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A Structural And Stratigraphic Study Of The A-2 Carbonate In Southwest Michigan And Reservoir Characterization Of An A-2 Carbonate Gas Storage Field, Clayton Joupperi

Masters Theses

The Overisel and Salem gas storage fields of southwest Michigan annually store 34 Bcf of natural working gas in the upper dolomitized portion of the Silurian A-2 Carbonate. Porosity and permeability in these fields is thought to be enhanced by fracturing and dolomitization associated with the dissolution and collapse of underlying salt units. This study utilizes wire-line logs from 383 wells to explore the structural and stratigraphic controls on the deposition and diagenesis of the A-2 Carbonate in southwest Michigan. Core and thin sections from 4 wells serve as the primary data for investigating the depositional and diagenetic history of …

Diversification Across A Dynamic Landscape: Phylogeography And Riverscape Genetics Of Speckled Dace (Rhinichthys Osculus) In Western North America, Steven Michael Mussmann

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Evolution occurs at various spatial and temporal scales. For example, speciation may occur in historic time, whereas localized adaptation is more contemporary. Each is required to identify and manage biodiversity. However, the relative abundance of Speckled Dace (Rhinichthys osculus), a small cyprinid fish in western North America (WNA) and the study species for this dissertation, establishes it an atypical conservation target, particularly when contrasted with the profusion of narrowly endemic forms it displays. Yet, the juxtaposition of ubiquity versus endemism provides an ideal model against which to test hypotheses regarding the geomorphic evolution of WNA. More specifically, it also allows …

Evolutionary Dynamics Of Brown Treesnake (Boiga Irregularis) Reproductive Ecology, With Implications For Invasive Species Control, Brenna Aaren Levine

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Invasive species represent major threats to biodiversity, global economies, and human health. Consequently, extensive research has been directed towards improving methods that restrict and contain them. Yet, control measures can also act as agents of selection by significantly impacting the reproductive capacity of invasives (in the context of “eco-evo” dynamics). The end result is that control measures subsequently alter the fitness landscape of an invasive over ecologically-relevant time, and lose their efficacy by so doing. However, adaptive management can be promoted by investigating the relationships between reproductive ecology, strength of selection, and (additive) genetic variation. In short, effective control can …

Neural Correlates Relating To Executive Function, Intelligence, And Anxiety., Sarah K L'Heureux

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

The human brain is a complex organ responsible for not only perceiving and sensing information in one’s environment, but also integrating and analyzing these details in a way that will allow an individual to comprehend the material. Scientists for centuries have been curious as to why people process their emotions and thoughts differently, resulting in unique and varied behavior. The manner in which a person comprehends information and whether or not they feel anxious as a result, may be connected to their intellectual and functional capacity. Human intelligence and the ability to function at a high level may be related …

Mechanistic Study Of The Inhibition Of Rho Gtpase-Mediated Metastasis, Hope Gloria Umutesi

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

The Ras superfamily of small GTPases are monomeric proteins that bind guanine nucleotides, and regulate many cellular signaling pathways. They function as molecular switches by shuttling between active GTP-bound and inactive GDP-bound states. The Ras superfamily consists of its subfamilies including Ras and Rho GTPases. Ras and Rho GTPases function to regulate cellular growth, transformation, transport, motility, traffic, and adhesion. Small GTPases reactions often require regulators, such as guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) and GTPase Activating Proteins (GAPs). GEFs mediate fast release of GDP and allow loading with GTP while GAPs accelerate the GTP hydrolysis to GDP. Redox agents also …

Development Of Highly Polar Structurally-Tuned Ionic Liquids With Unique Selectivity For Gas Chromatography, Mohsen Talebi

Chemistry & Biochemistry Dissertations - Archive

Ionic Liquids (ILs) are state-of-the-art fluids that have found broad application in separation science. Owing to their unique physicochemical properties such as low vapor pressure, high thermal stability, and high viscosity, they were successfully used as stationary phase in gas chromatography (GC). By properly engineering their molecular structure, ionic liquids with tailor-made properties can be designed. Therefore, a systematic structure-function relationship can be established to study the effect of structural modification on the properties of ionic liquids. Herein, I describe the design and synthesis of several dicationic ionic liquids. The synthesized ILs were characterized in terms their physicochemical properties. The …

Ripeness Attributes Of Arkansas-Grown Peaches And Nectarines At Harvest And During Postharvest Storage, Mary Siebenmorgen

Food Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

Evaluating ripeness attributes of peaches and nectarines helps determine feasibility for commercial markets. Five cultivars (Amoore Sweet, Bowden, Bradley, Effie, and Souvenirs) and five breeding selections (A-663 CN, A-794 CN, A-811 CN, A-819, and A-885) were hand harvested in 2017 from the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Fruit Research Station in Clarksville, AR. The tree-ripened fruit was evaluated at harvest (day 0), and commercially-ripened fruit (ripened during storage) was evaluated at 0, 7 and 14 d storage at 4° C. The attributes of tree and commercially-ripened fruit varied at harvest and included chlorophyll (0.04-0.86 abs), weight (132-264 g), …

Analysis Of Long-Term Productivity Monitoring And Foraging Area Identification Of Breeding Common Terns In Coastal New Hampshire, Jessica Marie Carloni

Master's Theses and Capstones

To restore New Hampshire tern populations, the Isles of Shoals Seabird Restoration Project was initiated in 1997 by New Hampshire Audubon and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, and is currently administered through a partnership between Shoals Marine Laboratory and New Hampshire Fish Game Department. This initial program was effective and substantial numbers of common terns and lower numbers of roseate and arctic terns have returned to nest on White and Seavey Islands. Analysis of long-term productivity monitoring over 17 years indicates recent stability in the colony with approximately 2,800 nesting pairs with an average productivity rate of 1.11 …

Genetic Analysis Of The Role Of Grp170b (T14g8.3) During Toxin Induced Protein Folding Stress In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Nancy T. Nsengiyumva

Biology Theses

Chaperones maintain cellular homeostasis by facilitating protein folding. However, under standard cultured conditions, Caenorhabditis elegans strains genetically deficient for the ER chaperone GRP170B (encoded by the T14G8.3 locus) seems unaffected by the loss of this large chaperone. For most ER chaperones, the loss of GRP170B chaperone increases sensitivity to toxins that disrupt protein folding in the ER. I hypothesized that GRP170B’s role may involve mediating the nematodes response to ER protein folding stress. To investigate a stress role for GRP170B chaperone, I analyzed the effect of toxins that are known to effect ER protein folding on nematodes deficient for the …

Southern Educator, Georgia Southern University

College of Education: News & Publications (2003-2023)

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Framing The Global Pact For The Environment: Why It’S Needed, What It Does, And How It Does It, Teresa Parejo Navajas, Nathan Lobel

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment Staff Publications

We face a critical environmental crisis. Humanity consumes unsustainably; we use resources at a rate fifty percent faster than they are reproduced by the planet. The population is growing exponentially and climate change, the most important challenge of this century, is already wreaking havoc around the world. Despite numerous existing international environmental treaties, the Earth, and, therefore, human safety and prosperity, is in peril. According to a recent study by scientists from Stanford University and the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the ongoing “sixth mass extinction” threatens to cause an “assault on the foundations of human civilization.” In November 2017, …

Tying The Knot: An Interdisciplinary Approach To Understanding The Human Right To Adequate Nutrition, Jessica Fanzo, Kaitlin Y. Cordes, Elizabeth F. Fox, Anna Bulman

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment Staff Publications

Malnutrition is alarmingly prevalent, affecting one in three people worldwide. In this Article, we argue that a key reason the global community has been unsuccessful in combating malnutrition is a lack of clarity outside the field of nutrition regarding the true meaning of “nutrition.” In particular, this has limited the effectiveness of international human rights law as a mechanism for addressing malnutrition.

In this interdisciplinary Article, which draws from both the legal and nutrition fields, we unpack the meaning of nutrition and demonstrate that a standalone right to adequate nutrition does indeed exist in international human rights law as a …

Review: Using Physiologically Based Models To Predict Population Responses To Phytochemicals By Wild Vertebrate Herbivores, J. S. Forbey, T. T. Caughlin

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

To understand how foraging decisions impact individual fitness of herbivores, nutritional ecologists must consider the complex in vivo dynamics of nutrient–nutrient interactions and nutrient–toxin interactions associated with foraging. Mathematical modeling has long been used to make foraging predictions (e.g. optimal foraging theory) but has largely been restricted to a single currency (e.g. energy) or using simple indices of nutrition (e.g. fecal nitrogen) without full consideration of physiologically based interactions among numerous co-ingested phytochemicals. Here, we describe a physiologically based model (PBM) that provides a mechanistic link between foraging decisions and demographic consequences. Including physiological mechanisms of absorption, digestion and metabolism …

Genius: Scie-Nce Access For Unde-Represente-D University Parties, Kaitlin Palmer

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The School of Natural Sciences (SNS) houses the biology, marine science, and environmental science, technology, and policy majors which have low retention rates. The Science Student Success (S3) Program was created as a toolbox for first-generation and low socioeconomic college students to receive support and access to the resources they need to help them succeed. Three S3 Program students were interviewed to obtain their viewpoints on what should be done to improve the success and retention of first-generation and low-income SNS students. From an analysis of the students’ interviews and the scholarly literature, three factors emerged as important to increase …

Hypermasculinity In The Heavy Metal Subculture, Whitney Doucette

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This study analyzes the dynamics of the heavy metal subculture through the lens of gender. Through fieldwork in the heavy metal culture, themes of discrimination against women were made notable. The sociology of gender, both subtle and conspicuous, was used as a theoretical basis for this research. The purpose of this paper is to study relevant aspects of gender in the contemporary heavy metal subculture. I conducted ten interviews with self-described fans of the music genre, as well as thirty participant observations in the environment in which they dwell. Themes of sexualization and ostracization based on gender expression were apparent. …

Exploring The Practices In Developing The 21st Century Soft Skills In Secondary Schools In Tanzania: A Case Study Of A Public Secondary School In Arusha Region, Ulrick T. Passian

Master of Education

This study found out child labour in Uganda as a multi-dimensional challenge that deprives children of their childhood opportunities including right to quality education. It is a manifestation of extreme household poverty and socio-cultural practices making it to some extend invisible to detect and report. Government of Uganda accordingly, developed Legal Frameworks to combat the vice through Employment Act (2006), the National Action Plan (2012), and child labour policy (2006). These frameworks among other things allow children to do light work under the supervision of an adult and making education as a principle occupation of every child in Uganda. However, …

Examining Language Used In Science Instruction In Pupils’ Conceptualization Of Science Ideas In Secondary Schools: A Case Study Of One Tanzanian Public Secondary School, Alnaji Iddi

Master of Education

Language used in science instruction is regarded as a carrier of the science content to be delivered in the classroom. For the content to be implicit to students the language used in science instruction needs to be simple and understandable to learners during the instruction. The study was aimed at examining the language used in science instruction in conceptualization of science ideas. The study employed qualitative methodology using a case study design. The study involved three form one science teachers (Biology, Chemistry and Physics) of one secondary school who were purposefully selected. Data were collected using direct classroom observations, one-on-one …

Exploring Strategies That The Language Teachers Used In Supporting Learners With Reading Difficulties: A Case Study In Kisuta Primary School In Ojolla Zone-Kisumu West Sub-County, Kenya, Aluoch Alice Schafer

Master of Education

The study aimed at exploring the strategies that language teachers used to support learners with reading difficulties in Kisuta Primary School. The data for this study were collected through interviews, observations, document analysis and focus group discussion. The aim, therefore, was to identify, analyse and describe the strategies that the language teachers’ used to support learners with reading difficulties; the language teacher’s perceptions about learners with reading difficulties and the challenges these teachers faced when supporting learners with reading difficulties. The researcher used qualitative case study approach to understand the strategies that these teachers used to support learners with reading …

The Bridwell Quill. Issue 4: Laughter And Forgetting, Anthony Elia

Bridwell Library Publications

No abstract provided.

Maternal Immune Activation (Mia) In Mice: A Study To Phenotype Asd-Related Communication Behaviors And Analyze Maternal Health Outcomes In The Us, Komalpreet Gulati

Honors Scholar Theses

Core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) include deficits in social/communicative behaviors, and repetitive/stereotyped behaviors. Mouse models are a highly established paradigm used to study the phenotypic deficits that result from various inducible genotypic or environmental risk factors for ASD. Previous studies have demonstrated a link between maternal immune activation (MIA) and ASD-like behaviors in mouse models. In this model, the maternal immune system is activated during pregnancy by injecting the viral mimic poly(I:C). The resulting offspring are phenotyped and analyzed with regards to their communicative behaviors.

Previous studies have demonstrated that male pups born to dams with immune activation …

Molecular Response Of Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells To Oxidized Lipoproteins: Global And Targeted Studies, Diwa Koirala

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Global-scale examinations of biological systems at the molecular level complement targeted approaches to scientific inquiry that focus on specific subsets of biomolecules, or on a single molecule of interest. In this dissertation, we utilized both the discovery-based approach to evaluate the proteomics workflows centered around mass spectrometry as the key technology, and the targeted approach to examine the molecular response of RPE due to oxidized lipoproteins (oxLDL) treatments. A crucial aspect in proteomics studies is the design of bioanalytical strategies that maximize coverage of the complex repertoire of a proteome. A comprehensive, unbiased examination of the proteome represents a powerful …

The Effects Of Diet And Mating System On Reproductive (And Post‐Reproductive) Life Span In A Freshwater Snail, Josh R. Auld

Biology Faculty Publications

The length of the reproductive life span, along with the number/frequency/magnitude of reproductive events, quantifies an individual’s potential contribution to the next generation. By examining reproductive life span, and distinguishing it from somatic life span, we gain insight into critical aspects of an individual’s potential fitness as well as reproductive and somatic senescence. Additionally, differentiating somatic and reproductive life spans can provide insight into the existence of a post‐reproductive period and factors that shape its duration. Given the known importance of diet and mating system on resource allocation, I reared individual freshwater snails (Physa acuta) from 22 full‐sib families under …

Effect Of Comorbidities On Hiv-1 Pathogenesis In Monocytic Cells, Sabina Ranjit

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The advent of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has substantially increased the life span of people living with HIV-1 (PLWH). However, the presence of comorbid conditions such as high prevalence of drug abuse and coinfections have deteriorated the health outcomes in PLWH and progression of HIV-1 infection to AIDS. In this study, we will be focusing on the independent effect of two major comorbidities: cigarette smoking and human papilloma virus (HPV) coinfection on HIV-1 replication and pathogenesis in monocytic cells.

The prevalence of smoking is approximately 3-times higher in PLWH compared to the general population. Scientific evidences suggest that smoking aggravates HIV-1 …

Population Genetics And Desiccation Stress Of Porphyra Umbilicalis Kützing In The Gulf Of Maine, Yuanyu Cao

Doctoral Dissertations

The red alga Porphyra umbilicalis Kützing is an ecologically and economically important marine macroalga in the Northern Atlantic. Porphyra umbilicalis has a broad distribution within the North Atlantic. In the Northeast Atlantic, it is dioecious and reproduces both sexually and asexually, while in the Northwest Atlantic only asexual reproduction has been observed. As a high intertidal alga, P. umbilicalis regularly experiences desiccation and rehydration cycles with the tidal cycles, so it has high tolerance towards various abiotic stresses. The present work attempts to understand the population structure in asexual populations of P. umbilicalis in the Gulf of Maine by applying …

Addressing The Nitrogen Challenge: Footprint Tools And On-Farm Solutions, Allison M. Leach

Doctoral Dissertations

Nitrogen management presents a unique dilemma: We must use nitrogen to grow our food and sustain life on earth, but excess reactive nitrogen that accumulates in the environment contributes to a cascade of negative impacts to human and ecosystem health. Addressing this nitrogen challenge will require a suite of solutions. This dissertation presents and explores three nitrogen management strategies: 1) The first ever integrated carbon and nitrogen footprint tool for campus sustainability management; 2) Exporting compost to improve a farm’s nitrogen efficiency; and 3) Methods for reducing gas emissions from aerated static pile heat recovery composting.

Nitrogen footprint tools connect …

Pedogenic Carbonates And Radiocarbon Isotopes Of Organic Carbon At Depth In The Russian Chernozem, Elena A. Mikhailova, Ray B. Bryant, John M. Galbraith, Yang Wang, Christopher J. Post, Olga S. Khokhlova, Mark A. Schlautman, Michael P. Cope, Zhixiong Shen

Marine Science

Conversion of native grasslands to agricultural sites has resulted in remarkable changes in soil carbon at depth, but its impact on soil diagnostic horizons is unknown. This study was conducted to radiocarbon date the soil organic carbon (SOC) and quantify pedogenic carbonates in the Russian Chernozem at depth at three sites: a native grassland field (not cultivated for at least 300 years), an adjacent 50-year continuous fallow field in the V.V. Alekhin Central-Chernozem Biosphere State Reserve in the Kursk region of Russia (UNESCO—MAB Biosphere Reserve), and a cropland in the Experimental Station of the Kursk Institute of Agronomy and Soil …

Enhancing E. Coli Removal From Slow-Rate Biofilters Treating Low-Carbon Source Waters, Darline Simoni Balen

Master's Theses and Capstones

Optimizing ripening periods and maintaining removal efficiencies when treating high-quality source waters are some of the main challenges of slow-rate biofiltration. The ripening period of biofilters treating carbon-limited source waters can be significantly longer than biofilters treating nutrient-rich source waters, especially during colder temperatures. Abrupt changes in the influent water quality, e.g. surface water to groundwater, can also impact biofilter active biomass, and consequently biofilter performance. This study aimed to investigate how to reduce ripening period and improve removal efficiencies of slow-rate biofilters treating low-carbon waters by (i) increasing the organic carbon loading of the source water, and (ii) adding …

Levels Of Par-1 Kinase Determine The Localization Of Bruchpilot At The Drosophila Neuromuscular Junction Synapses., Kara R. Barber, Martin Hruska, Keegan M. Bush, Jade A. Martinez, Hong Fei, Irwin B. Levitan, Matthew B. Dalva, Yogesh P. Wairkar

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Functional synaptic networks are compromised in many neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. While the mechanisms of axonal transport and localization of synaptic vesicles and mitochondria are relatively well studied, little is known about the mechanisms that regulate the localization of proteins that localize to active zones. Recent finding suggests that mechanisms involved in transporting proteins destined to active zones are distinct from those that transport synaptic vesicles or mitochondria. Here we report that localization of BRP-an essential active zone scaffolding protein in Drosophila, depends on the precise balance of neuronal Par-1 kinase. Disruption of Par-1 levels leads to excess accumulation of …

Peer Relationships, Gut Microbiota, And Health In Emerging Adulthood, Erin Quinn Austin

Psychology Dissertations - Archive

Research has consistently shown that chronic stress has negative effects on overall physical and psychological wellbeing across the lifespan. The biological mechanisms through which stress exerts its effects on the body and the mind includes the recently discovered microbiome-gut-brain axis, the bidirectional communication between the brain and the enteric nervous system that is modulated by the microorganisms residing within the gastrointestinal tract. This dissertation examined the impact chronic psychosocial stress (e.g., peer victimization, daily hassles) had on gut diversity and the relative abundance specific bacterial groups in a diverse sample of emerging adults (N = 126, Mean age = 20.07). …

Finite Element Discretizations For Linear Elasticity, Emma Cinatl

All Theses

The elasticity equations describe how an elastic material moves under a force. An elastic material is one that returns to its original shape after the force is lifted. Modeling elasticity is useful in manufacturing applications such as suspension cables and nail bending, and biological applications such as weight on bones and tendons [1]. In this thesis we study the modeling of nearly incompressible linearly elastic materials. A nearly incompressible material is one that does not change much under pressure. Linearly elastic materials exhibit small deformations under a force. Standard finite element methods do not work well on nearly incompressible materials …