Digital Commons Network^™

Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Studies By Mass Spectrometry: A Method For Obtaining Conformational Structures Of Proteins In Solution, Teerapat Rojsajjakul

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) coupled with electrospray ionization (ESI) in mass spectrometry (MS) has become an important method in the study of protein structure and dynamics. It provides an opportunity for obtaining conformational structures of protein motions in physiological conditions and offers unparalleled limits of detection. This method relies on the fact that the accessibility of exchangeable amide hydrogens of a protein to D2O induces H/D isotopic exchange. The exchangeable amide hydrogens that lack hydrogen bonding when exposed to solvent are exchanged rapidly. Protected amide hydrogens from tightly folded elements and have hydrogen bonding exchange slow and can be detected by …

Flipping The Classroom In College Algebra: A Design And Development Study, Lori Ogden

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation documents the development of a flipped classroom teaching model for teaching college algebra. The model supports the use of multiple teaching strategies including video lectures for students to view as homework, outside of class. A design and development framework is used to describe the design decisions, model implementation, and evaluation of the model across three deliveries, or case studies, of a college algebra course from fall of 2012 through fall of 2013. Design decisions included course sequence and instructional materials. Model implementation described the teaching and assessment strategies throughout each unit of material taught in the course and …

Supports Of And Barriers To Pursuing A Natural Resource Degree And Career: Perspectives Of Culturally Diverse Young Adults, Kelly Balcarczyk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Federal natural resource agencies are facing a human resource crisis. Many natural resource professionals are reaching retirement and attracting young adults to fill vacancies may prove difficult. Although currently on the rise from a recent fall, enrollment in natural resource degree programs has not increased overall in the past three decades, which has resulted in a small and possibly shrinking pool of applicants for natural resource positions. In addition, increasingly young adults in the recruitment pool depart from the traditional background of current natural resource professionals (rural-raised, fisheries/wildlife/biology-educated, angler/hunter, white male) and agency workplace culture has not changed to match …

Group Iii-Nitride Devices And Applications, Joshua L. Justice

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The group III-nitride system of materials has had considerable commercial success in recent years in the solid state lighting (SSL) and power electronics markets. The need for high efficient general lighting applications has driven research into InGaN based blue light emitting diodes (LEDs), and demand for more efficient power electronics for telecommunications has driven research into AlGaN based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs). However, the group III-nitrides material properties make them attractive for several other applications that have not received as much attention. This work focuses on developing group III-nitride based devices for novel applications.;GaN is a robust, chemically inert, …

Utilization Of Fish For Constitutional And Acquired Chromosomal Abnormalities For Diagnostic And Prognostic Purposes, Amy L. Shackelford

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT Utilization of FISH for Constitutional and Acquired Chromosomal Abnormalities for Diagnostic and Prognostic Purposes Amy L. Shackelford Fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) is a useful molecular cytogenetics technique for counting chromosomes and identifying specific chromosomal sequences of interest. FISH probe targets include centromeres, single loci, subtelomeres, and telomeres, using DNA or peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probes. FISH probes were used to determine chromosome number, copy loss or gain, and signal size in four studies involving acquired chromosomal changes in malignancy, mosaicism, and aneuploidy in pre- and postnatal constitutional abnormalities. In the first series of experiments, subtelomere probes for 5p and …

Addressing The Role Of Health Literacy In Social Science: The Revision And Validation Of The Perceived Oral Health Literacy Scale, Sara Labelle

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this dissertation was twofold. The first purpose was to develop a valid and reliable measurement of health literacy appropriate for use in social science. The second purpose was to determine whether health literacy is a skill set that can be increased through the intervention efforts of communication studies scholars. These purposes were addressed across four studies. The results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis provided support for a 26-item revised Perceived Oral Health Literacy Scale (LaBelle & Weber, 2013) which assesses individuals' Motivation and Ability to gain access to, understand, and use health information in order to …

Role Of The Dietitian In Multidisciplinary Treatment Of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Wendy Thompson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is the most common reproductive endocrine disorder in females. Genetic and lifestyle factors influence the etiology and insulin resistance plays a key role in the pathogenesis of PCOS.;Objective: To investigate the current trends and future implications of multidisciplinary PCOS clinics while emphasizing the role and challenges for dietitians.;Methods: The study design was a two-phase formative investigation of PCOS focused practitioners through an anonymous, internet-based survey (Qualtrics, Provo, UT) followed by focus groups done via teleconference. Focus group data was analyzed using Braun and Clarke's method of thematic analysis.;Participants: Survey respondents included 261 health care providers, …

Geographic Distribution Of Tree Species Diversity Of The United States Reveals Positive Association Between Biodiversity And Site Productivity, James V. Watson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With the loss of species worldwide due to anthropogenic factors, especially in forested ecosystems, it has become more urgent than ever to understand the biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationship (BEFR). BEFR research in forested ecosystems is very limited and thus studies that incorporate greater geographic coverage and structural complexity are much needed. Here, I compiled ground-measured data from 436,177 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots of every U.S. state except Hawaii to map current basal area, site productivity, and tree species diversity across the United States. Based on these point-data maps, I investigated the relationship between forest productivity and tree species diversity. …

Understanding Chinese American Parents: The Interplay Of Chinese Tradition And Early Childhood Music Education In The United States, Juan Julie Yu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study is to examine the acculturation experience of first-generation Chinese American parents and the values that inform their expectations for their children's early childhood music education. A primary goal of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of the interplay of Chinese traditional culture and early childhood music education in the United States. The six participants for this study were first-generation Chinese American immigrants who at the time of the interviews had children under age eight and who resided in Philadelphia. As a qualitative multiple-case study, the primary data for this study were six sets …

Volumetric, Planar And Linear Airway Comparison After Maxillomandibular Advancement Surgery, Deepa Vyas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background and Objectives: Treatment of sleep apnea can be accomplished using both non-surgical and surgical methods. Surgical treatment is further classified into phase I and II surgery. When phase I treatment fails, orthognathic surgery is judged to be the subsequent step in treating these patients. Orthognathic surgery is considered phase II treatment and can consist of a maxillomandibular advancement (MMA)1-11. Until recently, most of the data gathered on patients how have had a maxillomandibular advancement has been completed using lateral cephalograms. The rationale for this study is to gain a better understanding of the alteration in linear, planar and volumetric …

Cbct Evaluation Of Condylar Changes In Children With Unilateral Posterior Crossbites With A Functional Shift, Lance Pittman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: The unilateral posterior crossbite with a functional shift is one of the most common early adolescent malocclusions. It is caused by a transversely deficient maxilla, relative to the mandible, and results when the mandible shifts to one side to so the teeth can maximally interdigitate. This shift is thought to cause the contralateral condyle to move anteriorly, inferiorly, and medially within the TMJ. Much attention has been given recently to the affects of this functional shift on the condyles. An attempt is being made to determine if pathological position of the condyles can cause condylar signs or symptoms similar …

Speleothems In Cova Des Pas De Vallgornera: Their Distribution And Characteristics Within An Extensive Coastal Cave From The Eogenetic Karst Of Southern Mallorca (Western Mediterranean), Antoni Merino, Joaquín Ginés, Paola Tuccimei, Michele Soligo, Joan J. Fornós

International Journal of Speleology

The abundance and variety of speleothems are undoubtedly among the remarkable features of Cova des Pas de Vallgornera, the longest cave system in Mallorca Island developed in the eogenetic karst of its southern coast. Due to the monotonous carbonate lithology of the area, most of the speleothems are composed of calcite and in a few cases aragonite, although other minerals are also represented (e.g., gypsum, celestine, barite.). However, in spite of the rather common mineralogy of the speleothems, its distribution results strongly mediated by the lithologic and textural variability linked to the architecture of the Upper Miocene reefal rocks. Apart …

Effect Of The Human Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Gene Transfection To Human Umbilical Cord Blood Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Zeng-Chi Han, Hai-Ning Zhang, Ying-Zhen Wang, Cheng-Yu Lv, Zong-Yao Xu

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of transfecting the gene human insulin-like growth factor (hIGF)-1 into human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) via non-viral vector. METHODS: This study was performed in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, China from June 2012 to May 2013. Twelve hUCB samples were harvested, and isolated in lymphocyte separation medium, and then cultured. Surface antigen expression in MSCs was detected by flow cytometry. Recombinant plasmid pIRES2-enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-hIGF-1 was transfected into MSCs by X-treme GENE HP DNA transfection reagent. Then, EGFP was observed with reverse fluorescent microscope at different time points. …

Fruiting Bodies Of The Social Amoeba Dictyostelium Discoideum Increase Spore Transport By Drosophila, Jeff Smith, David C. Queller, Joan E. Strassmann

Biology Faculty Research

Background: Many microbial phenotypes are the product of cooperative interactions among cells, but their putative fitness benefits are often not well understood. In the cellular slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum , unicellular amoebae aggregate when starved and form multicellular fruiting bodies in which stress-resistant spores are held aloft by dead stalk cells. Fruiting bodies are thought to be adaptations for dispersing spores to new feeding sites, but this has not been directly tested. Here we experimentally test whether fruiting bodies increase the rate at which spores are acquired by passing invertebrates.
Results: Drosophila melanogaster accumulate spores on their surfaces more quickly …

What We Give, Nicole B. Stupin

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The artist discusses the concept, imagery, and research influences behind a body of work entitled What We Give, for the completion of her Bachelor of Arts Degree and undergraduate research for the Fine and Performing Arts Scholars branch of East Tennessee State University’s Honors College. The artist used this body of work to explore her personal relationships with the ocean, Aspergers, and information. Particularly, the artist’s pseudo-mystic beliefs about the ocean, her frustrations with her life struggles, and fascinations with scientific facts and libation vessels are discussed. Dysfunctionality is cited as the driving force behind the thought process of …

Global Health And The Law, Lawrence O. Gostin, Devi Sridhar

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The last two decades have brought revolutionary changes in global health, driven by popular concern over AIDS, novel influenzas, and maternal mortality. Given the rapid globalization that is a defining feature of today’s world, the need for a robust system of global health law has never been greater. Global health law has been defined as the legal norms, processes, and institutions designed primarily to attain the highest possible standard of physical and mental health for the world’s population. Global health law is not an organized legal system, with a unified treaty monitoring body, such as the World Trade Organization. There …

Feedback Regulation Of Limb Position Characterized Using Fmri, Aaron J. Suminski, Robert A. Scheidt

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Types Of Mankind: Polygenism And Scientific Racism In The Nineteenth Century United States Scientific Community., Robert A. Smith

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

In the mid-nineteenth century, a group of American scientists known collectively as the “American School” of ethnology challenged the validity of the biblical story of creation. They proposed that, contrary to the teaching of Genesis, there had been a number of separate divine acts of creation, leading to the appearance of more than one human species within the genus homo. They ranked the species, also known as varieties or races, in terms of relative superiority, with the Caucasian in the highest position of all.

I argue in my thesis that the rise of the American School was a defining moment …

Study Of The Function Of The Mold Specific Gene Ms95 In Dna Repair In The Pathogenic, Dimorphic Fungus Histoplasma Capsulatum, Erin M. Smith

Honors Theses

Histoplasma capsulatum (Hc) is a dimorphic fungus that is the etiologic agent of the respiratory infection Histoplasmosis that is mediated by a shift from the mold phase to the pathogenic yeast phase. Genes have been identified that are specific to the mold or yeast phase in order to study the molecular biology of this shift. MS95 was identified in a subtractive cDNA library that was enriched for mold-specific genes, and has been found to be homologous to the DNA damage-responsive gene DDR48, which functions in DNA repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In order to elucidate the function of MS95, a …

Milling And Functional Properties Of Co-Mingled Rice Cultivars, Nikhil N. Basutkar

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Differences have been observed in the milling and functional properties of different rice cultivars, particularly between hybrid and pureline cultivars. Co-mingling of rice cultivars commonly occurs during harvest, storage and drying operations. Thus, there is a need to study the effect of co-mingling on the milling and functional properties of rice cultivars. Two long-grain, hybrid (H) cultivars CL XL745 and CL XL729 and two long-grain, pureline (P) cultivars CL 151 and Wells were used to prepare CL XL745/CL 151 (H/P), CL XL745/CL XL729 (H/H) and Wells/CL 151 (P/P) co-mingles, mixed in various proportions. Milled rice yield (MRY), head rice yield …

Impact Of Early Infestation Of Two-Spotted Spider Mites (Tetranychus Urticae) On Cotton Growth And Yield, Luis Orellana Jimenez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae Koch, 1836) are pests of vegetables, ornamentals, and row crops around the world. Two-spotted spider mites have become an important long-season pests of cotton, causing injury to cotton from an early vegetative stage. In the past eight years, Arkansas cotton acreage treated for spider mites has more than doubled and most of the increase has been attributed to early season infestations. Yield losses of up to 30% have been observed in other studies where spider mite infestation started at third true leaf. Because of the apparent change in this pest's population dynamics, particularly at …

Chemically Catalyzed Phytoremediation Of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (Tnt) Contaminated Soil By Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon Zizanioides L.), Padmini Das

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Urban sprawl in big cities often encroaches on military land, where residual toxic explosive compounds like 2, 4, 6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in soil could pose a serious health risk. Additionally, in demilitarized areas, lack of sustainable remediation techniques hinder the much needed residential development.. Phytoremediation is an environmentally safe and cost effective solution; however, the characterized low aqueous solubility of nitroaromatic compounds resulting in limited availability of TNT for plant uptake is a major constraint. To overcome this limitation, we propose a new innovative phytoremediation technique using urea, a common nitrogen fertilizer, as a chaotropic agent, to enhance the solubility of …

The Effectiveness Of Venue Strategies For Environmental Communication In Non-Agricultural, School Integrated Pest Management Campaigns, Marcia L. Anderson

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Pesticides have become a preferred approach to controlling pest problems in many, schools and childcare centers, despite the exposure hazards to children and the environment. The only other place where children spend more time is in their homes. Children are continually and unknowingly exposed to pests and pesticides while in and around school buildings. Pesticides are used on athletic fields, play areas, in cafeterias, classrooms, and more. Reducing the use of pesticides from the school environment is critical to lowering children’s total exposure.

This research tests ways of communicating about Integrated Pest Management to a number of school-related target audiences. …

The Relationship Between Perceived Career Barriers And Career Decision Self-Efficacy On The Certainty Of Initial Career Choice Among Educational Opportunity Fund Program Students, Nicole Pacheco Pulliam

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This study was an investigation of the predictive value of perceived career barriers and career decision self-efficacy on the certainty of initial career choice among Educational Opportunity Fund Program (EOF) pre-freshman college students, an under-studied college population with respect to career development (Winograd & Shick Tryon, 2009). The moderating effects of certain cultural characteristics (race, gender and college generational status) on the certainty of initial career choice were also examined. A nonexperimental correlational research design was utilized, along with a multiple linear regression analysis, to investigate the predictability of perceived career barriers and career decision self-efficacy, directly and as moderated …

Antecedents Of Environmentally Sensitive Consumer Behaviors : An Investigation Of Goal Framing Theory, Naz Onel

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Human behavior strongly impacts environmental quality. Altering behaviors that significantly affect the well-being of the environment can reduce the impact of human actions in a way that could help overcome environmental deterioration. However, this requires understanding the factors affecting consumer behavior towards acting in a more ecologically conscious manner. Further, the effects of these factors could vary based on the different types of consumer behaviors, such as environmentally sensitive purchase (acquisition), usage, and post-use (disposal) behaviors. The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze the predicting factors of different types of environmentally sensitive consumer behavior by examining the extent to …

Organic Geochemical Investigations Of Urban Sediments By Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography / Mass Spectroscopy, Kevin Olsen

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography / Mass Spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) can be used to study the organic matter in sedimentary environments.

An urban sediment is not simply defined by proximity to a city. Because cities have anthropogenic contamination, one important urban sediment characteristic is ongoing recontamination. Another is legacy contamination from industrial activity and a third is the alteration of natural bio-geochemical systems.

Two case studies are presented. The surface sediments of the Gateway National Recreation Area were sampled during the summer of 2007. The ratio of two pyrolysis products, Vinylguiacol, from terrestrial plant lignins, and Indole, from proteins, (VGI Index) is moderately well …

An Assessment Of Gelatinous Zooplankton And Impacts On Planktonic Community Structure In Barnegat Bay, New Jersey, Christie L. Castellano

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Local populations of gelatinous zooplankton are experiencing increases in response to changes in coastal ecosystems due to anthropogenic forces. The abundance of the Atlantic sea nettle (Chrysaora quinquecirrha) has dramatically increased in Barnegat Bay, NJ. Lift net sampling was used to determine the density and distribution of sea nettle and ctenophore {Mnemiopsis leidyi) populations, while zooplankton tows were used to compare relationships between their abundance to that of other zooplankton species. Lift net results showed substantial spatial and temporal variability in density and distribution of ctenophores and sea nettles, with these patterns being inversely proportional. Chrysaora quinquecirrha was more abundant …

Characterization Of Eocene-Oligocene Depocenters In Prydz Bay, East Antarctica : A Lithostratigraphic Correlation Of Odp Sites 739, 742, And 1166, Daniel James Ciarletta

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The Eocene-Oligocene transition (EOT) marked a profound shift in the Earth’s climate, as the global greenhouse o f the early Cenozoic gave way to ‘icehouse’ conditions, or a climatic regime influenced by the waxing and waning o f glacial ice. Antarctica was dramatically altered during this time; its formerly cool temperate ecosystems nearly obliterated by the first major episode o f continental glaciation. A record o f this transition appears to be partly preserved in approximately half a kilometer o f sediments recovered from three holes (at ODP Sites 739, 742, and 1166) bored in the continental margin at Prydz …

The Role Of Stress-Activated Protein Kinases In Parasites, Tamara Kreiss

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Lymphatic filariasis and leishmaniasis are neglected tropical diseases that are caused by nematode and protozoal parasites. These diseases cause disfiguration, leaving their host socially marked, and in some cases cause more severe disease that can lead to death. These infections, which tend to persist for long periods of time, also lead to bacterial and fungal co-infections, which further exacerbate the disease. Currently there are insufficient treatment options. Current therapies are often too expensive, have toxicity associated with them and are subjected to growing resistance amongst parasite populations. In this thesis I investigated two potential drug targets. The first, is the …

Understanding The Influence Of Interfacial Chemistry In Core, Core/Shell And Core/Shell/Shell Quantum Dots On Their Fluorescence Properties, Omondi Bernard Omogo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum dots) have received a great deal of attention due to their superior size tunable properties and promising applications in many areas. Some of the most practical areas of their applications include light emitting diodes (LED), photovoltaic and biological studies. Synthetic methods of these crystals is becoming more established with new strategies being reported every now and then. However, quantitative studies connecting the processes at the interface, namely core-ligand, core-shell and shell-shells, to the overall quantum dots fluorescence properties are not well understood. Specifically for cores, relating surface-atoms interactions, solvents, ligands nature, density and functional groups on …