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Controlled Eutrophication System And Process, David E. Brune, John A. Collier, Thomas E. Schwedler, A. G. Eversole Aug 2007

Controlled Eutrophication System And Process, David E. Brune, John A. Collier, Thomas E. Schwedler, A. G. Eversole

Clemson Patents

A controlled eutrophication system and process are disclosed. The system includes the combination of a partitioned aquaculture system in conjunction with an anaerobic digester. Wastewater containing pollutants, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, are fed to the partitioned aquaculture system. Algae within the system converts the pollutants into algal biomass. Fish populations, in turn, control the algal populations. The fish populations may then be periodically harvested for human or animal consumption. A polishing chamber is contained in the system in which aquatic organisms remove substantial amounts of the algae from batch fed additions of water. The water is then discharged to …


Antimicrobial Powders And Bio-Based Films, Byungjin Min Aug 2007

Antimicrobial Powders And Bio-Based Films, Byungjin Min

All Dissertations

Food safety can be improved by various antimicrobial applications through the effective inhibition of microorganisms for certain periods by controlled release. Antimicrobials in powders and films were studied to investigate their activities and properties. Nisin (Nisaplin®) (200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 IU/ml) was adsorbed to silica and different corn starches and their antimicrobial activities against Listeria monocytogenes were evaluated by agar diffusion assay. Nisin-adsorbed silica (Celpure P-65) powder had the highest antimicrobial activity at 600 IU/ml and also confirmed that the highest amount of nisin was adsorbed onto silica at the same concentration. Efficacy of both unmodified corn starch …


Clemson Commencement Program, August 2007, Clemson University Aug 2007

Clemson Commencement Program, August 2007, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.


Effects Of White-Tailed Deer Herbivory On Forest Plant Communities, John Thrift Aug 2007

Effects Of White-Tailed Deer Herbivory On Forest Plant Communities, John Thrift

All Theses

ABSTRACT
The impact of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) herbivory on forest ecosystems has received more attention as deer populations continue to increase in many areas. We investigated the effects of deer herbivory on plant communities in three different geographic regions to increase the general knowledge of herbivory impacts and also to investigate specific regional effects where research has been lacking.
Twelve exclosures were constructed in clearcut hardwood stands on the Clemson Experimental Forest, SC. Sapling, seedling, and understory species richness (S), Shannon's Diversity Index (H'), and Evenness (J') were compared between exclosures and paired control plots after the first and …


Thrombocyte Response To Lipopolysaccharide In Stress Induced Broiler Chicks, Farzana Ferdous Aug 2007

Thrombocyte Response To Lipopolysaccharide In Stress Induced Broiler Chicks, Farzana Ferdous

All Theses

The role of thrombocytes, nucleated blood leukocytes, on immune responses in chickens fed diets supplemented with vitamin C has not been studied in the past. This study investigates the effects of three types of diets(control, control with corticosterone, and control with corticosterone and vitamin C) in 14-day old broiler chicks on the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta, IL-6, and IL-12 in thrombocytes. In addition, the effect of LPS, a microbial component to which broiler chicks can be exposed, on the expression of these pro-inflammatory cytokines was investigated. After two weeks of feeding, blood samples from the chicks were collected and …


An Efficient Asynchronous Peer To Peer Auction Using Yao Oblivious Transfer, Charles Lobo Aug 2007

An Efficient Asynchronous Peer To Peer Auction Using Yao Oblivious Transfer, Charles Lobo

All Theses

Distributed electronic auctions are increasingly preferred over centralized electronic auctions today. The success of peer-to-peer file sharing networks has made distributed electronic auctions a possibility. Due to trust and conflict of interest issues with centralized auctioneer systems, multiple auctioneers in distributed roles are preferred. However, there is a possibility of auctioneer node collusion [16] and auctioneer-bidder collusion and auctioneer-seller collusion in such mechanisms.
To overcome these problems, a new peer-to-peer auction protocol [17] with auctioneers forming auctioneer groups has been proposed. This protocol keeps the auctioneers honest by ensuring that no single auctioneer in the group has absolute control over …


Lipid Microdomains Are Involved In Adhesion Of Entamoeba Histolytica Trophozoites To Host Extracellular Matrix Components, Kriti Mittal Aug 2007

Lipid Microdomains Are Involved In Adhesion Of Entamoeba Histolytica Trophozoites To Host Extracellular Matrix Components, Kriti Mittal

All Theses

Entamoeba histolytica is a parasitic human protozoan that infects 500,000,000 people worldwide annually. In the course of the parasite's life cycle, motile trophozoites breach the colonic mucosa, invade through the epithelial layer and extracellular matrix (ECM) and occasionally disseminate through portal blood vessels to distant organs. Membrane rafts are small heterogeneous, highly dynamic, sterol- and sphingolipid- enriched domains whose functional significance entails compartmentalization of cellular processes and regulation of cellular signaling. Recent studies reveal the physiological role of membrane rafts in adhesion to host epithelium in E. histolytica. In the current study we examined the role of lipid rafts …


Almond Skins As A Natural Antioxidant, Heather Johnson Aug 2007

Almond Skins As A Natural Antioxidant, Heather Johnson

All Theses

In this thesis, the potential for almond skins in their native state as a natural antioxidant in foods was explored. A literature review of general information on almonds, research done on almond skins, and general information on antioxidants is presented. The almond skins used in this study required an additional heat treatment step to improve their microbiological quality before further treatments and analysis could be performed. A descriptive analysis sensory panel was utilized to identify potential flavor and aroma descriptors and their intensities. The aroma descriptors identified were toasted, bran, and toasted; nutty. The flavor descriptors identified were toasted, bran, …


Topology-Aware Transmission Scheduling For Distributed Highway Traffic Monitoring Wireless Sensor Networks, Devang Bagaria Aug 2007

Topology-Aware Transmission Scheduling For Distributed Highway Traffic Monitoring Wireless Sensor Networks, Devang Bagaria

All Theses

Wireless sensor networks have been deployed along highways for traffic monitoring. The thesis studies a set of transmission scheduling methods for optimizing network throughput, message transfer delay, and energy efficiency. Today's traffic monitoring systems are centrally managed. Several studies have envisioned the advantages of distributed traffic management techniques. The thesis is based on previously proposed hierarchical sensor network architecture, for which the routing and transmission scheduling methods are derived.
Wireless sensor networks have a lifetime limited by battery energy of the sensors. The thesis proposes to assign schedules for nodes to transmit and receive packets and turning off their radios …


The Ecology Of Freshwater Turtle Communities On The Upper-Coastal Plain Of South Carolina, Patrick Cloninger Aug 2007

The Ecology Of Freshwater Turtle Communities On The Upper-Coastal Plain Of South Carolina, Patrick Cloninger

All Theses

A mark-recapture study was used to examine aspects of freshwater turtle ecology, including the size at maturity, sex ratio, growth, sexual size dimorphism and ectoparasite infestation, on the Upper-Coastal Plain of South Carolina at Pee Dee Research and Education Center (PDREC). Turtles were trapped at 8 sites in Dargans' Pond during the summers of 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006 for a total of 279 trap nights and at 6 sites in the smaller ponds at PDREC for a total of 120 trap nights during the summer of 2006. In Dargans' Pond there were 548 captures of Trachemys scripta, made …


Development Of A Microscopic Moirž Interferometry System, Jeremy Brougher Aug 2007

Development Of A Microscopic Moirž Interferometry System, Jeremy Brougher

All Theses

The human tooth is an amazing structure that is worthy of detailed research and analysis. For over half a century, various tests have been conducted to acquire more information about the structural and material properties of dentin, enamel, and the dentin-enamel junction. Unfortunately, variations still exist in the experimental results, even in the most recently collected data. The primary focus of the majority of material property testing on human teeth has been hardness testing utilizing indentation and nanoindentation analysis. However, several limitations still exist with the indentation technique. Thus, the moirŽ fringe analysis method, specifically microscopic moirŽ interferometry, has been …


Responses Of Problematic Cyanobacteria To Exposures Of Copper Containing Algaecides, O'Niell Tedrow Aug 2007

Responses Of Problematic Cyanobacteria To Exposures Of Copper Containing Algaecides, O'Niell Tedrow

All Theses

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are associated with production of potent hepatotoxins (Microcystis; microcystin) and dense surface and benthic mats (Lyngbya), which impede critical water resource usages. Water resource managers are in need of effective and efficient treatment techniques for these problematic algae in field situations. Applications of algaecides are considered in situations where algal problems become acute or when critical water usages are threatened. However, laboratory data are needed that accurately predict responses of algae prior to field-scale algaecide applications. Site water and algae were used in laboratory algal toxicity experiments to predict responses of the target alga following an algaecide …


A Proposed Character Animation Workflow For Digital Production Arts With Preparation For Cloth Dynamics, Kent Chan Aug 2007

A Proposed Character Animation Workflow For Digital Production Arts With Preparation For Cloth Dynamics, Kent Chan

All Theses

In a fast-paced production studio, procedures and standard operating practices have been created to ensure maximum use of resources, while being flexible enough to account for problems that might arise. For the animation section of the pipeline, it is imperative to produce animation in a timely manner so that the other sections of the pipeline that are dependent on animation can begin at an appropriate time. Using 'Mileena Malign' and 'SpaceCat' as case studies, a possible workflow for computer animation--specifically as it pertains to preparation for cloth dynamics--is developed, with highlights on the advantages and challenges encountered. This thesis presents …


An In Vitro Evaluation Of Dbm As A Tissue Engineered Scaffold, Stephanie Arnold Aug 2007

An In Vitro Evaluation Of Dbm As A Tissue Engineered Scaffold, Stephanie Arnold

All Theses

Over 500,000 bone graft procedures are performed each year in the United States. Bone grafting involves a surgical procedure to replace missing bone. Problems can arise with donor and defect sites during and after surgery, sometimes resulting in poor clinical results. The development and optimization of bone graft substitutes via a tissue engineering approach could markedly improve bone graft surgical outcome. Demineralized bone matrix (DBM), a bone graft material, is currently used in a clinical setting but has variable success rates.
The primary objective of the research presented in this thesis was to assess the cellular activity of D1 mouse …


Determining The Efficacy Of A Commercially Available Post-Thaw Bovine Semen Sexing Kit, Erin Curry Aug 2007

Determining The Efficacy Of A Commercially Available Post-Thaw Bovine Semen Sexing Kit, Erin Curry

All Theses

Swaying the bovine sex ratio is beneficial because dairy heifers are significantly more valuable than bull calves, whereas in the beef industry, bull calves are more desirable than females. Currently, there is no inexpensive, reliable, effective method for commercially separating X- and Y- bearing sperm. The objective of these experiments was to determine the efficacy of a commercially available post-thaw bovine semen sexing kit, HeiferPlusTM, which claims to sway the sex ratio in favor of female calves.
Three trials included the insemination of hyperstimulated cows with Control or HeiferPlusTM treated semen, non-surgical embryo collection on Day 7, and a novel …


Feeding Performance In Hawaiian Stream Goby Fishes: Morphological And Functional Analysis, Takashi Maie Aug 2007

Feeding Performance In Hawaiian Stream Goby Fishes: Morphological And Functional Analysis, Takashi Maie

All Theses

Distributions of Hawaiian stream fishes are typically interrupted by waterfalls that divide streams into lower and upper segments. Larvae hatched upstream are flushed into the ocean, and must climb these waterfalls to reach adult habitats when returning back to freshwater as part of an amphidromous life cycle. Stream surveys and studies of climbing performance show that Lentipes concolor can reach fast-flowing upper stream segments, but that Awaous guamensis reaches only slower, lower stream segments. Gut content analyses for these two species indicate that diet differs between them only by 10% or less dry weight for most major components (mostly green …


Soil Fertility Management In Organic Vegetable Production, Susannah Rauton Aug 2007

Soil Fertility Management In Organic Vegetable Production, Susannah Rauton

All Theses

Organic vegetable production is a rapidly growing sector of agriculture. Due to limitations on synthetic inputs imposed by the USDA National Organic Program (NOP), research is necessary to determine which soil amendments are viable options for organic farmers. Field trials were conducted at the Clemson University Calhoun Fields Laboratory Student Organic Farm. A variety of vegetable crops were grown, including Jericho lettuce in the springs of 2005 and 2006, yellow crookneck squash in the summers of 2005 and 2006, and Early Jersey Wakefield cabbage in the fall of 2005. Soil amendment treatments consisted of combinations of the following: poultry compost, …


A Statewide Biomarker Approach To Estimate Contaminant Effects In The Wadeable Streams Of South Carolina, Molly Keaton Aug 2007

A Statewide Biomarker Approach To Estimate Contaminant Effects In The Wadeable Streams Of South Carolina, Molly Keaton

All Theses

Freshwater species in South Carolina have been declining for many years. However, the threats that these organisms face from point and non-point source pollution are largely unknown. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) began a five year survey of the wadeable streams of South Carolina in May 2006. One of the purposes of this study was to use molecular biomarkers of contaminant exposure to fully assess the health of fish in South Carolina's freshwater streams. During the first year of the study, sunfish (Lepomis sp.) were sampled from May through September 2006 at randomly selected sites in three …


Glycosaminoglycan Stabilization Reduces Tissue Buckling In Bioprosthetic Heart Valves, Sagar Shah Aug 2007

Glycosaminoglycan Stabilization Reduces Tissue Buckling In Bioprosthetic Heart Valves, Sagar Shah

All Theses

Currently, bioprosthetic heart valves are crosslinked with glutaraldehyde to prevent tissue degradation and to reduce tissue antigenicity. Glutaraldehyde forms stable crosslinks with collagen via a Schiff base reaction of the aldehyde with an amine group of the hydroxylysine/lysine in collagen. However, within a decade of implantation, 20-30% of these bioprostheses will become dysfunctional and over 50% will fail due to degeneration within 12-15 years post-operatively.
Gylcosaminoglycans, a major constituent of valvular tissue, play an important role in maintaining a hydrated environment necessary for absorbing compressive loads, modulating shear stresses, and resisting tissue buckling. One of the disadvantages of glutaraldehyde crosslinking …


4-H & Ffa Livestock Projects: Life Skills Gained And Knowledge Learned, Lyle N. Holmgren, Chad R. Reid Aug 2007

4-H & Ffa Livestock Projects: Life Skills Gained And Knowledge Learned, Lyle N. Holmgren, Chad R. Reid

Journal of Youth Development

Junior Livestock shows are one of the most popular 4-H and FFA projects in Utah. Thousands of youth participate in these shows from every county in Utah. County extension agents and FFA advisors spend much time with livestock committees, leaders, parents, and youth engaged in livestock shows. Can public funds spent on salaries be justified for county 4-H extension agents and FFA advisors who work with junior livestock shows? To help answer this question, 413 youth involved in livestock shows in Utah were surveyed in 2001. Youth were asked to share skills learned from their livestock projects. Value statements along …


Laboratory And Field Responses Of Target And Non-Target Species To Algaecide Exposures, Bryand Duke Aug 2007

Laboratory And Field Responses Of Target And Non-Target Species To Algaecide Exposures, Bryand Duke

All Dissertations

In order for water resource managers to effectively and efficiently react to algal growths that are prohibiting use of a lake, reservoir or stream, information must be obtained on the response of the specific algae in site waters to algaecide exposures. In the absence of this information, ineffective algaecides or excessive treatments may be implemented. Research on development of an efficient algaecide assay using site specific samples could contribute to better decisions regarding algaecide applications and increase margins of safety for non-target species. Since these laboratory experiments provide predictions of responses of algae in site waters to algaecide exposures, these …


Chloroplast Comparative Genomics: Implications For Phylogeny, Evolution, And Biotechnology, Christopher Saski Aug 2007

Chloroplast Comparative Genomics: Implications For Phylogeny, Evolution, And Biotechnology, Christopher Saski

All Dissertations

Lack of complete chloroplast genome sequences is still a limiting factor determining phylogenetic relationships, discerning evolutionary forces, and extending chloroplast genetic engineering to useful crops. Therefore, the chloroplast genomes from six economically important crops were isolated and sequenced. The results will have an impact on chloroplast biology and biotechnology.
The complete soybean chloroplast genome was compared to the other completely sequenced legumes, Lotus and Medicago. The rpl22 gene was found to be missing from all three legumes, a very informative phylogenetic marker. There is a single, large inversion changing the gene order in the legumes from the typical order found …


Heterogeneous Catalysis And Biodiesel Forming Reactions, Dora Lopez Aug 2007

Heterogeneous Catalysis And Biodiesel Forming Reactions, Dora Lopez

All Dissertations

Biodiesel, defined as 'a fuel comprised of mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from vegetable oils or animal fats', is finding favor commercially worldwide. The objective of this study is to evaluate the use of solid catalysts for triglyceride transesterification and carboxylic acid esterification to produce biodiesel fuel.
Processes using mainly homogeneous alkali catalysts (such as NaOH, KOH, and methoxides) have been shown to be effective for biodiesel synthesis when dealing with virgin oil feedstocks. Use of acid catalysts (e.g., H2SO4) becomes important when processing low quality feedstocks that contain appreciable amounts of free fatty acids, such as …


Functional Characterization Of Ectodysplasin-1 And Identification Of Novel Candidate Genes For Ectodermal Dysplasias And Associated Clinical Features, Bradley Griggs Aug 2007

Functional Characterization Of Ectodysplasin-1 And Identification Of Novel Candidate Genes For Ectodermal Dysplasias And Associated Clinical Features, Bradley Griggs

All Dissertations

Ectodermal dysplasias (ED) are a group of developmental disorders in which ectodermally derived structures are abnormally formed or absent entirely. The molecular signaling pathway controlling the differentiation of ectodermal appendages has been well documented in recent years. However, questions remain concerning the key signaling molecule of this pathway, ectodysplasin-1 (EDA), the identity of the EDA signaling pathway's target genes, and the presence of additional phenotypes observed in some patients.
Despite the intensive study of EDA in recent years, the functional significance of the N-terminal intracellular domain of ectodysplasin-1 (N-EDA) has remained elusive. The yeast two-hybrid system was employed to further …


Biodiesel Forming Reactions Using Heterogneous Catalysis, Yijun Liu Aug 2007

Biodiesel Forming Reactions Using Heterogneous Catalysis, Yijun Liu

All Dissertations

Biodiesel synthesis from biomass provides a means for utilizing effectively renewable resources, a way to convert waste vegetable oils and animal fats to a useful product, a way to recycle carbon dioxide for a combustion fuel, and production of a fuel that is biodegradable, non-toxic, and has a lower emission profile than petroleum-diesel. Free fatty acid (FFA) esterification and triglyceride (TG) transesterification with low molecular weight alcohols constitute the synthetic routes to prepare biodiesel from lipid feedstocks. This project was aimed at developing a better understanding of important fundamental issues involved in heterogeneous catalyzed biodiesel forming reactions using mainly model …


Functional Genomics Of The Angiotensin Ii Type 2 Receptor In The Developing Brain, Traci Pawlowski Aug 2007

Functional Genomics Of The Angiotensin Ii Type 2 Receptor In The Developing Brain, Traci Pawlowski

All Dissertations

The mammalian brain expresses two angiotensin II specific receptors, the angiotensin II type 1 (AGTR1) and type 2 (AGTR2). Studies in humans and mice indicate a possible role for AGTR2 in learning, memory and behavior. However, AGTR2 gene function in the brain, and the molecular mechanisms by which AGTR2 exerts its physiological action, remains elusive. This study examines the possible role of AGTR2 in the developing brain and in brain function by employing three different approaches.
To identify genes in the developing brain that depend on AGTR2 function, a microarray analysis was conducted that compared the gene expression of Agtr2-/y …


Differentiation Modulation Of Adult Stem Cells In An Adipose System, Aditya Chaubey Aug 2007

Differentiation Modulation Of Adult Stem Cells In An Adipose System, Aditya Chaubey

All Dissertations

The need for soft tissue reconstruction or augmentation has increased continuously over the years. This need is compounded by patients suffering from post-traumatic repair and congenital soft-tissue deformities. All the current options available to treat the soft tissue deformities have inherent difficulties associated with them. Hence, more research is needed to come up with a better solution to this problem which is only going to increase in magnitude. Tissue engineering is a relatively new technique which has the potential to deliver a cell-based device which can overcome the problems associated with traditional therapies. However, before it becomes clinically viable we …


Activation Of Systemic Adhesion Molecules And C Reactive Protein In Response To Biomaterial Particle Induced Cytokine Production, Robin Graham Aug 2007

Activation Of Systemic Adhesion Molecules And C Reactive Protein In Response To Biomaterial Particle Induced Cytokine Production, Robin Graham

All Dissertations

Chronic inflammation has been identified as a major contributor to many diseases including, atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, dementia, Alzheimer's disease and type 2 diabetes, to name a few. Many of the same markers of inflammation found in the diseases listed above, including IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, NF-B and adhesion molecules, have also been found in wear debris induced osteolysis. While the local response to biomaterial wear debris has been characterized quite extensively, very little is known about the systemic effect of biomaterial wear debris on the inflammatory system. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the in vitro and in vivo inflammatory …


Τέχνη And Quest-Oriented Learning, Sarah Matzko Aug 2007

Τέχνη And Quest-Oriented Learning, Sarah Matzko

All Dissertations

A new approach for teaching undergraduate computer science courses is presented. A general teaching approach that is its basis is also described. Summaries and guides to several introductory courses are provided. Results from the use of the curriculum are presented, and other applications of the approach are suggested.


2007 Summary Report On Institutional Effectiveness, Clemson University Aug 2007

2007 Summary Report On Institutional Effectiveness, Clemson University

Institutional Effectiveness Reports

No abstract provided.