLDs: (a) …

Mapit - A Mapping Application For Freshwater Invertebrate Taxa, Sirisha Pratha

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

With the increasing popularity of the World Wide Web among internet users across the world, the need for building web based applications is increasing with time. The Western Center for Monitoring and Assessment of Freshwater Ecosystems (WMC) and the National Aquatic Monitoring Center (NAMC) jointly host a central database containing biological data that is used to assess the condition of aquatic ecosystems. The information stored in the database contains biological and, - geographical data. This information is made available easily through a simple but effective tool called MAPIT. MAPIT is a search engine which can be used to search through …

A Petrographic Analysis Of The Relationship Between Porosity And Organic Matter In The Permian Phosphoria Formation Of Northeastern Utah, Larry Tackett

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

The Permian Phosphoria Formation is a reservoir for oil and gas in the western United States, as well as a major source of phosphate. This study examined the relationship between phosphate richness and porosity exhibited in the formation. Petrographic analysis was carried out on rock samples collected from the Phosphoria (Park City) Formation located north of Vernal, Utah, on the southern flank of the Uinta Mountains.

The analysis demonstrated an inverse relationship between organic richness and porosity in the Phosphoria Formation. Porosity is controlled by lithology, amount of cementation, weathering, and amount of fecal pellets, which are the source of …

Recovering The Moca River: An Exploration Through Sustainable Strategies For Developing Countries, Marleny Santana Diaz

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Natural watercourses are being negatively affected by growing urbanization in different cities of the world. Within these circumstances the concept of river restoration has gained relevance, becoming a worldwide priority in water management. In developing countries, river restoration plans, conditioned by social and economic limitations, are mainly focused on a single approach, typically relying on short-term, low technology strategies.

In the long term, these strategies tend to fail because they usually avoid integral solutions that address the interconnected factors contributing to river degradation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop a framework of river restoration planning for developing …

Design Process In Landscape Architecture: Developing A Learning Guide For The Design Workshop Archives At Utah State University, John A. Gottfredson

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

In 2011, Utah State University created the Design Workshop™ Landscape Architecture Archive [Archive] housed in the Merrill-Cazier Library’s Special Collections and Archives. These archives constitute a valuable and unique learning opportunity for students, researchers and professionals in landscape architecture. The Archive consists of the process documents and work product of over 40 years of professional practice in landscape architecture by Design Workshop™, a leading landscape architecture firm. The documents represent a wide and diverse range of projects and locations, but with special emphasis on projects in the unique landscape of the American West. Archive documents are broad in scope, from …

Effect Of Water Immersion And Jet Perturbation On Balance In Older And Younger Adults, Matthew Baldwin

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Background: Although balance exercises are often performed in shallow pools, the efficacy of this practice is not well understood. Purpose: To quantify the effect of water depth and jet intensity on measures of balance in older and younger adults. Subjects: Sixteen older (age = 62.8 °” 9.56 yrs) and fifteen younger (age = 22.5 °” 1.85 yrs) adults. Methods: Posturography data were collected as participants stood quietly for 90 seconds on land and at various water depths and jet intensities. Results: Main effects < 0.001) and pairwise comparisons revealed that all measurements increased with increasing water depth and jet intensity,with older adults increasing statistically less than younger adults at higher jet intensities. Conclusions: Water immersion to the xiphoid process and water jet intensities at or above 40% seem to be environmental conditions that produce the greatest postural sway.

Mvgst: Tools For Multivariate And Directional Gene Set Testing, Dennis S. Mecham

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

There are many platforms available for simultaneously measuring the relative activity, or expression, levels of all genes in an organism. Genes that have systematically dier- ent expression levels between experimental factor levels are called \dierentially expressed". Because genes are annotated based on their known roles in biological processes (BP), molec- ular functions (MF) and cellular components (CC), gene expression levels can be used to determine relative activity levels of individual BP, MF, or CC between experimental fac- tor levels (this is called gene set testing). Often multiple experimental dierences are of interest simultaneously, which necessitates multivariate gene set testing. Only …

Political Sophistication: How Values And Social Capital Contribute To Political Knowledge And Cognition, Jonathan C. Young

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study argues that value types defined by Shalom Schwartz should relate to social capital and political sophistication in particular ways. Individual value types that emphasize "other-orientation" should positively relate to social capital characteristics that increase information flows which in turn will relate to increased political sophistication. On the other hand, it is expected that individual value types that emphasize "self-orientation" will positively relate to social capital characteristics that decrease information flows which in turn would correlate to decreased political sophistication. Using post-materialism as a theoretical basis and a survey that measures political knowledge and ideology, value orientation, social network …

Effects Of Culverts On Brook Trout Genetic Diversity, Darren M. Wood

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are a species of concern within their native range due to a historical loss of habitat, overfishing, and stocking of non-native salmonids. Road culverts have been recognized as an additional impediment to population persistence as movement between diverse habitat types has been identified as an alternative life-history strategy to maximize spawning and growth. Brook trout were genetically analyzed using a suite of 13 microsatellite loci above 7 culverts with varying levels of passability classified through a physical protocol. While most sites were not found to have losses in genetic diversity, populations above culverts with a high …

From Graph Coloring To Receptor Clustering, Ye Chen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

1. Hued colorings for planar graphs, graphs of higher genus and K4-minor free graphs.;For integers k, r > 0, a (k,r) -coloring of a graph G is a proper coloring of the vertices of G with k colors such that every vertex v of degree d(v) is adjacent to vertices with at least min{lcub}d(v) ,r{rcub} different colors. The r-hued chromatic number, denoted by Xr (G), is the smallest integer k for which a graph G has a ( k,r)-coloring. A list assignment L of G is a function that assigns to every vertex v of G a set L(v) of positive …

The Hot Struggle Over The Cold Waters: The Strategic Position Of The Arctic Region During And After The Cold War, Magdalena Nowak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Arctic became a hot spot on the global map and discussion over the cold waters became an important issue in international relations. During the Cold War, as it is today, the Arctic was a separate area of rivalry between the superpowers. Despite the fact that today's debate is based on different issues, including sovereignty over the region, potential access to natural resources and the status of international waters, there is still a strong military component to the competing interests, as there was during the Cold War.

Technology Use In The Treatment And Prevention Of Eating Disorders, Jessie T. Popelka

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Technology is changing rapidly in this global world. A radically different delivery of nutrition information and counseling is technologically feasible in fewer than five years. With about half of girls and a quarter of boys being dissatisfied with their bodies during adolescence into young adulthood, some negative consequences including development of disordered eating, eating disorders (ED) and poor psychological well-being may increase. New methods of delivery, from social media to virtual worlds will allow health care providers (HCP) to reach and interact with patients in different cities or even countries. Simple "tweets" to online videos may have a place in …

America's Lollipop Licking Tease: The Eroticization Of The Female Child In 1930s Film, Susan Jennings Lantz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines the eroticization of female children in film during the 1930s as a mechanism for concealing troubling realities of the Great Depression in the United States. The repressed sexuality embedded in the plots of Post Hays Code movies featuring Shirley Temple and characters such as Stella Dallas, Dorothy Gale, and Scarlett O'Hara serve to suture over a crisis of masculinity triggered by changing roles in gender, race, and class. By attempting to invoke the image of a "little girl" in place of that of a grown woman, some films (such as Gone With the Wind, and Bright Eyes) …

Differences In Strike Index Between Treadmill And Aquatic Treadmill Running In Experienced Distance Runners, James Paul Hoover Jr.

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Strike index (SI) quantifies how one’s foot contacts the ground at the beginning of the stance phase of gait. SI is reported as a percentage of the total foot length, with lower percentages indicating a more posterior point of contact, while greater percentages indicate a more anterior point of contact along the foot. Differences in SI may be related to running-related injuries, such that experienced distance runners who are rearfoot (posterior) strikers may have approximately twice the rate of repetitive stress injuries than forefoot (anterior) strikers. Previous research has shown that forefoot strikers, as opposed to rearfoot strikers, produce lower …