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2006

Clemson University

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Mesophase Pitch-Based Carbon Fibers With Carbon Nanotube Reinforcements, Amod A. Ogale, Dan D. Edie, Apparao M. Rao Dec 2006

Mesophase Pitch-Based Carbon Fibers With Carbon Nanotube Reinforcements, Amod A. Ogale, Dan D. Edie, Apparao M. Rao

Clemson Patents

A modified, mesophase pitch-based carbon fiber is disclosed which includes carbon nanotube reinforcements in an amount ranging from about 0.01 percent to about 1.0 percent by weight. Although the reinforcements actually decrease the excellent tensile modulus of the unmodified fiber, they provide a random microstructure, which can decrease brittle failure of the fiber caused by propagation of a flaw.

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Elastic Degradable Polyurethanes For Biomedical Applications, Changhong Zhang Dec 2006

Elastic Degradable Polyurethanes For Biomedical Applications, Changhong Zhang

All Theses

Several series of polyurethanes were synthesized with linear or crosslinked structures by using different synthesis routes. Two studies are mentioned: (1) the synthesis of degradable polyurethanes with linear structure and the investigation of the elasticity and cytophilicity of the materials as function of the chain extender, and (2) the synthesis and the investigation of the biocompatibility, degradation, hydrophilicity and mechanical properties of the polyurethane-based hydrogels with crosslinked structure.

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Knowledge, Access, And Utilization Of Health Care Resources By Minorities In Rural Areas, Cassandra Crockett Dec 2006

Knowledge, Access, And Utilization Of Health Care Resources By Minorities In Rural Areas, Cassandra Crockett

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This research seeks to understand how knowledge, access, and utilization of health care resources are obtained by residents in one South Carolina upstate county. In particular, whites and minorities living in rural parts of Anderson County are studied in an effort to address issues of barriers that obstruct the ability to obtain knowledge, access, and utilization of health care resources. A primary objective of this research is to determine whether or not knowledge of health care resources is a result of previously using them. In other words, are individuals knowledgeable about available health care resources before they become ill? It …

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The Health And Nutrition Of Migrant Farm Workers In South Carolina, Abel Caballero Dec 2006

The Health And Nutrition Of Migrant Farm Workers In South Carolina, Abel Caballero

All Theses

ABSTRACT
Migrant farm workers--a high percentage of which are Hispanic--are an extremely disadvantaged population that experiences several barriers, including language, nutrition, transportation, and access to health services. This population also suffers from numerous diseases (obesity, diabetes, and heart disease) and experiences various hazards associated with risky work, such as pesticide exposure. This study included data collection on basic health and nutrition barriers to identify areas where programs and policies can be modified to better serve migrant farm workers. In addition, data was examined to determine the effect of all-inclusive educational intervention on nutrition, dental, fitness, and food safety issues by …

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Incorporation Of Capillary-Channeled Polymer (C-Cp) Fibers Into Micropipette Tips For Solid Phase Extraction With Applications In Bioanalysis, Donald Fornea Dec 2006

Incorporation Of Capillary-Channeled Polymer (C-Cp) Fibers Into Micropipette Tips For Solid Phase Extraction With Applications In Bioanalysis, Donald Fornea

All Theses

Solid phase extraction (SPE), is a widely used sample preparation method that is currently experiencing a surge in research interest, clever architecture/format development, and stationary phase characterization.1-3 SPE devices commonly exist in syringe, cartridge, disk, and micropipette tip formats.4 Micropipette tip SPE has enhanced the determination of proteins by electrospray ionization (ESI) and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS) by handling micro-liter volumes of sample and buffer removal/solvent exchange.5-7 Buffers have deleterious effects on ionization taking place in MS sources due to preferential ionization, ion suppression effects, and the formation of adduct species competing for ionization in …

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Change-Point Tests For Precipitation Data, Michael Robbins Dec 2006

Change-Point Tests For Precipitation Data, Michael Robbins

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A new method is required for change-point testing of precipitation data that is capable of applying valid precipitation models. First, stochastic precipation models are researched and classified. Typically, the occurrence of rain is modeled using a two-state, first-order Markov chain, and the intensity of rain is modeled using a two-parameter gamma distribution. Using the likelihood ratio test statistic, methods are devoloped for testing for fixed and unknown change-points. These methods are developed for various models, including the MC/gamma model and simplified versions. The distribution of the LRT is unknown, however its asymptotic distribution is known for both the fixed and …

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Onset And Persistence Of Biogenic Meromixis In A Filling Pit Lake-A Limnological Perspective , Oscar Flite Dec 2006

Onset And Persistence Of Biogenic Meromixis In A Filling Pit Lake-A Limnological Perspective , Oscar Flite

All Dissertations

Open pit mining usually results in a void that, over time, fills with water and becomes a pit lake. The goal for pit lakes is to create sustainable systems that positively contribute to local and regional watersheds. One long-standing hypothesis for attaining the goal of sustainability has been to create and maintain meromictic lakes (lakes that do not completely mix on a yearly cycle). It is believed that meromixis minimizes atmospheric oxygen exposure to pit walls and concomitant acid generation and minimizes reentrainment of metals to the upper waters during seasonal mixes. This seems to be a reasonable goal but …

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Validation Of An Inertial Sensor System For Quantifying Knee Function, Aaron Koslin Dec 2006

Validation Of An Inertial Sensor System For Quantifying Knee Function, Aaron Koslin

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Gait analysis has become a useful tool for clinicians in evaluating the progression of pathologies through functional analysis. The high cost and dedicated laboratories associated with the traditional camera-based motion analysis systems present the need for an alternative system. Direct measurement of kinetic parameters using inertial sensors (gyroscopes and accelerometers), in place of indirect calculations from position data obtained using cameras, has been shown effective in resolving important gait parameters.
In order to directly compare gait parameters obtained using inertial sensors and a camera system, data was simultaneously collected from both systems for seven test subjects during normal gait. Three …

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World Revision Of The Genus Triaenodes (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae), Junmi Hur Dec 2006

World Revision Of The Genus Triaenodes (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae), Junmi Hur

All Dissertations

One genus, Triaenodes of the long-horned caddisfly family Leptoceridae includes approximately 245 species globally and is cosmopolitan in distribution, occurring in all major faunal regions. The species of the genus, along with other species of caddisflies, are especially sensitive to pollution and are used by developed countries to monitor water quality.
Two hundred twenty-one species are reviewed and an additional 9 species are new to science. Twenty-six species groups are recognized in these subgenera of Triaenodes. The genus Triaenodes is divided here into seven monophyletic subgenera. The subgenus Ylodes Milne, 1934, has 15 species distributed in the Australasian, East …

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Influence Of Socio-Economic And Demographic Factors On Crashes In Rural South Carolina At Sub-County Level, Sunil Jakhadi Dec 2006

Influence Of Socio-Economic And Demographic Factors On Crashes In Rural South Carolina At Sub-County Level, Sunil Jakhadi

All Theses

State of South Carolina ranks high in the fatality rates. The state is a predominately a rural state with more percentage of rural roads. This research focuses on the statistical variation of crash rates between the county and block-group, especially rural once to the state. Also, it focuses on the possibility of various socio-economic and demographic characters influence on the high crash rates particularly in rural South Carolina.
Crash database for the year 2004 was acquired from South Carolina Department of Transportation and was processed by the research team at Clemson University. This processed database was imported into GIS. Spatial …

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Use Of Speed Monitoring Display With Changeable Message Sign To Reduce Vehicle Speeds In Sc Work Zones, Abhijit Kenjale Dec 2006

Use Of Speed Monitoring Display With Changeable Message Sign To Reduce Vehicle Speeds In Sc Work Zones, Abhijit Kenjale

All Theses

This research focuses on the reducing traffic speeds through work zones. Speed being the major problem for work zone safety, there was a need to develop effective traffic control devices. Thus with a aim to reduce speeds in work zone there was an effort by the Clemson University research team to come with several effective devices for South Carolina work zones. Advances in technology required some kind of a new and unique device to be developed that would display the driver speed and would also display a dynamic message. This thesis focuses on the use of such a device. The …

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Life Cycle Cost Analysis Of Pavements: State-Of-The-Practice, Zeynep Guven Dec 2006

Life Cycle Cost Analysis Of Pavements: State-Of-The-Practice, Zeynep Guven

All Theses

Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) is performed by transportation agencies in the design phase of transportation projects in order to be able to implement more economical strategies, to support decision processes in pavement type selection (flexible or rigid) and also to assess the relative costs of different rehabilitation options within each type of pavement. However, most of the input parameters are inherently uncertain. In order to implement the LCCA process in a reliable and trustworthy manner, this uncertainty must be addressed. This thesis summarizes a through research that aims at improving the existing LCCA approach for South Carolina Department of …

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Effect Of South Caroline Belt Law On Safety Belt Use, Sourabh Patki Dec 2006

Effect Of South Caroline Belt Law On Safety Belt Use, Sourabh Patki

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A number of factors and accessories help save lives and prevent injuries to road users, yet safety belts have become synonymous with automobile safety today, unlike any accessory before or since their introduction in automobiles. However, the scientific advances in automobile safety, followed by the acceptance of the necessity for safety in automobiles by both the manufacturers and the population, finally leading to the introduction of safety features and their incorporation within the laws occurred over a much longer span, continuing even today. Today's Safety movement aims at increasing safety belt using an awareness campaigns, accompanied by enforcement. Safety belt …

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System And Method For Managing Manufacturing, Ordering, And Distribution In A Supply Chain, Joesph W. Kernodle, John S. Davis, John C. Peck Dec 2006

System And Method For Managing Manufacturing, Ordering, And Distribution In A Supply Chain, Joesph W. Kernodle, John S. Davis, John C. Peck

Clemson Patents

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for minimizing stock outs and costs by managing manufacturing, ordering, and distribution in a supply chain. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for coordinating production across a supply network is provided. The method includes the steps of identifying one or more items in a supply network, identifying one or more constraints for such items in the supply network, identifying one or more strategic target buffers for such constraints, and generating make, order, and ship recommendations for one or more such items based upon one or more constraints and one …

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From The Social Margins To The Center: Lebanese Families Who Arrived In South Carolina Before 1950, Elizabeth Whitaker Dec 2006

From The Social Margins To The Center: Lebanese Families Who Arrived In South Carolina Before 1950, Elizabeth Whitaker

All Theses

The Lebanese families who arrived in South Carolina found themselves in a different environment than most had anticipated. Those who had spent time elsewhere in the U.S. found predominantly rural and predominantly Protestant South Carolina to be almost as alien as they or their parents had found the United States due partly to the religious differences and partly to the cultural differences between the Northeast, where most of them had lived for at least a few years after arriving in the United States, and the Southeast. Most of these new arrivals eventually found success and some degree of acceptance, but …

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Regional Innovation Systems (Ris) In The U.S. South: The Role Of Local Characteristics Of Ris In Rural Development, Doohee Lee Dec 2006

Regional Innovation Systems (Ris) In The U.S. South: The Role Of Local Characteristics Of Ris In Rural Development, Doohee Lee

All Dissertations

Regional innovation systems (RIS) and innovative activity are now recognized as having important roles to play in regional economic development policy. The goal of this study is to expand our understanding of the relationship between regional economic growth and the local characteristics of RIS. The research identified the existence and importance of sources of innovation, knowledge spillovers, and regional spillovers as the principal characteristics of RIS in the South. A knowledge production function approach was used to estimate the determinants of innovative activity in rural counties. A zero inflated negative binomial model was estimated to capture the influence of local …

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Economic Analysis Of Stormwater Management Practices, Ritu Sharma Dec 2006

Economic Analysis Of Stormwater Management Practices, Ritu Sharma

All Dissertations

Structural stormwater management practices help reduce the quantity and improve quality of stormwater runoff. This dissertation focuses on costs and cost effectiveness of these practices. Design, construction and maintenance costs data that were collected from six different sources and adjusted for purchasing power differences over time and location are analyzed using stochastic Leontief cost functions. Effects on these costs of land prices, wages for engineering, construction, and landscaping services, water storage or treatment, and differences in designs of the SMPs and the biophysical regions in which they are located are estimated with the Leontief functions. Results indicate that all SMPs …

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Elevated Neutral-To-Earth Voltage In Distribution Systems Including Harmonics, Jian Jiang Dec 2006

Elevated Neutral-To-Earth Voltage In Distribution Systems Including Harmonics, Jian Jiang

All Dissertations

The elevated neutral-to-earth voltage (NEV), and the related phenomenon called stray voltage, is analyzed in multigrounded distribution systems. Elevated NEV is typically caused by fundamental frequency currents returning to the source via the neutral conductor and earth. However, harmonic distortion is also found to contribute to elevated NEV. A multiphase harmonic load flow algorithm is developed to examine the effects of various factors on the NEV, including unsymmetrical system configuration, load unbalance and harmonic injection. To fulfill this objective, the system modeling is adapted to include the neutral conductor into the component equivalent circuit. The overhead transmission line is remodeled …

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The Effects Of Suspended Sediment On The Aquatic Organisms Daphnia Magna And Pimephales Promelas, Neil Capper Dec 2006

The Effects Of Suspended Sediment On The Aquatic Organisms Daphnia Magna And Pimephales Promelas, Neil Capper

All Theses

Land use change results in significant amounts of soil migrating into aquatic streams during storm events. This suspended sediment, even in the absence of adsorbed contaminants, may be a significant stressor to aquatic organisms. The data on ecological effects of suspended sediment has mainly focused on salmonids or ecosystem level consequences such as habitat alteration. Few studies have quantified physiologic effects of suspended solids on water column organisms. The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of suspended clay on Daphnia magna and Pimephales promelas. Results of 7 d toxicity tests with D. magna in natural and …

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Optimizing Production Methods For Artifical Silk Proteins Through Bioreactor And Purification Studies Of Recombinant Proteins Expressed From Pichia Pastoris, Aaron Ramey Dec 2006

Optimizing Production Methods For Artifical Silk Proteins Through Bioreactor And Purification Studies Of Recombinant Proteins Expressed From Pichia Pastoris, Aaron Ramey

All Theses

Advancements in the field of biomaterials are being made to produce an artificial silk fiber. A gene was constructed which utilized components from both the dragline silk of Nephila clavipes and nematode collagen. For this engineered protein, the yeast strain Pichia pastoris was chosen to be the host organism. Previous research has shown P. pastoris to have comparatively low amounts of specific protein productivity. Therefore, this problem must be compensated for by obtaining extremely high cell densities. The main focus of this study was to optimize the fermentation parameters of transgenic yeast cultures within a bioreactor in order to increase …

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Pro-Inflammatory Properties Of Flavobacterium Columnare Cells And Products On Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) Neutrophils, Shannon Billings Dec 2006

Pro-Inflammatory Properties Of Flavobacterium Columnare Cells And Products On Channel Catfish (Ictalurus Punctatus) Neutrophils, Shannon Billings

All Theses

Flavobacterium columnare and Edwardsiella ictaluri are the leading causes for losses in the aquaculture industry. The losses from the diseases caused by these pathogens total $2.5 million for catfish and $100 million for total aquaculture. F. columnare's infection rates and stressors associated with outbreaks have been well-characterized, but the specific inflammatory responses of catfish neutrophils to the bacteria have not been studied. The objective, therefore, was to investigate the pro-inflammatory effects of the outer membrane proteins, extracellular products, and whole live bacteria, heat-killed (HK), and formalin-killed (FK) F. columnare and E. ictaluri to determine the effects on channel catfish phagocyte …

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Development Of Fatigue Predictive Models Of Rubberized Asphalt Concrete (Rac) Containing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (Rap) Mixtures, Feipeng Xiao Dec 2006

Development Of Fatigue Predictive Models Of Rubberized Asphalt Concrete (Rac) Containing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (Rap) Mixtures, Feipeng Xiao

All Dissertations

In recent years, some by-products such as crumb rubber has been used to save money, protect the environment, and extend the life of asphalt pavements. In addition, the utilization of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is an acceptable practice in many states around the United States and many countries all over the world. However, the use of RAP containing crumb rubber has not been investigated in great detail, so it is essential to explore whether these materials have a positive effect on the fatigue life of asphalt pavement. In general, previous experience shows that the use of RAP has proven to …

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A Multidimensional Scaling And Participatory Design Approach To Classify Open Ended Aircraft Maintenance Data, Kunal Kapoor Dec 2006

A Multidimensional Scaling And Participatory Design Approach To Classify Open Ended Aircraft Maintenance Data, Kunal Kapoor

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The quality assurance data to be analyzed by the web-based surveillance and auditing tool (WebSAT) is both qualitative and quantitative. The forced responses to checklist questions provide a definitive outcome identifying the effectiveness of the four quality assurance work functions. On the other hand, open-ended responses, the second type of response for capturing maintenance errors, are qualitative in nature since they reflect what the auditors and quality assurance representatives observe during their interactions at vendor locations. This research proposes to apply the statistical technique of multidimensional scaling (MDS) and the User centered Design (UCD) method of Participatory Design (PD) to …

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Harmonic Detection Of Resonance In Micro- And Nano- Cantilevers, Jay Gaillard Dec 2006

Harmonic Detection Of Resonance In Micro- And Nano- Cantilevers, Jay Gaillard

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Over the past decade there has been an explosion in the study of cantilevered beams on the micron and submicron dimension. The applications and research that involve these structures include state-of-the-art electronic components, sensors, and more recently, studies aimed at elucidating the mechanical properties of cantilevered carbon nanotubes and semiconducting nanowires. In nanoelectro-mechanical systems (NEMS), it is desirable to develop a capacitive readout method involving only two electrodes that are fully compliant with standard CMOS technology. However, the main drawback with this method is the ability to detect resonance in the presence of parasitic capacitance, which is due to the …

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Tannic Acid Crosslinked Collagens And Potential For Breast Tissue Engineering, Cheryl Parzel Dec 2006

Tannic Acid Crosslinked Collagens And Potential For Breast Tissue Engineering, Cheryl Parzel

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The purpose of this study was to develop and assess a potential key feature in a minimally-invasive breast reconstruction device and to collect information for an in vitro tissue test system. Tannic acid is a hydrolysable plant tannin, and it has been determined that tannic acid functions as a collagen crosslinking agent through both hydrogen bonding mechanisms and hydrophobic effects. Additionally, current research suggests that tannic acid may have anti-tumor properties. Therefore, it has been proposed that tannic acid can be used as an agent to induce apoptotic processes in any transplanted adult stem cells that are inclined to spontaneously …

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Following In Their Footsteps: The Risks Of The Intergenerational Cycle Of Incarceration Among Inmates And Their Children, Megan Harris Dec 2006

Following In Their Footsteps: The Risks Of The Intergenerational Cycle Of Incarceration Among Inmates And Their Children, Megan Harris

All Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to test the proposition that parents who are currently incarcerated are at high risk for having children who are also incarcerated. Furthermore, several risk factors, commonly found in homes with previously or currently incarcerated members, were identified and analyzed to predict the odds of an incarcerated parent also having an incarcerated child.
The current study found that the majority of the demographic variables were significant predictors of child incarceration. Furthermore, only a few risk factors were found to be significant predictors of an inmate's child being incarcerated: an inmate having two or more prior …

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The Competitive Effects Of Multiple Exchange Listed Options On The Us Options Market: A Look At Market Share, Jason Kunkel Dec 2006

The Competitive Effects Of Multiple Exchange Listed Options On The Us Options Market: A Look At Market Share, Jason Kunkel

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In an attempt to foster competition between financial exchanges, the Securities and Exchange Commission developed the National Market System Plan. With the exchanges competing for market share, there is potential for the loss of property rights of price quotes developed by the dominant exchange. The smaller exchanges will free ride on the dominant exchange`s price quotes and 'cream skim' the less risky trades. This research develops a model of CBOE (the dominant options exchange) market share to show evidence of 'cream skimming.' The variables in the model of market share give insight into the risk and profitability of the option …

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Remediation Of Risks In Natural Gas Storage Produced Waters: The Potential Use Of Constructed Wetland Treatment Systems, Brenda Johnson Dec 2006

Remediation Of Risks In Natural Gas Storage Produced Waters: The Potential Use Of Constructed Wetland Treatment Systems, Brenda Johnson

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Natural gas storage produced waters (NGSPWs) are generated in large volumes, vary in composition, and often contain constituents in concentrations and forms that are toxic to receiving system biota. This research had three major objectives: 1) Characterize NGSPWs to discern the constituents of concern present in these waters; 2) Design and measure performance of a pilot-scale hybrid constructed wetland treatments system (CWTS) for treating NGSPWs, and; 3) Discern the reliability of the Turner Designs TD500 handheld fluorometer for measurement of oil-in-water in produced waters containing algae. Produced waters contained chlorides, metals, and organics as constituents of concern. Using simulated produced …

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Revision Of The Males Of The Hydrospyche Scalaris Group In North America (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae), James Korecki Dec 2006

Revision Of The Males Of The Hydrospyche Scalaris Group In North America (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae), James Korecki

All Theses

The genus Hydrospsyche Pictet sensu stricto in North America is divided into three species groups, the Hydrospyche cuanis Ross Group Ross, the Hydropsyche depravata Hagen Group Ross, and the Hydropsyche scalaris Hagen Group Banks. Thirty-one of thirty-six described species are recognized in the Hydropsyche scalaris Group. Examination of adult males resulted in 5 junior subjective synonyms and one possible new species based on a single exemplar from Sevier County, Utah. Hydropsyche bidens Ross 1938, H. orris Ross 1938, and H. alvata Denning 1949 are junior synonyms of Hydropsyche incommoda Hagen 1861. Hydrospyche rossi Flint, Voshell and Parker, 1979 and H. …

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Comparison Of Bioactivities And Composition Of Curcumin-Free Turmeric (Curcuma Longa L.) Oils From Different Sources, Yongxiang Yu Dec 2006

Comparison Of Bioactivities And Composition Of Curcumin-Free Turmeric (Curcuma Longa L.) Oils From Different Sources, Yongxiang Yu

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Composition, antioxidant capacities and cell inhibition properties of curcumin-free turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) oils from different sources were evaluated by chromatographic method, two different in vitro antioxidative activity assays (DPPH* free radical scavenging assay and reducing power assay) and two different cancer cell lines (Caco-2 and MCF-7). Turmeric oil A (TOA) contains zingiberene, turmerone, and ar-turmerone, while turmeric oil B (TOB) contains 1-phellandrene and α-terpinolene as the major compounds. The antioxidant tests showed that both turmeric oils possessed strong free radical scavenging activities and high reducing powers compared with standard antioxidants such as BHT and commercial rosemary oil (RO). …

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