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The Effects Of Altering Incubation Temperature On Broiler Chick Hatchability, Chick Quality, Sex Ratio, And Subsequent Performance Under Field Conditions, Abubaker Elmehdawi Aug 2013

The Effects Of Altering Incubation Temperature On Broiler Chick Hatchability, Chick Quality, Sex Ratio, And Subsequent Performance Under Field Conditions, Abubaker Elmehdawi

All Dissertations

The aim of this dissertation was to investigate the effects of manipulating the incubation temperature during late broiler embryogenesis on hatchability, chick quality, secondary sex ratio, and grow out performance under field conditions. Four experiments were conducted at a commercial hatchery and two setters of 42,240 eggs each were used; one served as control and the other as test with the same physical environment as the control except that thermal stimulation of 0.5o C and 1o C above the optimal incubation temperature were used, in the first two experiments and last two experiments respectively, for 2 h/d from 18 to …

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A Localized Controlled Delivery System Utilizing A Block Copolymer To Improve The Current Paradigm Of Chemotherapy, Jason Olbrich Aug 2013

A Localized Controlled Delivery System Utilizing A Block Copolymer To Improve The Current Paradigm Of Chemotherapy, Jason Olbrich

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The goal of the field of Bioengineering has always been to bring about a better standard of care for patients. As a field encompassing a broad array of researchers and talents, such improvements often are brought about through the integration of different fields. This work advances the integration of controlled delivery and chemotherapy. The use of cytotoxic chemotherapy has become and will continue to be a powerful tool for the treatment of solid malignancies. Conventional dose scheduling of cytotoxic agents and newer biological response modifiers are investigated under a clinical paradigm initially designed to identify a drug dose that elicits …

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Modeling, Control, And Motion Analysis Of A Class Of Extensible Continuum Manipulators, Apoorva Kapadia Aug 2013

Modeling, Control, And Motion Analysis Of A Class Of Extensible Continuum Manipulators, Apoorva Kapadia

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In this dissertation, the development of a kinematic model, a configuration-space controller, a master-slave teleoperation controller, along with the analysis of the self-motion properties for redundant, extensible, continuous backbone (continuum) ``trunk and tentacle' manipulators are detailed. Unlike conventional rigid-link robots, continuum manipulators are robots that can bend at any point along their backbone, resulting in new and unique modeling and control issues. Taken together, these chapters represent one of the first efforts towards devising model-based controllers of such robots, as well as characterizing their self-motion in its simplest form.
Chapter 2 describes the development of a convenient set of generalized, …

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Comparing Mechanical Mastication, Herbicide Application, And Prescribed Fire Within An Established Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris Mill.) Ecosystem, Brett Moule Aug 2013

Comparing Mechanical Mastication, Herbicide Application, And Prescribed Fire Within An Established Longleaf Pine (Pinus Palustris Mill.) Ecosystem, Brett Moule

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Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) forests once dominated the landscape throughout the Southeast and much of its success could be attributed to ecological disturbances such as fire. However, the use of fire as a management tool may be at risk due to a growing human population, negative impacts resulting from smoke production, and the imposition of restrictive federal and state laws, policies, and standards. This study was designed to determine whether alternative silviculture treatments such as herbicide or mechanical mastication can be used as surrogates to prescribed fire. We applied three commonly used silviculture treatments (prescribed burning, mechanical mastication, …

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Gap Junctions: Regulators Of Cellular Immunity And Parasite Manipulation In The Remarkable Tripartite Relationship Involving Insects And Genome-Integrated Polydnaviruses, Daniel Hasegawa Aug 2013

Gap Junctions: Regulators Of Cellular Immunity And Parasite Manipulation In The Remarkable Tripartite Relationship Involving Insects And Genome-Integrated Polydnaviruses, Daniel Hasegawa

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Communication means everything. From vocalization to the firing of a neuron, coordination through the exchange of signals is essential to the survival of all living things. At the cellular level, communication is accomplished through the use of gap junction channels. Gap junctions are found in virtually all multicellular animals, where they play critical roles in developmental, physiological, metabolic, and even structural processes. From the maintenance of heart rhythms in humans, to the coordination of tissue regeneration in flatworms, and to the processing of visual stimuli in flies, the roles for gap junctions are diverse. However, how this diversity is accomplished …

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Count Time Series And Discrete Renewal Processes, James Livsey Aug 2013

Count Time Series And Discrete Renewal Processes, James Livsey

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Most data collected over time has some degree of periodicity (i.e. seasonally varying
traits). Climate, stock prices, football season, energy consumption, wildlife sightings, and
holiday sales all have cyclical patterns. It should come as no surprise that models that
incorporate periodicity are paramount in the study of time series.
The following work devises time series models for counts (integer-values) that are periodic
and stationary. Foundational work is rst done in constructing a stationary periodic
discrete renewal process (SPDRP). The dynamics of the SPDRP are mathematically interesting
and have many modeling applications, expositions largely unexplored here. This work
develops a SPDRP …

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Ion Channel-Mediated Hydrostatic Pressure Mechanotransduction In Urothelial Cells, Kevin Champaigne Aug 2013

Ion Channel-Mediated Hydrostatic Pressure Mechanotransduction In Urothelial Cells, Kevin Champaigne

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A majority of men and women aged 40 and over experience lower urinary tract symptoms, including urgency, incontinence, and frequency, which often affect the individual's quality of life. Although often considered a simple structure, the bladder is a complex system with sophisticated sensory and motor feedback mechanisms that allow for the sensation of fullness and pain, reflexive responses to bladder filling, and conscious control over the time and place of micturition. Although disruptions of these sensory mechanisms are believed to cause certain lower urinary tract dysfunctions, the specific mechanisms involved in sensing bladder fullness, distension, tension, or pressure at the …

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Influences Of Riparian Land-Uses On Habitat Use And Interspecific Competition Of Stream-Dwelling Salamanders: Evidence From Blue Ridge & Piedmont, Thilina Surasinghe Aug 2013

Influences Of Riparian Land-Uses On Habitat Use And Interspecific Competition Of Stream-Dwelling Salamanders: Evidence From Blue Ridge & Piedmont, Thilina Surasinghe

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Human-induced disturbances can result in persistent influences on ecosystems, including habitat loss and biogeographical changes. Global amphibian decline, a consequence of habitat degradation, is among prime conservation concerns. To better understand causes of the amphibian crisis, investigations a multiple levels of biological organization - behavior, communities, and landscapes - is imperative. I investigated the responses of stream-associated Plethdontid salamanders of the Blue Ridge and Piedmont of the Southeastern US to historical and current land uses in the riparian zone and watershed to determine, (1) change in the community structure and mechanisms driving the change and uses operating at different spatial-temporal …

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Biochemical Investigation Into Initiation Of Fatty Acid Synthesis In The African Trypanosomes, Sunayan Ray Aug 2013

Biochemical Investigation Into Initiation Of Fatty Acid Synthesis In The African Trypanosomes, Sunayan Ray

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My doctoral studies focused on studying FA metabolism in the deadly protozoan parasite T. brucei. In my dissertation, I will be addressing various aspects of the regulation of TbACC, which catalyzes the first committed step in FA synthesis. In the second chapter, I hypothesized that TbACC is regulated in response to environmental lipids. I examined changes in TbACC RNA, protein, and activity in response to different levels of environmental lipids in both BF and PF cells. I also delineated the mechanisms by which TbACC expression and activity is regulated by phosphorylation in response to altered lipid environments. In the third …

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A Novel Gain Of Function Of The Irx1 And Irx2 Genes Disrupts Axis Elongation In The Araucana Rumpless Chicken, Nowlan Freese Aug 2013

A Novel Gain Of Function Of The Irx1 And Irx2 Genes Disrupts Axis Elongation In The Araucana Rumpless Chicken, Nowlan Freese

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Caudal dysplasia describes a range of developmental disorders that affect normal development of the lumbar spinal column, sacrum and pelvis. An important goal of the congenital malformation field is to identify the genetic mechanisms leading to caudal deformities.
To identify the genetic cause(s) and subsequent molecular mechanisms I turned to an animal model, the rumpless Araucana chicken breed. Araucana fail to form vertebrae beyond the level of the hips. I performed a genome wide association study to identify candidate genomic regions associated with the rumpless phenotype, compared to tailed Araucana. A candidate region of chromosome 2 containing just two genes, …

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Long-Term Bald Eagle Monitoring: Assessing Emerging Risks To The Great Lakes Ecosystem By Evaluating Impacts To Tertiary Predators, Latice Fuentes Aug 2013

Long-Term Bald Eagle Monitoring: Assessing Emerging Risks To The Great Lakes Ecosystem By Evaluating Impacts To Tertiary Predators, Latice Fuentes

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Data from the Michigan Bald Eagle Biomonitoring Project (MBEBP) was used to provide ecological evaluations amidst concerns of emerging contaminants and environmental change. Samples and measurements were collected throughout the state of Michigan from 1998-2012. Nestling breast feathers and biometric measurements were used in analytical and statistical analyses which provided a broad assessment of the Great Lakes ecosystem and its resident bald eagles. Bald eagle nestling feathers were taken from Michigan breeding areas, and used to evaluate spatial and temporal trends of mercury (Hg). Overall, remediation has positively affected the Great Lakes region. However, Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Lake Superior …

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Design Thinkers Can Save The World: How Understanding Their Interests, Goals, And Motivations Can Inform Engineering Educators, Jacqualyn Blizzard Aug 2013

Design Thinkers Can Save The World: How Understanding Their Interests, Goals, And Motivations Can Inform Engineering Educators, Jacqualyn Blizzard

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The need for more engineers equipped with new skill sets is essential for ensuring our national security, climate sustainability, and maintaining our position as a global leader in innovation and as an economic world power. The design challenges engineers face increasingly require a human-centered, creative, practical, and systems-based approach to find the most elegant solutions; i.e. they require design thinkers. According to Tim Brown of IDEO, the characteristics that distinguish design thinkers include: 'empathy--they imagine the world from multiple perspectives, integrative thinking--they can analyze at a detailed and holistic level to develop novel solutions, optimism--they don't back down from challenging …

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Role Of Phosphoinositide-Based Signaling In Virulence In Entamoeba Histolytica, Amrita Koushik Aug 2013

Role Of Phosphoinositide-Based Signaling In Virulence In Entamoeba Histolytica, Amrita Koushik

All Dissertations

Entamoeba histolytica is an intestinal protozoan parasite and is the causative agent of amoebiasis. Upon entering the human host, cellular processes such as adhesion, phagocytosis, motility and secretion play a vital role in its propagation and pathogenicity. In other systems, each of these cellular processes is preceded by activation of signal transduction pathways, which often involve membrane phosphoinositides such as phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2). Little is known about phosphoinositide signaling in E. histolytica pathogenicity. In this study, we demonstrated that PI(4,5)P2 is localized to cholesterol-rich microdomains, lipid rafts, of the E. histolytica membrane and to the trailing edge …

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Gesture-Based Robot Path Shaping, Paul Yanik Aug 2013

Gesture-Based Robot Path Shaping, Paul Yanik

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For many individuals, aging is frequently associated with diminished mobility and dexterity. Such decreases may be accompanied by a loss of independence, increased burden to caregivers, or institutionalization. It is foreseen that the ability to retain independence and quality of life as one ages will increasingly depend on environmental sensing and robotics which facilitate aging in place. The development of ubiquitous sensing strategies in the home underpins the promise of adaptive services, assistive robotics, and architectural design which would support a person's ability to live independently as they age. Instrumentation (sensors and processing) which is capable of recognizing the actions …

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A Novel Hybrid Hydrogel For Scaffold-Mediated Gene Delivery, Jeremy Zhang Aug 2013

A Novel Hybrid Hydrogel For Scaffold-Mediated Gene Delivery, Jeremy Zhang

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Scaffold-mediated nonviral gene delivery avoids several drawbacks of systemic injection such as clearance by the reticulo-endothelial system and serum aggregation. Existing synthetic and natural polymers used in gene delivery scaffolds are primarily derived from other tissue engineering applications with design parameters focused on the physicochemical properties of the scaffold and its biocompatibility. Common synthetic materials used in polymeric scaffolds such as PEG are practically bio-inert with minimal cell and protein interaction. Therefore, an opportunity exists for the rational design novel gene delivery scaffolds with components capable of increasing the expression of incorporated transgene by including scaffold components that interact with …

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Behavior And Control Of The Bed Bug, Cimex Lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), Margaret Lehnert Aug 2013

Behavior And Control Of The Bed Bug, Cimex Lectularius L. (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), Margaret Lehnert

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The recent resurgence of bed bugs has led to an explosion of bed bug research influenced by the applied needs of pest management professionals. I assessed the needs of pest management professionals who deal with bed bugs in South Carolina. Bed bugs were reported in 28 of 46 counties in South Carolina. Previous samples of bed bug populations have displayed a 1:1 sex-ratio suggesting females do not use aggregations and harborages to hide from males and traumatic insemination, which can be harmful to females. Aggregations are biased in composition, suggesting that females are able to hide from males within harborages. …

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Antibacterial Effects Of Proteases On Different Strains Of Escherichia Coli And Listeria Monocytogenes, Hanan Eshamah Aug 2013

Antibacterial Effects Of Proteases On Different Strains Of Escherichia Coli And Listeria Monocytogenes, Hanan Eshamah

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Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes are pathogens that have received special attention by federal agencies, food safety researchers and food industries due to their economic and human health impact. To reduce the presence of these pathogens, alternative interventions have been studied. However, increasing consumer's demand for natural ingredients has made the investigations of effectiveness of natural antimicrobials necessary. In this study, in vitro antimicrobial activity of bromelain and papain against E. coli JM109 and L. monocytogenes was investigated. Furthermore, actinidin and papain were evaluated to reduce populations of L. monocytogenes strain and three mixed strains of E. coli O157:H7 …

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Advanced Biomaterials From Renewable Resources: An Investigation On Cellulose Nanocrystal Composites And Co2 Extraction Of Rendered Materials, Jose Orellana Aug 2013

Advanced Biomaterials From Renewable Resources: An Investigation On Cellulose Nanocrystal Composites And Co2 Extraction Of Rendered Materials, Jose Orellana

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The annual global consumption of petroleum-based plastics is approximately 280 million tons and is impacting the sustainability of our planet and prosperity of future generations. One solution is the development of bio-based polymer materials with advanced properties for commercial applications. Therefore, the ultimate goal of this dissertation is to investigate the properties of new bio-based materials for broader applications. This dissertation includes two research areas: cellulose nanocomposites, and CO2 extractions of rendered fat. In the first half, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), which exhibit excellent mechanical and optical properties, were investigated for the reinforcement of a biodegradable polymer. The properties of …

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Spatial Control Of Magnetic Nanoparticles Integrated With Cellular Spheroids As Tissue Engineered Building Blocks, Brandon Mattix Aug 2013

Spatial Control Of Magnetic Nanoparticles Integrated With Cellular Spheroids As Tissue Engineered Building Blocks, Brandon Mattix

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Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been investigated in tissue engineering applications to provide in situ imaging, drug delivery, and tissue patterning, but direct and prolonged interaction between cells and MNPs can have adverse effects on cell function. Therefore, methods which reduce or limit the interaction of MNPs with cells, or utilize more biocompatible MNP-based strategies will improve upon the commonly used iron oxide MNPs. We investigated a variety of methods to improve upon the use of MNPS in tissue engineering.
Cell aggregates, or spheroids, have been used as tissue engineered building blocks that can closely mimic the native three-dimensional in vivo …

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Portable Game Based Instruction Of American Sign Language, Christyna Wilson Jul 2013

Portable Game Based Instruction Of American Sign Language, Christyna Wilson

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In this thesis, we address the effectiveness of portable gaming devices as a vehicle for learning American Sign Language. We begin by creating a multi-level game using a standard programming language, and use the game to illustrate various signed words. We translate the game to mobile devices using Kivy, a crossplatform framework. This allows the game to be compatible with multiple mobile devices and platforms. A secondary inspiration for creating a game as opposed to standard memorization techniques is to stimulate a quicker learning response as the user enjoys the sign learning process. In this thesis we provide a mobile …

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Clemson A&M College Class Of 1939 Reunion Program 2013, Clemson University Jun 2013

Clemson A&M College Class Of 1939 Reunion Program 2013, Clemson University

Reunion Programs

No abstract provided.

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Actants, Agents, And Assemblages: Delivery And Writing In An Age Of New Media, Steven Holmes May 2013

Actants, Agents, And Assemblages: Delivery And Writing In An Age Of New Media, Steven Holmes

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This dissertation redefines the rhetorical canon of delivery by drawing on interdisciplinary theories of technology and materiality, including hardware and software studies, assemblage theory, and actor-network theory. Rhetorical theorists and composition scholars have correctly equated the technological medium with delivery, but also have focused exclusively on the circulation of symbolic forces rather than the persuasive agency of technology itself, thus eliding the affordances and constraints posed by technological actors at the non-symbolic levels of hardware, software, protocol, and algorithms. I establish a historical precedent in classical theorists such as Demosthenes, Cicero, and Quintilian that acknowledges their understanding of the role …

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Assessment Of An Automotive Driving Simulator To Educate Novice Drivers, John Wagner, Qimin Yao, Kim Alexander, Philip Pidgeon May 2013

Assessment Of An Automotive Driving Simulator To Educate Novice Drivers, John Wagner, Qimin Yao, Kim Alexander, Philip Pidgeon

Publications

Novice drivers are more likely to be involved in vehicle crashes than more experienced drivers. Transportation system simulators, such as aerospace, automotive, and rail, have been used effectively over several decades in support of operator training and research studies. The immersive high-end automotive simulators tend to be large-scale, difficult to move, and relatively cost ineffective for widespread deployment. In contrast, a mobile vehicle training system often features simplistic environments which are not readily accepted by teenagers who evaluate the driving experience as compared to commercial video games. Consequently, a need exists for a low-cost portable automotive training system that provides …

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Clemson Commencement Program, May 2013, Clemson University May 2013

Clemson Commencement Program, May 2013, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

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Evaluating Mechanical Performance Of Hydrogel-Based Adhesives For Soft Tissue Applications, Nitin Balakrishnan May 2013

Evaluating Mechanical Performance Of Hydrogel-Based Adhesives For Soft Tissue Applications, Nitin Balakrishnan

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According to the National Center for Health Statistics, an estimated 22 million women have undergone a hysterectomy procedure in the United States. The most common complication during hysterectomies is accidental laceration of the urinary bladder during the surgery with incidence between 0.2-8.3% with the current gold standard wound repair method being sutures. Yet, sutures come with their own limitations in that they necessitate use of a catheter and collection bag during healing due to preventing proper distention of the bladder tissue at normal pressures. The long-term goal of our study is to eliminate the need for suturing by creating a …

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Evaluation Of Dormant-Season Herbicide Treatment Methods For Chinese Privet At Congaree National Park, Karen Vaughn May 2013

Evaluation Of Dormant-Season Herbicide Treatment Methods For Chinese Privet At Congaree National Park, Karen Vaughn

All Theses

Chinese privet (Ligustrum sinense Lour.) is a non-native invasive shrub that has become ubiquitous throughout the southeastern United States. There is a large infestation of privet at Congaree National Park in South Carolina, and the National Park Service is interested in controlling it with dormant-season foliar herbicide treatments. The primary objective of this study was to determine which combination of herbicide and applicator provides the most effective control of privet, while minimizing damage to non-target plants. Another objective was to document impacts of privet invasion on Congaree's plant communities.
Seven vegetation plots were installed in each of five large privet …

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Temporal Food Preference And Effectiveness Of Selected Bait Products Against Pachycondyla Chinensis (Emery) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Ying Mo May 2013

Temporal Food Preference And Effectiveness Of Selected Bait Products Against Pachycondyla Chinensis (Emery) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Ying Mo

All Theses

Pachycondyla chinensis (Emery), commonly known as the Asian needle ant is a well-established invasive species in urban and woodland areas in South Carolina. Foraging ants are found around or under places such as sidewalks, flowerbeds, mulch, tree bases, stones, and logs where human outdoor activity takes place in urbanized area. It is not an aggressive ant, but it has a powerful sting that causes severe allergic reactions in some people. It also has a negative impact on native ant species in forest environments. Food preference was studied, followed by an evaluation of selected bait products against P. chinensis.
Protein, carbohydrate, …

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Dynamic Transcriptional Response Of Escherichia Coli To Inclusion Body Formation, Faraz Baig May 2013

Dynamic Transcriptional Response Of Escherichia Coli To Inclusion Body Formation, Faraz Baig

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Escherichia coli is used intensively for recombinant protein production due to its many unique advantages, but one key challenge with the use of E. coli is the tendency of recombinant proteins to misfold and aggregate into insoluble inclusion bodies (IBs). The presence of IBs stresses cells and can hinder overall growth. Additionally, IBs contain high concentrations of recombinant protein in an inactive form and thus require recovery steps to salvage functional recombinant protein. Currently, no universally effective method exists to prevent IB formation in recombinant E. coli. Further research into the gene expression response to insoluble recombinant protein may …

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Hexavalent Chromium Reduction Using Supported N-Zvi And Metalloporphyrin Matrices, Jonathon Ball May 2013

Hexavalent Chromium Reduction Using Supported N-Zvi And Metalloporphyrin Matrices, Jonathon Ball

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Chromium (Cr) can exist in the environment in many valence states ranging from -2 to +6. Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI) and trivalent chromium (Cr(III) are the most stable forms of Cr and therefore are the most common in the environment. Cr(VI) is very toxic and has been considered a hazardous material and danger to society for many years. One of the main locations of Cr(VI) contamination in the environment is in groundwater aquifers. A simulation of this system coupled with a reduction-precipitation remediation method was utilized. In this research, n-ZVI was used in a supported silica sol-gel matrix by itself and …

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Holding The Process Accountable: An Exploration Of New Housing Developments And Place In Cukurcayir, Turkey, Beyza Sen May 2013

Holding The Process Accountable: An Exploration Of New Housing Developments And Place In Cukurcayir, Turkey, Beyza Sen

All Theses

Housing environments are the places where its residents spend most of their time in. In Turkey, housing types that have been built in the past have over time. Especially during the past decade, due to the concentration of people in the city centers and the nations goals on housing developments have resulted in dense and tall apartment buildings to be built in newly developing cities. This study exemplifies the current planning practices and its effects on housing environments and place. The reasons why this study is focusing on the housing environments are: housing environments represent the culture and society, people …

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