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Systematic Study Of The Biological Effects Of Nitric Oxide (No) Using Innovative No Measurement And Delivery Systems, Weilue He

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Nitric oxide (NO) is recognized as the most important small signaling molecule in the human body. An imbalance of NO is closely associated with many serious diseases such as neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, chronic inflammations and cancers. Herein two chemiluminescence-based devices (a real-time NO measurement device and a controllable NO delivery device) were developed to facilitate the NO quantitative study and obtain information for NO related drug design.

The first device used for real-time measuring NO(g) flux from living cells was developed and validated. The principle was to use a two-chamber design, with a cell culture chamber and a gaseous …

The Mechanisms Of Α-Amanitin Resistance In The Fruit Fly Drosophila Melanogaster, Chelsea L. Mitchell

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Insect pesticide resistance has become a costly problem in the US. To make things more problematic, resistance to one pesticide is often associated with cross-resistance to other toxins, including pesticides that have not yet even been developed. In this study, we investigated a possible type of cross-resistance in the model fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, some stocks of which are resistant to the very potent mushroom toxin α-amanitin. Because α-amanitin is solely produced by mushrooms, and because D. melanogaster does not feed on mushrooms in nature, the fruit flies should not be resistant to this toxin. In order to understand …

Legacy And Opportunity In Northern Hardwood Forests, Wilfred Previant

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Northern hardwood management reflects a combination of historic exploitation, current efforts for sustainability, and a desired future condition that incorporates complexity, resiliency, and adaptability. Stand structure and species diversity were assessed at two study locations within Michigan (USA): (1) long-term northern hardwood cutting trials at the Ford Forestry Center (FFC; Michigan Technological University, USA); and (2) vernal pool habitat within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (PRNL). Following the fifth cutting entry at the FFC, age structure and pre- and post-harvest relative species abundance, stocking, and volume were compared across three diameter-limit treatments, three residual basal area treatments, and an uncut control. …

The Effect Of Water Temperature On In-Stream Sediment Concentration And Transport Rate, Jennie Tyrrell

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Global climate change may result in rising temperatures. As a result, ecological health and the human use of rivers may be impacted. The hydrologic cycle, watershed hydrology, and in-stream hydraulics are dynamic systems, influenced by human activities, natural events, and climate. Although known drivers like precipitation and stream velocity govern sediment processes, the effect of water temperature on sediment transport remains unclear. In-stream sediment movement could lead to blocked harbors, flooding, and degradation of vulnerable fish habitat. To better understand how fluctuations in water temperature affect sediment dynamics, six transport models were analyzed on the Niobrara River, with water temperatures …

Development Of The Intelligent Graphs For Everyday Risky Decisions Tutor, Margo Woller-Carter

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Simple graphical visual aids have now been shown to be among the most effective means of quickly improving people’s ability to evaluate and understand risks (i.e., risk literacy), particularly for diverse and vulnerable groups (e.g., older adults, less educated, less numerate, minority and immigrant samples). Although well-developed theory and standards for user-friendly graph design exist, guidelines are often violated by designers faced with constraints like conflicts of interest (e.g., persuasion and marketing vs. informed decision making). Even when information is presented in well-designed graphs, many people struggle with appropriate data interpretation. Can basic computerized graph literacy training improve essential graph …

Mechanistic Models On Enzymatic Hydrolysis And Anaerobic Digestion, Yang Zhang

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

For enzymatic hydrolysis, a mechanistic model on enzymatic hydrolysis of pure cellulosic substrates was improved to consider oligomer reactions with beta-glucanases, inhibition of oligomers to cellulases and enzyme decay. Then a novel and general modeling framework was developed for enzymatic hydrolysis of hemicellulose-cellulosic substrates. This mechanistic model, for the first time, took into consideration explicitly the time evolution of morphologies of intertwining cellulose and hemicelluloses. This novel mechanistic model was applied to optimize the composition of enzyme mixtures for substrate conversion and monosaccharides yield during simultaneous enzymatic hydrolysis of different lignocellulosic substrates. For anaerobic digestion, the original "Anaerobic Digestion Model …

Evaluating The Long-Term Effects Of Logging Residue Removals In Great Lakes Aspen Forests, Michael I. Premer

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Commercial aspen (Populus spp.) forests of the Great Lakes region are primarily managed for timber products such as pulp fiber and panel board, but logging residues (topwood and non-merchantable bolewood) are potentially important for utilization in the bioenergy market. In some regions, pulp and paper mills already utilize residues as fuel in combustion for heat and electricity, and progressive energy policies will likely cause an increase in biomass feedstock demand. The effects of removing residues, which have a comparatively high concentration of macronutrients, is poorly understood when evaluating long-term site productivity, future timber yields, plant diversity, stand dynamics, and …

Biblical Literalism And The Acceptance Of Biological Evolution In Christian University Students, Heather N. Chamberlain

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Is it possible to accept biological evolution without rejecting God? Understanding student perspectives about religious belief and biological evolution is important to effectively teach science. There are many factors in this complex relationship and this study explored three: differences in Christian denominations, interpretation of scripture, and perspectives of the relationship between religious belief with acceptance of evolution. The participants were freshman elementary education majors at a Midwest university who completed a questionnaire about religious beliefs and the Inventory of Student Evolution Acceptance (I-SEA).

The results indicated no significant difference between Christian denomination and acceptance of evolution. Participants who took the …

Suggestions For Transgender Inclusion In Classical Music: A Mini-Cycle, Xavia A. Publius

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This interdisciplinary text examines the lack of transgender inclusion in Western classical music, especially through the lens of opera. By looking at the dearth of transgender characters, singers, and composers, as well as the author’s personal experiences as a transgender singer in classical spaces, this project develops a strong position on ways that Western classical music should work to incorporate transgender voices, both literally and figuratively.

Some of these methods are modeled in this thesis, such as consultations with other transgender artists, transgeneric devising, and trans-centric composing. The author worked with local transgender singers to understand their views on opera, …

The Effects Of Hibernation On The Hemostatic Properties Of The American Bullfrog, Rana Catesbeiana, Kiana Cullinan

Honors Program Theses

It is known that hibernating animals display a drastic reduction in metabolic rate, accompanied by reduced heart rate and rate of blood flow through vessels. Sluggish blood flow increases the risk for developing clots, yet it has been observed that hibernators conclusively display elongated clotting times. This observed impairment may be caused by the decrease in body temperature, due to a negative impact on the functioning of the enzymes involved in coagulation. Some hibernating endotherms, or “warm-blooded” animals, employ biological mechanisms as preventative means to prevent clotting during hibernation, such as the down-regulation of certain clotting factors or the production …

The Analysis Of Diruthenium Compounds On Human Cells As Potential Chemotherapeutic Agents, Elizabeth Mcculloch

Honors Program Theses

Chemotherapy is a common method of cancer treatment, and cisplatin is a common anticancer compound used in chemotherapy. While effective, cisplatin is known to cause many side effects, and people can form resistance to it. Because of these problems, new chemotherapeutic compounds are needed. One compound that has shown anticancer properties, an ability to overcome resistance, and nontoxicity is ruthenium. Multiple mono-ruthenium compounds have been previously studied and were found to be effective. The current research project synthesized a diruthenium compound Cp₂Ru₂(bipy)₂(DMSO)₂ and exposed the compound to human liver cells (HepG2) to determine …

Fish Assemblage Response To Environmental Gradients And Altered Dendritic Connectivity In The Red River Basin, Central Louisiana, Catherine Nell Reuter

LSU Master's Theses

Louisiana’s small streams provide critical habitat for diverse ecologically and economically important fish species. However, the relationship between these fish assemblages and habitat variables remains poorly understood. The role of anthropogenic alteration of dendritic stream connectivity is of specific interest and has been shown to significantly influence stream ecology. This study explored the interaction among watershed characteristics, stream connectivity, stream physico-chemistry, and fish assemblages in little-studied Red River basin of central Louisiana as well as how reservoir littoral zones compared to streams, both in terms of fish assemblage and habitat. Fish and habitat were sampled in 21 headwater streams, half …

A Study Of The Effectiveness Of A Common Household Chemical For Maceration, Sara O'Neil Wyatt

LSU Master's Theses

Maceration is often a necessary component when working on a forensic case. Since it is not very common to get a case with fully skeletonized remains, the soft tissue must be removed for the forensic anthropologist to start their assessment. There are varying maceration techniques, but the goal is the same: to remove the soft tissue without damaging the bone The main purpose of my research is to examine a common household chemical, Drano® Max Gel, to determine its effectiveness for maceration. I tested two diluted solutions of Drano® Max Gel, 25% and 12.5%, both heated and unheated, to determine …

A Comparative Study Of Two Different Fpga-Based Arrhythmia Classifier Architectures, Ahmet Turan Özdemi̇r, Kenan Danişman

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Early diagnosis of dangerous heart conditions is very important for the treatment of heart diseases and for the prevention of sudden cardiac death. Automatic electrocardiogram (ECG) arrhythmia classifiers are essential to timely diagnosis. However, most of the medical diagnosis systems proposed in the literature are software-based. This work focused on the hardware implementation of a mobile artificial neural network (ANN)-based arrhythmia classifier that is implemented on a field programmable gate array (FPGA) as a single chip solution, as an alternative to various software models of ANNs. Due to the parallel nature of ANNs, hardware implementation of ANNs needs a large …

A Real-Time American Sign Language Word Recognition System Based On Neural Networks And A Probabilistic Model, Neelesh Sarawate, Ming Chan. Leu, Cemi̇l Öz

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

The development of an American Sign Language (ASL) word recognition system based on neural networks and a probabilistic model is presented. We use a CyberGlove and a Flock of Birds motion tracker to extract the gesture data. The finger joint angle data obtained from the sensory glove defines the handshape while the data from the motion tracker describes the trajectory of the hand movement. The four gesture features, namely handshape, hand position, hand orientation, and hand movement, are recognized using different functions that include backpropagation neural networks. The sequence of these features is used to generate a specific sign or …

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Turkish Journal of Biology

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Berry Quality In Highbush Blueberry Cultivars Grown According To Conventional And Organic Methods, Ireneusz Ochmian, Karolina Kozos, Piotr Chelpinski, Malgorzata Szczepanek

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This research was conducted in the Laboratory Orchard at the Department of Horticulture, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin and at a certified production farm specializing in the cultivation of highbush blueberry located in Szczecin. The effect of cultivation conditions?organic plantation in organic peat substrate (pH 3.46) and conventional plantation in mineral substrate (pH 5.32)-on the berry quality of four highbush blueberry cultivars (firmness, size, chemical composition including content of organic compounds and polyphenols) was examined. Blueberry bushes were planted at a spacing of 2.3 × 1.2 m. Bushes were planted on organic and conventional plantations, and the substrates …

Seed Priming With Cacl2 And Ridge Planting For Improved Drought Resistance In Maize, Muhammad Bismillah Khan, Mubshar Hussain, Abid Raza, Shahid Farooq, Khawar Jabran

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Drought-induced losses in crop output have forced the scientific community to develop efficient management strategies to cope with the adversities of drought stress. This field trial was done to assess the role of seed priming techniques and planting methods for improving drought resistance in Pakistani hybrid maize in 2011. Maize seeds were soaked in an aerated solution of CaCl2 (osmopriming; $\Psi$s -1.25 MPa) and distilled water (hydropriming), while untreated dry seeds were taken as controls. Primed and untreated seeds were sown on either ridges or a flat seedbed and were subjected to drought at vegetative and tasseling stages. Drought was …

Metal Uptake, Oxidative Metabolism, And Mycorrhization In Pigeonpeaand Pea Under Arsenic And Cadmium Stress, Neera Garg, Priyanka Singla, Purnima Bhandari

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Presence of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) at elevated levels in the soils is threatening agricultural productivity. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) enhance plant resistance to metal(loid)s by sequestering them into roots, thus restricting their translocation into leaves. The present study evaluated differential responses of AM-colonized Cajanus cajan and Pisum sativum plants to As and Cd uptake and oxidative metabolism under As and Cd stress (0, 30, and 60 mg kg-1). Arsenic uptake was significantly higher than Cd uptake, which caused greater growth inhibitions and induced oxidative stress. Pea was more sensitive, with higher toxicity symptoms in roots than leaves. Mycorrhizae were …

Emissions Of Volatile Organic Compounds From Lacquer Coatings Used In The Furniture Industry, Modified With Nanoparticles Of Inorganic Metal Compounds, Agata Stachowiak Wencek, Magdalena Zborowska, Wlodzimierz Pradzynski, Boguslawa Waliszewska

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This study presents results of studies on emissions of volatile organic compounds from lacquer products containing nanoparticles of inorganic metal compounds (SiO2, TiO2, and Ag). The lacquers selected for analyses were applied on the surface of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood. Tests were conducted by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and thermal desorption. Concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released to the air by tested coatings in the first stage of the analyses fell within a very broad range (307-1829 µg/m3). Analyses of VOC emissions were conducted after 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 30, 60, and 90 days. …

Efficacy Of The Entomopathogenic Nematode Heterorhabditis Bacteriophora Using Different Application Methods In The Presence Or Absence Of A Natural Enemy, Ramalingam Karthik Raja, Canan Hazir, Ari̇fe Gümüş, Cem Asan, Mehmet Karagöz, Selçuk Hazir

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Various application methods for the entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora were evaluated under laboratory and field conditions. Four different methods of applying the infective juveniles (IJs) of the nematode to soil were assessed including (1) insect cadavers (referred to as nematode-infected cadavers), (2) subsurface injection, (3) spraying, and (4) drip irrigation. In the laboratory experiment, except for the control with no nematodes, all treatments showed more than 95% insect mortality of the bait insect (Galleria mellonella) with no significant differences among treatments. The same experimental setup was conducted with the introduction of mites, Sancassania polyphyllae (Acari: Acaridae), which are natural enemies …

Effects Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus, Humic Acid, And Whey On Wilt Diseasecaused By Verticillium Dahliae Kleb. In Three Solanaceous Crops, Semra Demi̇r, Suat Şensoy, Elvan Ocak, Şefi̇k Tüfenkci̇, Emre Demi̇rer Durak, Çeknas Erdi̇nç, Hüsameddi̇n Ünsal

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This study examined the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), humic acid (HA), and whey (W) application on wilt disease caused by Verticillium dahliae Kleb. in tomato, pepper, and eggplant. Single, dual, and triple applications of AMF (2.5 g inocula of either Glomus mosseae or G. intraradices), HA (500 ppm), and W (50 mL kg-1) were found to improve the morphological growth and nutritional status of all three host species. Moreover, dual and triple applications reduced the severity of wilt disease caused by V. dahliae by between 40% and 70.5%. Triple application of AMF, HA, and W decreased the number …

Species-Specific Growth And Photosynthetic Responses Of First-Year Seedlingsof Four Coniferous Species To Open-Field Experimental Warming, Saerom Han, Sun Jeong Lee, Tae Kyung Yoon, Seung Hyun Han, Jongyeol Lee, Seongjun Kim, Jaehong Hwang, Min Seok Cho, Yowhan Son

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Temperature increase due to climate change may affect the growth and physiological traits of trees. To cope with climate change, it is important to understand the responses of trees to these changes, as well as how these responses vary among species, functional groups, and biomes. In this study, we aimed to examine the species-specific growth and photosynthetic responses of first-year seedlings of 4 coniferous species to future temperature increase by conducting an open-field experimental warming study. The air temperature in the warmed plots was maintained at 3.02 °C higher than that in the control plots with an open-field experimental warming …

Modernization In Plant Breeding Approaches For Improving Biotic Stress Resistance In Crop Plants, Babar Hussain

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Biotic stresses are a potential threat to global food security. The origin of new pathogens and insect races due to climatic andgenetic factors is a major challenge for plant breeders in breeding biotic stress resistant crops. Yield losses due to biotic stresses haveresulted in 800 million people underfed in the world. Reduced yield due to biotic stresses and increasing food demand put internationalfood security at risk as 70% more food will be required in 2050. This review describes and compares the conventional and moleculargenetics methods being used for breeding biotic stress resistant crops. In the past, classical breeding approaches like …

Insect-Resistant Transgenic Crops: Retrospect And Challenges, Allah Bakhsh, Saber Delpasand Khabbazi, Faheem Shahzad Baloch, Ufuk Demi̇rel, Mehmet Emi̇n Çalişkan, Rüştü Hati̇poğlu, Sebahatti̇n Özcan, Hakan Özkan

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

The advent of genetic engineering has revolutionized agriculture remarkably with the development of superior insect-resistantcrop varieties harboring resistance against insect pests.Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has been used as a main source for insect-resistantgenes. In addition to Bt endotoxins, various plant lectins and other non-Bt genes from different sources have also been introduced incrop plants of economic importance. The insect-resistant crops have made a huge economic impact worldwide since their commercialrelease. The cultivation of insect-resistant cultivars has resulted both in increased crop productivity and in decreased environmentalpollution. Although insect-resistant crops have been allowed to be commercialized following proper biosafety guidelines and procedures,still …

Apomixis: New Horizons In Plant Breeding, Nejdet Kandemi̇r, İbrahi̇m Saygili

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Apomixis is seed formation without fertilization, commonly observed in wild plant species. It has the advantages of clonal reproduction and propagation by seeds. Although it has a complex inheritance, genes controlling apomictic reproduction are being identified. Transfer of apomixis to crop species through wide crosses has not been successful so far, but transgenic technology offers a more powerful way to introgress apomixis into crop species. When crop species acquire this trait, superior genotypes, including hybrids, will be fixed and seeds will be multiplied without segregation of superior gene combinations. In addition, it will make hybrid production possible in all crops, …

Modification Of Centromere Structure: A Promising Approach For Haploid Line Production In Plant Breeding, Ahmet Lati̇f Tek, Robert M. Stupar, Kiyotaka Nagaki

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Breeding based on doubled-haploid approaches has recently become a common tool for accelerating crop improvement in many plant species. However, many plant species do not have a reliable method for haploid induction. A promising new approach involving centromere engineering has recently been proposed to overcome this limitation. Here we provide a perspective of this novel method for the production of haploid plants, which was originally described in the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana. Centromeres, known to be critical for the accurate distribution of chromosomes in every cell division, have now become a novel target for crop improvement by enabling doubled-haploid …

Investigation Of Root-Knot Nematode (Meloidogyne Spp.) Resistance In Almond Rootstocks With Dna Markers, Sultan Bay Türkoğlu, Nergi̇z Çoban, Ali̇ Özkan, Hali̇t Seyfetti̇n Atli, Canan Can

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Seven almond varieties, Ferragnes, Nemaguard, AB3 (Amygdalus orientalis Mill.), GN22, GF677, Myrobalan(Prunus cerasifera),and Pissardi nigra, and F1 crossbreed almonds, Ferragnes × Pissardi nigra, Ferragnes × Myrobalan, Ferragnes × GN22, Nemaguard × GF677, Myrobalan × AB3 (Prunus dulcis Mill.), Myrobalan × Ferragnes, Pissardi nigra × AB3, and GF677 × Myrobalan, were used to determine resistance against root-knot nematode (RKN) (Meloidogyne spp.) using DNA markers. Parental lines and 316 F1 plants were tested with SSR (plgms8, plgms9, and plgms19) and STS (STS-OPS14a, STS-834b) markers. It was found that plgms19 exhibited 76%, 77.01%, 73.13%, and 86.6% inheritance of resistance in the Ferragnes × …

Effects Of Atp And Atp Inhibitors On The P2x7 Receptor, Holly Marie Salzbrenner

Honors Program Theses

Extracellular ATP has been shown to increase the permeability of cells via the P2X7 receptor. This relationship could be important in understanding the physiology of the inflammation that occurs in bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC). My research involved testing to see if this relationship between ATP and the P2X7 receptor is present. Then, potential inhibitors of ATP were tested so they can be used in further research involving ATP and BRDC. To test bovine cells, Mac-T cells were treated with ATP and incubated for various periods of time before Yo-Pro (a fluorescent molecule) was added. The percent change in fluorescence …

Multiscale Modeling Of Smart Materials Under Static And Dynamic Thermo-Mechanical Loading, Soodabeh Sharafi

LSU Master's Theses

Engineering material systems with tailored capabilities are a topic trend in plethora of research. Polymer based Artificial Muscle, PAM, and Shape memory polymer fiber, SMPF, enable structural engineers to incorporate smartness functionality into their design through programming cycles. Smartness functionality leads to the production of artificial muscles with different load carrying capability. SMPF is another category of smart materials, which are capable of being micro-structurally engineered to isolate vibration at different temperature and frequency conditions. The smartness functionality offers the adjustment between inherent properties of these materials with their industrial applications through modeling techniques. Mixture of phenomenological, numerical, mathematical models …