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University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

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Articles 61 - 90 of 96

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Fluorescence And Uv-Vis Studies Of Quinone-Induced Protein Modifications, Charles A. Thomas Jr May 2017

Fluorescence And Uv-Vis Studies Of Quinone-Induced Protein Modifications, Charles A. Thomas Jr

Honors Theses

Quinones are the metabolites of a class of chemicals known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. These chemicals have been found to be toxic in the environment, especially when interacting with certain proteins. In this study, we investigated the modification of Lysozyme and Ribonuclease A by a series of benzoquinones as well as few naphthoquinones. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to measure the degree of modification of Lysozyme and Ribonuclease A when incubated with quinones at differing concentrations and for various times. All reactions, unless noted, were carried out in a phosphate buffer (pH=7.0) at 37°C to mimic physiological conditions. The fluorescence intensity …


A Study Of The Photoacoustic Effect In Ethylene Gas, Jay Nguyen May 2017

A Study Of The Photoacoustic Effect In Ethylene Gas, Jay Nguyen

Honors Theses

Ethylene, C2H4, is a plant hormone produced and released naturally by plants and soil microorganisms. This colorless, flammable gas has a slightly sweet odor usually only recognized by those who have handled ethylene before. In situ analyses of this gas and many other potentially harmful gases outside of the laboratory are often difficult to perform due to the lack of a portable yet reliable unit capable of precisely and accurately detecting and measuring the concentrations of these gases at trace gas concentrations of a few parts per billion. In this research project, photoacoustic spectroscopy was used to detect and measure …


Common Core In Tennessee: An Analysis Of Eighth Grade Mathematics Standards, Hayley Little Dec 2016

Common Core In Tennessee: An Analysis Of Eighth Grade Mathematics Standards, Hayley Little

Honors Theses

Since their introduction in 2010, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have been a highly controversial topic in educational reform. Though the standards are not a product of the federal government and are not federally mandated, they do represent a push towards national academic standards in America. For states such as Tennessee, educational policies of the past pushed them to lower their academic standards in order to create the illusion of success. Those states are now some of the places that have seen the most change with the adoption of the CCSS. It still remains somewhat unclear, however, which changes …


Assessing The Feasibility Of A One-Pot, Tandem Olefin Metathesis And Isomerization Sequence To Synthesize Conjugated Aromatic Olefins, Ajay D. Makwana Aug 2016

Assessing The Feasibility Of A One-Pot, Tandem Olefin Metathesis And Isomerization Sequence To Synthesize Conjugated Aromatic Olefins, Ajay D. Makwana

Honors Theses

The synthesis of substituted phenylpropene dimers using a one-pot, tandem olefin metathesis and isomerization sequence has been studied. This sequence relies on the facilitated, in-situ conversion of a ruthenium carbene species (Ru=C) to a ruthenium hydride species (Ru-H) upon addition of an inorganic hydride source. Three separate reactions occur within one reaction flask: 1) olefin metathesis of the starting phenylpropene to yield phenylpropene dimer via Ru=C catalyst, 2) conversion of Ru=C to Ru-H via addition of an inorganic hydride source, 3) isomerization of phenylpropene dimer via insertion and β-hydride elimination to yield conjugated product. The focus of the study has …


Exogenous Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (Pufa) Scavenging Affects Phospholipid Profiles And Virulence Phenotypes In Vibrio Cholerae And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus, Anna Moravec May 2016

Exogenous Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (Pufa) Scavenging Affects Phospholipid Profiles And Virulence Phenotypes In Vibrio Cholerae And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus, Anna Moravec

Honors Theses

AIM: This research had two primary objectives. First, this study sought to determine whether or not exposing Vibrio cholerae and Vibrio parahaemolyticus to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) would lead to changes in their respective phospholipid profiles. Secondly, if membrane remodeling occurred, this study sought to determine the impact of membrane modifications on bacterial fitness by evaluating their effect on membrane permeability, biofilm formation, and response to stresses. METHODS: The Bligh and Dyer method was used to extract bacterial lipids, which were subsequently analyzed via thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The effect of fatty acids on bacterial fitness was assessed using stress, biofilm, …


A Fractional Boundary Value Problem, Grant Yost May 2016

A Fractional Boundary Value Problem, Grant Yost

Honors Theses

We consider a fractional boundary value problem with various boundary conditions. This boundary value problem has two components, one fractional derivative of alpha degree with alpha between n-1 and n, and a fractional derivative of beta degree with beta between 0 and n-2. We prove existence and uniqueness of solutions, and show some examples that were found using a MATLAB simulation.


Determining Methods Of Propagation For The Investigation Of Intraspecific Variability Of Climate Change Responses Of Appalachian Plant Species, Gayle L. Tyree May 2016

Determining Methods Of Propagation For The Investigation Of Intraspecific Variability Of Climate Change Responses Of Appalachian Plant Species, Gayle L. Tyree

Honors Theses

Species range migrations are a well-documented response to climate change (Loarie et al. 2009), with range shifts mainly occurring poleward or to higher elevations (Walther et al. 2002). As range shifts occur, variation in phenotypic traits within plant species across climate gradients could affect their abilities to acclimate or adapt to a changing climate (Hooper et al. 2005, Souza et al. 2011). In 2014 Dr. Jennifer Boyd (BGES) initiated a research project to examine potential intraspecific phenotypic variation within wide-ranging Appalachian plant species of responses to projected future atmospheric CO2 and temperature regimes. As an undergraduate research assistant, I focused …


Measuring Phytophthora Resistance Phenotypes In Segregating Testcross Families Of Hybrid American Chestnut Trees, Anna C. Robinson May 2016

Measuring Phytophthora Resistance Phenotypes In Segregating Testcross Families Of Hybrid American Chestnut Trees, Anna C. Robinson

Honors Theses

Phytophthora root rot (PRR), caused by the oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands, is a formidable obstacle to the restoration of Castanea dentata Marsh. commonly known as the American chestnut. Genetic resistance to PRR has been observed in Asian species of chestnut including C. mollissima Blume, and in interspecific hybrids between C. mollissima and C. dentata. We hypothesized that root rot resistance alleles would segregate in a 1:1 ratio within progeny of crosses between PRR resistant F1 hybrids and PRR-susceptible American chestnut trees (first-backcrosses), and that PRR resistance could be successfully passed down to all families of first-backcross hybrids. To test these …


The Simple Zeros Of The Riemann Zeta-Function, Melissa N. Miller May 2016

The Simple Zeros Of The Riemann Zeta-Function, Melissa N. Miller

Honors Theses

There have been many tables of primes produced since antiquity. In 348 BC Plato studied the divisors of the number 5040. In 1202 Fibonacci gave an example with a list of prime numbers up to 100. By the 1770's a table of number factorizations up to two million was constructed. In 1859 Riemann demonstrated that the key to the deeper understanding of the distribution of prime numbers lies in the study of a certain complex-valued function, called the zeta-function. In 1973 Montgomery used explicit formulas to study the pair correlation of the zeros of the zeta-function and their relationship to …


Uncovering Cryptic Diversity Of Desmognathine Salamanders In The Cumberland Plateau Utilizing Molecular Genetic Techniques, Katherine E. Ray May 2016

Uncovering Cryptic Diversity Of Desmognathine Salamanders In The Cumberland Plateau Utilizing Molecular Genetic Techniques, Katherine E. Ray

Honors Theses

Cryptic species are difficult to identify morphologically; therefore, their distributions are often poorly understood. However, species distributions are critical for evaluating biodiversity in ecology and biodiversity. Dusky salamanders (Desmognathus) are an example of species of North American salamanders that have been particularly difficult to classify. Specifically, in the southern Cumberland Plateau, the dusky salamanders’ distributions are unknown. Desmognathus fuscus and D. conanti have been found to the north and south of the southern Cumberland Plateau, respectively. However, they have not been adequately sampled in this region. I studied genetic variation in the mitochondrial gene CytB in Desmognathus salamanders sampled from …


Effects Of Cigarette Butts On Coastal Waters: An Elemental Analysis Of Seawater From St. Simon’S Island, Katherine Adorati May 2016

Effects Of Cigarette Butts On Coastal Waters: An Elemental Analysis Of Seawater From St. Simon’S Island, Katherine Adorati

Honors Theses

Cigarette litter can have detrimental effects on the environment, specifically when taking into account that over 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered every year. Within seawater, trace elements present in cigarettes may leach into the ocean, having damaging effects on the marine ecosystem. The goal of this research was to investigate if elemental contaminants leached from cigarette litter are significant in samples of seawater collected near St. Simon’s Island at both high and low tides, surrounding a beach party during the Florida/Georgia football game which occurred on November 1, 2014. Samples were collected in the months prior to and during …


Which Language(S) Are Best (For Web Development), Jackson A. Stone May 2016

Which Language(S) Are Best (For Web Development), Jackson A. Stone

Honors Theses

This thesis is intended to shine light on the complex nature of the online software ecosystem, in the hopes that it may help students who wish to pursue web development determine how to best spend their time researching and learning varying technologies.


Alkaloids In E-Cigarettes: Their Effects On Cell Growth And Gene Regulation, Maxwell H. Marlowe May 2016

Alkaloids In E-Cigarettes: Their Effects On Cell Growth And Gene Regulation, Maxwell H. Marlowe

Honors Theses

E-cigarettes have become increasingly popular in the past decade. They are marketed as smoking cessation aids. These products have not been well regulated or researched with respect to health concerns and safety issues. A number of toxic compounds have been discovered in refill solutions, and the long-term effects of e-cigarette use are still largely unknown. Nicotine is one of the primary alkaloids within e-cigarette refill solutions. Nevertheless, other tobacco alkaloids are present including; cotinine, myosmine and anabasine, even though these compounds are not disclosed on the packaging. This study uses known amounts of tobacco alkaloids, in an in vitro culture …


Analysis Of An Electrospun Nanofiber Device Applicable To Limb Salvage: Mass Loss, Morphological Changes, And Quantification Of Antibiotic Release, Caitlin Quinn Dec 2015

Analysis Of An Electrospun Nanofiber Device Applicable To Limb Salvage: Mass Loss, Morphological Changes, And Quantification Of Antibiotic Release, Caitlin Quinn

Honors Theses

The creation of an electrospun nanofiber embedded with two antibiotics that will be used to prevent infection while also stimulating bone regeneration will be explored. The nanofiber will contain an aminoglycoside and a glycopeptide, and it is sought to deliver a sustained release of antibiotics for up to 12 weeks. To determine release rate, nanofiber samples are immersed in 10.0 mL of MiliQ water (MQ), incubated at 37°C, assayed at specific time intervals, and then analyzed using ultra performance liquid chromatography in tandem with mass spectrometry. A hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) method utilizing ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) in tandem …


A Manipulation Study: The Effect Of Predation Risk On The Space Use Of The Chilean Rodent, Octodon Degus, Erin D. Myers Dec 2015

A Manipulation Study: The Effect Of Predation Risk On The Space Use Of The Chilean Rodent, Octodon Degus, Erin D. Myers

Honors Theses

Predation has significant effects on animal behavior and space use across species. In small mammals, the home range areas are shown to be influenced by predation risk. This project incorporates trapping data to analyze how predation risk influences the space use of Octodon degus, a social rodent endemic to Chile. We compared range size of degus living in four predator exclusion enclosures versus four control, non-predator exclusion enclosures in Parque Nacional Bosque de Fray Jorge, Chile through grid trapping methods. For each enclosure (NP and P) 95% MCP, 95% Kernal, 95% Distance Interval, and average captures was measured. There were …


Investigation Of The Thermodynamic Properties Of The Oligomerization Domain Of Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein C, John P. O'Brien Iii May 2015

Investigation Of The Thermodynamic Properties Of The Oligomerization Domain Of Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein C, John P. O'Brien Iii

Honors Theses

The heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein C (hnRNP C) performs a critical role in the processing of nascent pre-messenger ribonucleic acid (pre-mRNA) transcripts as they exit DNA polymerase II. As the pre-mRNA transcripts emerge from the polymerase complex, they are bound by hnRNP C only if its nucleotide (NT) chain is longer than a certain nucleotide length. If the chain is long enough and binding occurs, the nucleotide strand is exported and processed as mRNA, whereas if the length requirement is not met, the RNA sequence is directed along a pathway to become small nuclear RNA (snRNA). The functional form of hnRNP …


Determination Of Antibiotic Release From Electrospun Nanofibers, John P. O'Brien Iii May 2015

Determination Of Antibiotic Release From Electrospun Nanofibers, John P. O'Brien Iii

Honors Theses

Decreasing the risk of infection following surgery for traumatic bone breaks is a major focus of the medical and scientific community. Drug delivery devices are emerging as powerful solutions for combating infection following these procedures. Current devices, however, suffer several drawbacks including poor antibiotic release rate and control the devices themselves not being biodegradable. This thesis studies the \textit{in vitro} release rate for antibiotics tobramycin and vancomycin from a biodegradable medical implant. Antibiotics, collagen, and bone growth factors are incorporated into Poly(lactide-co-glycolide)-based electrospun nanofibers by local company eSpin for development. The drug-loaded nanofibers are immersed in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) …


Synthesis Of Novel Dienes And Cyclic Compounds Via Olefin Metathesis Reactions Catalyzed By The Second Generation Grubbs Catalyst, Patrick Joseph Carey May 2015

Synthesis Of Novel Dienes And Cyclic Compounds Via Olefin Metathesis Reactions Catalyzed By The Second Generation Grubbs Catalyst, Patrick Joseph Carey

Honors Theses

Transition metal-catalyzed olefin metathesis reactions play a significant role in chemical synthesis. These reactions are currently applied across several disciplines, and their full potential has not yet been reached. This project details the synthesis of spiro[3-cyclopentene-1,9’-[9H]fluorene], 1-(1-amino-2-methylpropyl)-3-cyclopentenol, and the eugenol dimer via olefin metathesis reactions catalyzed by the second generation Grubbs catalyst. The unique structural properties of each compound help demonstrate the widespread abilities of these reactions. Also reported are the novel three-dimensional crystal structures of both spiro[3-cyclopentene-1,9’-[9H]fluorene] and the eugenol dimer. These structures were determined via X-ray diffraction crystallography methods using a Bruker SMART X2S Single Crystal Diffractometer. Both …


Modifications Of Lysozyme By Substituted Benzoquinones, Hendrik J. Greve May 2015

Modifications Of Lysozyme By Substituted Benzoquinones, Hendrik J. Greve

Honors Theses

Amyloidosis, which involves the precipitation of mis-folded protein aggregates, is a prominent process that occurs in many neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease; the protein aggregates being amyloid-β for Alzheimer’s disease and α-synuclein for Parkinson’s disease. This study has focused on lysozyme modifications induced by metabolites of the commonly found pollutants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are found in substances ranging from grilled meats to cigarette smoke to cosmetics, and they can be metabolized into a family of biological toxins known as benzoquinones. The molecules of interest for this study were 1,4-benzoquinone (pBQ), 2-chloro-1,4-benzoquinone (CBQ), …


Ribonuclease A Modification Induced By 1,2-Naphthoquinone And 2-Hydroxy-1,4-Naphthoquinone, Michelle Dawn Smith May 2015

Ribonuclease A Modification Induced By 1,2-Naphthoquinone And 2-Hydroxy-1,4-Naphthoquinone, Michelle Dawn Smith

Honors Theses

Protein modifications may occur upon exposure to environmental toxins such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules or their metabolites. In this context, our laboratory was interested in investigating protein modifications in the presence of select naphthoquinones, which were 2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (HNQ) and 1,2-naphthoquinone (o-NQ). The effects of HNQ and o-NQ on the protein Ribonuclease A (RNase) were investigated through a variety of conditions. These modified incubation conditions included pH variation and the addition of metal ions to further mimic physiological conditions. Documentation of results was carried out through sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic analysis (SDS-PAGE). Of the two quinones, o-NQ …


Nicotine And What Else?: Hplc Elution Optimization For The Analysis Of Alkaloids Found In Electronic Cigarettes, Jessica L. Murray May 2014

Nicotine And What Else?: Hplc Elution Optimization For The Analysis Of Alkaloids Found In Electronic Cigarettes, Jessica L. Murray

Honors Theses

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, have been scrutinized by the Food and Drug Administration and other public health organizations for issues related to quality control and efficacy. Erratic nicotine delivery and numerous toxic compounds in refill solutions have been reported. The ultimate goal of this research is to add to the growing amount of knowledge regarding e-cigarette ingredient content, safety, and quality. Standards of the tobacco alkaloids nicotine, anabasine, cotinine, and myosmine were prepared and quantified using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Various elution schemes were tested and adjusted for optimal analyte resolution, and a final elution scheme was developed to …


Purple Urine Bag Syndrome: Regulation Of Pyrimidine Enzymes, Ashley N. Broadway May 2014

Purple Urine Bag Syndrome: Regulation Of Pyrimidine Enzymes, Ashley N. Broadway

Honors Theses

Purple Urine Bag Syndrome, PUBS, is a unique condition that shows an interesting discoloration of the urine from women who have a chronic catheter. This study focused on the regulation of enzyme activities to determine the effects that may create an environment where PUBS is seen in patients with catheters. In this study, the reductive pyrimidine pathway was used to read out the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 15692. This microorganism expresses a pathway that synthesizes indoxyl from tryptophan. The bacteria strains were grown using various carbon and nitrogen sources. Concentrations of acetonitrile at 2 mM and 10 mM, concentrations of …


Reduction Of Ketoximes To Amines By Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation Using Raney Nickel And 2-Propanol As Hydrogen Donor, Katherynne E. Taylor May 2014

Reduction Of Ketoximes To Amines By Catalytic Transfer Hydrogenation Using Raney Nickel And 2-Propanol As Hydrogen Donor, Katherynne E. Taylor

Honors Theses

Ketoximes successfully underwent hydrogenolysis and hydrogenation under catalytic transfer conditions with Raney Nickel and 2-propanol as a hydrogen donor. Ketoximes were reduced to primary amines when 2% KOH was included in the reaction. In the absence of KOH N-isopropyl-secondary-amines were obtained in good yields.


Not Extinct: A Year In The Life Of The American Chesnut, Kristen Julina Stanfill Mar 2013

Not Extinct: A Year In The Life Of The American Chesnut, Kristen Julina Stanfill

Honors Theses

After the widespread infection of the American chestnut tree (Castanea dentata) due to the fungus Cryphonectria parasitica the species was nearly brought to extinction and now merely exists as stump sprouts. Since the fungus infects the bark of the tree but not the root systems new shoots are able to emerge and grow before once again being girdled by the fungus. Cryphonectria parasitica is believed to have been brought to America on Asian species of chestnut which possess resistance to the blight caused by the fungus. It is the plan of the American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) to integrate the genes …


The Effect Of Phosphite On Mycorrhiza Formation In American Chestnut (Castanea Dentata), Matthew T. Perkins May 2012

The Effect Of Phosphite On Mycorrhiza Formation In American Chestnut (Castanea Dentata), Matthew T. Perkins

Honors Theses

One of the primary hindrances to Castanea dentata restoration in the Southeast is the root rot disease caused by the fungus-like microorganism Phytophthora cinnamomi. Root rot can be combated by the application of mono- and di-potassium salts of phosphorous acid, which are marketed as phosphite fungicides. Despite its value in preventing infection by P. cinnamomi it is also thought that phosphite may impede root colonization by beneficial, ectomycorrhizal fungi. I hypothesized that plants given a routine application of phosphite will display fewer mycorrhizas in the root tips than those plants that were not treated with potassium phosphite. Therefore I attempted …


Euler E271 : A Link Between Mathematics Of Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow, Sarah Ann Nelson May 2011

Euler E271 : A Link Between Mathematics Of Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow, Sarah Ann Nelson

Honors Theses

The major focus of this departmental thesis was to complete t he first English translation of E271 Arithmetic Theorems Proven by a New Method, a mathematical treatise published by Leonhard Euler in Latin in 1761. Most importantly, E271 contains Euler's generalization of Fermat's Litt le Theorem and an exploration of the properties of (n). Altogether, this paper includes an Abstract, Introduction, Note to the Readers, Translation of Arithmetic Theorems Proven by a New Method, Epilogue, and References. More specifically, the Introduction is about the historical background of the mathematics and applications leading up to E271 and the key corresponding mathematicians. …


A Morphological Analysis Of A "Confounding" Population Of Castanea In Northwest Georgia, Jamie Dinkins Mar 2009

A Morphological Analysis Of A "Confounding" Population Of Castanea In Northwest Georgia, Jamie Dinkins

Honors Theses

Two species of Castanea Mill. (Fagacae) are native to North America: the tall, forest-type Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh. and the smaller, shrubbier Castanea pumila (L.) Miller. There are two varieties of C. pumila: Castanea pumila var. pumila, and Castanea pumila var. ozarkensis (Johnson, 1988). In the early 1900s, chestnut blight caused by Cryphonectria parasitica (Murr.) Barr. reduced C. dentata to stumps and sprouts and severely diminished the abundance of both subspecies of C. pumila. Because Castanea species can apparently interbreed, restoration efforts have been complicated by possible hybridization between the two now shrubby species. One of these putative hybrid and …


Identification And Catalog Of Holocene And Late Pleistocene Chiropteran Fossils From Hamilton County, Tn, Ashley Miller Mar 2007

Identification And Catalog Of Holocene And Late Pleistocene Chiropteran Fossils From Hamilton County, Tn, Ashley Miller

Honors Theses

Caves play an essential role in our understanding of the Pleistocene Epoch. Caves represent the largest percentage of known North American Pleistocene faunas (Kurten and Anderson, 1980). These unique environments provide stable erosion free conditions that allow fossils to remain preserved for thousands, if not millions, of years (Corgan, 1996; Schubert et al., 2003). The fossil remains found in caves can help paleontologists document biogeographic and evolutionary patterns in a great variety of organisms (Schubert et al., 2003). Many fossils found in cave deposits only date to the Holocene (Schubert et al., 2003). These fossils localities are rarely studied by …


Determining The Level Of Network Security Awareness Of Utc Students Living On Campus, Alma Cemerlic Mar 2006

Determining The Level Of Network Security Awareness Of Utc Students Living On Campus, Alma Cemerlic

Honors Theses

While information technology divisions in various schools often conduct surveys on general computer use, almost no studies have been done that directly targeted the level of Internet security awareness among college students. The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), a not-for-profit, public-private partnership focused on increasing online security awareness, in collaboration with the Government and the Internet industry, organized a number of different projects designed to promote "safe online practices" among college students. However, since research has not been done to investigate the relationship between students' demographics and their Internet security awareness, it is not possible to tell how effective these …


Simazine Mineralization In Wetland Soils Of William's Island, Elise Chapman Apr 2003

Simazine Mineralization In Wetland Soils Of William's Island, Elise Chapman

Honors Theses

Wetlands are an interface between terrestrial and aquatic environments. As anthropogenic impacts on the environment increase it puts these sensitive areas at the forefront of change. Farming on William's Island has not occurred since 2001 but before that it was farmed to provide cost-free upkeep of the island. Simazine is a triazine herbicide, the most commonly used group of herbicides in modem agricultural practices. The fields on William's Island were most likely exposed because they were farmed for numerous years prior to 2001. Because of this the wetland that drains the fields, separating them from the Tennessee River, may have …