Digital Commons Network^™

Quantifying Seabird Influence On Recovering Island Ecosystems, Stephanie Kong

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Species that compose island ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to extinctions. In New Zealand alone, since human settlement began around 1285AD, 41% of bird species have been driven to extinction. Seabirds play an important role on land and in terrestrial, intertidal and subtidal zones by subsidizing island ecosystems with guano. Additionally, burrow-nesting seabirds churn up the soil by digging the burrows in which they nest, resulting in significant soil disturbance, also called biopedturbation. Unfortunately, invasion of exotic species is among the leading causes of native species extinctions and consequent transformation of ecosystem function globally. One of the most damaging and widespread …

Lateral Tracheal And Esophageal Displacement In Avialae And Morphological Implications For Theropoda (Dinosauria : Saurischia), Jeremy Joseph Klingler

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This research examines the evolution, phylogenetic distribution, and functional explanations for a peculiar and often overlooked character seen in birds, herein called tracheal and esophageal displacement. Of special interest to this study is examining whether the trait was present in non-avian theropod dinosaurs. This study found that essentially all birds are characterized by a laterally displaced trachea and/or esophagus. The displacement may occur gradually along the neck, or it may happen immediately upon exiting the oropharynx. Displacement of these organs is the result of a heavily modified neck wherein muscles that create mobility restrictions in lizards, alligators, and mammals (e.g., …

Effect Of Extrusion Pre-Treatment On Physical Properties And Sugar Recovery Of Cold Press And Solvent Extracted Canola, Camelina And Carinata Meal, Jasmeen Kaur

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Canola/rapeseed meal (CM) ranks second behind soybeans in global production of protein from oil cakes and meals. Commercial CM has been investigated as a feed ingredient in diets of a number of fish species. Camelina (Camelina sativa) has been a potential oilseed crop. The fat extracted meal contains over 40% protein. Camelina yields an average of 420–640 L/ha, and the protein and fiber content in its meal byproduct is comparable to that of soybean meal. Brassica carinata possesses many positive agronomic traits, and it can grow well in hot, dry, and semiarid climates and seed oil from these species and …

Analysis Of Ground Vibrations Produced By An 80 In3 Water Gun In The Chicago Sanitary And Ship Canal, Lemont, Illinois, Carolyn Michelle Koebel

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Since its completion in 1910, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal (CSSC) has become a pathway for invasive species (and potentially Asian carp) to reach the Great Lakes. Currently, an electric barrier is used to prevent Asian carp migration through the canal, but the need for a secondary method is necessary, especially when the electric barrier undergoes maintenance. The underwater Asian carp "cannon" (water gun) provides such a method. Analysis of the ground movement produced by an 80 in3 water gun in the CSSC was performed in order to establish any potential for damage to the either the canal or …

Gene Expression And Alzheimer's Disease: Evaluation Of Gene Expression Patterns In Brain And Blood For An Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model, Amanda Hazy

Senior Honors Theses

Previous studies have established a causative role for altered gene expression in development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). These changes can be affected by methylation and miRNA regulation. In this study, expression of miRNA known to change methylation status in AD was assessed by qPCR. Genome-wide expression changes were determined by RNA-sequencing of mRNA from hippocampus and blood of control and AD mice. The qPCR data showed significantly increased expression of Mir 17 in AD, and sequencing data revealed 230 genes in hippocampus, 58 genes in blood, and 8 overlapping genes showing significant differential expression (p value ≤ 0.05). Expression data …

The Failure Of “She:" An Evaluation Of Solutions To Gendered Language, Mary L. Bobbitt

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis looks at the prevalence of gendered language in modern day English in North America. Drawing upon different analyses of masculine pronouns and slang, this paper argues that modern solutions to gendered language fail to come to terms with the contextual elements of language. While acknowledging that gendered language is a significant problem, the author argues that the solutions thus far presented, specifically replacing the generic pronoun “he” with “she,” cannot combat the way language reflects societal masculinization. Using Wittgenstein to criticize a Heidegger’s notion of language, this paper argues that societal change is a prerequisite to the success …

Alzheimer Disease And Anesthesia, Gözde İnan, Zerri̇n Özköse Şatirlar

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Alzheimer disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases and the most prevalent form of dementia. Some factors in the development of AD, age being the best-known one, have been suggested; however, no causes have been found yet. The pathophysiology of the disease is highly complex, current therapies are palliative, and a cure is still lacking. Adverse effects of anesthetics in the elderly have been reported since the 1950s; however, awareness of this old problem has recently gained importance again. Whether exposure to surgery and general anesthesia (GA) is associated with the development of AD has been questioned. …

(In)Visible, Federico Cuatlacuatl

School of Art Graduate Exhibitions, Portfolios, and Theses

No abstract provided.

“Man? Where’S A Man? Don’T Let Him Go!”: Molina’S Trans/Gender Web In Interpretation And Performance, Bella V. Smith

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

Using perspectives typical of English and theatrical fields of study, this capstone project interprets Molina from Manuel Puig’s 1976 novel Kiss of the Spider Woman as a heterosexual transgender woman and then investigates why such an interpretation does not exist in performance adaptations. Although Molina has been called a transgender woman in recent criticism, there is a conflation of gender and sexuality that has been uninvestigated in this text. It has not been addressed how Molina constructs her identity or how this interpretation might be employed in performance, which this essay seeks to confront. The first half of the project …

Mcnair Research Journal - Summer 2015, Kelly Abuali, Starr Bailey, Krystal Courtney D. Belmonte, Brittaney Benson-Townsend, Jennifer Bolick, Mihaela A. Ciulei, Ashley Crisp, Daniel N. Erosa, Richard V. Foster, Gisele Braga Goertz, Michael A. Langhardt, Kara Osborne, Julienne Jochel Paraiso, Shawn M. Rosen, Bella V. Smith, Jeevake Attapattu, Ernesto H. Bedoy, Michael G. Curtis, Wanda Inthavong, Marielle Leo, Primrose Martin, Tamieka Meadows, Rosa Perez, Jessica Recarey, Shea Silver, Linda Tompkins

McNair Journal

Journal articles based on research conducted by undergraduate students in the McNair Scholars Program

Table of Contents

Biography of Dr. Ronald E. McNair

Statements:

Dr. Neal J. Smatresk, UNLV President

Dr. Juanita P. Fain, Vice President of Student Affairs

Dr. William W. Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Retention and Outreach

Mr. Keith Rogers, Deputy Executive Director of the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach

McNair Scholars Institute Staff

Gastrointestinal System Lesions In Children Due To The Ingestion Of Alkali And Acid Corrosive Substances, Kaan Demi̇rören, Hali̇l Kocamaz, Yaşar Doğan

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

To examine esophageal and gastric lesions in children due to the ingestion of alkali and acid corrosive substances and to emphasize all related complications. Materials and methods: The reports of 103 children who ingested or were suspected to have ingested corrosive substances and who then underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopic inspections were evaluated retrospectively. Results: Of the patients, the mean age was 41 ± 3.6 months, and 57.3% were male. Vomiting was the most common symptom (44.7%). Eighteen different commercial products were defined as corrosive substances: 59.2% of them were alkali, 39.8% were acids, and 1% had a neutral pH. These …

The Effects Of Chanellization And Channel Restoration On Aquatic Habitat And Biota Of The Pecos River, New Mexico, Darrel J. Mecham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

River channelization has been shown to negatively impact riverine ecosystems by degrading aquatic habitat conditions, decreasing diversity of both fish and aquatic invertebrate assemblages and impairing fish recruitment. As knowledge of the negative impacts of channelization has increased, so have channel restoration efforts. We evaluated a recent channel restoration project on the Pecos River, New Mexico by comparing abiotic and biotic conditions among five reaches of river, including the restored reach, an unchannelized reach and a channelized reach all prone to streamflow intermittence and an unchannelized reach and channelized reach more perennial in nature. Our first objective was to assess …

Development Programs And Livelihood Strategies Of Residents In Altos De La Florida, Colombia, Andres Felipe Florez

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Colombia has a long history of internal displacement due to an ongoing armed conflict. Millions of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have made their way to urban areas around the country seeking safety and a new start. The municipality of Soacha, a suburb of Bogota, is the largest receptor area for IDPs in the country, and many Non-Governmental Organizations have set up operations to aid the residents of the area. Within Soacha the most vulnerable residents live in an informal settlement called Altos de la Florida Sector 3. This area has no infrastructure and a large portion of the residents are …

The Silent Dimension Of A Healthcare Narrative: How Patients Perceive Practitioners’ Nonverbal Cues, Sarah Steele

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This study examines patient perceptions of medical practitioners’ nonverbal behavior. The philosophical framework is based on Buber’s (1923/1958) work on “dialogic ethics,” and grounded in Giles’ (1987) communication accommodation theory. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered by means of survey research, and examined through correlational and content analysis. Results show a significant positive correlation between patient perceptions of practitioner nonverbal immediacy and subsequent satisfaction. Analysis of survey comments revealed listening as the nonverbal behavior most valued and noted by patients. These findings serve to inform medical professionals on how to maximize patient satisfaction and care through effective use of …

Run To The Hills - Partial Migration In Large Herbivores, Wibke Peters

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Partially migratory populations in which some individuals move to allopatric ranges during one season while others remain on their shared range, offer a unique opportunity to understand which factors shape the realized niche of individuals with plastic movement behaviors. For ungulates, forage and its spatiotemporal variability, risk (predation, humans) and density have been suggested to be the main determinants for the probability, distance and timing of migration. Roe deer (Capreolus caproelus), a small browsing ungulate with a high ecological plasticity and a wide distribution, present an ideal model species to test hypotheses on migration plasticity.

For Those On Glass Cliffs: The Nature Of Women In Power As Explored Through Frozen, The Abramson Effect, And "Let It Go, Raelissa Glennon-Zukoff

sprinkle: an undergraduate journal of feminist and queer studies

This paper seeks to explore the link made by Deborah Spar in her recently published piece The Ambramson Effect: Tales of Women Who Topple From Power between the effects of the glass ceiling and glass cliff effects on women in the topmost positions in American businesses, organizations, and corporations and the ascension to power of Queen Elsa in the Disney motion picture Frozen. By incorporating media reports on merchandising and animation, as well as scholarly research, this paper places Spar's theory into a more accessible space. Furthermore, by referencing the lyrics to the feature power ballad from the animated film, …

Measuring The Acute Physiological Effects Of Leptin In The Carotid Body, Richard Laurence Pye

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is the healthcare crisis of our generation. Circulating levels of the adipokine leptin are proportional to adiposity and in addition to its role as a satiety factor leptin has been shown to have a host of pleiotropic effects. Among these effects is its role as a respiratory stimulant where it has been shown to have both whole body and central stimulatory effects on breathing. Porzionato et al. (2011) showed that leptin and leptin receptors are selectively expressed in the chemosensing type I cells of the carotid body. Carotid bodies are small chemosensitive organs that act as the primary peripheral …

The Guinea Pig Model For Organophosphate Toxicology And Therapeutic Development, Christopher Daniel Ruark

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Organophosphates (OPs) are highly toxic insecticides and nerve agents that have been designed to inhibit the hydrolysis of acetylcholine by binding to the serine active site of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). They are one of the most common causes of human poisoning worldwide and are frequently intentionally used in suicides in agricultural areas. For this reason, there is a need for therapeutics to rescue those from intoxication. Obvious ethical concerns prevent humans from being subjected to OP exposure for therapeutic efficacy and safety testing. Therefore, animal surrogates for humans must be appropriately selected. A new paradigm, described herein, incorporating both in silico …

Sky Lifting His Skirts, Thaddeus Harmon

Graduate Thesis Collection

An imbecilic invocation uttered by glass-fingered mannequins jaggedly gesticulating forgotten ballet moves in a future where skin is optional, and computers sneeze.

Front Matter And Faculty Notes

Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law

No abstract provided.

Tau-Sh3 Interactions: Implications For Alzheimer's Disease, Jesse Nicholas Cochran

All ETDs from UAB

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease and with Americans’ increasing longevity it is becoming an epidemic. There are currently no effective treatments for this disorder. Abnormalities of tau track more closely with cognitive decline than the most studied therapeutic target in AD, amyloid-beta, but the optimal strategy for targeting tau has not yet been identified. Based on considerable preclinical data from AD models, we hypothesize that interactions between tau and SH3 domain–containing proteins are pathogenic in AD. Genetically reducing either tau or tau interactants has beneficial effects relevant to AD. Here, we describe a drug screen for …

The Unfolded Protein Response And Calcium Dysregulation In Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa Animal Models., Vishal Madhukar Shinde

All ETDs from UAB

The photoreceptor cell death in autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa (ADRP) is associated with molecular changes that occur due to mutations in a specific gene. S334ter RHO and P23H RHO are two ADRP rat models expressing mutant rhodopsin. The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a cellular stress response involved in the pathophysiology of several retinal disorders including P23H RHO rats. Considering our previous findings, we started our investigation by examining the status of UPR in S334ter RHO rats. As UPR tightly regulates several signaling pathways, we further studied whether UPR activation in S334ter and P23H RHO retina is accompanied by the …

Compatibility Of The Parasitoid Spalangia Endius (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) And Insecticides Against Musca Domestica (Diptera: Muscidae) As Evaluated By A New Index., Edwin R. Burgess, Bethia H. King

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Various insecticides for the control of the house fly Musca domestica L. were tested for compatibility with a biological control agent, the pupal parasitoid Spalangia endius Walker. Bioassays used the mode in which each organism was expected to be harmed by the insecticides, a surface contact bioassay for S. endius and a feeding bioassay for M. domestica. A Pesticide Compatibility Index (PCI) was created that allows comparison of LC50 values when the mode of exposure to a pesticide differs. First LC50 values were converted into units of prescribed dosages (LPR = LC50-to-prescribed dosage ratio). This study used dosages from labels …

Emotion Regulation And Neuropathic Pain Following Spinal Cord Injury (Sci): Influence Of Emotional Processes On The Efficacy Of A Novel Treatment Paradigm For Sci-Related Pain, Juliette Galindo

All ETDs from UAB

While spinal cord injury (SCI) is a relatively rare in the general population, it has significant implications on functionality, independence, and quality of life for individuals who are affected by it. Common sequelae of SCI include sensorimotor dysfunction and pain symptoms that are often severe. More specifically, approximately 33% of individuals with SCI experience severe, intractable neuropathic pain. Additionally, treatments for neuropathic pain have variable efficacy and/or many side effects. While SCI-related neuropathic pain is thought to be related to cortical reorganization and nerve damage, there may be psychological factors that contribute to increased pain severity and variable treatment response. …

Bioenergetics As A Biomarker Of Health And Disease, Philip Kramer

All ETDs from UAB

The increasing prevalence of metabolic syndrome, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and many other diseases only recently associated with aberrant metabolism, have led to a de-mand for clinical assays to determine a patient’s mitochondrial health. With the rapidly growing interest in personalized medicine, such an assay would ideally be able to capture the metabolic changes associated with oxidative stress, inflammation, and therapy of a patient in a swift and non-invasive manner. Short of tissue biopsies, this burgeoning field of Translational Bioenergetics has had minimal success in obtaining sufficient human cells and the means to assess them both accurately and swiftly. The purpose of …

The I507-Atc→Att Silent Codon Change Contributes To The Misfolding Of ∆F508 Cftr, Vedrana Bali

All ETDs from UAB

Synonymous codon changes (SCCs) do not alter the amino acid sequence of proteins, but may significantly change the phenotype. The frequency of synonymous codons is species- and gene-specific, described as codon usage bias (CUB). Over the past 50 years, research has shown that SCCs affect protein biogenesis, development of human disorders and the function of recombinant proteins developed for therapeutic applications. However, the molecular mechanisms by which SCCs alter the function of gene products are not completely understood. In Chapter 2 we summarize present knowledge in this field. The most common cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) is the deletion of …

Presence And Mobilization Of Staphylococcus Aureus Pathogenicity Islands (Sapis) Among Bovine Mastitis Isolates, Laura Kate Parker

All ETDs from UAB

Bovine mastitis is inflammation of the mammary gland that occurs in cattle, as a result of invading bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus, a causative agent of bovine mastitis, produces toxins such as the toxic shock syndrome toxin (TSST-1) and the staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs). The genes for these toxins are coded on S. aureus pathogenicity islands (SaPIs), which are mobile genetic elements associated with virulence factors. SaPIs can be mobilized by bacteriophages, resulting in the production of transducing particles that can spread virulence factors throughout a bacterial population. This research assessed the role and prevalence of SaPIs among bovine mastitis samples. In this …

Gsk3 Regulation Of Suprachiasmatic Neuronal Excitability And Light Entrainment, Jodi Paul

All ETDs from UAB

Circadian rhythms are approximately 24-hour cycles in behavioral and physiological processes, such as sleep/wake cycles and cognition. In mammals, these rhythms are endogenously generated and entrained to the external light cycle by the primary circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). A hallmark characteristic of SCN neurons is the daily rhythm in the spontaneous action potential frequency, with high activity during the day and low activity at night. These SCN firing rate patterns are critical for maintaining robust, consolidated behavioral rhythms, and persistent changes in SCN neuronal activity are involved light-induced behavioral shifts. Many of the ionic components underlying daily and …

Exploiting Novel Interactions With Parp1 In Dna Repair Proficient Human Breast Cancers, Jennifer Anne Stanley

All ETDs from UAB

Breast cancer remains the most frequently diagnosed cancer amongst women worldwide. Despite advances in treatment, patients with more aggressive basal-like and HER2-positive cancer experience high rates of recurrence and necessitate novel therapeutic approaches. A class of inhibitors targeted against poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARP), important DNA repair proteins, are effective in cancers with a defective DNA repair response. As such, extensive preclinical and clinical research has examined their efficacy in these cancers. Although this data is promising, it is only applicable to a lim-ited patient population. The main goal of this dissertation is to expand the utility of these well-tolerated drugs …

The Effect Of Teaching Vocabulary In Semantic Groups: A Study In The Russian Language Classroom, Kate White

Russian Language Journal

A long-standing assumption in the field of second language acquisition research is that learning new vocabulary items in semantic groupings has a positive effect on acquisition and retention (Finkbeiner and Nicol 2003). This assumption is common among researchers and instructors of second languages, as it seems to fit intuitively with the most popular current communicative approaches to teaching. However, researchers have begun to question this assumption, as it has not been supported by empirical evidence (Altarriba and Mathis 1997; Finkbeiner and Nicol 2003; Papathanasiou 2009). Previous research is not conclusive on the topic due to differences in methodology and design. …