Digital Commons Network^™

Delimiting Species And Varieties Of Cycladenia Humilis (Apocynaceae), Holly Kathryn Brabazon

Theses and Dissertations

Taxonomic delimitation of rare species is vital for accurate assessments of diversity and for their conservation. Cycladenia humilis, the sole species of Cycladenia, is an enigmatic perennial widely dispersed across the western United States. Within this species there are three currently recognized varieties: C. humilis var. humilis in Northern California, C. humilis var. venusta in Southern California, and C. humilis var. jonesii in Utah and Northern Arizona. Some populations occur geographically in areas between the typical distribution of each variety and the presently accepted taxonomy inadequately addresses these populations. Using five nDNA regions, we seek to clarify relationships between current …

Dna Origami Stabilized And Seeded With 4'-Aminomethyltrioxsalen For Improved Dna Nanowire Fabrication, Matthew Paul Mcdowell

Theses and Dissertations

A fast emerging technology in the microelectronics field is bottom-up self-assembly of computer circuitry. A promising method to develop nanoelectronic devices through bottom-up self-assembly is the implementation of DNA-based technologies. Using DNA to create nanoelectronic devices is advantageous because of its already well understood base-paring and annealing qualities. These base-pairing and annealing qualities can be used to design and construct DNA nanostructures called DNA origami. DNA origami are specially designed structures made from single stranded DNA. Short single stranded DNA oligonucleotides called staple strands attach to a large single stranded DNA called a DNA scaffold. DNA staple strands and DNA …

Progress Towards The Total Synthesis Of Yaku'amide A, Zhiwei Ma

Theses and Dissertations

The synthetic progress towards yaku'amide A is described. The study leads to development of new synthetic methodologies. Base-free regioselective aminohydroxylation is convenient to deliver β-tert-hydroxyamino acids. A sequence consisting of alkylative esterification, Martin sulfurane mediated anti dehydration, a tandem azide reduction-O→N acyl transfer allows the rapid access of E- and Z-dehydroisoleucine-containing peptides from β-tert-hydroxyisoleucine derivatives. Those methods are effective in constructing complicated peptides and advanced subunits of yaku'amide A.

Neural Plasticity In Response To Intervention In Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders, Sheryl Jayne Stevens

Dissertations (1934 -)

Current theories of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) suggest that they may develop from the transactional interaction between biological risk factors and environmental processes (Dawson et al., 2009). Due to the brain’s experience-expectant nature, one’s degree of social exposure may have a significant impact on their brain development and behavioral presentation. In addition to the primary critical neurodevelopmental period identified in early childhood, recent research has demonstrated a second period of substantial neurodevelopment during the adolescent period (Sisk & Foster, 2004). This study investigated the neural and behavioral impact of participation in an empirically validated behavioral intervention (The Program for the …

Stay-At-Home-Fathers Navigating Depression: A Consensual Qualitative Research Study, William Douglas Meyers Caperton

Dissertations (1934 -)

Evidence suggests that the practices through which men are socialized to become masculine may serve both to restrict their potential in ways that lead to psychological distress, and also to restrict the ways in which they respond to such distress (Addis & Mahalik, 2003; Mahalik, Good, Tager, Levant, & Mackowiak, 2012; O’Neil, 2008). While we are beginning to understand masculine depression (Cochran & Rabinowitz, 2000; Magovcevic & Addis, 2008) and paternal depression (Paulson & Bazemore, 2010; Ramachandani & Psychogiou, 2009), almost nothing is known about how SAHFs experience depression, nor their experiences and beliefs regarding help-seeking and psychotherapy. The trend …

The All-Embracing Frame: Distance In The Trinitarian Theology Of Hans Urs Von Balthasar, Christopher Hadley

Dissertations (1934 -)

The notion of distance plays a complex role in Hans Urs von Balthasar’s trinitarian theology. The infinite distance that metaphorically marks out the difference between God and creation serves Balthasar as a negative-theological guard against earthly projections in images of God. But this distance also structures the biblical, ascetical, and phenomenological imagery upon which trinitarian theology so often depends. The infinite distance between Father and Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit structures Balthasar’s richly symbolic vision of a divine infusion of grace into a suffering world. Not only is inner-triune distance a controversial notion, but it strikes some …

The Effects Of Specific Mental Illness Stigma Beliefs On Treatment Seeking Attitudes, Henry Arthur Boeh

Dissertations (1934 -)

Despite significant gains in the research base and effectiveness of psychotherapy, only thirty to forty percent of individuals experiencing mental illness symptoms seek treatment. A large barrier preventing many individuals from seeking psychotherapy is the stigma that surrounds mental illness. This study reviews the current state of mental illness stigma literature and presents a new Treatment Seeking Barriers Model (TSBM) that attempts to better explain the connection between stigma and treatment seeking. The goal of the current study was to isolate and manipulate responsibility or immutability beliefs related to depression in order to evaluate their relationship with treatment seeking stigma. …

Openness To The "Other" During A Summer Language Study Abroad In Madrid, Spain: Six Case Studies, Samuel Cox

Dissertations (1934 -)

The purpose of this study was to explore the interaction of summer language study abroad students in Madrid, Spain, with a cultural and linguistic "Other," and to examine the resulting evolution in those participants' openness to that Other. Gordon Allport's four optimal conditions for prejudice reduction in intergroup contact theory provided the framework for this analysis. The student in a language study abroad context is both a linguistic and cultural minority, an experience manifested in multiple daily interactions that potentially affect openness to the linguistic and cultural Other. As such, qualitative data were drawn from six participants via interviews during …

Effects Of Cocaine Sensitization On Drug Self-Administration, Mesocorticolimbic Sapap Levels, And Prefrontal Ionotropic Glutamate Receptors, Kyle Christopher Summers

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Towards the goal of improving the knowledge base of how drugs of abuse function to create addicts and using currently uninvestigated areas of this knowledge base, we focused our research studies the male albino rat, and strived to explain how cocaine sensitization alters particular molecular mechanisms in the mesocorticolimbic system related to glutamate receptors, SAPAPs, and affects drug self-administration. Taking all the previously discussed research studies into consideration, we hypothesized that low-dose cocaine self-administration would yield a significant elevation in drug seeking behavior for psychostimulant sensitized animals. For specific changes at the PSD, we hypothesized that acute cocaine exposure and/or …

Effect Of Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates And Two-Spotted Spider Mite Incidence On 'Strawberry Festival' Strawberry Cultivar Performance, Megan E. Mcgovern

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The decline in strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) production in Arkansas over the last 50 years has sparked an interest in the use of season extension techniques to improve yield and fruit quality. High tunnel strawberry production has the potential to become a profitable and sustainable production system; however, information on nutrient and pest management is limited.

The overall objective of this study was to determine the response of ‘St. Festival’ strawberry cultivar to different nitrogen fertilizer rates in order to develop a fertilization program for strawberries grown under high tunnel production systems. Experiments were conducted at the University of …

The Development Of A Faith Community Nursing Intervention To Promote Health Across The Life Span, Donna M. Callaghan

International Journal of Faith Community Nursing

Purpose: To report the development of a faith community nursing intervention to promote health across the life span. Studies by Callaghan (2003, 2005, 2006), that investigated the relationships among self-care agency, self-care self-efficacy, and health-promoting self-care behaviors, support the importance of spiritual growth on older adults’, adults’, and adolescents’ initiative and responsibility for self-care. This report will focus on applying these results and the research evidence that supports the integration of these concepts in the development of a health promotion intervention.

Procedures: Data was merged from Callaghan’s studies (2003, 2005, 2006) in order to investigate to what extent do self-care …

Multiscale Predictive Modeling Of Wave Velocity And Its Distribution Across A Rocky Intertidal Landscape, Daniel Orr

SNS Master's Theses

Much importance has been placed on understanding and quantifying how diversity, community structure and mechanistic processes change over different scales. There is a need in ecology for multiscale approaches quantitatively linking scales to characterize, quantify and better understand how ecological patterns and processes functioning at different scales interact. Many of the structural mechanisms established in rocky intertidal systems are driven or influenced by larger scale oceanographic processes that scale down to sub-meter scale effects. Here I develop and integrate two models that link these two scales. Velocity was measured in a swath along shore using an array of dynamometers. Intertidal …

Prevalence Of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Nasal Colonization Among Medical Students In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Shadi A. Zakai

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To identify Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal carriage status among medical students during their clinical rotations. Methods: This cross-sectional study detected the prevalence of MRSA among medical students at King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, using molecular approaches. Nasal swabs were collected from 150 internship and sixth-year medical students between September 2014 and January 2015, and compared with the control group of 32 third-year medical students who were not exposed to clinical work. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening was performed to identify Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) nuc gene, and an additional PCR was performed on S. aureus positive …

The Efficacy Of A Standalone Protective Behavioral Strategies Intervention For Students Accessing Mental Health Services, Joseph W. Labrie, Lucy Napper, Elizabeth M. Grimaldi, Shannon R. Kenney, Andrew Lac

Heads Up!

Objective

Students with poor mental health are at increased risk for problematic alcohol use. These students also tend to underutilize alcohol-related protective behavioral strategies (PBS). Cross-sectional studies indicate that PBS use may be particularly useful for students with mental health challenges; however, it is unclear whether training these students to use PBS is an effective approach for reducing alcohol use and consequences. The current study evaluated the efficacy of a standalone PBS skills training and personalized feedback (PBS-STPF) intervention among students accessing mental health services.

Method

Participants (N = 251) were randomly assigned to either an individual facilitator-led PBS-STPF …

Philosophy And Theology: Separating Conjoined Twins, Christopher Kaczor

Philosophy Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Spatial And Temporal Variability Of A Mixed Sediment Estuary, Glen Warren

The Plymouth Student Scientist

To accurately predict future and past coastal environments it is extremely important to understand sediment dynamics and variability. The process of bedform development is highly influenced by the sediment composition and biogenic matter present in a coastal environment. Most subaqueous sediment comprises of mixtures of cohesive clay and cohesion-less sand and silt. The sedimentary bedforms that develop are fundamental in controlling fluxes of particulate and dissolved matter in marine environments (Baas et al. 2012). However, very little field research has been undertaken in mixed sediment dynamics, particularly in modelling bedform development from laboratory and field collected data of mixed sediments. …

Factors Influencing Canopy Invertebrates In Britain, Kate Harvey

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Canopy research is becoming increasingly important as the extent of woodland habitats decreases and becomes more fragmented. Invertebrates are a diverse group of canopy fauna which are commonly used as bio-indicators to assess the health of woodland. However, current knowledge and understanding of invertebrate abundance and diversity in temperate forest canopies is limited and usually based on individual preliminary studies. In this study, data from six individual studies across eight locations, two in Scotland and six in the south-west of England were analysed to determine differences between tree species: oak (Quercus robur), scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and beech (Fagus sylvatica); …

Alpha-Synuclein Induced Mitochondrial Aberrations In A Genetic Cell Culture Model Of Parkinson's Disease, Jennifer Pinnell

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Mutations in the α-synuclein encoding gene, SNCA, have been implicated in the pathophysiology and progression of Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder which results in motor and cognitive abnormalities in patients. Missense mutations, duplications and triplications of the gene relate to the onset and advancement of the ailment, but the role of α-synuclein protein in the pathogenesis is incompletely understood. Recent investigation of the disease and its other associated proteins has driven interest in the role of mitochondrial abnormalities in Parkinson’s disease. Through use of an ecdysone-inducible expression system in the mammalian neuronal cell line, 1RB3AN27, the detrimental effects of mutant …

Heat And Mass Transfer During The Sump Development In A Potash Solution Mine, Olivia Ellard

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The following report addresses the problem of heating input water during the process of solution mining for potash. With an ever-increasing pressure to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, being able to warm inlet water with underground heat would be an advantage for any solution mining company. The report examines the problem in general to discover whether a temperature of 328K can be reached at the bottom of the mine. A finite difference method was used to simulate the heat transfer within a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, with validation provided by SolidWorks Flow Simulation Software. Varying atmospheric temperature, flow rate and type …

Investigating The Concept Of A Novel Flexible Fabric Wave Energy Device, Jamie Cook

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This literature review comprises one part of a project report which presented the findings of an initial investigation into the concept and performance of a 1:50 scale model novel flexible fabric wave energy device subjected to static tank tests and assessing the model characteristics under load. The topic of wave energy extraction was critically reviewed in terms of the ocean resource and available wave power before wave energy converters were discussed with respect to developmental stages, performance assessment and methods of comparison. The terminology surrounding device capture width was examined and the inconsistent usage of the terms capture width and …

Educating Scientists With Plymouth University, Victoria Sleight

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Guest editorial: Victoria Sleight from the British Antarctic Survey.

Assessing The Extent Of Establishment Of Undaria Pinnatifida In Plymouth Sound Special Area Of Conservation, Uk, Sabrina Heiser, Jason Hall-Spencer, Keith Hiscock

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The north-west Pacific kelp, Undaria pinnatifida, was first discovered in Europe on the Mediterranean coast of France (1971) and introduced to Brittany for aquaculture (1983). In the north-east Atlantic, it occurs in Spain, France, the British Isles, Belgium and Holland. The first UK record was in the Hamble estuary (1994) and it was found off Plymouth in 2003. The UK distribution is presently restricted to the south of England and the northern Irish Sea. We assessed the distribution of U. pinnatifida and native kelps and their allies in Plymouth Sound (at 0 to +1 m relative to Chart Datum). Undaria …

Dismantling A Clobber Text: An Engaged Critique Of Romans 1:26–27, Matthew Michels

Masters Essays

This paper grapples with the traditional anti-queer reading of Rom 1:26–27, which purportedly forbids Christians from entering lesbian and gay relationships in some real sense, if not entirely. I begin by sketching this traditional reading by referring to antiqueer interpretations of Rom 1:26–27 that are top hits in today’s online world; subsequently, I suggest the direction for a standard historical critique of the traditional reading by arguing for the fundamental incongruence of ancient Greco-Roman and modern Western categories of gender and sexuality. Finally, instead of establishing my own historical-critical exegesis of the text, I discuss the necessity of engaged exegesis. …

Soil Quality In Relation To Forest Conversion To Perennial Or Annual Cropping In Southern Brazil, Elcio Liborio Balota, Ines Fumiko Ubukata Yada, Higo Furlan Amaral, Andre Shigueyoshi Nakatani, Mariangela Hungria, Richard Peter Dick, Mark S. Coyne

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Many forested areas have been converted to intensive agricultural use to satisfy food, fiber, and forage production for a growing world population. There is great interest in evaluating forest conversion to cultivated land because this conversion adversely affects several soil properties. We examined soil microbial, physical, and chemical properties in an Oxisol (Latossolo Vermelho distrófico) of southern Brazil 24 years after forest conversion to a perennial crop with coffee or annual grain crops (maize and soybeans) in conventional tillage or no-tillage. One goal was to determine which soil quality parameters seemed most sensitive to change. A second goal …

Epidermal Growth Factor Mediated Healing In Stem Cell-Derived Vocal Fold Mucosa, Liliana Palencia, Amritava Das, Sean P. Palecek, Susan L. Thibeault, Ciara Leydon

Communication Disorders Faculty Publications

Background: The goal of vocal fold wound healing is the reconstitution of functional tissue, including a structurally and functionally intact epithelium. Mechanisms underlying reepithelialization in vocal folds are not known, although it is suspected that healing involves the interplay between several growth factors. We used a three-dimensional human embryonic stem cell-derived model of vocal fold mucosa to examine the effects of one growth factor, exogenous epidermal growth factor (EGF), on wound healing. Materials and methods: A scratch wound was created in the in vitro model. Rate of wound healing, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation, and cell proliferation after injury …

Anti-Inflammatory And Antioxidant Activities Of The Thai Traditional Remedy Called “Leard-Ngam” And Its Plant Ingredients, Chakrapanpong Threrapanithan, Nuanjan Jaiaree, Arunporn Itharat, Sunita Makchuchit, Pakakrong Thongdeeying, Sumalee Panthong

Asian Medical Journal and Alternative Medicine

Introduction: Thai traditional medicine has used Leard-ngam remedy (LG) for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea including pain and inflammation. LG is a dysmenorrhea preparation on the Thai National List of Herbal Medicinal Products A.D. 2011. Objective of the present study was to investigate anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities of LG remedy, and its herbal components.
Method: LG remedy was extracted similarly to that practiced by Thai traditional doctors (ethanol and water extraction). These extracts were tested for their inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay.
Result: Three ethanolic extracts of Piper nigrum Linn., Zingiber officinale Roscoe., …

Interlaboratory Comparison For Urinary Trans, Trans-Muconic Acid Testing In Rayong Province, Chanthip Intawong, Rojana Khunkitti, Nalinee Sripaung, Chularat Yapun, Prathoomporn Buachoom, Vitchayut Tupwongse, Pornchai Sithisarankul

Asian Medical Journal and Alternative Medicine

Introduction: The objective of this study was to assess reliability of urinary trans, trans-muconic acid (t,t-MA) analysis by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique among three laboratories in Rayong province.
Method: We conducted the interlaboratory comparison among three laboratories for t,t-MA testing via two steps. Step one was the preparation phase to settle the agreement and protocol. Step two was the comparison: step 2.1 the comparative HPLC-analysis of blank and spiked urines and step 2.2 the comparative HPLC-analysis of 30 urine samples obtained from subjects. Subjects were gas station workers in Rayong province.

Result: The result obtained from step 2.1 …

Role Of Phenol-Soluble Modulins In Formation Of Staphylococcus Aureus Biofilms In Synovial Fluid., Sana S Dastgheyb, Amer E Villaruz, Katherine Y Le, Vee Y Tan, Anthony C Duong, Som S Chatterjee, Gordon Y C Cheung, Hwang-Soo Joo, Noreen J Hickok, Michael Otto

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of prosthetic joint infections, which, as we recently showed, proceed with the involvement of biofilm-like clusters that cause recalcitrance to antibiotic treatment. Here we analyzed why these clusters grow extraordinarily large, reaching macroscopically visible extensions (>1 mm). We found that while specific S. aureus surface proteins are a prerequisite for agglomeration in synovial fluid, low activity of the Agr regulatory system and subsequent low production of the phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) surfactant peptides cause agglomerates to grow to exceptional dimensions. Our results indicate that PSMs function by disrupting interactions of biofilm matrix molecules, such …

Computational Investigation Of Pernicious Compounds: Arsenic And High Energy Density Materials And Their Relevant Mechanisms, Lenora Kathleen Harper

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

The underlying mechanisms of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and high energy density materials (HEDMs) are poorly understood, yet important to the development of chemical applications in military science and technology. The reactivity of arsenite and arsenic-based CWA lewisite with biological thiols plays an important role in toxicity of these elements. Toxic effects of arsenite are eliminated when arsenite and selenite are co-administered, due to their antagonistic relationship. The arsenic-based CWA lewisite is detoxified by the dithiol-containing British anti-lewisite (BAL). The reduction of arsenous acid by thiol, the formation of an As-Se species, and the detoxification of lewisite with BAL have …

Donepezil’S Effect On Cardiac Function In Patients With Alzheimer’S Disease Through An In Vivo, Non Invasive Measure Of Cardiac Autonomic Function, Lewis P. Hackett

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

The aim of the current study was to explore the effects of the medication Donepezil (Aricept®) on cardiac autonomic function for individuals diagnosed with mild to moderate (probable) Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Using age (± 3 years) and gender matched controls, differences in heart rate variability (HRV) among individuals with Alzheimer’s disease were compared to healthy controls over a period of six months (session 1 [baseline], session 2 [3 months], and session 3 [6 months]) in both supine and standing positions. HRV was obtained through frequency-domain (Low Frequency Power, High Frequency Power, RMSSD, LF/HF Ratio) and time-domain (six minutes) measures using …