Digital Commons Network^™

Derivatization And Separation Of Natural Estrogens (Estrone, 17Β-Estradiol, And Estriol) Using Gas Chromatography With Flame Ionization Detection (Gc-Fid), Dena L. Guptill

Masters Theses

A major cause of concern for estrogens found in the environment is that even at very low concentrations (10-100 ng/L) they can have a negative effect on aquatic ecosystems by disrupting endocrine systems. Due to the increasing importance of monitoring the levels of estrogens in the environment, a detection method was developed to identify and quantify three natural estrogens (estrone, 17β-estradiol and estriol) using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). In addition, the efficacy of two derivatizing agents, N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl) acetamide (BSTA) and N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA), was evaluated. The GC detector (FID) was most responsive with E3, followed by E1 and …

Allelopathic Effects Of S. Canadensis On The Germination Of Native Prairie Plants, James David Megenhardt

Masters Theses

Solidago canadensis has become a aggressive species of North American prairie forb throughout the world and within restored prairies throughout North America, causing the loss of biodiversity within those ecosystems. While reproductive methods of wind dispersed seeds and clonal expansion through rhizomes has helped S. canadensis colonize and spread through these ecosystems, S. canadensis also releases allelopathic chemicals which may inhibit the germination and growth of competing species. What was unknown is if these same allelopathic chemicals which give S. canadensis an edge within foreign ecosystems might also explain why S. canadensis is so prolific in restored North American …

Collaboration Portal For Researchers At Eastern Illinois University, Fatemeh Khastkhodaardekani

Masters Theses

This thesis addresses a need for an online collaboration environment for the researchers at Eastern Illinois University (EIU). As the solution, it provides a portal for researchers (students and faculties) who wish to explore and collaborate on projects based on ideas from those who may not have the necessary skills. This is considered to help developing projects based on the ideas as well as making teams, and teach different groups of people different perspectives. Therefore, it offers a learning environment. I started off by examining existing tools and methodologies to satisfy this purpose. As the result, the deliverable project is …

Daily Activity Patterns In Three Migratory Bird Species At A Stopover Site On The Northern Coast Of The Gulf Of Mexico, Lynn Schofield

Masters Theses

CHAPTER I: A Comparison of Diel Movement Patterns in Three Bird Species at a Stopover Site on the Northern Coast of the Gulf of Mexico

During migration, birds require stopover habitats where they stop en route to rest, refuel, and prepare for the next stage of their migration. For songbirds, many short movements made within a stopover habitat are known to be costlier than a single long migratory flight, as it takes a considerable amount of energy to initiate flight. This indicates that migrating birds should strive to balance the energy expenditure made in movement during stopover and energy gains …

Asian Carp Population Status And Reproductive Potential In Illinois River Tributaries, Clinton Wesley Morgeson

Masters Theses

Large floodplain rivers are among the most complex natural systems characterized by exchange between the river and its floodplain. Information regarding fishes in main channel habitats is abundant, however much less understanding extends into their tributaries. Tributaries of large rivers provide critical habitats for main channel fishes, important for foraging, spawning, and refuge. In addition to native diversity, large rivers are host to multiple exotic species invasions, threatening biodiversity, ecosystem function, and habitat quality. Two notorious invaders are Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and Bighead Carp (H. nobilis), collectively Asian Carp, presenting an imminent threat of invasion …

Compatibility Factors Of Fascioloides Magna Miracidia And Four Sympatric Snail Species: Miracidial Behavior And Snail Response, Bryan Rolfsen

Masters Theses

Miracidia exhibit observable host-finding behaviors, and their sympatric snails have attributes that either permit or prohibit infection. This study was designed to assess the factors involved in intermediate host finding and host-parasite compatibility in the deer liver fluke (Fascioloides magna). The main aim was to determine the extent to which the parasite and/or the intermediate host are involved in host-parasite compatibility. A secondary goal was to determine what factors may lead to miracidial transformation. The study used a panel of four sympatric snails (Lymnaea caperata, Lymnaea palustris, Lymnaea exilis, and Physa sp.) that display …

"Fine Dignity, Picturesque Beauty, And Serious Purpose": The Reorientation Of Suffrage Media In The Twentieth Century, Emily Scarbrough

Masters Theses

Throughout the first half century of the woman's suffrage movement, the women of the movement were depicted as dastardly, masculine women who usurped the family structure with their penchant for politics. In the twentieth century, a new generation of woman's suffragists took command of their appearance in the media. Instead of controversial figures, woman's suffragists were envisioned as normal, beautiful women and mothers. Through the use of mass media, woman suffragists restructured their campaign to convince the general public that society needed women to clean up politics. In doing so, suffragists sacrificed their goals of sexual equality in favor of …

The Perception Of Black Male Students Of Black Faculty/Staff Involvement In Mentorship At A Predominantly White Institution, B. James Griffin Jr.

Masters Theses

This research study explored the perception African American men had of mentorship, its value to their education and the effects it had on their college success at a predominantly White institution. The study further focused on the impact mentorship had on the student when the mentor was of a different race versus the same race of the student. The research was guided by the following questions: (1) What is the value of mentorships related to attending a higher education institution, (2) What factors lead Black male students to seek mentorships, (3) What are the perceived differences between mentorship with cross-race …

Adaptive Significance Of Aberrant Chickadee Song In Illinois, Evan Andrew Glynn

Masters Theses

I studied the behavioral responses of Black-capped (Poecile atricapilus) and Carolina (P. carolinensis) chickadees to playback of Black-capped, Carolina, and aberrant chickadee songs throughout the state of Illinois. These two species are parapatrically distributed throughout the eastern United States, including Illinois. Some areas exist where the ranges of the two species overlap. Individuals in these contact zones often sing aberrant vocalizations. This study focused on the two parental vocalizations (i.e., Black-capped and Carolina song), and two of the most common aberrant vocalizations (the 'Greenville' and 'Vandalia' aberrant dialects), in an attempt to understand the adaptive significance of these aberrant songs. …

Motivational Interviewing For Parent-Child Health Interventions: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Belinda Borrelli, Erin M. Tooley

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Purpose: Motivational interviewing (MI) is a patient-centered approach focusing on building intrinsic motivation for change. This paper presents a meta-analysis of parent-involved MI to improve pediatric health behavior and health outcomes.

Methods: Study inclusion criteria: (1) examined modifiable pediatric health behaviors (< 18 years old); (2) used MI or motivational enhancement; (3) conducted a randomized controlled trial with a comparison group (non-MI control or active treatment group); (4) conducted the intervention with only a parent or both a parent and child; and (5) were written in English. Twenty-five studies (with 5,130 participants) were included and independently rated. Weighted mean effect sizes, using random-effects assumptions, were calculated.

Results: Relative to comparison groups, MI was associated with significant improvements in health behaviors (e.g., oral health, diet, physical activity, reduced screen time, smoking cessation, reduced second hand smoke) and reduction in body mass index. Results suggest that MI may also outperform comparison groups in terms of dental caries, but more studies are needed. MI interventions were more …

Little Things Reveal The Big Picture, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

As enthusiasts who enjoy native plants in natural habitats, we tend to focus on gross morphology— aspects of plant form that can be readily observed with the naked eye or with a hand lens. And there is plenty to see at the gross level. The Flora of Virginia contains 1,269 pages of keys and descriptions devoted to gross morphology of the commonwealth’s botanical treasures. Morphological diversity, however, does not stop at the magnifi cation limit of a hand lens. Light and electron microscopes open up whole new worlds of intricate structure for appreciation and study. And tiny structural details can …

Molecular Level Characterization Of Diatom-Associated Biopolymers That Bind 234th, ²³³Pa, ²¹°Pb, And 7be In Seawater: A Case Study With Phaeodactylum Tricornutum, Chia-Ying Chuang, Peter H. Santschi, Chen Xu, Yuelu Jiang, Yi-Fang Ho, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

In order to investigate the importance of biogenic silica associated biopolymers on the scavenging of radionuclides, the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum was incubated together with the radionuclides Th-234, Pa-233, Pb-210, and Be-7 during their growth phase. Normalized affinity coefficients were determined for the radionuclides bound with different organic compound classes (i.e., proteins, total carbohydrates, uronic acids) in extracellular (nonattached and attached exopolymeric substances), intracellular (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate extractable), and frustule embedded biopolymeric fractions (BF). Results indicated that radionuclides were mostly concentrated in frustule BF. Among three measured organic components, Uronic acids showed the strongest affinities to …

The Role Of Creg1 And Pitx1 As Master Regulators Of Liver Function, Anit Shah

Masters Theses

Development in mammals requires a complex array of positive and negative regulatory signals and responses. The liver is a major organ that has been studied extensively to understand underlying genetic processes responsible for specification, establishment and maintenance of tissue identity. Hepatoma and hepatoma variant cell lines have been used as a model to understand genetic networks responsible for liver function. Whole genome analysis of these cell types has identified candidate genes that might serve as master regulators of liver identity. In this study, the role of two candidate genes - cellular repressor of E1A stimulated gene (CREG1) and paired-liked homeodomain-1 …

Novel Bodipy Dyes For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells, Hafsah Klfout

Masters Theses

Dyes-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) are of importance to efficient conversion of solar energy to electricity. The modern version of a DSC is a titanium dioxide nanoparticles-based electrochemical device, in which solar energy is absorbed by dye molecules and electrons from excited dye molecules are injected into the conduction band of titanium dioxide nanoparticle. The electrons are then transported through a network of interconnected TiO₂ particles to the fluorine- tin -oxide layer to the external circuit. In this process dye molecules are crucial to the device's energy conversion efficiency.

Boron-dipyrromethenes, known as BODIPY dyes, show strong absorption in the visible …

The Effects Of Industrial Biomass Gasification Ash As A Soil Amendment On The Earthworm Eisenia Fetida, Michael J. Blackowicz

Masters Theses

Soil application of solid residues from thermal conversion of biomass (i.e. combustion and pyrolysis) has become a topic of interest in recent years. However, there exists a gap in the literature with regard to soil application of gasification residues and their effects on soil health and soil macroorganisms. This study investigates the effects of three different ashes (hardwood oak/hickory, hardwood willow, corn stover), collected from industrial biomass gasification reactors (University of Minnesota Morris, Eastern Illinois University), as a soil amendment on the composting worm Eisenia fetida. Additionally, ash samples were analyzed for total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and potentially toxic …

D-Galactose Decreases Mitoneet Levels In Liver Cancer Cells: Impact On Cellular Bioenergetics, Sudip Paudel

Masters Theses

Galactose is a simple sugar that at supraphysiological concentrations accelerates aging and age-related complications, which lead to impaired mitochondrial functions. MitoNEET is a small mitochondrial membrane protein with a molecular mass of 12.2 kDa that functions in diabetes, iron metabolism, regulation of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis. MitoNEET knockdown increases cellular respiration rates and ROS levels similar to galactose treatment. Pioglitazone, an antidiabetic drug, binds to mitoNEET and ameliorates galactose toxicity. Cellular mitoNEET levels, exposure of cells to galactose medium, and pioglitazone treatment directly influence cellular respiration. To elucidate the role of mitoNEET in galactose induced …

The Effects Of Solutes In The Cryopreservation Of Adherent Neuroblastoma (Neuro-2a) Cells, Trisha L. Bailey

Masters Theses

A simple method to cryopreserve adherent monolayers of neuronal cells is currently not available, but the development of this technique could facilitate numerous applications in the field of biomedical engineering, cell line development, and drug screening. However, complex tissues of some exceptional animals survive freezing in nature. These animals are known to accumulate several small molecular weight solutes prior to freezing. Following a similar strategy, we investigated the effects of osmolytes such as trehalose, proline, and sucrose as additives to the traditional cryoprotectant dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) in modulating the cryopreservation outcome of mouse neuroblastoma (Neuro-2a) cells. Neuro-2a cells adhered to …

Tangents, Joshua Kosker

School of Art Graduate Exhibitions, Portfolios, and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Retrospective Diagnosis Of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder In Adolescents: Family Physicians' Challenges, Adam M. Pechmann

Masters Theses

The primary purpose of the study was to identify current retrospective practices used by family physicians in the diagnosis of Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adolescents and young adults. In other words, do physicians adhere to best practices and examine information from childhood in order to diagnose ADHD in adolescents and young adults? In addition, this study aimed to examine the information physicians request for ADHD diagnosis, types of treatments they recommend, the type of information they use to assess treatment outcomes, and professional attitudes regarding the nature of ADHD. Participants completed a questionnaire designed to answer the research questions. Participants …

A Convergent Approach To The Continuous Synthesis Of Telmisartan Via A Suzuki Reaction Between Two Functionalized Benzimidazoles, Alex D. Martin

Theses and Dissertations

A direct and highly efficient synthesis has been developed for telmisartan, the active ingredient in the widely prescribed antihypertensive drug Micardis®. This approach brings together two functionalized benzimidazoles using a high-yielding Suzuki reaction that can be catalyzed by a homogeneous palladium source or palladium on a solid support.

The ability to perform the cross-coupling reaction was facilitated by the regio-controlled preparation of a 2-bromo-1-methylbenzimidazole precursor. The method developed is the first reported selective bromination at the 2-position of a benzimidazole and produces the first major precursor in high yield (93%). The second precursor, potassium (4-methyl-2-propylbenzimidazol-6-yl) trifluoroborate, was prepared from commercially …

Elucidation Of A Novel Pathway In Staphylococcus Aureus: The Essential Site-Specific Processing Of Ribosomal Protein L27, Erin A. Wall

Theses and Dissertations

Ribosomal protein L27 is a component of the eubacterial large ribosomal subunit that has been shown to play a critical role in substrate stabilization during protein synthesis. This function is mediated by the L27 N-terminus, which protrudes into the peptidyl transferase center where it interacts with both A-site and P-site tRNAs as well as with 23S rRNA. We observed that L27 in S. aureus and other Firmicutes is encoded with a short N-terminal extension that is not present in most Gram-negative organisms, and is absent from mature ribosomes. The extension contains a conserved cleavage motif; nine N-terminal amino acids are …

Speaking For The Picture: Memory, Image, And Identity In The Works Of W.G. Sebald And Chris Marker, Connor Mccormick

Theses and Dissertations

The nineteenth and twentieth centuries saw the development of technologies for externalizing human memory beyond writing, painting, and sculpting. These modes of visual representation, namely photography and cinema carried with them a purported objective representation of reality, which has been used to create classifications, divide people groups, and construct grand historical narratives used to marginalize those that do not fit within the hegemonic center. Looking to the works of writer W.G. Sebald, and filmmaker Chris Marker, we see a complication of the divide between visual and verbal texts, as each artist deconstructs their own medium’s conventions. Using theories of ekphrasis …

Analytical Method Development For The Detection And Analysis Of Protein Carbonyls, Chelsea M. Coffey

Theses and Dissertations

Oxidative stress can result in changes to many biomolecules and also affect their activities. We are interested in protein carbonylation, a type of unnatural oxidation which has been associated with numerous degenerative disease states and is also a consequence of the natural aging process. Protein carbonyls are stable species, but countless analytical barriers exist in terms of their identification. Thus, the main goal of this work was to develop and optimize analytical methods that could be used to help us better understand which, where, and how proteins are being carbonylated.

Initial studies involved method validation for carbonylating, tagging, and enriching …

Oasis Link, Sarah Baugh

Theses and Dissertations

This document is written from the perspective of the Oasis Link community, a group of dissidents who have resettled in the Mojave Desert sometime in the near future. It is a speculative design document.

Surface is what is visible. It’s the crust of the earth and the face of a meteorite—the coat of a jackrabbit and the waxy skin of a Mojave Prickly Pear. Surface is superficial, but it also reflects and defines the underlying structure of something—it makes the hidden visible.

Coarse Woody Debris And The Carbon Balance Of A Moderately Disturbed Forest, Amy V. Schmid

Theses and Dissertations

Landscapes are comprised of multiple ecosystems shaped by disturbances varying in severity and source. Moderate disturbance from weather, pathogens, insects, and age-related senescence, in contrast to severe disturbances that fell trees, may increase standing woody debris and alter the contribution of coarse woody debris (CWD) to total ecosystem respiration (R_E). However, woody debris dynamics are rarely examined following moderate disturbances that substantially increase standing dead wood stocks. We used an experimental manipulation of moderate disturbance in an upper Great Lakes forest to: 1) examine decadal changes in CWD stocks through a moderate disturbance; 2) quantify in situ CWD …

High School Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of Student Health Promotion: An Exploratory Study, Sarah B. Conklin

Theses and Dissertations

The current study explored the high school health promotion environment with regards to physical activity, nutrition, and sedentary behaviors from the perspective of high school health and physical education teachers and administrators. Specifically, potential strategies for a prevention program to promote student physical activity participation and healthy eating, and decrease student sedentary time were explored.

Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with physical education teachers to explore potential strategies to promote student health behaviors. Next, interviews were conducted with high school administrators to determine the feasibility of recommended strategies. Teachers and administrators in the current study expressed a need for strategies …

Long-Term Effects Of Land Cover Change On Fish Assemblage Structure In The Piedmont And Coastal Plain Regions Of Virginia, Samuel F. Stickley

Theses and Dissertations

Changes in land cover and fish assemblage structure were assessed across two spatial and temporal scales in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of the Chesapeake Bay watershed in Virginia. A long-term, local study (1953 to 2014) on the Tuckahoe Creek watershed used digitized aerial photography and satellite images (Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS) to quantify land cover change for five nested catchments in 1953, 1990, and 2014. Instream fish collections from 1958, 1990, and 2014 were utilized to assess a variety of fish assemblage metrics for each of the five catchments, and analyses were performed to assess …

Investigation Of Gain-Of-Function Induced By Mutant P53, Catherine Vaughan

Theses and Dissertations

p53 is mutated in 50% of all human cancers, and up to 70% of lung cancer. Mutant p53 is usually expressed at elevated levels in cancer cells and has been correlated with a poor prognosis. Cancer cells that express mutant p53 show an increase in oncogenic phenotypes including an increase in growth rate, resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, and an increase in motility and tumorigenicity to name a few. We have identified several genes involved in cell growth and survival that are upregulated by expression of common p53 mutants: NFκB2, Axl, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The aim of this …

Spiking Neural Networks: Neuron Models, Plasticity, And Graph Applications, Shaun Donachy

Theses and Dissertations

Networks of spiking neurons can be used not only for brain modeling but also to solve graph problems. With the use of a computationally efficient Izhikevich neuron model combined with plasticity rules, the networks possess self-organizing characteristics. Two different time-based synaptic plasticity rules are used to adjust weights among nodes in a graph resulting in solutions to graph prob- lems such as finding the shortest path and clustering.

The Effect Of Optogenetic Manipulation Of Ss Interneurons Within Malformed, Epileptogenic Cortex, Nicole Ekanem

Theses and Dissertations

A large percentage of individuals with intractable epilepsies have an accompanying cortical malformation, the underlying cellular mechanisms of which are poorly understood. It is known however that in an animal model for one such malformation, polymicrogyria, epileptogenesis occurs most easily from an adjacent area termed the paramicrogyral region (PMR). Previous studies implicate SS interneurons as a potential contributor to this pathology, which lead to our hypothesis: in PMR, SS interneurons exert a higher modulatory influence on excitatory pyramidal cells, as compared to the same by SS interneurons within homologous control cortex.

Using a freeze-lesion model for polymicrogyria in transgenic mice …