Life Sciences Commons^™

Mapping The Dorsal Skin Pigmentation Patterns Of Two Sympatric Populations Of Ambystomatid Salamanders, Ambystoma Opacum And A. Maculatum From Northeast Tennessee., Lok Raj Pokhrel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Because of growing concern of habitat fragmentation and its adverse effects on salamander communities in Appalachian region, sympatric populations of ambystomatid salamanders A. opacum and A. maculatum were studied in Northeast Tennessee to address a number of questions: i) the extent of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in both species, ii) what traits influence the dorsal skin pigmentation and how, iii) whether gender differences in developmental stability occur, and iv) the extent of phenotypic variation within each species. The findings of this study revealed SSD in both species of salamanders. The most parsimonious statistical model was developed that explained the influence …

Amphibian Habitat Usage Of Two Restored Bogs In Shady Valley, Johnson County, Tennessee., Amy P. Lucas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adjacent terrestrial habitat surrounding wetlands are critical for the survival and success of many species that use them. The primary purpose of this study was to determine amphibian movement from adjacent habitats into Orchard Bog, a restored bog located in Shady Valley, Johnson County, Tennessee. In addition, a secondary bog, Quarry Bog, was also studied determining baseline presence/absence data

A total of 16 species from six families were observed throughout the study sites. Seven species of anurans, Bufonidae, Hylidae, and Ranidae and nine species of caudates in the families Plethodontidae, Ambystomatidae and Salamandridae were identified. Fourteen of the 16 species …

Comparison Of Artificial Flavors In Commercial Products And Actual Natural Flavor Via Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy Data., Randi Jasmine Sluss

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this research project, real natural strawberries bought from different local sources were profiled by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GCMS). These profiles were then used as a reference to compare GCMS profiles of commercial artificial strawberry flavor products such as strawberry flavored Cool Splashers™, Gatorade®, and Aquacal® flavored water. The chromatograms obtained were patterned using simple visual observations, scatter plot designs, Mann-Whitney U Test, and correlation coefficients. The artificially flavored commercial products tend to have simpler chromatograms. The Burger King® milkshake, Gatorade®, and Hi-C® are the most similar to that of the natural strawberry flavor. Their correlation coefficients are 0.972, 0.870, …

Differential Expression Of Genes During Diapause In The Flesh Fly, Sarcophaga Crassipalpis., Puja Karki

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to identify genes that are differentially regulated during diapause when compared with nondiapausing pupae in Sarcophaga crassipalpis. The results of a Suppression Subtractive Hybridization procedure was used to indentify genes that are differentially regulated in both diapause and nondiapausing states while suppressing genes that are common to both states. Randomly picked colonies from both subtractive libraries were isolated and the inserts sequenced. The sequences were analyzed using the bioinformatics tools NCBI, BlastX, Clustal W, etc. Out of 384 clones, 59 genes were found to be upregulated during diapause and 37 genes were found …

The Design Of A Web Based Athlete Development And Monitoring System., Jeremy Gentles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the available resources and research pertaining to the process of athlete monitoring as well as how this information can be used to build an internet based athlete monitoring system. There is currently no system available that provides proper communication tools while also providing the means to track numerous variables to include strength and conditioning programs, performance testing, competition performance, injuries, therapy, pharmaceuticals, medical procedures, psychological status, and academic standing.

The objective of this thesis is twofold. First, is to review the literature and determine the needs of a web based athlete monitoring system. Second, is to provide …

Molecular Mechanism Of Ferricsiderophore Transport Via The Outer Membrane Receptor Fhua In Escherichia Coli., Jennifer K. Cooke

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Iron is essential for life and growth in most organisms. Although it is abundant, iron exists mostly as insoluble iron-oxyhydroxide. Bacteria secrete siderophores to chelate iron and transport it into the cell via specific outer membrane receptors. The FhuA receptor protein transports ferrichrome, a siderophore produced by Ustilago sphaerogena. We determined the binding affinity of variants from the conserved 'lock region' of FhuA and also created and characterized variants of the highly conserved R452 to determine its role in ferrichrome transport. We hypothesize that during transport the plug domain of FhuA does not leave the barrel; rather it undergoes …

Measuring Patient Satisfaction After Providing A Choice Of Nourishment Options Between Meals In A Long-Term Care Setting., Samantha Hutson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether providing residents of the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center Community Living Center with a choice of nourishment options between meals would improve their satisfaction with the nourishment administration process. As opposed to being given the same nourishment item each day, residents were offered choices from a nourishment cart based upon their diet order. Sixteen residents completed the pre-survey, participated in the revised nourishment cart system for a 3-week period, and completed the postsurvey. Level of satisfaction was determined by analyzing the responses given by the residents on the pre- …

Implementation Of A Healthy Lifestyle Program At The Jefferson City Housing Authority In Jefferson City, Tennessee., Lynsey Lea Carr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children's energy consumption is outweighing their energy expenditure, increasing the risk for childhood obesity. While pediatric obesity continues to be a problem in America, the data are clear that those of low socioeconomic status are especially at risk for weight gain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if a healthy lifestyle program could affect participants' diet and physical activity behavior. A program was planned and conducted using the curriculum from the "We Can" program established by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Residents of the Jefferson City Housing Authority were asked to participate. No resident attended or …

Microscopic Analysis Of Sympathetic And Parasympathetic Distribution, Terminal Morphology, And Interaction In Whole-Mount Atria, Scott Harden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PSNS) branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) innervate the heart, exerting excitatory and inhibitory influences (respectively) over cardiac functions (heart rate, AV conduction velocity, and contractility). However, the distribution and structure of SNS and PSNS innervation has not yet been well studied. Detailed characterization of the distributional organization and structural morphology of the SNS and PSNS in normal states is essential to the study of pathological autonomic remodeling. The present study utilized double immunohistochemical labeling techniques to examine tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactive (IR) SNS and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) IR PSNS axons and terminal …

The Expression Of Mkrn1, An E3 Ubiquitin Ligase For Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase, Is Induced With Differentiation Therapy In Leukemia, Jose Salvatico

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Telomeres are important structural and functional components of chromosomes, serving to provide stability and enabling full replication of the chromosomes. However, a shortening of the telomeres occurs with each cell division that can be fixed by a polymerase activity provided by telomerase, preventing this loss which would otherwise eventually lead to chromosome end-to-end fusions, senescence and cell death. The telomerase activity is present in stem cells and germ line cells, but absent or barely noticeable in adult somatic cells. However, in approximately 80-90% of transformed somatic cells the telomerase activity is recovered, resulting in a "telomerase positive phenotype". This phenotype …

Quantifying Soil And Groundwater Chemistry In Areas Invaded By Tamarix Spp. Along The Middle Rio Grande, New Mexico, Michelle Kelly Ohrtman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tamarix spp. (a.k.a. saltcedar, tamarisk) invasion is considered a major ecological threat at both national and global levels, with supposed impacts on soil and water chemistry. One of the most often cited mechanisms of ecosystem change by Tamarix is through its ability to deposit salty exudates and salt-rich leaf litter. The degree to which Tamarix relates to elevated soil and groundwater salinity, however, has not been adequately quantified, especially in the context of environmental factors that may also influence salinity. If Tamarix does elevate localized salinity by means of uptake, concentration and exudation by plant tissues, then we might expect …

Structure-Function Analysis Of Endoproteolytic Cleavage: Site-Directed Mutagenesis Studies Of The Α-Msh Cleavage Site In Silurana Tropicalis Pomc, Quinn Kun Chen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The maturation process of many prohormone molecules typically requires endoproteolytic cleavage C-terminal of dibasic residues, such as the K¹⁴¹R¹⁴²↓ site N-terminal of the α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) sequence in Silurana tropicalis proopiomelanocortin (POMC). In order to determine the absolute requirement of basic amino acid residues in the cleavage process, site-directed mutagenesis was employed to substitute alanine for the wild-type residues in the frog POMC open reading frame. Specifically, the following underlined residues were individually targeted for alanine substitution: R ¹³⁷ Q ¹³⁸ E ¹³⁹ N ¹⁴⁰ K ¹⁴¹ R ¹⁴²↓. The mouse pancreatic αTC1.9 cell …

Hedging To Safety: A Political Economy Of Derivatives, Risk And Agriculture In The Developing World, Sasha Coler Breger Bush

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It has become common for researchers and international development institutions to recommend the use of derivative instruments to developing country farmers and policymakers as a means of insuring agricultural incomes against the threats posed by volatile global commodity prices. Despite such enthusiasm, very little research to date examines whether or not derivative instruments actually can deliver income support to agricultural producers who face commodity price risk. This dissertation evaluates these recommendations, focusing upon the potential income security benefits of hedging with futures instruments for coffee farmers in Mexico, Brazil and Uganda during the 1998-2002 coffee crisis. The three-part quantitative and …

Alpha-Msh Regulated Cell Signaling In Pancreatic Alpha Cells, Liang Liang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Peripheral injection of α-MSH promotes glucagon secretion in POMC knockout mice, suggesting the role of α-MSH in regulation of pancreatic α cells. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. This study investigated the stimulatory effect of α-MSH on mice pancreatic α cell line αTC1-6 cells in cell signaling pathway as well as glucagon secretion. In normal level of glucose, application of α-MSH stimulated Ltype Ca2+ current induced Ca2+ induced Ca2+ release (CICR) and membrane hyperpolarization. Increase of [cAMP]c was also observed when α-MSH was applied with IBMX. Acute hypoglycemia-induced CICR via N- and L-type Ca2+ channels was overridden by typical α-MSH …

A Computer Science Approach To Identify And Classify Hyperactivated Spermatozoa, Norbert Kaula

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Effective Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) relies in part upon accurate but easily conducted measurements of sperm motion parameters. Several established methods are widely used to assess possible reasons for male infertility, in human and veterinary Andrology clinics. Computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) devices quantitatively assess sperm motion parameters, which have been defined by the World Health Organization, and include the percentage of motile cells in a sample and the motion characteristics of individual cells, such as curvilinear velocity (VCL), average path velocity (VAP) and straight line velocity (VSL). However, CASA analyses fail to define hyperactive sperm motility or determine the prevalence …

Role Of Pro-Apoptotic Bcl2-Homology-3 Domain (Bh3)-Only Proteins In The Mutant Sod1 Mouse Model Of Als, Anna George Andrianakos

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease involving rapid degeneration of motor neurons in the spinal cord and retraction of their axonal projections to the neuromuscular junctions. Several known mutations linked to some familial cases of ALS have been linked to mutations in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1), resulting in mitochondrial oxidative stress and intrinsic apoptosis. Transgenic mice expressing a G93A mutant of SOD1 provide an in vivo model to investigate motor neuron death during disease progression. The principal regulators of intrinsic apoptosis are the Bcl-2 family proteins. While some members of this family are pro-survival, the Bcl-2 homology-3 …

Assessing Crosstalk Between Calcium And Camp In Pancreatic Alpha Cells, Julianne Michelle Imseis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Blood glucose levels are regulated by the interactions between insulin and glucagon. Pancreatic alpha cells release glucagon in response to a drop in blood sugar. Pancreatic alpha cells appear to be regulated through multiple signaling pathways. One potential method of regulation occurs from α-MSH or epinephrine stimulated production of the intracellular messenger cyclic AMP. Exocytosis of dense core vesicles containing glucagon ultimately requires an increase in cytosolic calcium. This study focused on the link between cyclic AMP and calcium in pancreatic alpha cells which allows alpha cell regulation. Interactions between calcium and cyclic AMP in pancreatic alpha cells consists of …

Impacts Of Tamarisk Biocontrol (Diorhabda Elongata) On The Trophic Dynamics Of Terrestrial Insects In Monotypic Tamarisk Stands, Stephanie Michelle Carroll Strudley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Combating tamarisk (Tamarix spp.), an exotic tree species that has invaded 1-1.6 million hectares of riparian land in the Midwestern United States, with the introduced leaf beetle Diorhabda elongata provides an opportunity to evaluate how the trophic spectra of terrestrial insects respond to a herbivorous biocontrol. To evaluate this restoration approach and the interaction biocontrol may have with terrestrial insect populations, I quantified trophic unit richness and abundance and common family abundance of resident insect populations while also measuring biocontrol abundance and status during the previous season (present or not present). These measurements were taken four times throughout one …

Factors Affecting Predation Of Marine Turtle Eggs By Raccoons And Ghost Crabs On Canaveral National Seashore, Fl, Justin Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Changes in abundance of interactive species can have cascading, community-wide effects (Soule et al. 2003). Raccoons (Procyon lotor) prey on a competitor for marine turtle eggs, the Atlantic ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata). Conservation of marine turtles often includes managing raccoons-the most obvious egg predator-which may have broader ecological effects, and unknown effects on egg predation. Neither the relationship between raccoons and ghost crab density nor the effects of ghost crab density on egg predation are well understood. I studied raccoon-ghost crab interactions and the effects of environmental variation on their activity during the 2007 marine turtle nesting season on Canaveral …

The Evolution Of Opioid/Orphanin Receptors In Chordates, Jazalle Deshaun Mcclendon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The interest in the opioid/orphanin gene family stems from functional similarities that these peptides have to the narcotic opium. Opiates have been extensively studied because of their analgesic properties; however, the reason that these plant products can affect the human central nervous system was a mystery until the discovery of opiate-like peptides. The endogenous opioid peptides are well understood today because they have been fully cloned and characterized in several different organisms including lower chordates. On the other hand, the opioid/orphanin receptors have not been fully cloned or characterized in lower chordates; therefore, to better understand the past and present …

Amino Acid Residues Implicated In The Interaction Of Melanocortin Ligands And Their Receptors: A Study Of Mc2r Selectivity, Kristopher D. Veo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Melanocortin receptor ligand selectivity has been a question not easily answered. The inability to functionally express melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2R) has inhibited the study of why MC2R is only stimulated by ACTH, a melanocortin hormone. With the recent discovery of the MC2R accessory protein (MRAP), creating a heterologous system is now feasible. Using a general cell line like CHO-K1 cells, which do not express endogenous MCRs, we were able to create a heterologous expression system and test the selectivity of MC2R using analog variants of ACTH(1-24). Our results indicate an amino acid requirement in the C-terminal portion of ACTH(1-24) for …

Soil Amino Acids At Upper Tree Line, Montane And Lower Tree Line, Kelly C. Owens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The classic view of the nitrogen cycle in soils is for plants to take up inorganic N in solution for N nutrition. More recent studies reveal plants can take up low molecular weight dissolved organic N such as amino acids directly from the soil. In ecosystems where the rate of microbial mineralization is limited, plants may take up 10 to 200 percent more amino acid N than mineral N. It is not known if plants take up amino acids in all ecosystems, however recent research shows that plants generally take up amino acids when they are present in high quantities …

Image Processing Of Oct Glaucoma Images And Information Theory Analysis, Shuting Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glaucoma is a group of optic nerve disease with progressive structural changes leading to loss of visual function. A careful examination and detection of changes in the optic nerve is the key to early diagnosis of glaucoma. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is one of the known techniques of diagnosis of glaucoma. The patients' eyes are scanned and sub-surface images are captured from optical nerves. Captured OCT images usually suffer from noise and therefore image enhancement techniques can help doctors in better analysis of OCT images and diagnosis of glaucoma. In this thesis, we propose three successful algorithms for enhancing the …

Factors Affecting Breeding Territory Size And Placement Of The Florida Grasshoper Sparrow (Ammodramus Savannarum Floridanus), Jill Aldredge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For most taxa, maximizing fitness depends on maintaining access to adequate resources. Territories provide exclusive use of resources for an individual or a family group, thus facilitating successful reproduction. The economic defensibility of a territory depends on the quality, abundance, and distribution of its resources as well as the amount of competition that an individual must endure to maintain exclusive access. The benefits of defense must outweigh the costs for territoriality to be profitable. Territory owners may benefit from territories with high quality resources, but they also may incur greater costs defending these resources from competitors. In contrast, territories with …

Habitat Use By The Southeastern Beach Mouse (Peromyscus Polionotus Niveiventris) At Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, Kathryn Simmons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Successful recovery of the federally threatened southeastern beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus niveiventris) depends in part on an understanding of their habitat requirements. I studied habitat use by beach mice at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida from March 2005 until March 2006. I livetrapped six grids, three on coastal dunes and three within scrub located inland from the coast. On each grid and trap station, I quantified the extent of bare ground, woody vegetation, non-woody vegetation, height of vegetation, and percentage of coarse sand in the surface soil. I assessed trap success relative to these habitat variables using linear and …

Reintroduction Of Bison (Bison Bison) On Reservations In South Dakota: Four Case Studies, Trudy M. Ecoffey

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research explored and documented issues of sustainability associated with the reintroduction of bison in four different bison herds on Reservations in South Dakota. The four herds were managed by: a tribal family cooperative, an individual tribal member, a tribal university and a tribal fish and wildlife agency. The objectives were to identify management practices associated with the sustainability of bison introduction by American Indians; to explore the role of American Indian culture in the management of bison for sustainability; and to investigate rangeland criteria that could be used to measure sustainability of bison reintroduced by American Indians. This project …

The Effect Of A Commercially Available Caffeine Based Dietary Supplement On 40-Kilometer Time Trial Performance, Lee A. Weidauer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To determine wheather ot not the nutritional supplement PreRace containing L-Taurine, Citrulline Malate, Quercetin, DiMethyl Amino Ethanol, Caffeine, Metabromine, Catechin, and Malic acid will improve performance in an indoor 40 Kilometer cycling time trial.
Methods: Seven male cyclists ages 21-58 participated in a placebo-controlled investigation which consisted of two trials in which they consumed either the supplement PreRace or aloe vera juice. In each of the trials the placebo or supplement was mixed with a sports beverage. Subjects performed a 40 kilometer time trial and measurements of oxygen consumption and lactate were taken every 15 minutes as well as …

The Effects Of Urbanization On The Structure, Quality, And Diversity Of Cypress Plant Communities In Central Florida, Courtney Knickerbocker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The integrity of wetland ecosystems is largely determined by hydrological functionality, degree of connectivity to like ecosystems, and permeability to external influence. Land use changes in upland areas adjacent to wetland ecosystems may influence hydrology and connectivity while introducing novel biotic and abiotic materials. There is an increasing trend toward the use of remote assessment techniques to determine the degree of impact of external influences on adjacent wetlands. Remote assessment and predictive capabilities are provided by indices such as the Landscape Development Intensity Index (LDI) (Brown and Vivas 2005) which may be beneficial in determining site condition, and which have …

Retrocyclin, A Potent Hiv-1 Entry Inhibitor, Nitya Venkataraman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human immununodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is the leading cause of death due to viral infections worldwide. In the absence of an effective vaccine or consistent male condom use, there is a clear need for female-controlled preventatives such as topical vaginal microbicides. Recent attention has been focused on developing natural antimicrobial peptides, as anti-retroviral microbicides. Increasing evidence suggests that cationic antimicrobial peptides such as defensins are effective HIV-1 inhibitors. Human alpha- and beta-defensins contribute substantially to innate immune defenses against microbial and viral infections. Certain nonhuman primates also produce theta-defensins – 18 residue cyclic peptides that are potent HIV-1 entry inhibitors. …

Native Fire Regime As A Reference For Establishing Management Practices, Brean Duncan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Our understanding of natural fire regimes in human-dominated landscapes is limited. Fire regimes operating in the pyrogenic ecosystems of Florida have been altered by fire suppression and fuel fragmentation. This is especially true of North Merritt Island, Florida, where human impacts have led to an incomplete knowledge of current fire regimes. We know that growing season fires frequently occurred within general return intervals and that many native terrestrial species require fire to remain viable. A 20-year plus period of fire suppression caused structural and compositional changes to vegetation/fuels that led to catastrophic fires and the decline of native species populations …