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Interactions Of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Colletotrichum Acutatum And Trap Crops In Organic Tomato Production, Robert James Voshell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Colletotrichum spp. (Ascomycota) cause anthracnose of tomato fruits (Solanum lycopersicum). Halyomorpha halys, the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is an invasive insect that injures tomato fruits with a piercing/sucking mouthpart.;To determine if H. halys feeding increases incidence of anthracnose on tomato fruit, five experiments were conducted. A 21-day transmission study was performed using detached fruits inside plastic containers in an incubator at 22°C. Tomato fruits receiving stink bugs with Colletotrichum inoculum had significantly higher anthracnose incidence than fruit receiving Colletotrichum inoculum only. A treatment using infested stink bugs (H. halys was placed in a petri dish of sporulating C. …

Utilizing Early Cellular Changes To Explore Biological Responses To Individual Chemical And Mixture Exposures, Julie Anne Vrana

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Humans are continuously exposed to a vast number of chemicals, whether it be from the air we breathe, the water we drink, or the medications we take daily. Early cellular changes after exposure to chemical insult, both individual chemicals and mixtures (two or more chemicals) thereof, can offer a wealth of information about cellular adaptation (e.g., cell death or survival decision processes). From this understanding, better prediction models for chemical risk assessment, such as toxicity or carcinogenicity, can be elucidated. Further, these prediction models can greatly improve the large backlog of chemicals waiting to be evaluated for potential adverse effects. …

Variations In Selenium Concentrations By Photochemical And Temperature-Controlled Iron Cycles, Kendi L. Waltemyer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Selenium (Se) concentrations in natural waters may vary over a 24-hour (diel) period in response to temperature changes. Diel cycles of Se have not been reported in coal mine drainage (CMD) waters, and understanding the mechanisms of Se concentration variations in CMD is important for predicting Se fate and mobility. Iron (Fe) is often associated with CMD, and diel cycles of dissolved Fe species concentrations and/or the formation of Fe oxyhydroxide minerals may impact Se mobility. Experiments were conducted in a laboratory setting between July 2014 and April 2015 to determine if selenite (SeIV) concentration changes could be detected in …

Commercial Real Estate Investment And Economic Development In The Northeast Region Of The United States, Tizita Wasihun

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The U.S. commercial real estate (CRE, henceforth) market was pummeled during the great recession. As the economy sees gradual improvements, investment continues to forge ahead from its worst slump, with fresh opportunities as construction rebounds. The debate on the relationship between real estate investment and economic growth has a long history in the economic development literature. Frequently asked questions are, should real estate investment be part of economic development strategies? Does real estate investment have more economic benefits than other investments? Should real estate investment wait until economic growth is achieved? Does real estate investment spur economic growth or, vice …

Bolted Connection Strength In Pultruded Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer Structural Shapes, Kayla Danielle Weimert

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With the drive for high strength, lightweight component design, the desire for composite materials for structural applications has been increasing in recent years. High strength-to-weight ratio, high stiffness, high fatigue and impact resistance, corrosion resistance, and ease of fabrication are just a few of the advantageous properties of pultruded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. The various structural applications of pultruded materials typically require the joining of composites either to composites or to metals. Despite introducing high stress concentrations in the composite material, bolted joints are the most practical connection for civil engineering applications. Bolted connections in glass FRP composites have …

Investigating College Evolution Instruction: Current Practices And How They Can Be Improved To Overcome Student Barriers To Acceptance, Nicholas Adam Wilbur

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The United States is ranked very low in acceptance of evolution when compared to other countries of similar socioeconomic status. The resistance to evolution extends to high school students and teachers, where much research has been performed on the topic of evolution education and the context is well understood. The initial goal of my thesis research was to establish a context for evolution education at the post-secondary level, which was accomplished by performing a national survey of evolution instructors. Although there was great variation among high school teachers, college instructors were surprisingly consistent in their training, methodology and personal views. …

On The Roles Of Drosophila Notch Signaling And Atonal Autoregulation In The Specification Of R8 Photoreceptors, Adam T. Majot

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Drosophila retinogenesis has long served as a paradigm of tissue patterning. Notch, an anciently conserved signaling pathway, is critical to both the formation of and proper spacing of founding R8 photoreceptors. Notch is intimately interwoven into the activity of Atonal (Ato), a proneural basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) that is required for R8 specification. Ato is expressed through dual enhancers: ato-3' and 5'-ato. ato-3' is activated in response to Notch-independent signaling cues whereas 5'-ato exhibits complex dependence on Notch signaling. First, Notch is required for 5'-ato activation, eliciting formation of Ato intermediate groups (IGs, evenly spaced clusters of 10--20 cells). Subsequently, Notch …

The Effect Of Organic Acids On The Formation And Behavior Of Synthesized Iron Hydroxides: Implications For Acid Mine Drainage Treatment, Marianne A. Mannix

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is an environmental concern that is well known and studied in West Virginia and other mining regions. This pollution threat can be prevented and mitigated with current mining permitting regulations; however some mine waters require treatment, which generally consists of the neutralization of affected waters, resulting in the precipitation of characteristic 'floc' material. AMD floc consists of hydroxides of heavy metals; predominantly iron. This study simulated AMD treatment practices to evaluate the effects of common environmental controls; namely the presence of organic matter (OM) on the formation and settling behavior of Fe hydroxides with the ultimate …

Legalized Racial Profiling And Arizona Sb1070: A Framing Effects Study, Agnieszka N. Marciniak

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Immigration has become one of the most important topics on the agenda of federal and state governments. President Obama just passed his pro-immigration executive order allowing five million undocumented immigrants to gain legal work visas. Conversely, there are laws such as Arizona Law SB1070, passed by Governor Jan Brewer in 2010, opposing Obama's pro-immigration stance. In the case of Arizona Law SB1070, it is important to have a basic understanding of the stereotypical perceptions people have of immigrants if laws like these are going to be enforced. In this study, we experimentally manipulated a real-life scenario of an immigrant being …

First Year Biomass Production Following Application Of Various Size Strip Thinnings In A Young Hardwood Stand In West Virginia., Ashlee Martin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Strip thinning can reduce stand density to promote better growth of residual trees and has potential to create a woody bioenergy feedstock in addition to enhancing and maintaining early successional habitat for wildlife. However, little research has been conducted on strip thinning within young hardwood stands to determine if these are viable attributes of strip thinning. The goal of this study was to assess the first year biomass production after strip thinning among three different cut strip widths (8 ft, 12 ft, and 16 ft) in a 22-year-old mixed mesophytic hardwood stand. Woody biomass production from stump sprouts and true …

Amphibian Metamorphosis In Created And Natural Wetlands, Lauren A. Mcpherson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Functional assessment of created wetlands is an important factor in monitoring the success of wetland mitigation projects. Determining the ability of a created wetland to replace lost wildlife habitat and to support productive wildlife populations should be a priority in the assessment of created wetland success. We used a mesocosm design featuring water collected from 3 created wetlands and 3 natural wetlands in West Virginia to evaluate how the water quality from the 2 wetland types were able to support metamorphosis in larval spring peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) and wood frogs ( Rana sylvatica). Spring peepers displayed similar metamorphosis rates in …

Development And Evaluation Of An Objective Method For Forensic Examination Of Human Head Hairs Using Texture-Based Image Analysis, Allyce S. Mcwhorter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In response to criticism of traditional forensic methods of human head hair examination, the goal of this study was to develop and evaluate an objective method using texture-based image analysis. 120 individuals, including 20 from six different maternal groups, were sampled and their hairs evaluated using the developed method. Different variables were evaluated to develop the most efficient method to increase intra/inter ratio, as well as the percentage of well-classified hairs. The variables included different microscope systems, objective lenses, number of hairs examined per individual, hair shaft regions, focus methods, and normalization filter techniques. Statistical analyses included one-way analysis of …

Cerium Dioxide Nanoparticle Exposure And Microvascular Dysfunction: Potential Mechanistic Links, Valerie C. Minarchick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cerium dioxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NP), an engineered nanomaterial, have great potential from a consumer and therapeutic perspective. Currently, CeO2 NP are added to diesel fuel to decrease the soot emissions commonly associated with diesel engines. CeO2 NP also have therapeutic applications (e.g. improve outcomes following stroke and radiation treatments) due to their anti-oxidant capabilities. These applications increase CeO2 NP exposure risk not only for manufacturers, but also for the general community; however, there are currently limited studies that investigated the effects of CeO2 NP exposure via multiple exposure routes. Furthermore, there are no studies that investigate the microvascular consequences of …

Analgesic And Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Monoacylglycerol Lipase Inhibition In Mice Subjected To Collagen-Induced Arthritis, Sara R. Nass

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most prevalent chronic inflammatory joint disease, affecting approximately 1% of the world population. This autoimmune disease is characterized by pain, stiffness, swelling, and breakdown of cartilage in synovial joints. Current RA analgesic treatments (i.e., pain reducing drugs) are ineffective or induce negative side effects, and so there are many concerted efforts to discover new RA treatments. Cannabinoids have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties; however, the challenge remains to harness the medical potential of cannabinoids without inducing negative psychoactive effects (e.g., cognitive deficits, emotional disruption, and abuse potential). An alternative approach focuses on the endogenously produced cannabinoids …

Spatializing The Soil-Ecological Factorial: Data Driven Integrated Land Management Tools, Travis Nauman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Soils form the dynamic interface of many processes key to the function of terrestrial ecosystems. Many soil properties both influence and are influenced by activity of flora and fauna. Interactions between soils, biota, and climate determine the potential ecosystem services that a given unique ecological site (ES) can support, and how resilient a site is to various pressures and disturbances. Soil data are needed to fully understand how these factors interact, but because this data is difficult to obtain, existing soil maps are sometimes not detailed enough to fully explore relationships. Environmental raster GIS data layers were used to increase …

Evaluation Of The Antidepressant Potential Of Dextromethorphan, Linda Nguyen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Depression affects more than 350 million people and is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Major challenges in the management of depression remain the 4-12 weeks of delayed efficacy and 30% of patients who are resistant to the therapeutic effects of current pharmaceutical treatments. We herein examined whether dextromethorphan (DM) may be able to take on these challenges, because 1) it has overlapping pharmacology with ketamine, which has shown rapid (within 24 hours) antidepressant effects, even in treatment-resistant individuals; 2) unlike ketamine with its notable abuse liability and adverse effects, DM is an over-the-counter antitussive with a high safety margin; …

Pyrolytic Fate Of Synthetic Cannabinoids, Corey Andrew Nida

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Since the introduction of herbal incense products into the illicit drug market, one of the most concerning factors has been the uncertainty regarding their health effects. Side effects such as anxiety/agitation, increased heartbeat, hallucinations, and suicidal tendencies are commonly reported with the use of products containing synthetic cannabinoid. However, a largely unknown toxicity and pharmacology is still associated with synthetic cannabinoids and long-term health effects have yet to be discussed.;Prior scientific studies have not focused on the big-picture in terms of the pyrolysis of traditional drugs of abuse that are smoked or the relatively new synthetic cannabinoids. Numerous agencies and …

Salix Spp. As A Biomass Crop: Investigating Their Potential On Marginal Lands And The Use Of Biochar As A Soil Amendment, Heather A. Nobert

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Energy consumption has drastically increased over the past 150 years and the pressure put on the environment to provide these resources has increased as a consequence. At least 2.5 million hectares of land in the United States has been disturbed as a result of surface mining for coal. Biomass crops have been explored as an alternative energy source. In West Virginia little land is available for those crops; however as a result of coal extraction, at least 50,000 acres of previously strip or surface mined area has been deemed suitable for reclamation with biomass crops. Due to the challenges associated …

Reversible Phospholipid Nanogels: An Alternative Matrix For Tunable High Resolution Dna Sieving With Enhanced Separation Efficiency And Accurate Extended Range Sizing By Capillary Gel Electrophoresis, Brandon C. Durney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In an aqueous solution the phospholipids dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3- phosphocholine (DMPC) and 1,2-dihexanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DHPC) self-assemble to form thermo-responsive non-Newtonian fluids (i.e., pseudo-gels) in which small temperature changes of 5-6 °C decrease viscosity dramatically. This characteristic is useful for sieving-based electrophoretic separations (e.g., of DNA), as the high viscosity of linear sieving additives, such as linear polyacrylamide or polyethylene oxide, hinders the introduction and replacement of the sieving agent in microscale channels. While a practical advantage of utilizing phospholipid pseudo-gels for sieving is the ease with which they are introduced into the separation capillary, the separation performance of the material for DNA analyses …

Polyploidy Affects Growth, Fillet Composition, And Fatty Acid Profile In Two Year Old Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus Mykiss, Jeremy Lynn Everson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gonadal development is a dominant physiological process that alters growth and fat metabolism, thereby reducing fillet quality. Sterile, triploid (3N) female rainbow trout, generated by pressure-induced shock of zygotes 30 minutes after fertilization (3NP), are used to eliminate reduced growth and quality associated with gonadogenesis. However, this method does not produce 100% 3N offspring. Crossing a diploid (2N; fertile) female and a tetraploid (4N; fertile) male produces triploid offspring 100% of the time (3NC; sterile). This method is not widely used in the industry because it requires 4N brood stock. The current study examines growth, fatty acid composition, and fillet …

Erionite Studies In Custer National Forest, Daniel Farcas

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chapter 1. Introduction to erionite. Erionite is an emerging naturally-occurring carcinogen that through continued and frequent exposure can lead to mesothelioma. Erionite exposure is mostly environmental and it affects individuals that live in areas where a natural deposit of the mineral exists.;Chapter 2. What is mesothelioma? Why should I should be afraid? How do you calculate the risk of mesothelioma? What are the results? Mesothelioma, a rare cancer and the most dreaded asbestos-related disease affects the lining of the chest cavity and extremely debilitating and terminal. Rates of Malignant Mesothelioma (MM) are dependent on exposure times, concentrations, smoking, age of …

Protumorigenic Role Of Cathelicidin-Related Antimicrobial Peptide In Chemotaxis And Differentiation Of Myeloid Lineage During Prostate Cancer Progression, Ha-Ram Cha

All ETDs from UAB

A growing body of evidence indicates a positive correlation between the expression of human antimicrobial peptide leucine leucine 37 (LL-37) and the progression of epithelial cancers, including carcinomas of the breast, lung, ovary, and prostate. Although the molecular mechanisms for this correlation have not yet been clearly elucidated, the primary function of LL-37 as a chemotactic molecule for innate immune effector cells suggests its possible association in coordinating protumorigenic mechanisms mediated by tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Using a mouse model of epithelial prostate cancer (PCa), the present study identified a unique role for cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide (CRAMP), a murine orthologue of …

Statistical Modeling Of Microrna Expression With Human Cancers, Ke-Sheng Wang, Yue Pan, Chun Xu

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs (containing about 22 nucleotides) that regulate gene expression. MiRNAs are involved in many different biological processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, fat metabolism, and human cancer genes; while miRNAs may function as candidates for diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and predictors of drug response. This paper emphasizes the statistical methods in the analysis of the associations of miRNA gene expression with human cancers and related clinical phenotypes: 1) simple statistical methods include chi-square test, correlation analysis, t-test and one-way ANOVA; 2) regression models include linear and logistic regression; 3) survival analysis approaches such as …

El Razonamiento Clínico Desde El Ciclo Básico, Una Opción De Integración En Las Ciencias Médicas, María Teresa Castañeda Licón, Hugo Esteban Rodríguez Uribe, Octelina Castillo Ruiz, Erick D. Lopez, José M. Rodriguez

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Fundamento: el razonamiento clínico propicia la integración de conocimientos en la formación del profesional de la salud para el desempeño adecuado de su futura labor.

Objetivo: analizar la opinión general de los estudiantes acerca de la inserción de casos clínicos en la asignatura Fisiología, para propiciar el desarrollo del razonamiento clínico desde las ciencias básicas biomédicas.

Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal en la Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas. El universo estuvo constituido por los estudiantes del tercer semestre de la carrera durante el período de enero a mayo de 2013. Se seleccionó una muestra …

Genome-Wide Methylome Analyses Reveal Novel Epigenetic Regulation Patterns In Schizophrenia And Bipolar Disorder, Yongsheng Li, Cynthia Camarillo, Juan Xu, Tania Bedard Arana, Yun Xiao, Zheng Zhao, Hong Chen, Mercedes Ramirez, Juan Zavala, Michael A. Escamilla, Chun Xu

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BP) are complex genetic disorders. Their appearance is also likely informed by as yet only partially described epigenetic contributions. Using a sequencing-based method for genome-wide analysis, we quantitatively compared the blood DNA methylation landscapes in SZ and BP subjects to control, both in an understudied population, Hispanics along the US-Mexico border. Remarkably, we identified thousands of differentially methylated regions for SZ and BP preferentially located in promoters 3'-UTRs and 5'-UTRs of genes. Distinct patterns of aberrant methylation of promoter sequences were located surrounding transcription start sites. In these instances, aberrant methylation occurred in CpG islands …

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 …

Behavioral And Developmental Abnormalities In Sult4a1 Deficient Zebrafish, Francis Crittenden

All ETDs from UAB

Since its identification in 2000, sulfotransferase (SULT) 4A1 has presented an enigma to the field of cytosolic SULT biology. SULT4A1 is exclusively expressed in neural tissue, is highly conserved, and has been identified in every vertebrate studied to date. Despite this singular level of conservation, no substrate or function for SULT4A1 has been identified. Previous studies demonstrated that SULT4A1 does not bind the obligate sulfate donor, 3’-phosphoadenosine-5’-phosphosulfate (PAPS), yet SULT4A1 is classified as a SULT superfamily member based on sequence and structural similarities to the other SULTs. In this study, RNA-seq was used to search for alterations in gene ex-pression …

Hepatocyte Clock And Alcohol-Dependent Disruption In Glycogen Metabolism, Uduak Sunday Udoh

All ETDs from UAB

Chronic alcohol consumption has been shown to significantly decrease hepatic glycogen, an important storage form of energy for the body and liver. Emerging studies indicate a link between metabolism and the molecular circadian clock. Previously, we have shown that chronic alcohol consumption disrupts the liver molecular clock mechanism. However, it is not known how this alteration impacts hepatic energy (e.g., glycogen) metabolism and contributes to alcohol hepatotoxicity. This dissertation investigates the impact chronic alcohol consumption has on time-of-day-dependent oscillations of various aspects of liver glycogen metabolism, and the importance of the liver circadian clock in these metabolic alterations. Chapter 1: …

Individual, Family, And Social Factors Associated With Adolescent Obesity: A Policy Relevant Focus, Janice Marguerite Utley

All ETDs from UAB

INDIVIDUAL, FAMILY, AND SOCIAL FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ADOLESCENT OBESITY: A POLICY RELEVANT FOCUS JANICE M. UTLEY PUBLIC HEALTH ABSTRACT This dissertation is comprised of three papers that examined individual, family, and social factors associated with adolescent overweight and obesity with the aim of generating data that could inform the design of policy interventions to prevent or reverse rising prevalence. The first investigation was a type of literature review called a scoping study that examined the extent, range, and type of research activity on adolescent obesity that used a multilevel or hierarchical design to look at two or more contextual areas …

The Effects Of The Initially Transcribed Sequence On Reiterative Transcription In Escherichia Coli, Jeffery Michael Vahrenkamp

All ETDs from UAB

Transcription, the synthesis of a ribonucleic acid transcript using a nucleic acid template, is the first step in gene expression for all life. In most organisms, high fidelity transcription is achieved through the formation of an RNA:DNA hybrid which allows the RNA polymerase to maintain the correct register. Slippage, which would lead to improper base pairing, is prevented by the heterogeneous sequence of the DNA template. However, when homogenous tracts of bases are present in the template, slippage can occur, allowing a single base in the template to encode multiple bases in the transcript in a process called reiterative transcription. …