Digital Commons Network^™

Opposing Roles Of Foliar And Glandular Trichome Volatile Components In Cultivated Nightshade Interaction With A Specialist Herbivore, Lucy Kananu Murungi, Hillary Kirwa, Daisy Salifu, Baldwyn Torto

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Plant chemistry is an important contributor to the interaction with herbivores. Here, we report on a previously unknown role for foliar and glandular trichome volatiles in their interaction with the specialist herbivore of solanaceous plants, the tomato red spider mite Tetranychus evansi.We used various bioassays and chemical analyses including coupled gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-QToF-MS) to investigate this interaction between cultivated African nightshades and T. evansi.We show that, whereas morphologically different cultivated African nightshade species released similar foliar volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that attracted T. evansi, VOCs released …

Development And Initial Validation Of A Surgical Instrument For In Situ Mechanical Characterization Of Surgical Mesh-Tissue Composites, Jorge Ivan Hernandez Sanchez

All Theses

Approximately 5 million Americans have an abdominal wall hernia, and over 700,000 undergo surgical procedures every year to treat them. Surgical procedures have evolved with the goal of preventing recurrences, leading to the current gold standard of treatment: hernia repair with mesh. Hernia repair with mesh consists on augmenting the weakened abdominal wall by implanting a synthetic or biological mesh. Although the adoption of hernia repair with mesh has improved outcomes, recurrence from primary repair procedures with large incisions (>10 cm) remains an alarming 32%.

The wide variety of implanted surgical mesh (materials, structure) and surgical variability (attachment method, …

Joule Heating And Induced Charge Effects On Electroosmotic Entry Flows In Microfluidic Devices, Rama Aravind Prabhakaran

All Theses

Microfluidic devices have become a powerful tool for chemical and biological applications in the past two decades due to their several advantages over the conventional benchtop counterparts such as smaller size, reduced reagent consumption and higher efficiency. Manipulations of samples and electrolytes, for instance, sorting, trapping, and mixing etc., are important in these applications. Electrokinetics is an efficient method for performing these manipulations by the application of electric field. It is the preferred method of sample transport over the traditional pressure driven flow due to the essentially plug-like velocity profile that has smaller dispersion effects. However, the majority of the …

Erasing Race? An Exploratory Study Of Correlates Of Color-Blind Racism, Ryan Burns

All Theses

Color-blindness is a sociological term that refers to a state in which race is neither “seen” nor relevant. That is, there is the assumption that all are equal, and race does not matter. Adherents of the color-blind ideology contend that in order to improve race relations, racial and ethnic differences should be ignored and, further, should not even be discussed. This study investigated the following research questions: Does adherence to the color-blind ideology differ by race? What is the relationship between racial self-awareness and opposition to the color-blind ideology? Do geographic region, attitudes toward segregation, and political ideology mediate the …

Characterization Of A Microbial Community In Response To Mtbe Contamination In Marine Sediment, Nicholas Hotzelt

All Theses

On March 9, 2015, the Carla Maersk, which was carrying 216,049 barrels of methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) outbound for Venezuela, was struck port side by the bow of the Conti Peridot. An unspecified amount of MTBE spilled into the Port of Houston. MTBE has an exceptionally high water solubility and a large volume of the contaminant likely diluted and dispersed throughout the channel. MTBE was the most common fuel oxygenate because of its low cost, ease of production, and favorable transfer and blending characteristics. After only a few years of intense use, MTBE has become one of the most frequently …

Morphological And Ecological Characterization Of Opuntia Miller On The Coast Of South Carolina, Kirk Holmes

All Theses

The genus Opuntia Miller is one of the most misunderstood and ignored genera of plants occurring in the southeastern United States. This study focused on the clarification of Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw., Opuntia macrarthra Gibbes, Opuntia pusilla (Haw.), Opuntia dillenii (Ker Gawl.) Haw. and Opuntia tunoidea Gibbes on the coast of South Carolina. A comprehensive literature review was completed to gather an understanding of Opuntia biology, species concepts and geographic range. The objectives of the morphological study were to determine if Opuntia taxa matching past descriptions of the five species chosen were present, what the morphological characteristics of the individuals …

Competitive Uptake Of Plutonium And Iron In Corn (Zea Mays), Stephanie Hoelbling

All Theses

The work herein investigates the potentially competitive uptake and translocation of plutonium (Pu) and iron (Fe) in corn (Zea mays) to gain insight into the Pu uptake pathway. Plutonium has no known biological function in plants yet it has many chemical properties similar to Fe (an essential nutrient) implying that Pu may share the Fe uptake pathway. A series of experiments was conducted in which two hydroponically grown corn species (one healthy and one deficient in the transporter protein for Fe) were exposed to varying ratios of complexed Pu and Fe. Results suggest increased presence of Fe inhibits Pu translocation …

Twenty-Four Year Response Of Forests Disturbed By Hurricane Hugo In The Coastal Plains Of South Carolina, Usa, Christian Reid Heaton

All Theses

In 1989, Hurricane Hugo inflicted catastrophic damage on approximately 1.8 million hectares of forested land in South Carolina. This study’s purpose was to monitor species compositional shifts and structural changes in several forest types following the disturbance from Hurricane Hugo. The immediate consequences of hurricane damage are well documented. However, there are few studies based on the long-term compositional and structural changes that may result from hurricane disturbance, especially in temperate forest ecosystems. Fifty plots were monitored within four study areas, receiving varying degrees of hurricane damage: Beidler Forest, Santee Experimental Forest, Hobcaw Barony, and Congaree National Park. Inventories included …

Effect Of Irrigation Water On Growth And Physical Characteristics Of Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa) And Mung Bean (Vigna Radiata) Sprouts, Kathryn Frances Cornelia Davis

All Theses

With resources to produce food predicted to become scarce and strongly limited,the need for producing more and consuming fewer resources will become increasingly important in the agricultural environment. Production methods that are ‘soil-less’ which are not tradition in-ground methods are viewed as creative solutions that have the potential of being sustainable. An aquaponic system is one of these productions methods that have the potential to be sustainable. Research demonstrates the water conservation an aquaponic system can establish if proper management is maintained, thus upkeep and monitoring of water quality parameters are crucial for successful growth of plants. The purpose of …

Understanding The Expenditure And Recovery Of Anaerobic Work Capacity Using Noninvasive Sensors, Phoebe Bickford

All Theses

The objective of this research is to advance the understanding of human performance to allow for optimized efforts on specific tasks. This is accomplished by 1) understanding the expenditure and recovery of Anaerobic Work Capacity (AWC) as related to the Critical Power (CP) of a human, and 2) determining if and how a case for an energy-management system to optimize energy expenditure and recovery can be made in real-time using noninvasive sensors. As humans exert energy, the body converts fuel into mechanical power through both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems. The mechanical power produced can be measured through the use …

Controlling Thermal Gelation Properties Of Novel Tetronic® Hydrogel-Based Tissue Adhesive, Martin Fernando Alejos

All Theses

The advancement in laparoscopic and robotic surgeries is calling for innovation in wound closure methods where the classical mechanical ligatures are proving very challenging due to reduction in surgical spaces, even for seasoned surgeons.1–3 Tissue adhesives have been investigated as an alternative and/or adjuvant method to address some of these unmet needs. Previously in our lab, Sanders and co-workers4 developed a successful synthetic adhesive by modifying Tetronic 1107 to incorporate acrylate (ACR) for chemical crosslinking and N-hydroxisuccinimide (NHS) to enhance tissue bonding, improving the seminal work done by Cho et al.5 However, solutions of modified T1107 would undergo reverse thermal …

Computational Evaluation Of Ventricular Assist Device Implementation In The Single Ventricle Circulation, Tyler Matthew Schmidt

All Theses

Patients with a single ventricle congenital heart defect are prone to increased volume loading, which can lead to heart failure and require mechanical circulatory support. A ventricular assist device (VAD) can serve as a bridge treatment option for these patients. However, in VAD support cases, pediatric patients possessing congenital heart defects have lower survival rates than patients without and outcomes worsen further in single ventricle cases. Performance differences between pulsatile and continuous flow VADs have also been clinically observed, but the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood.

Six pediatric, stage 1 single ventricle patients (cohort mean BSA = 0.30 m2) were …

Analysis Of Heme Iron Coordination In Dgcr8: The Heme-Binding Component Of The Microprocessor Complex, Hazel M. Girvan, Justin M. Bradley, Myles R. Cheesman, James R. Kincaid, Yilin Liu, Kazimierz Czarnecki, Karl Fisher, David Leys, Stephen E. J. Rigby, Andrew W. Munro

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

DGCR8 is the RNA-binding partner of the nuclease Drosha. Their complex (the “Microprocessor”) is essential for processing of long, primary microRNAs (pri-miRNAs) in the nucleus. Binding of heme to DGCR8 is essential for pri-miRNA processing. On the basis of the split Soret ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectrum of ferric DGCR8, bis-thiolate sulfur (cysteinate, Cys^–) heme iron coordination of DGCR8 heme iron was proposed. We have characterized DGCR8 heme ligation using the Δ276 DGCR8 variant and combined electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), electron nuclear double resonance, resonance Raman, and electronic absorption spectroscopy. These studies indicate DGCR8 bis-Cys heme …

Ann Radcliffe's Superpaternal: A Study Of The Supernatural In The Romance Of The Forest And The Mysteries Of Udolpho, Lynn Kramer

English Theses

This study proposes a new way to examine the supernatural being in Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho and The Romance of the Forest. Critics have argued that the supernatural being is used in these novels to remind the heroines to think rationally; however, I argue that his purpose is more complex than that of a figment who instills reason. Rather, his role is to make the females realize their sexual vulnerability within the imprisoning, Gothic house. He is able to show the women they are in sexual danger by creating sexually explicit situations with the heroine that occur …

Selective Foraging By Pogonomyrmex Salinus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) In Semiarid Grassland: Implications For A Rare Plant, Matthew S. Schmasow, Ian C. Robertson

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Selective foraging by granivores can have important consequences for the structure and composition of plant communities, and potentially severe consequences for rare plant species. To understand how granivore foraging behavior affects common and rare plant species, diet selection should be viewed relative to the availability of alternative seed options, and with consideration of the individual attributes of those seeds (e.g., morphology, nutrient content). We examined the foraging decisions of Owyhee harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex salinus [Olsen], in semiarid grassland dominated by two species of grass, Poa secunda and Bromus tectorum, and two species of mustard, Sisymbrium altissimum and Lepidium papilliferum …

Development And Validation Of The Communication Apprehension About Death Scale, Heather J. Carmack, Jocelyn M. Degroot

SIUE Faculty Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Two studies (N=621) were conducted to develop and initially validate the Communication Apprehension About Death Scale (CADS). In Study 1, 302 general public participants completed a preliminary list of 66 items. An exploratory factor analysis identified two distinct dimensions of communication apprehension about death: communication anxiety and communication avoidance. A different group of participants (n=319) participated in Study 2. Participants in Study 2 completed the CADS measure, a fear of death measure, and a general communication apprehension measure. Concurrent validity support was provided through the significant positive correlations between communication apprehension about death and fear of death as well as …

Protein Residue-Residue Contact Prediction Using Stacked Denoising Autoencoders, Joseph Bailey Luttrell Iv

Honors Theses

Protein residue-residue contact prediction is one of many areas of bioinformatics research that aims to assist researchers in the discovery of structural features of proteins. Predicting the existence of such structural features can provide a starting point for studying the tertiary structures of proteins. This has the potential to be useful in applications such as drug design where tertiary structure predictions may play an important role in approximating the interactions between drugs and their targets without expending the monetary resources necessary for preliminary experimentation. Here, four different methods involving deep learning, support vector machines (SVMs), and direct coupling analysis were …

Utilizing Multiple-Level Category Information To Enhance Category Learning: Theoretical And Practical Considerations In Application To Authentic Natural Categories, Toshiya Miyatsu

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Category learning is ubiquitous in science education. From botany courses teaching to identify different types of plants to geology courses teaching to distinguish various types of rocks, examples of category learning being a core of a course curriculum can be easily found. Using the educationally authentic rock categories, the current project examined whether category learning at a broad level (i.e., distinguishing between Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic rocks) could be enhanced by using category information at a more specific level (e.g., Harzburgite under Igneous, Breccia under Sedimentary, etc.). Both in Experiment 1 (broad- and specific- level information were presented simultaneously) and …

Self “Sensor”Ship: An Interdisciplinary Investigation Of The Persuasiveness, Social Implications, And Ethical Design Of Self-Sensoring Prescriptive Applications, Denise A. Baker

Psychological Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

This dissertation research investigates the social implications of computing artifacts that make use of sensor driven self-quantification to implicitly or explicitly direct user behaviors. These technologies are referred to here as self-sensoring prescriptive applications (SSPA’s). This genre of technological application has a strong presence in healthcare as a means to monitor health, modify behavior, improve health outcomes, and reduce medical costs. However, the commercial sector is quickly adopting SSPA’s as a means to monitor and/or modify consumer behaviors as well (Swan, 2013). These wearable devices typically monitor factors such as movement, heartrate, and respiration; ostensibly to guide the users to …

A Transcutaneous Data And Power Transfer System For Osteogenesis Monitoring Sensors, Deepak Dileepkumar

Masters Theses

Implant devices are widely used in health care applications such as life support systems, patient rehabilitation devices and patient monitoring devices. Medical implants have enabled physicians to obtain relevant real time information regarding an organ, or a site of interest with in the body and suggest treatment accordingly. In some cases, the position of the implant within the body or threats of infections prevents wired communication techniques to extract information from the implant. Wireless communication is the alternative in such cases. Distraction osteogenesis is one such application where wireless communication can be established with callus growth monitoring sensors to obtain …

Effects Of Amino Acid Supplementation Of Reduced Crude Protein (Rcp) Diets On The Performance And Carcass Quality Of Growing-Finishing Swine, Ashley Nicole Young

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Barrows and gilts (215/gender) were used to test the effects of synthetic AA supplementation of reduced CP diets on the growth performance and quality characteristics of the LM and the fatty acid composition of the LM and s.c. jowl fat from growing-finishing swine. Pigs were blocked by BW within gender, and allocated randomly to pens (6 pigs/pen) which were then assigned randomly within each block and gender to either corn-SBM diets 1) that were devoid of synthetic lysine (Ctrl); 2) with reduced CP diets where lysine was added to all diets (RCP1); 3) with reduced CP where lysine, threonine, and …

Physically Strong, Mentally Awake, And Morally Straight: Boy Scouts Of America As A Viable Prevention For Substance Use, David Thomas Rolfe

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore character-based recreation programs as a potential factor in youth drug use. Specifically, the study sought to find evidence that the Boys Scouts of America (BSA) might help prepare youth to avoid drug use or delay drug use to later in life. Using Positive Youth Development and Community Capital Theory as frameworks, the study explored character-based youth recreation as a holistic tool for engaging and nurturing youth. Positive Youth Development suggests that youth are best raised in a comprehensive and healthy environment. Community Capital Theory suggests that each community contains valuable resources that …

Rice Consumption And Effects Of Rice Cake, Seolgitteok, On Human Health, Ellen Joy Pottgen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Within the United States type 2 diabetes is an ever growing health epidemic. The prevalence in the adult population has quadrupled over the past 30 years and is expected to continue on a similar path in the coming decades. While the cause of type 2 diabetes is multifactorial, it is considered to be an acquired condition related to environmental contributors including poor diet, obesity, and physical inactivity, which may be managed to alter the course or progression of the disease. Preventative or maintenance measures emphasize nutritional intervention strategies, including encouraging individuals to follow a nutrient-dense, high-fiber diet with ample whole-grains, …

Characterization Of Echinochloa Spp. In Arkansas, Hussain Tahir

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Echinochloa species are the most problematic grass weeds in rice and soybean production throughout the southern United States. The species under this genus has high intra- and interspecific variability, with many ecotypes, observed within a species. This study was conducted to: i) characterize the morphology and phenology of Echinochloa accessions from Arkansas in a common garden; ii) verify the species identity of these accessions based on their morphological traits, and iii) evaluate the dormancy characteristics of Echinochloa accessions. Junglerice (E. colona) was identified as the most common species, comprising about 78% of the accessions collected, with barnyardgrass (E. crus-galli) and …

Contra Lewisian Naturalness, Dylan Abney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Some ways of talking or thinking about the world are better than others. Most obviously, it is often better to say or believe true things rather than false things. Perhaps less obvious is the notion that our speech and thought ought to, or often in fact does, reflect the natural formation or structure of the world. This idea—that we ought to be carving the world at its natural joints—can be found at least as far back as Plato’s Phaedrus. More recently, we can see a related idea in the work of David Lewis. In “New Work for a Theory of …

Mechanism Of Rapid Electron Transfer Reactions Involving Cytochrome Bc1, Cytochrome C And Cytochrome Oxidase, Jeremy Erik Durchman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electron transfer between mitochondrial proteins complexes represents the primary means by which living things acquire the requisite energy for survival. The coupling of electron transfer to proton translocation creates an electrochemical gradient that drives the synthesis of highly energetic compounds such as ATP. The purpose of these studies is to measure rates of electron transfer and elucidate the important governing factors in the redox events involving cytochrome bc1, cytochrome c and cytochrome oxidase. Using rapid initiation of redox events triggered by laser flash excitation of ruthenium compounds, and strategically monitoring unique spectral properties of these proteins in the visible region …

Efficacy Of A Novel Intranasal Zinc Solution On The Microbiome, Health, And Growth Performance Of High-Risk, Newly Received Stocker Cattle, Makenzie Foster

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to determine if using an intranasal zinc (Zn) solution would impact health and growth performance of high-risk stocker cattle. Male beef calves (n = 239; 3 arrival dates [block]; initial BW = 276 ± 2.4 kg) were stratified by arrival gender and BW and assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: 1) treated with 3 ml of a Zn solution containing 36.24 mg of Zn administered intranasally, or 2) control, in which calves were not treated. Calves were observed daily and if exhibiting signs of morbidity and a rectal temperature ≥ 40° C they were …

Microbes In Rough Rice – Prevalence, Growth Kinetics And Links To Dry Matter Loss, Supriya Thote

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of microorganisms on freshly-harvested long-grain hybrid, long-grain pureline, and medium-grain rice has not been elucidated. The first objective of this two-part study was to determine the relative prevalence of microbes on freshly-harvested, high moisture content rice of different types and cultivars. The total and surface aerobic plate counts (APC) and mold counts were determined in terms of log10 colony forming units per gram of rice (log10 CFU/g) for six rice cultivars over two years. In 2013, among harvested samples of all the studied rice cultivars, the long-grain hybrid cultivars had the lowest APC levels (M = 8.10, SD …

Lidar-Assisted Extraction Of Old Growth Baldcypress Stands Along The Black River Of North Carolina, Weston Pierce Murch

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The remnants of ancient baldcypress forests continue to grow across the Southeastern United States. These long lived trees are invaluable for biodiversity along riverine ecosystems, provide habitat to a myriad of animal species, and augment the proxy climate record for North America. While extensive logging of the areas along the Black River in North Carolina has mostly decimated ancient forests of many species including the baldcypress, conservation efforts from The Nature Conservancy and other partners are under way. In order to more efficiently find and study these enduring stands of baldcypress, some of which are estimated to be more than …

Recognition Training For Faces Across Age Gaps, William Blake Erickson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Face recognition is a problem that has theoretical and applied value. However, the fact of facial aging is rarely addressed in research and unmentioned in the major theories of face recognition. Facial aging also has ramifications for missing persons and fugitive cases, confounding attempts by law enforcement to recover these people whose last known images are years or decades out of date. This dissertation reports three studies aimed at measuring baseline age-gap recognition ability and testing various training regimens designed to increase accuracy rates for this unique kind of recognition task.