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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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The Effects Of Hypnosis And Symptom Interpretation On Jurors' Perceptions Of Recovered Memories Of Child Sexual Abuse, Sarah Nunley Jan 2014

The Effects Of Hypnosis And Symptom Interpretation On Jurors' Perceptions Of Recovered Memories Of Child Sexual Abuse, Sarah Nunley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The current study examined mock jurors' perceptions of recovered memories of child sexual abuse. Participants were presented with one of four written vignettes of an adult female who recovers memories of child sexual abuse during therapy. Two variables in the vignettes were manipulated: the method of memory recovery (hypnosis informed vs. control uninformed) and presentation of psychological symptoms commonly related to history of sexual maltreatment (symptoms informed vs. symptoms uninformed). Participant mock jurors were asked to respond to questions regarding credibility, defendant guilt, and award of monetary damages. The continuous dependent variable analyses found significant results with regard to plaintiff …

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Reducing Tobacco Related Health Disparities, Andrew Alexander Anesetti-Rothermel Jan 2014

Reducing Tobacco Related Health Disparities, Andrew Alexander Anesetti-Rothermel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Despite the historic declines in the prevalence of cigarette smoking in the United States, tobacco use remains a major public health burden. The persistent use and susceptibility of tobacco arises from tobacco-related health disparities, which historically occur among vulnerable and underserved populations. Since rural/nonmetropolitan populations suffer disproportionately more tobacco-related health disparities than urban/metropolitan populations, the main goal of this project and its three component studies was to address rural tobacco-related health disparities. Study 1 utilizes an exploratory spatial data analysis approach to identify those rural areas disproportionately affected by tobacco. This study assessed the overall spatial association between county-level rurality …

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Evaluating The Inclusion Of Phytase Super-Dose In Various Broiler Diet Formulations And Novel Pellet Binders, John W. Boney Jan 2014

Evaluating The Inclusion Of Phytase Super-Dose In Various Broiler Diet Formulations And Novel Pellet Binders, John W. Boney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Grains commonly used in poultry diets contain phytic acid, a known anti-nutrient that binds dietary phosphorus rendering it unavailable for absorption also decreasing the digestibility of other nutrients. Phytic acid also increases mucin production and endogenous amino acid secretions causing a gut irritant effect which may decrease performance. An abundance of phytase literatures suggests that phytase enzymes can liberate bound phosphorus enhancing phytate phosphorus utilization and bone mineralization. Recently, the use of super-doses of phytase has been suggested to, not only liberate bound phosphorus, but to alleviate the gut irritant effect associated with phytate phosphorus. Therefore, an experiment was conducted …

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Development Of The Dynamic Evaluation Model To Significantly Advance Autism Research, Dana Cihelkova Jan 2014

Development Of The Dynamic Evaluation Model To Significantly Advance Autism Research, Dana Cihelkova

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In my dissertation effort I suggested new directions in order to significantly advance Autism Research. I moved from identification of the problem (Stagnation of Autism Research) to offering one possible explanation for the problem (Conceptualization of Autism as a Complex Phenomenon) to one possible solution for the problem. I developed the Dynamic Evaluation Model which is a five dimensional evaluation system to (a) effectively evaluate Autism interventions, (b) uncover Autism symptoms dynamics, and (c) identify what child with what symptoms characteristics will benefit the most from what currently available treatments. And finally I tested the prototype of the Dynamic Evaluation …

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Inhibition Of Arterial Kdr Channels By Dpo-1 And Activation Of Cloned Human Bk Channels By Bpa-Ms, Ibra S. Fancher Iv Jan 2014

Inhibition Of Arterial Kdr Channels By Dpo-1 And Activation Of Cloned Human Bk Channels By Bpa-Ms, Ibra S. Fancher Iv

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The following documents our attempt at answering a fundamental question in vascular smooth muscle: Which K+ channels control membrane potential, and thus, vascular tone? A number of groups have approached this question and great strides have been made; however, uncertainty remains as to which specific K+ channel(s) underlies this physiologically important current. Previous studies using nonselective pharmacological inhibitors of voltage-dependent K+ (KV) channels, particularly delayed rectifier K+ (KDR) channels, indicate membrane depolarization, Ca2+ influx, and vasoconstriction. Importantly, however, there are more than 40 genes known to encode KV channel subunits. We hypothesize that KDR channels composed of KV 1 subunits …

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Copperheads And Blacksnakes: Divided Loyalty In Eastern Pennsylvania, Chuck Welsko Jan 2014

Copperheads And Blacksnakes: Divided Loyalty In Eastern Pennsylvania, Chuck Welsko

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This is a study of people, politics, and rhetoric during the American Civil War. The people are eastern Pennsylvanians, the ordinary men and women from Berks, Bucks, Lehigh, and Northampton counties. The narrative traces the failure of these people to unify in the Civil War. Instead, citizens used a rhetoric of loyalty to fuel the bitter divide between Democrats and Republicans. Historians have studied the concept of loyalty extensively in the past, but only with the purpose of identifying which political or ethnic subgroups of the population were "loyal." Copperheads and Blacksnakes moves beyond the issue of who and focuses …

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A Content Analysis Of Celebrity-Endorsed Cosmetic Products In Fashion Magazines, Caroline Szwed Jan 2014

A Content Analysis Of Celebrity-Endorsed Cosmetic Products In Fashion Magazines, Caroline Szwed

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

While there have been many studies examining celebrity-endorsed advertisements, few have studied the relationship between race and ethnicity and body types found in celebrity-endorsed advertisements. A sample of 265 celebrity-endorsed advertisements was collected from both Cosmopolitan and ELLE magazine during the first quarter of the year (January, February, March) between 2008-2013. A content analysis was constructed in order to determine the race and ethnicity of each celebrity found in the advertisement as well as their body type. The results suggest that there has been a tendency to use non-minority celebrities in celebrity-endorsed advertisements than non-minority celebrities. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate …

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Refined Computational Modeling Of Sofcs Degradation Due To Trace Impurities In Coal Syngas, Hayri Sezer Jan 2014

Refined Computational Modeling Of Sofcs Degradation Due To Trace Impurities In Coal Syngas, Hayri Sezer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) is a good alternative for clean and efficient power generation. These cells can be operated directly on a wide variety of fuels including biogas, hydrocarbon fuels and synthesized coal gas (syngas), which is a promising avenue for utilization of coal with much less environmental impact. One of the challenges in this technology is poisoning of SOFC anodes by trace impurities contained in coal syngas. One such impurity, phosphine is known to cause catastrophic failure of SOFC anode even at <10ppm concentrations. Fuel impurity degradation patterns can vary by different operating conditions such as humidity, applied current, temperature and anode thickness.;In the present study, more detailed models are developed to predict the typical degradation behaviors observed in SOFC anode due to phosphine by extension of an in-house one-dimensional computational code. This model is first used to predict the effect of steam concentration on phosphine induced degradation in anode supported SOFCs. The model is refined based on the experimental observation, which indicate that the phosphine degradation is less severe in the absence of steam. Simulations results showed good agreement with experimental data. Then, a sensitivity analysis, using dual numbers automatic differentiation (DNAD) is performed to investigate the influence of empirical model parameters on model outputs, electrical potential, ohmic and polarization losses. Further, the refined one-dimensional model is extended to a three-dimensional model to study the phosphine induced performance degradation in relatively large planar cells operating on hydrogen fuel. The empirical model parameters are calibrated using button cell experiments and sensitivity analysis as a guide. These parameters are then used in planar cell simulations. The results from the three dimensional model show that the contaminant coverage of nickel and fuel distribution inside the anode is highly non-uniform. These non-uniform distributions are caused by the geometrical alignment of gas channels and current collectors, as well as the variation of gas concentration along the flow direction. The non-uniform deactivation of anode gave rise to the altering of current distribution inside the planar cell such that the cell can still produce current even when some regions of the anode are partially inactive. In addition, to assess the overall cell performance at any given degradation stage, additional simulations are performed to evaluate the electrochemical behavior (polarization and impedance) of the cell. The simulation results are assessed in comparison to experimental observation whenever possible. Finally, a physics based transport model for nickel migration is formulated based on experimentally observed elemental redistribution in a SOFC anode and it is integrated into refined one-dimensional phosphine degradation code. Simulations show that the proposed mechanism of Ni diffusion driven by secondary phase formation, the electrical force, and humidity can explain the experimentally observed accumulation of Ni and secondary phases on the SOFC anode surface.;Keywords: Keywords: Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Contaminant Degradation, Automatic differentiation, Sensitivity Analysis, Impedance, Polarization, Nickel migration, Electro-migration..

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Multimorbidity, Management Of Copd And Health Outcomes Among Medicaid Beneficiaries, Mayank Ajmera Jan 2014

Multimorbidity, Management Of Copd And Health Outcomes Among Medicaid Beneficiaries, Mayank Ajmera

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is characterized by persistent and progressive airflow limitation caused due to chronic inflammation in the lungs. Approximately 15 million adults in the United States (U.S.) are estimated to be diagnosed with COPD and an equal number may have undiagnosed COPD. Challenges to COPD management include high prevalence of inflammation-related multimorbidity among individuals with COPD. The association between multimorbidity, existing COPD management and role of novel therapies with anti-inflammatory properties (e.g. statins) in improving COPD-specific outcomes is not well researched. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use real-world observational data to provide a comprehensive …

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Burden Of Illness Among Elderly Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, Sandipan Bhattacharjee Jan 2014

Burden Of Illness Among Elderly Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, Sandipan Bhattacharjee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease affecting an estimated one million individuals in the United States (U.S.) and five million individuals globally. With increasing age, the prevalence of PD also increases. Challenges of PD include high economic burden of formal care, informal caregiving burden, and also management of a chronic illness (e.g. type 2 diabetes mellitus) in the presence of PD. The purpose of this study was to use observational data from real-world settings to provide a comprehensive view of the burden of illness among elderly individuals with PD by assessing the formal economic burden, informal …

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Cross Trees: Visualizing Estimations Using Decision Trees, Naveen Kumar Lekkalapudi Jan 2014

Cross Trees: Visualizing Estimations Using Decision Trees, Naveen Kumar Lekkalapudi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Optimization has been the goal of almost every human thought and action. With the growing computational capabilities, solutions to problems are also exponentially increasing. With rising demand for data and analytics on this big data, solutions to problems are also multiplied. Although, strong statistical and analytical reasoning has helped narrow down many solutions into set of feasible applicable solutions; Experts also seek knowledge of how these solutions have improved and what decisions are needed to be taken for remaining solutions to improve. This problem persists in software engineering with managers and domain experts taking decisions deciding future course of the …

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Burden Of Colorectal Cancer Among The Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries In West Virginia A Comparative Analysis With National Data, Pallavi Balwant Rane Jan 2014

Burden Of Colorectal Cancer Among The Elderly Medicare Beneficiaries In West Virginia A Comparative Analysis With National Data, Pallavi Balwant Rane

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

West Virginia (WV) which is one of the most rural states in the nation, had the highest colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality rate in United States (US) in 2009. There is a paucity of epidemiologic studies that have decrypt the reasons for this high CRC mortality, or have systematically examined the burden of, and disparities among the population of elderly with CRC from a rural settings such as from WV. This series of retrospective cohort studies was conducted to examine the receipt of CRC treatment and the associated survivorship, comorbidity burden, and healthcare expenditures among Medicare beneficiaries with CRC identified from …

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Relation Of Interpersonal Conflict Behaviors To Emotion Dysregulation And Ptsd In Adolescents With A History Of Betrayal Trauma, Vanessa M. Jacoby Jan 2014

Relation Of Interpersonal Conflict Behaviors To Emotion Dysregulation And Ptsd In Adolescents With A History Of Betrayal Trauma, Vanessa M. Jacoby

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that develops in response to exposure to a traumatic stressor. Although this is the most well known diagnosis for individuals who have difficulties after a traumatic event, research documents numerous difficulties and psychopathology that can result from traumatic events, many of which do not fit the DSM-IV criteria of PTSD. Specifically, severe, chronic, interpersonal trauma tends to have a different pattern of effects on individuals than does acute, non-interpersonal trauma. This is particularly true for children (e.g., van der Kolk, Roth, Pelcovitz, Sunday, & Spinazzola, 2005). Because of this, the construct of Developmental …

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Predicting Opioid Prescribing Behaviors: Influence Of An Expert Opioid-Risk Evaluation, Alison M. Vargovich Jan 2014

Predicting Opioid Prescribing Behaviors: Influence Of An Expert Opioid-Risk Evaluation, Alison M. Vargovich

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Opioid analgesics have been shown to be effective for short-term pain reduction; however, chronic opioid therapy does not improve functioning, and may lead to problems with dependence and abuse. Physicians report having difficulty discerning substance abuse or drug diversion, which can lead to over- or under- prescribing, poor pain management, and may contribute to the growing number of opioid-related overdose deaths. The primary aim of this study was to determine if a psychological opioid risk evaluation influenced opioid prescribing in physicians at the West Virginia University (WVU) Family Medicine Clinic. For this retrospective study, participants were 151 (89 female) adult …

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An Ecological Assessment Of Restoration Efforts Developed To Recover An Intensively Mined Appalachian Watershed, Andrew S. Watson Jan 2014

An Ecological Assessment Of Restoration Efforts Developed To Recover An Intensively Mined Appalachian Watershed, Andrew S. Watson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Assessments of watershed-based restoration efforts are rare. Monitoring of projects pre- and post-treatment are essential for the science of stream restoration ecology to advance. We took an experimental approach, following adaptive watershed management principles, to evaluate the effectiveness of watershed-based restoration efforts developed to maximize the ecological recovery of acid mine drainage (AMD) impaired streams. We sampled water chemistry, physical habitat, and benthic macroinvertebrate and fish community structure in 3 stream types: AMD (14 streams), AMD-treated (13 streams), and unimpaired reference (4 streams). Treatment technology implemented on impaired streams included in-stream active treatment dosers, limestone sand applications, and an at-source …

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Effectiveness Of Community-Delivered Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Compared To Treatment As Usual, Jocelyn Stokes Jan 2014

Effectiveness Of Community-Delivered Parent-Child Interaction Therapy Compared To Treatment As Usual, Jocelyn Stokes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a "probably efficacious" treatment for children with disruptive behavior disorders (Eyberg, Nelson, & Boggs, 2008). However, many of the characteristics of the efficacy studies (e.g., therapy conducted in university-based clinics, graduate student therapists, supervision and feedback on integrity to the model, recruited families, homogeneous samples) supporting PCIT may limit the generalization of the results to the community setting where most families receive treatment (e.g., Weisz, Jensen-Doss, & Hawley, 2006). Few studies of PCIT have examined the effectiveness of PCIT implemented by community therapists, and these studies have many methodological limitations including no reliability of observational …

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Mau Mau Crucible Of War: Statehood, National Identity And Politics In Postcolonial Kenya, Nicholas Kariuki Githuku Jan 2014

Mau Mau Crucible Of War: Statehood, National Identity And Politics In Postcolonial Kenya, Nicholas Kariuki Githuku

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The postcolonial African state has been the subject of extensive study and scrutiny by various scholars of great repute such as Colin Legum, Crawford Young, Robert H. Jackson and Carl G. Rosberg, Pierre Englebert and Jean-Francois Bayart to name but a few. Crawford Young's work is especially interesting because of the manner in which he treats the process of state formation. Crawford Young traces the process to the early beginning of European colonization and focuses on the legacy of the colonial state after independence. Colonial appendages of old European states were, for some metropolises, no longer economically viable or sustainable …

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Integrated Motor Protein Based Nanodevices For Biomolecular Transport, Yongkuk Lee Jan 2014

Integrated Motor Protein Based Nanodevices For Biomolecular Transport, Yongkuk Lee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A living cell can be considered as a miniaturized device, which carries out complicated tasks such as reproduction, energy conversion and molecule transport. Many cellular functions are highly efficient and mostly performed at nanoscale, which is pursued in fields of Micro total analysis system (&mgr;-TAS) or lab-on-a-chip. Due to unique mechanical functions performing micro/nano transport with high efficiency of the chemo-mechanical energy conversion in cells, motor proteins have been emphasized to perform laboratory functions such as delivery, assembly, detection, and micro/nano-engines. However, several issues ranging from in vitro stability of motor proteins to understanding their functionalities with inorganic materials remain …

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In Vitro Recapitulation Of Functional Microvessel Using Microfluidic Platform, Xiang Li Jan 2014

In Vitro Recapitulation Of Functional Microvessel Using Microfluidic Platform, Xiang Li

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microfluidic technologies have enabled in vitro studies to mimic in vivo microvessel environment with sufficient complexity. However, there are still existing knowledge gaps and lack of convincing evidence to demonstrate and quantify key features of a functional microvessel. In this dissertation, a physiologically realistic microvessel model was developed with a stable and mature endothelium for studying complex vascular phenomena, such as endothelial cell signaling and barrier functions with the microscopic resolution at individual cellular levels. With advanced micromanufacturing and microfluidic technologies, two types of cost-efficient, easy to operate and reproducible microchannel network devices were fabricated, and the fabricated microchannels mimicked …

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Lace: Supporting Privacy-Preserving Data Sharing In Transfer Defect Learning, Fayola Peters Jan 2014

Lace: Supporting Privacy-Preserving Data Sharing In Transfer Defect Learning, Fayola Peters

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cross Project Defect Prediction (CPDP) is a field of study where an organization lacking enough local data can use data from other organizations or projects for building defect predictors. Research in CPDP has shown challenges in using ``other'' data, therefore transfer defect learning has emerged to improve on the quality of CPDP results. With this new found success in CPDP, it is now increasingly important to focus on the privacy concerns of data owners.;To support CPDP, data must be shared. There are many privacy threats that inhibit data sharing. We focus on sensitive attribute disclosure threats or attacks, where an …

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The Development And Psychometric Analysis Of An Instrument To Measure A Woman's Experience Of Childbirth, Elizabeth Viens Rini Jan 2014

The Development And Psychometric Analysis Of An Instrument To Measure A Woman's Experience Of Childbirth, Elizabeth Viens Rini

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This paper describes the development and testing of the Women's Experience in Childbirth Survey (WECS). Although many qualitative and quantitative studies of the childbirth experience have been published, there is no comprehensive instrument that measures the physical, emotional, cognitive, and social aspects of the experience. Forty nine Likert-type items were generated from review of the literature and feedback from mothers participating in two pilot studies. Content validity was analyzed with both pilot studies. For this study, the WECS was administered to 305 inpatient post-partum women at two community hospitals. A sub sample of women completed the WECS at least two …

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Development Of A Mechanical Vapor-Compression Distiller Incorporating Concentrated Solar Power, Garrett Tyler Rinker Jan 2014

Development Of A Mechanical Vapor-Compression Distiller Incorporating Concentrated Solar Power, Garrett Tyler Rinker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The demand for a reliable energy supply has promoted the development of the Marcellus Shale gas industry in the past few years. However, the produced water from hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) poses a hazard to human and environmental health because of its dissolved solid, hydrocarbon, and heavy metal content. This research proposes to develop a portable solar power assisted water distiller which can process produced water on-site for natural gas wells.;The distillation technology developed is a small scale mechanical vapor-compression (MVC) distillation unit. The thermal energy for the evaporation of the water is provided by the solar energy, …

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Grass Component Effect On Soil Physical Properties In An Organic Crop Rotation, Emily Leslie Romano Jan 2014

Grass Component Effect On Soil Physical Properties In An Organic Crop Rotation, Emily Leslie Romano

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In the past few decades, organic productions systems have become increasingly popular due to rising environmental awareness. Much research has been done on crop rotations and fertilization in conventional agricultural systems, but because organic management practices are often different from those in conventional systems, much is unknown about the effect of organic management practices on soil quality. Composted manure and a temporary grass component within an organic crop rotation may be capable of improving soil quality, and may be particularly important in the absence of synthetic chemical inputs. The objective of this research was to evaluate soil quality changes in …

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Elucidation Of The Early Steps Of Ergot Alkaloid Synthesis By Pathway Reconstruction In Aspergillus Nidulans, Katy Ryan Jan 2014

Elucidation Of The Early Steps Of Ergot Alkaloid Synthesis By Pathway Reconstruction In Aspergillus Nidulans, Katy Ryan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ergot alkaloids are pharmaceutically and agriculturally important secondary metabolites produced by several species of fungi in the Clavicipitaceae (order Hypocreales) and Trichocomaceae (order Eurotiales). Ergot alkaloid pathways vary among producers due to genetic variation within ergot alkaloid synthesizing (eas) gene clusters. However, the early steps of the pathway leading to the formation of chanoclavine-I appear to be evolutionarily conserved among producers. Chanoclavine-I synthesis occurs in at least five steps, and knockout and heterologous expression studies have demonstrated that four genes, dmaW, easF, easE, and easC, are required for pathway steps prior to chanoclavine-I formation. It was unknown whether these genes …

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Low-Power And Programmable Analog Circuitry For Wireless Sensors, Brandon David Rumberg Jan 2014

Low-Power And Programmable Analog Circuitry For Wireless Sensors, Brandon David Rumberg

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Embedding networks of secure, wirelessly-connected sensors and actuators will help us to conscientiously manage our local and extended environments. One major challenge for this vision is to create networks of wireless sensor devices that provide maximal knowledge of their environment while using only the energy that is available within that environment. In this work, it is argued that the energy constraints in wireless sensor design are best addressed by incorporating analog signal processors. The low power-consumption of an analog signal processor allows persistent monitoring of multiple sensors while the device's analog-to-digital converter, microcontroller, and transceiver are all in sleep mode. …

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Evaluation Of Hydrotreated Biofuels For Use In Naval Diesel Engines, Cory J. Morgan Jan 2014

Evaluation Of Hydrotreated Biofuels For Use In Naval Diesel Engines, Cory J. Morgan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent years the U.S. Navy has developed several energy goals to displace foreign petroleum-derived fuels. One of these goals involves replacing existing fuels with alternative hydrotreated biofuels. Hydrotreated biofuels are a second generation renewable diesel fuel and generally have similar fuel properties and characteristics as petroleum-derived fuels. The U.S Navy is currently investigating several alternative biofuels including HRJ5, HRD76, DSH76, and HDCD76. To ensure these fuels perform similarly to or better than petroleum fuels, the U.S. developed a fuel specification program. Part of this program involves preliminary evaluations of the alternative biofuels in a laboratory environment to identify negative …

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Nano-Derived Sensors For High-Temperature Sensing Of H2, So2 And H2s, Engin Ciftyurek Jan 2014

Nano-Derived Sensors For High-Temperature Sensing Of H2, So2 And H2s, Engin Ciftyurek

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The emission of sulfur compounds from coal-fired power plants remains a significant concern for air quality. This environmental challenge must be overcome by controlling the emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) throughout the entire coal combustion process. One of the processes which could specifically benefit from robust, low cost, and high temperature compatible gas sensors is the coal gasification process which converts coal and/or biomass into syngas. Hydrogen (H2), carbon monoxide (CO) and sulfur compounds make up 33%, 43% and 2% of syngas, respectively. Therefore, development of a high temperature (>500°C) chemical sensor for in-situ monitoring …

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Investigating Balanced Time Perspective In Adults Across The Life Span, Nipat Bock Pichayayothin Jan 2014

Investigating Balanced Time Perspective In Adults Across The Life Span, Nipat Bock Pichayayothin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The current study investigated balanced time perspective (BTP) in adults across the life span (N = 400, 43.3% males). Boniwell and Zimbardo (2004) defined BTP as the flow and flexibility of connecting to the past, living in the present, and looking forward to the future and argued that is an optimal time perspective associated with happiness and well-being. Using Time Attitude Scale (Mello & Worrell, 2012), younger (M = 26.09 years), middle-aged (M = 46.72 years), and older (M = 64.25 years) adults subjective ratings of their positive and negative attitudes towards the past, present, and future were used to …

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High Salt Diet-Induced Alteration In Vascular Reactivity In Wild-Type And Adenosine A2a Receptor Null Mice, Isha Pradhan Jan 2014

High Salt Diet-Induced Alteration In Vascular Reactivity In Wild-Type And Adenosine A2a Receptor Null Mice, Isha Pradhan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Alteration in vascular reactivity serves as a marker for cardiovascular disease. Enhancement of vasodilatory response through adenosine A2A receptor (A2AAR) signaling against high salt (HS) diet is speculated to be an adaptive response as salt-sensitive rats showed upregulation of A 2AAR and cyp-epoxygenases but salt-resistant rats did not. However, no direct evidence is available showing the compensatory role of A2A AR signaling upon salt loading. For this, understanding the functional and biochemical outcome of HS diet on vascular tone regulation and its underlying signaling mechanism in the presence and absence of A 2AAR is required. This dissertation was carried out …

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Investigating The Role Of Mechanical Properties In Biological Systems, Nicole Shamitko-Klingensmith Jan 2014

Investigating The Role Of Mechanical Properties In Biological Systems, Nicole Shamitko-Klingensmith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There is considerable interest in measuring, with nanoscale spatial resolution, the physical and material properties of biological membranes and whole cells because of their role in the physiology of living systems. The atomic force microscope (AFM) has proven to be particularly well-suited for biological studies because samples can be maintained in near physiological conditions to preserve sample integrity (such as in a buffer solution at a physiologically relevant pH or temperature), and the imaging process is relatively nondestructive. In this work, the mechanical properties of supported lipid bilayers and neurons were examined using AFM-based techniques. Specifically, tapping mode AFM-based techniques …

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