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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, …

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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 …

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Carbon Nanomaterials In Biological Systems, Sijie Lin Aug 2007

Carbon Nanomaterials In Biological Systems, Sijie Lin

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ABSTRACT


This thesis intends to present, from the biophysical viewpoint, my study on understanding carbon nanomaterials in biological and environmental systems. Carbon nanotubes and fullerenes represent a major family of carbon nanoparticles which possess distinct electrical, optical and mechanical properties. However, the major hurdle for making carbon nanomaterials bioavailable lies in their tendency toward bundling, driven by hydrophobic interaction, van der Waals force, and pi-stacking. To overcome this problem, we used non-covalent binding of zwitterionic lysophopholipids (LPL) onto the external surfaces of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). This method affords superior SWNT solubility in aqueous solution. The stability of SWNT-LPL complex …

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Nonlinear Modeling Of The Adsorption-Induced Surface Stress In Piezoelectrically-Driven Microcantilever Biosensors, Mana Afshari Aug 2007

Nonlinear Modeling Of The Adsorption-Induced Surface Stress In Piezoelectrically-Driven Microcantilever Biosensors, Mana Afshari

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Microcantilever-based biosensors are rapidly becoming an enabling sensing technology for a variety of label-free biological applications due to their extreme applicability, versatility and low cost. These sensors operate through the adsorption of species on the functionalized surface of microcantilevers. The adsorption of biological species induces surface stress which originates from the molecular interactions such as adhesion forces of attraction/repulsion, electrostatic forces or the surface charge redistribution of the underlying substrate. This surface stress, consequently, alters the resonance frequency of the microcantilever beam.
This study presents a general framework towards modeling resonance frequency changes induced due to the surface stress arising …

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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

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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 …

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Development And Evaluation Of An Enrichment Culture For Bioaugmentation Of The P-Area Chlorinated Ethene Plume At The Savannah River Site, Elizabeth Wood Aug 2007

Development And Evaluation Of An Enrichment Culture For Bioaugmentation Of The P-Area Chlorinated Ethene Plume At The Savannah River Site, Elizabeth Wood

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The Twin Lakes chlorinated ethene plume at the Department of Energy's
Savannah River Site (SRS) emerges in a wetland in which trichloroethene (TCE) is
completely reduced to ethene and ethane. Novel strains of Dehalococcoides have been
detected from the wetland area. The objectives of this study were 1) to develop an
enrichment culture capable of completely dechlorinating TCE and tetrachloroethene
(PCE) to ethene using samples from the wetland; 2) to evaluate the use of lactate,
emulsified vegetable oil and corn syrup as possible electron donors for biostimulation of
the P-area chlorinated ethene plume at SRS that is not undergoing natural …

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Standardized Power: A Rhetoric Of Performance Evaluation In Education, Michael Hedges Aug 2007

Standardized Power: A Rhetoric Of Performance Evaluation In Education, Michael Hedges

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South Carolina's public education system administrators and teachers need to know more about how the language used in written performance evaluations impacts the effectiveness of evaluation feedback in order to help improve the state's system for Assisting, Developing, and Evaluating Professional Teaching (ADEPT). One key to understanding this knowledge is identifying the characteristics of the language used in evaluation feedback. This study examines the rhetorical situation of written performance evaluations from a theoretical standpoint and used a survey to assess several characteristics of the language used in evaluation feedback (word usage, content inclusion, and the structural order of sentences). Results, …

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Elementary School Teachers' Understanding Of Essential Topics In Statistics And The Influence Of Assessment Instruments And A Reform Curriculum Upon Their Understanding, Timothy Jacobbe Aug 2007

Elementary School Teachers' Understanding Of Essential Topics In Statistics And The Influence Of Assessment Instruments And A Reform Curriculum Upon Their Understanding, Timothy Jacobbe

All Dissertations

With the increased emphasis on statistics at the elementary school level as recommended by the GAISE document, it is important to consider the current status of teachers' understanding of statistics. This study explored teachers' understanding as they implemented new curricula materials which have ten lessons focused on statistical topics at each grade level. These curricula materials provided a medium for discussion that helped reveal whether or not elementary school teachers possess an adequate understanding of essential topics in statistics to implement the standards they are now called upon to teach.
The results of this study indicate that elementary school teachers …

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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

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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 …

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Measurement And Analysis Of Hydromechanical Effects In Fractured Rock, Todd Schweisinger Aug 2007

Measurement And Analysis Of Hydromechanical Effects In Fractured Rock, Todd Schweisinger

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Fractures in rock hold important stores of water and petroleum, and slight changes in fracture aperture accompanying drawdown from pumping wells play a key role in recovering these resources. Four accomplishments are described that advance insight into the behavior and characterization of fractured crystalline rock.
First was the development of two removable borehole extensometers that enable small axial displacements to be measured during hydraulic well tests. The extensometers consist of four major components: 1.) a pair of anchors; 2.) a displacement transducer 3.) a registration system, and; 4.) a temperature-compensated reference rod. One extensometer uses an axial reference rod with …

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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

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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 …

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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

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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 …

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Redefining What It Means To Be A Republican: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Same-Sex Marriage, David Alexander Aug 2007

Redefining What It Means To Be A Republican: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Same-Sex Marriage, David Alexander

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This thesis examines the same-sex marriage debate within the Republican Party and how the Family Research Council and the Log Cabin Republicans construct their rhetorical arguments using Aristotelian appeals. By defining the debate according to Lloyd Bitzer's rhetorical situation, this thesis considers the rhetorical sustainability of these organizations' claims about same-sex marriage and the implications for the future of the Republican Party.
The United States is witnessing the increasing presence of gays and lesbians in the media and everyday life. The history of homosexuals living their lives behind closed doors is becoming a thing of the past. As a result …

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Diffusion In Education: An Examination Of Enrollment Diversity In Postsecondary Institutions, Lisa Christine Widener Aug 2007

Diffusion In Education: An Examination Of Enrollment Diversity In Postsecondary Institutions, Lisa Christine Widener

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The thesis examines the diffusion of diversity through proportional increases in diverse enrollment among postsecondary institutions. Specifically, it tests whether the diffusion pattern of diversity will follow the model predicted by classic neoinstitutionalists, diffusing from high to low status actors, or in the case of controversial innovations follow the path predicted by Gerbasi’s (2002) Status Contingent Diffusion Theory, diffusing from low to high status actors. This study argues that diversity is a controversial innovation and will thus follow the diffusion path posited by Gerbasi (2002). This research predicts that lower status postsecondary institutions will “adopt,” or proportionally increase, diversity before …

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Clemson Trustees Minutes, 2007 July 13, Clemson University Board Of Trustees Jul 2007

Clemson Trustees Minutes, 2007 July 13, Clemson University Board Of Trustees

Minutes

Clemson University Board of Trustees. Minutes: Summer Quarterly Full Board Meeting. Garden Room, Planters Inn Hotel, Charleston, SC. 10:00 a.m.

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Clemson Trustees Minutes, 2007 June 6, Clemson University Board Of Trustees Jun 2007

Clemson Trustees Minutes, 2007 June 6, Clemson University Board Of Trustees

Minutes

Clemson University Board of Trustees. Minutes: Board Teleconference. President's Conference Room - 201 Sikes Hall. 10:00 a.m.

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The Differential Effects Of Two Critical Osteoclastogenesis Stimulating Factors On Bone Biomechanics, Yuyu Yuan May 2007

The Differential Effects Of Two Critical Osteoclastogenesis Stimulating Factors On Bone Biomechanics, Yuyu Yuan

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Many skeletal diseases, such as osteoporosis and malignant bone metastases, are generally osteolytic and associated with increased bone resorption and decreased bone strength. Within a complex cytokine environment, the proteins RANKL and M-CSF are critical for osteoclast differentiation and activation, and thus fundamental effectors of osteolytic disorders. Previous studies showed that M-CSF stimulates the proliferation and early differentiation of osteoclast progenitors to osteoclast lineage, while RANKL targets the later stages of fusion and activation, and stimulates the formation of functional active osteoclasts. However, impacts of artificially elevated levels of these proteins on the skeleton system have not been fully characterized. …

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Histologic Examination Of Host-Parasite Interactions In The Gulf Killifish, Fundulus Grandis, Marlee Marsh May 2007

Histologic Examination Of Host-Parasite Interactions In The Gulf Killifish, Fundulus Grandis, Marlee Marsh

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Little is known about the immunobiology of fish responses to parasitic infections. The aim of this study was to describe a model for the examination of fish-nematode interactions on the immunological front, and to develop new reagents for the study of this model. Gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis, were collected over two seasons from Simmon's Bayou, Jackson County, MS, USA, pre Hurricane Katrina, and examined for endoparasites, particularly the larval nematode Eustrongylides ignotus. A baseline study was preformed to determine the prevalence, intensity, and histologic features of E. ignotus infection in F. grandis, and this study serves as the first description …

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Relationships Between Motility, Fertility And Cellular Characteristics Of Spermatozoa, And The Ability Of Platelet-Activating Factor To Influence Porcine Productivity, Jennifer Mook May 2007

Relationships Between Motility, Fertility And Cellular Characteristics Of Spermatozoa, And The Ability Of Platelet-Activating Factor To Influence Porcine Productivity, Jennifer Mook

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Differences between manual and machine motility analysis was determined for total motility (MOT) of bull semen samples (N=117) three ways: manual analysis on a microscope and on computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) systems: Hamilton-Thorne IVOS and Minitube SpermVision (SV). CASA analysis includes progressive motility (PRO) and related kinematic parameters. Analysis indicated differences between MOT: 83.06 (IVOS), 75.84 (manual), 65.48 (SV), and PRO: 44.25 (IVOS) and 60.07(SV). Relationships existed between manual MOT and both IVOS MOT (r=0.32) and SV MOT (r=0.59). The relationships between IVOS and SV MOT and PRO was notable (r=0.70 for both MOT and PRO).
The ability of platelet-activating …

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Viability, Functionality, And Genetic Assessment Of Cells After Laser Guidance, Tabitha Rosenbalm May 2007

Viability, Functionality, And Genetic Assessment Of Cells After Laser Guidance, Tabitha Rosenbalm

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We systematically vary the controllable laser parameters, namely, wavelength, intensity, and exposure time of the laser on single cells to clearly establish laser parameters that allow negligible cell damage with significant cellular position control. To accomplish this goal, embryonic day 7 (E7) chick forebrains neurons were cultured with control and test cells selected one hour after seeding to allow attachment, at which time test cells were subjected to the laser. Cells were imaged at 4, 12, 24, and 36 hours after laser exposure to evaluate viability and functionality by using the Live/Dead Viability Cytotoxicity Kit (Molecular Probes L3224) and measuring …

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Reservoir Sedimentation And Property Values, Ronald Leftwich Jr. May 2007

Reservoir Sedimentation And Property Values, Ronald Leftwich Jr.

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This thesis uses multiple regression analysis in the determination of two hedonic models to explain the impact that sedimentation and algal bloom events may have on property values along Lake Greenwood, SC. Utilizing different independent variables, the hedonic equations reflect the market value and the sales price of the selected lakeside properties. With an average 4.6 percent of the original lake area lost to accreted sediment, the models show a $7,800 to nearly $10,000 average loss in property value or an estimated $5 to $6 million in value lost within the study area. Properties sold within a two-year period following …

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Design And Development Of An In-House Scanning Tunneling Microscope System, Esvar Subramanian May 2007

Design And Development Of An In-House Scanning Tunneling Microscope System, Esvar Subramanian

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ABSTRACT
The invention of Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) by Binnig and Rohrer in 1982 eliminated the use of optical lenses and replaced the conventional optical microscopes with a new class of microscopes called the Scanning Probe Microscopes (SPM). Because of their unique characteristics such as higher resolution and acquisition of nano level images without affecting the physical properties of the sample, they have found wide applications in a variety of scientific disciplines such as biology, material science and electrochemistry. After considerable advancements in instrumentation, the STM has evolved as a nanomanipulation and nanofabrication tool. It operates in two modes: constant …

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Exploratory Synthesis And Characterization Of New Mixed-Framework Chalcohalides And Oxyhalide And Its Potential Applications For Diluted Magnetic Semiconductor, Lei Wang May 2007

Exploratory Synthesis And Characterization Of New Mixed-Framework Chalcohalides And Oxyhalide And Its Potential Applications For Diluted Magnetic Semiconductor, Lei Wang

All Dissertations

Due to the excellent diverse properties and performance, solid-state material with low-dimensional crystal structure has always been interested by solid-state scientists. Besides the interesting properties, the low-dimensional-structured materials are used as the platform for further research and application of semiconductor and optical devices, as well as theoretic studies. My dissertation research mainly focuses on two aspects: discovery of solids with low-dimensional crystal structure; fabrication and investigation of new materials using the discovered materials as the platform.
The idea of mixed-anion-framework has been used in synthesis of novel low-dimensional-structured solid-state materials. The stereo-active Sb3+/Bi3+ chalcogenides building units and …

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An Efficient Analysis Of Vertical Dipole Antennas Above A Lossy Half-Space , Yongfeng Huang May 2007

An Efficient Analysis Of Vertical Dipole Antennas Above A Lossy Half-Space , Yongfeng Huang

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The electromagnetic modeling of radiation by vertical dipole antennas above a lossy half-space has become an important subject due to many applications where these dipoles are involved. The modeling often encounters Sommerfeld-type integrals that are normally highly oscillatory with poor convergence. Recently, an efficient computation of the electric field radiated by an infinitesimal electric dipole above a lossy half-space has been reported, in which the Sommerfeld-type integrals are reduced to rapidly-converging integrals. Taking advantage of such efficiently-calculated electric field and using it as the Green's function, in this thesis, an electric field integral equation (EFIE) is formulated for the analysis …

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Adaptive Customization: New Design Opportunities In Orthopedics, Driven By The Merging Of Imaging And Surgery, Marie Mcfaddin May 2007

Adaptive Customization: New Design Opportunities In Orthopedics, Driven By The Merging Of Imaging And Surgery, Marie Mcfaddin

All Theses

The architectural response for an out-patient orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation facility that merges the fields of imaging and surgery needs to be an architecture of changing needs. Orthopedic patients are a diverse population with varied and changing medical treatment needs. The practice of orthopedic medicine is rapidly changing in response to these needs and ongoing advances in medical technology. One of the most significant changes under way today is the merging of surgical and imaging modalities. Settings for the delivery of orthopedic medicine must be able to better accommodate these changing needs by becoming more easily adaptable while being highly …

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The Interactive Medical Emergency Department (Imed): Architectural Integration Of Digital Systems Into The Emergency Care Environment, David Ruthven May 2007

The Interactive Medical Emergency Department (Imed): Architectural Integration Of Digital Systems Into The Emergency Care Environment, David Ruthven

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In healthcare, the architectural response to the development of information technologies has largely been relegated to a reactive role, essentially waiting for systems to develop and simply accommodating them with appropriately sized spaces. Designing IT systems independently from, rather than integrally with, their environment impedes them from reaching their full potential as vital components in the delivery of care by creating a lack of flexibility, decelerating performance, and degrading the healing environment. The flexibility of the environment is compromised by fixed position, single user data systems which prevent it from actively adapting to changing conditions, especially during volumetric surges associated …

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The Glow Discharge - A Multifaceted Optical Emission Source: From Solids Analysis To Metalloproteins, Timothy Brewer May 2007

The Glow Discharge - A Multifaceted Optical Emission Source: From Solids Analysis To Metalloproteins, Timothy Brewer

All Dissertations

Glow discharges (GD) are well known for their application to direct solids elemental analysis of metals and alloys by optical emission spectroscopy (GD-OES). The most successful application of GD-OES has been the analysis of solid materials since the GD provides rapid, direct bulk and depth profiling analysis of solids, metals, powders, polymers, glasses and ceramics. However, solids analysis has typically suffered from the lack of true analytical blanks and the inability to study particulate solids in their native state. An approach for the analysis of solid powdered material entrapped in a sol-gel matrix by radio frequency glow discharge optical emission …

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The Effect Of Instructional Delivery Method On Interaction And Satisfaction In Distance Education Courses At A Community College, Laurie Fladd May 2007

The Effect Of Instructional Delivery Method On Interaction And Satisfaction In Distance Education Courses At A Community College, Laurie Fladd

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ABSTRACT
The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of four formats of distance education instructional delivery (Course-in-a-Bag, Instructional Television, Online, and Mixed Mode) on interaction and satisfaction. A second purpose was to determine if significant relationships existed between the four types of interaction and satisfaction in each of the four formats of instruction.
The setting of the study was a community college in the Southeastern United States. The majority of the participants in the study were women (81%), Caucasian (63%), above the age of 25 (64%) and most participants were enrolled in online courses (79%).
The methodology …

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Biochemical Study Of Endonuclease V And Its Application In Mutation Scanning, Honghai Gao May 2007

Biochemical Study Of Endonuclease V And Its Application In Mutation Scanning, Honghai Gao

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The integrity of the genetic information encoded by DNA is essential to all living organisms, yet the reactive bases of DNA are constantly attacked by endogenous and exogenous agents resulting in as many as one million individual molecular lesions per cell per day. Excessive DNA damage or deficiency in DNA repair enzymes may cause cancer, premature aging, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Endonuclease V (Endo V) is a DNA repair enzyme which can recognize all four types of DNA deamination products, specifically, uracil, hypoxanthine, xanthine and oxanine. It was also shown that endo V can recognize mismatches. We screened about 60 mutants …

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Meaningful Learning At A National Historic Site: How Interpretive Tour Message Content Affects Visitor Learning Transfer, Christine Van Winkle May 2007

Meaningful Learning At A National Historic Site: How Interpretive Tour Message Content Affects Visitor Learning Transfer, Christine Van Winkle

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This study examines meaningful learning transfer at a historic site. Transfer is the ability to apply knowledge to a new situation or setting and can be divided into near and far transfer. Near transfer is characterized by the ability to transfer knowledge to a similar situation, whereas far transfer is the ability to transfer knowledge to a different situation. This between-subject post-test only field experiment investigated the effect of interpretive message design on visitors' ability to transfer leaning from an interpretive audio tour at a heritage site. Interpretive messages were designed to examine the effect of message organizers (i.e. presence …

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