Digital Commons Network^™

The Odd Couple: The Estate Tax And Family Law, Margaret Ryznar

Louisiana Law Review

No abstract provided.

Paratransgenic Control Of Pierce's Disease, Arinder K. Arora

Biology ETDs

Pierce's Disease (PD) is a deadly grapevine disease, which is caused by a Gram negative bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa and transmitted by leafhoppers commonly known as sharpshooters, including the glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS, Homalodisca vitripennis). We developed paratransgenic control of PD using a commensal bacterium Pantoea agglomerans E325. The GWSSs acquired enhanced green fluorescent (EGFP)-expressing P. agglomerans from an artificial feeding system and the bacteria persisted within the insect foregut for two weeks. P. agglomerans was selected as the paratransgenic control agent based on its persistence within the sharpshooter foregut, a niche also inhabited by X. fastidiosa. P. agglomerans lines secreting two …

Transcriptional Regulation Of Muscle Development In Drosophila Melanogaster, Tonya M. Brunetti

Biology ETDs

The transcriptional regulation of muscle development involves several complex processes that must work together in order to form functional, syncytial muscle cells. However, when transcription is mis-regulated, muscle development is often times negatively affected and can lead to muscle diseases such as muscular dystrophy and cardiac myopathies. In order to gain more insight into how transcription is regulated, I use Drosophila melanogaster as a model for understanding muscle development. In chapter one, I use a traditional genetic screen to phenotypically and molecularly identify two Hox co-factors, extradenticle and homothorax, that have the ability to change muscle identity. Additionally, in chapter …

Flight Muscle Progenitor Populations In Drosophila Melanogaster, Elizabeth Carvosso Clarke

Biology ETDs

We use the Drosophila system to define how genes control muscle development and function. Many of the genes in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, are conserved with higher animals, and so our results can be important in understanding mechanisms of vertebrate muscle development and disease. Study of the flight muscle progenitor populations in Drosophila gives clearer understanding of the genetic regulatory networks that lead to the development of flight muscle. The direct flight muscles (DFMs) and indirect flight muscles (IFMs) arise from the myoblast population of the notal region of the Drosophila wing imaginal disc. Within the myoblast population, there …

A Life History Of The Roundnose Minnow, Dionda Episcopa, In The Middle Pecos River Valley, New Mexico, Michael A. Farrington

Biology ETDs

Life history aspects of Roundnose Minnows, Dionda episcopa, were examined for specimens collected between 2011 and 2013 in El Rito Creek, near Santa Rosa New Mexico. A recent study examining DNA suggested that, instead of supporting a widespread population of the Roundnose Minnow, New Mexico is actually home to two evolutionarily distinct Roundnose Minnow populations. This focus of this study is on the life history attributes of what may become a newly described species of Dionda. Modal class progression analysis (Bhattacharya method) documented four distinct age classes of Roundnose Minnows within El Rito Creek. Sex ratios deviated from the expected …

Gene Duplications During Experimental Evolution Of Caenorhabditis Elegans: Duplication Rates And Evolutionary Responses, James Charles Farslow

Biology ETDs

Copy-number variants (CNVs) are a ubiquitous form of genetic variation. How often this form of variation arises and its adaptive significance are active areas of contemporary research. This work presents evidence regarding both of these subjects. First, it demonstrates that gene duplications occur at a frequency two orders of magnitude greater than point mutations. Specifically, the gene duplication rate is estimated to be 1.2 x 10-7/gene/generation, compared to a point mutation rate on the order of ~10-9/site/ generation. Second, it was found that populations in a low state of fitness due to mutation accumulation could recover some or all of …

A 3d Biomechanical Model For Analysis Of Upper Jaw Protrusion In Carassius Auratus (Goldfish), Seldon Tenzin Tselung

Theses

This thesis studies upper jaw protrusion in carassius auratus (goldfish), a type of Cypriniformes. The presence of a unique sesamoid bone called kinethmoid, suspended by a network of ligaments, allows for more flexibility and longer periods of sustained suction flow speeds in Cypriniformes. Previous researchers used XROMM software to visualize highly accurate (±0.1 mm) re-animations of a carp’s 3D bones in vivo and EMG graphs to visualize muscle activation patterns. Based on those results, this thesis takes a reverse approach by building a working 3D model of a goldfish’s mouth and simulating it using Adams, a multibody dynamics software program. …

The Impact Of Temperature, Ph And Environmental Heterogeneity On Prokaryotic Diversity In Yellowstone National Park Thermal Springs, Xiaoben Jiang

Biology ETDs

Yellowstone National Park (YNP) is one of the largest and most diverse hydrothermal areas on Earth. Extensive culture-independent studies in YNP thermal springs have shown dramatic taxonomic and metabolic diversity in microbial communities. We conducted a survey of bacterial communities along temperature gradients in three alkaline springs with similar geochemistries at the local scale. With these data, we investigated the influence of environmental variables on bacterial community diversity and assemblages along a broad temperature range using high throughput 454 pyrosequencing. Previous studies have suggested that pH is the driver of microbial diversity in thermal springs among geographical regions or at …

Quantifying Temperature Sensitivity Of Soil Respiration Across A Range Of Semi-Arid Biomes, Michelle Nuanez

Biology ETDs

Soils in semi-arid regions store approximately 10% of earths soil organic carbon, the substrate which microbes oxidize, resulting in the largest source of carbon to the atmosphere from terrestrial ecosystems. Semi-arid regions are expected to experience increased temperatures and altered precipitation regimes over the next 100 years, altering soil temperature and water, the two predominant drivers in soil respiration processes. In this study we quantify the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration in five semi-arid biomes ranging from desert grassland to ponderosa pine forest along an elevational/climate gradient in central New Mexico. We measured statistically similar temperature sensitivities in 4 of …

Effects Of Stream Edges On Algal Biomass In The Middle Rio Grande, Steven Daniel Scholle

Biology ETDs

In river systems, there are many factors that impede or facilitate algal standing stock and therefore impact primary production in these environments. I am particularly interested in the influence of edges in riverine systems and how these geomorphic features affect the available surface area for algal production. This study investigates the middle Rio Grande system near Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. The middle Rio Grande is a turbid, partially braided lotic ecosystem. Although edge characteristics can vary widely, especially between errosional and depositional banks, I hypothesize that edges become important zones of primary production, due in part to decreased water depth, …

Disturbance Events In Arid Ecosystems: Comparisons Of Enzyme Activity Profiles Across Multiple Soil Microbial Communities, Daniel Douglas Warnock

Biology ETDs

Arid ecosystems are home to approximately 35% of earth's human population, and approximately 40% of earth's terrestrial carbon. These systems are especially prone to releasing the stored carbon when under global climate change (GCC) related pressures. My goal for these studies was to expand on our already growing knowledge base of how the soil microbial communities in disturbed arid ecosystems undergo shifts in functional patterns, as they respond to a rapidly changing environment. In chapter two, I examined the overall functional activity levels and functional behaviors exhibited by both pinon and juniper supported RAM communities in the context of widespread, …

The Utility Of Nuclear Weapons Today: Two Views, José De Arimatéia Da Cruz

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

From Incentive To Commodity To Asset: How International Law Is Reconceptualizing Intellectual Property, Rochelle Dreyfuss, Susy Frankel

Michigan Journal of International Law

The intellectual property landscape is changing. As Jerry Reichman once observed, intellectual property rights were islands in a sea of the public domain until domestic laws expanded to include such “innovations” as business methods, software, scents, and sounds and turned the public domain into a pond surrounded by a continent of rights. Reichman spoke towards the end of the 20th century, and whatever problems accompanied this change, in truth (to paraphrase Voltaire’s view of the Holy Roman Empire), the concept of “intellectual property rights” was predominantly about neither “property” nor “rights” (nor was it always “intellectual”). Rather, copyright, patent, and …

Psychometric Properties Of The Centrality Of Pain Scale, Benjamin J. Morasco, Dennis C. Turk, Christina Nicolaidis

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

The Centrality of Pain Scale (COPS) is a recently developed patient-centered, 10-item self-report measure designed to assess how central, or dominating, in their lives individuals with chronic pain perceive pain to be. The COPS underwent initial development and validation previously; preliminary results suggested that the measure had excellent psychometric properties and that COPS scores were associated with important clinical factors. The purpose of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the COPS in a sample of individuals with mixed chronic pain diagnoses (N = 178) being treated at a U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Principal components analysis …

The Effects Of Gender Differences In Networking On Pay Equity And Leadership Opportunities, Mackenzie L. Kiser

Finance Undergraduate Honors Theses

This report was undertaken in an effort to establish the causes of gender differences in pay and leadership achievement in the United States. The report attempted to add a fresh perspective to the issues of the Wage Gap and Glass Ceiling by analyzing differences between the networking habits of male and female professionals and whether they are responsible for gender inequalities. Through an online survey of 55 professionals, it was established that high income individuals were invited to more organized networking opportunities than low income individuals (p=0.103) and attended significantly more organized networking events than low income individuals(p=0.094) and men …

Culture Shapes Whether The Pursuit Of Happiness Predictshigher Or Lower Well-Being, Brett Q. Ford, Julia O. Dmitrieva, Daniel Heller, Yulia Chentsova-Dutton, Igor Grossmann, Maya Tamir, Yukiko Uchida, Birgit Koopmann-Holm, Victoria A. Floerke, Meike Uhrig, Tatiana Bokhan, Iris B. Mauss

Psychology

Pursuing happiness can paradoxically impair well-being. Here, the authors propose the potential downsides to pursuing happiness may be specific to individualistic cultures. In collectivistic (vs. individualistic) cultures, pursuing happiness may be more successful because happiness is viewed--and thus pursued--in relatively socially engaged ways. In 4 geographical regions that vary in level of collectivism (United States, Germany, Russia, East Asia), we assessed participants' well-being, motivation to pursue happiness, and to what extent they pursued happiness in socially engaged ways. Motivation to pursue happiness predicted lower well-being in the United States, did not predict well-being in Germany, and predicted higher well-being in …

Navigating The Urban-Rural Divide: The Agency Of Rural Chinese Female Higher Education Students In China, Lifang Wang

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation explores how rural Chinese female students at urban Chinese higher education institutions conceptualize and negotiate the urban-rural divide that often interplays with gender and the discourse of quality (suzhi) to shape their lives. A substantial body of literature discusses the profound inequalities that rural Chinese people encounter due to the urban-rural divide and household registration system (Chan & Zhang, 1999; Wang & Zuo, 1999; Loong-Yu & Shan, 2007; Tang & Yang, 2008; Whyte, 2010; Han, 2010). An increasing amount of literature also addresses the experiences of rural Chinese migrant women working in urban China (Gaetano & Jacka, 2004; …

Phrynosoma Cornutum (Texas Horned Lizard) Habitat, Alexander J. Wolf, Jennie Mook, Miranda Vesy, Raymond W. Moody, Donna Nolan

Publications

No abstract provided.

Consumer Complaints And Protection: Stable Analysis And Design Patterns, Vishnu Sai Reddy Gangireddy

Master's Theses

The concept of consumer complaints and protection has numerous applications across various domains. Using traditional methods of modeling design patterns is a tedious and costly task. The Software Stability Mode (SSM) is a more efficient and effective modeling method. In this thesis, the differences between the traditional method and the SSM is addressed. Then, several patterns are developed using the SSM to deal with consumer complaints. Each area, Advice, Appraisal, Commitment, Complaint, Compliance, Deed, Guideline, Gratification, Judgment, Model, Need, Ownership, Promotion, Rate, Review, Selling, Support, View, and Violation, is explored and the core knowledge of the concept of consumer complaints …

Simulation Of Lateral Migration And Sedimentation Of A Flexible Fiber In A Vertical Weak Shear Flow, Ali Ibrahim Neamah Neamah

Masters Theses

This research is a thorough numerical investigation and critical analysis of lateral migration of a deformable particle settling in a vertical weak shear flow. Under the vertical weak shear fluid, the deformable particle may move either to the coagulation area, or the dispersion area, depending on Reynolds numbers, shear Reynolds number, fiber flexibility, and aspect ratio. In this study, a lattice Boltzmann equation is used to solve Navier-Stokes equation and a flexible particle method is employed to attack the problem of motion of a flexible fiber. A bounce-back rule is used to deal with moving boundaries interacting with fluids. Several …

The Research Express, Georgia Southern University

Research & Economic Development

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Effect Of Psychological Empowerment And Transformational Leadership On Organizational Commitment, Nurshahira Ibrahim, Azman Ismail, Nurasilah Kithuru Mohamed, Siti Salwa Salim

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

According to recent literature that relates to organizational leadership, transformational leadership consists of three important elements: idealized influence, individual consideration and intellectual stimulation. Extant studies in this area highlighted that the ability of the leaders in implementing these transformational processes (to execute organizational functions) may have a significant impact on individual outcome especially organizational commitment. Although this relationship has been studied, the mediating role of transformational leadership has taken a less prominent role in organizational leadership model. Recent studies on organizational leadership have emphasized that transformational leadership has three important characteristics: idealized influence, individual consideration and intellectual stimulation. The purpose …

Minimization Criteria For Off-Road Vehicle Use, Louisa S. Eberle

Michigan Journal of Environmental & Administrative Law

President Nixon recognized the controversy surrounding off-road vehicle (ORV) use on public lands when he signed Executive Order 11,644 in 1972. The Executive Order set out minimization criteria that bound federal land management agencies’ ORV area and trail designations. Forty years later, agencies are still struggling to implement the minimization criteria. Recent court opinions have struck down implementation attempts by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Forest Service. This note argues that agencies require additional guidance for ORV management, particularly in light of case law that sets a floor for achieving minimization. After examining how the mandate …

Multitrophic Enemy Escape Of Invasive Phragmites Australis And Its Introduced Herbivores In North America, Warwick J. Allen, Randee E. Young, Ganesh P. Bhattarai, Jordan R. Croy, Adam M. Lambert, Laura A. Meyerson, James T. Cronin

Faculty Publications

© 2015, Springer International Publishing Switzerland. One explanation for why invasive species are successful is that they escape natural enemies from their native range or experience lower attack from natural enemies in the introduced range relative to native species (i.e., the enemy-release hypothesis). However, little is known about how invasive plants interact with co-introduced herbivores or natural enemies of the introduced herbivores. We focus on Phragmites australis, a wetland grass native to Europe (EU) and North America (NA). Within the past 100–150 years, invasive European genotypes of P. australis and several species of specialist Lipara gall flies have spread within …

Tissue-Specific Contributions Of Paternally Expressed Gene 3 In Lactation And Maternal Care Of Mus Musculus, Wesley D. Frey, Joomyeong Kim

Faculty Publications

© 2015 Frey, Kim.This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in anymedium, provided the original author and source are credited. Paternally Expressed Gene 3 (Peg3) is an imprinted gene that controls milk letdown and maternal-caring behaviors. In this study, a conditional knockout allele has been developed in Mus musculus to further characterize these known functions of Peg3 in a tissue-specific manner. The mutant line was first crossed with a germline Cre. The progeny of this cross displayed growth retardation phenotypes. This is consistent with …

The Seesaw Effect Of Winter Temperature Change On The Recruitment Of Cotton Bollworms Helicoverpa Armigera Through Mismatched Phenology, Gadi V.P. Reddy, Peijian Shi, Cang Hui, Xiaofei Cheng, Fang Ouyang, Feng Ge

Faculty Publications

Knowing how climate change affects the population dynamics of insect pests is critical for the future of integrated pest management. Rising winter temperatures from global warming can drive increases in outbreaks of some agricultural pests. In contrast, here we propose an alternative hypothesis that both extremely cold and warm winters can mismatch the timing between the eclosion of overwintering pests and the flowering of key host plants. As host plants normally need higher effective cumulative temperatures for flowering than insects need for eclosion, changes in flowering time will be less dramatic than changes in eclosion time, leading to a mismatch …

Mathematics Library News 14, Aaron Lercher

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Failure Of A Heterologous Recombinant Sca5/Ompb Protein-Based Vaccine To Elicit Effective Protective Immunity Against Rickettsia Rickettsii Infections In C3h/Hen Mice, Sean P. Riley, Marissa M. Cardwell, Yvonne G. Chan, Ludovic Pruneau, Fabio Del Piero, Juan J. Martinez

Faculty Publications

Spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsial species are obligate intracellular tick-borne pathogens that are responsible for important human diseases. Previous reports have demonstrated the feasibility of using recombinant surface cell antigen Sca5/OmpB to elicit protective immunity against homologous challenges using murine models of Mediterranean spotted fever and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. In addition, the feasibility of generating cross-protective immunity against related rickettsial species has also been established, but the molecular basis for these phenomena was not explored. Here, we demonstrate that vaccination of C3H/HeN mice with a recombinant OmpB domain derived from Rickettsia conorii induced high titer humoral immune responses that …

Island Vs. Countryside Biogeography: An Examination Of How Amazonian Birds Respond To Forest Clearing And Fragmentation, Jared D. Wolfe, Philip C. Stouffer, Karl Mokross, Luke L. Powell, Marina M. Anciaes

Faculty Publications

Avian diversity in fragmented Amazonian landscapes depends on a balance between extinction and colonization in cleared and disturbed areas. Regenerating forest facilitates bird dispersal within degraded Amazonian landscapes and may tip the balance in favor of persistence in habitat patches. Determining the response of Amazonian birds to fragmentation may be hindered because many species use adjacent second growth matrices thereby limiting the applicability of island biogeography to predict species loss; alternatively, a countryside biogeographic framework to evaluate the value of regenerating forest may be more appropriate. Here, we used point-count and capture data to compare Amazonian bird communities among continuous …

Environmentally Persistent Free Radical-Containing Particulate Matter Competitively Inhibits Metabolism By Cytochrome P450 1a2, James R. Reed, Albert Leo N. Dela Cruz, Slawo M. Lomnicki, Wayne L. Backes

Faculty Publications

Combustion processes generate different types of particulate matter (PM) that can have deleterious effects on the pulmonary and cardiovascular systems. Environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) represent a type of particulate matter that is generated after combustion of environmental wastes in the presence of redox-active metals and aromatic hydrocarbons. Cytochromes P450 (P450/CYP) are membrane-bound enzymes that are essential for the phase I metabolism of most lipophilic xenobiotics. The EPFR formed by chemisorption of 2-monochlorophenol to silica containing 5% copper oxide (MCP230) has been shown to generally inhibit the activities of different forms of P450s without affecting those of cytochrome P450 reductase …