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Saprophagous Caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Herminiinae): Effect Of Bacillus Thuringiensis Var. Kurstaki Application In Forest And Laboratory Settings., Karen Jeanine Kish Jan 2004

Saprophagous Caterpillars (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Herminiinae): Effect Of Bacillus Thuringiensis Var. Kurstaki Application In Forest And Laboratory Settings., Karen Jeanine Kish

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The larvae of the Herminiinae are macrodecomposers of forest leaf litter. Eight species were studied to determine the effects of aerially applied Btk. Adults were collected weekly by light trap for 7 consecutive seasons. The first 2 years provided baseline information, followed by 2 years of Btk treatment and 3 post-treatment years. Idia aemula (Hübner)(Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae were collected from control plots and treated with Btk in the laboratory to determine susceptibility. Untreated larvae were reared to adulthood and mated to obtain information on their biology. Differences in light trap counts between years were significant for all 8 species. Forest …

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Influence Of Parenting Factors On Childhood Social Anxiety: Direct Observation Of Parental Warmth And Control., Kristine E. Rork Jan 2004

Influence Of Parenting Factors On Childhood Social Anxiety: Direct Observation Of Parental Warmth And Control., Kristine E. Rork

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of the present study was to determine the association of parenting behaviors with the level of social anxiety symptomatology in their children. Three parental factors, including parental socialization, control, and warmth were investigated in a sample of 31 two-parent families. Rather than solely rely upon retrospective questionnaires, this study incorporated direct observation and a Daily Activity Log to more accurately assess the qualities of social interaction. Moderate associations between parental control and child anxious symptomatology were found, with no support for the association between parental warmth and child anxiety. Implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.

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Developing Intelligent Synthetic Logs: Application To Upper Devonian Units In Pennsylvania., Luisa F. Rolon Jan 2004

Developing Intelligent Synthetic Logs: Application To Upper Devonian Units In Pennsylvania., Luisa F. Rolon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A methodology to generate synthetic wireline logs is presented. Synthetic logs can help to analyze the reservoir properties in areas where the set of logs that are necessary, are absent or incomplete. The approach presented involves the use of Artificial Neural Networks, as the main tool, in conjunction with data obtained from conventional wireline logs. Implementation of this approach aims to reduce operation costs to companies. Development of the neural network model was completed using a General Regression Neural Network, and four wells that included gamma ray, density, neutron, and resistivity logs. Synthetic logs were generated through two different exercises. …

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Pharmaceutical Quality Performance Of Folic Acid Supplements, Islam Rasem Younis Dec 2003

Pharmaceutical Quality Performance Of Folic Acid Supplements, Islam Rasem Younis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The vitamin folic acid has received considerable attention in the 1990s because of its preventative role against diseases such as neural tube defects, cardiovascular diseases, and psychiatric illness.;A primary concern is the pharmaceutical quality, potency, and efficacy of commercially available folic acid products and label claims. The results showed that there has been significant progress since the 1990's in the improved quality of commercially available folic acid products in meeting USP standards.;Products were also tested in physiologically relevant solutions. Most notably, all the tested products failed to release more than 75% of the active ingredient in 60 minutes in simulated …

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Characterization And Recommendations For The Remediation Of Acid Mine Drainage Impacted Streams, Patrick F. Hudnall Dec 2003

Characterization And Recommendations For The Remediation Of Acid Mine Drainage Impacted Streams, Patrick F. Hudnall

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Beaver Creek watershed (located in West Virginia) has been severely impacted by Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) from surface mining operations. Water quality was monitored via water quality grab samples, in-situ water quality monitoring devices (YSI Sondes), and fish and macroinvertebrate community sampling. High concentrations of metal ions (Fe, Mn, Al, and SO 4) and acidity along with low pH and alkalinity values were observed from water quality sampling sites. The water quality data collected from the in-situ monitoring devices and fish and macroinvertebrate sampling supported the findings from the water quality grab sampling. Recommendations were made for the remediation, …

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Hybrid Neural Networks Models For A Membrane Reactor, Mohammed Al-Yemni Dec 2003

Hybrid Neural Networks Models For A Membrane Reactor, Mohammed Al-Yemni

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Artificial neural networks (ANN) have become an established discipline and have gained extensive interest within chemical engineering. In recent years, research effort has focused on the use of "hybrid artificial neural networks" (HANN) models that combine both the deterministic and the ANN elements. Several methods have been proposed for combining ANN with first principle relations. In this thesis, a new hybrid scheme, which is similar to that developed by Kasprow for a space-independent and time-dependent fed-batch microbial reactor, was developed for a space-dependent steady-state enzymatic reactor. This scheme combines ANN with mass balances and assumed rate expressions. It was shown …

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Utilization Of *Assessment By Maryland Cooperative Extension Faculty, Jennifer Thorn Bentlejewski Dec 2003

Utilization Of *Assessment By Maryland Cooperative Extension Faculty, Jennifer Thorn Bentlejewski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The research study explored the degree of faculty utilization of assessment practices at the class, program, and institutional levels within the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension. Differences in assessment utilization among faculty of various ranks and disciplines were examined. Faculty perceptions of the benefits and challenges of implementing assessment were also investigated. A quantitative research approach guided the study, which utilized a 78-item survey. Descriptive statistics, multivariate analyses of variance, and analyses of variance were used to analyze the quantitative data. In addition to the survey instrument, a qualitative analysis of data was conducted with regard to learning outcomes and …

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Identity Formation Of Adolescents Involved In Selected Structured Activities, Sara A. Drake Dec 2003

Identity Formation Of Adolescents Involved In Selected Structured Activities, Sara A. Drake

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Identity formation is seen as the primary developmental task during adolescence according to Erikson (1968). Adolescents' involvement in structured activities such as extracurricular activity, 4-H, and volunteerism were examined to determine their associations with identity formation. Researcher James Marcia (1966) developed four statuses of identity formation: diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and achieved. Categorization in one of the four statuses depends upon the levels of both crisis and commitment. Adolescents who are in the identity-diffused category have had no crisis or made no commitment. Those who foreclose, have made a commitment, but have had no crisis. Moratorium is a state of exploration, …

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Seasonal Movements Of Yellow-Phase American Eels ( Anguilla Rostrata) In The Shenandoah River, West Virginia, Stephen D. Hammond Dec 2003

Seasonal Movements Of Yellow-Phase American Eels ( Anguilla Rostrata) In The Shenandoah River, West Virginia, Stephen D. Hammond

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

American eels undergo extensive upstream migration in Atlantic coastal river systems. Few studies, however, have focused on movements of large yellow-phase American eels near dams in upper watersheds of Atlantic coastal rivers. We examined relationships between stream flow, water temperature, and lunar phase, and movements of radio-tagged yellow-phase American eels (518--810 mm TL) near Millville hydroelectric dam in the lower Shenandoah River, West. Movements of yellow-phase American eels differed among seasons. Water temperature and stream flow were associated with upstream migration during spring. Downstream movements during fall corresponded with decreasing water temperatures and darker nights near the new moon. Localized …

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Enhancing Quality And Extending Shelf Life Of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) By Vitamin E Supplementation And Post-Harvest Antimicrobial Intervention, Nalini Kamireddy Dec 2003

Enhancing Quality And Extending Shelf Life Of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) By Vitamin E Supplementation And Post-Harvest Antimicrobial Intervention, Nalini Kamireddy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rainbow trout were fed a control (191 mg/kg) or the control diet supplemented with 5000 mg alpha-tocopherol/kg. Fish were sampled at 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 9 weeks of feeding; at each week fillets were evaluated at 0, 7, and 14 d. Supplementation increased fillet alpha-tocopherol content, and TBARS value were not affected. A feeding by storage time interaction was observed for fat content, psychrotrophic counts, cook yield, and shear force. For antimicrobial intervention, fillets were not treated or were dipped in water, 50 ppm ASC, and 1000 ppm ASC for 30 s. Fillets were stored at 1--2°C for …

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Winter Habitat Use Of Fishes In The Ohio River, Benjamin Ernst Lenz Dec 2003

Winter Habitat Use Of Fishes In The Ohio River, Benjamin Ernst Lenz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Winter is a critical period during which fishes may suffer increased mortality. To identify the habitats that fishes use in large rivers during winter conditions, we electrofished six habitat types in the Belleville Pool, Ohio River. We collected the greatest diversity and numbers of fishes in low-velocity tributary confluences when water temperatures were >4°C. When water temperatures were <4°C, certain species were collected in greater abundance in faster-velocity main channel and back channel habitats while other species continued to associate with lower flows in tributary mouths. Differing habitat use between species obscures broad generalizations about when and how fishes use overwintering refuges. In an additional habitat sampled, an embayment, 85% of all fishes collected were juveniles. Centrarchids, rarely collected in the mainstem portion of the river, were one of the dominant fishes collected in the embayment. Protecting large river embayments may prove important for managing recreational sunfish fisheries.

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Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) Movement And Habitat Use In A Headwater Stream Of The Central Appalachian Mountains Of West Virginia, Marisa Nel Logan Dec 2003

Brook Trout (Salvelinus Fontinalis) Movement And Habitat Use In A Headwater Stream Of The Central Appalachian Mountains Of West Virginia, Marisa Nel Logan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are the only salmonid native to the Appalachians. They are a resilient species, populating small, low productive streams. Although such streams have historically been abundant in the Appalachians, brook trout populations have been threatened due to habitat degradation such as logging and acidification of waters. The objective of this study was to evaluate brook trout habitat use, home range, and movement patterns in an Appalachian headwater stream during spring and more specifically high flow events. I implanted brook trout with radio tags and tracked their movement for approximately 30 days during late spring 2002 and early …

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Aquaculture-Related Stress On Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) And Arctic Char (Salvelinus Alpinus), Christopher D. Nelson Dec 2003

Aquaculture-Related Stress On Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) And Arctic Char (Salvelinus Alpinus), Christopher D. Nelson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recent expansions in aquaculture characterize it as one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. agricultural sector. Expansion has been facilitated by increased production of many important aquatic species including catfish, salmon, trout, tilapia, shrimp, oysters, and crawfish. West Virginia aquaculture, also an expanding industry, is currently characterized by small-scale, widely dispersed farms. To facilitate future expansion of aquaculture in West Virginia, focuses on product quality as well as production efficiency, identification of limiting factors and investigation into new or alternative management techniques are needed. Objectives of this project were to determine the effects of nitrite and carbon dioxide …

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Soil Characterization, Classification, And Biomass Accumulation In The Otter Creek Wilderness, Jamie Schnably Dec 2003

Soil Characterization, Classification, And Biomass Accumulation In The Otter Creek Wilderness, Jamie Schnably

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study evaluated soils of the Otter Creek Wilderness in the Monongahela National Forest. Thirteen sites were sampled and analyzed according to landscape position: three terrace soils (T), four ridgetop soils (R), three sideslope soils with argillic horizons (SSA), and three sideslope soils with cambic horizons (SSC). At each site, one pedon was described and sampled, and biomass data were collected. Standard chemical and physical properties, clay mineralogy, extractable sulfate and sulfated adsorption capacity were analyzed. The SSA soils had the highest pH, the most diverse vegetation, and the highest base saturation. These soils had a low risk for acid …

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Cerulean Warbler Relative Abundance And Frequency Of Occurrence Relative To Large-Scale Edge, Scott B. Bosworth Dec 2003

Cerulean Warbler Relative Abundance And Frequency Of Occurrence Relative To Large-Scale Edge, Scott B. Bosworth

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cerulean Warblers (Dendroica cerulea) were studied in southwestern West Virginia where the coal mining technique of mountaintop mining/valley fill (MTMVF) continues to perforate large contiguous tracts of deciduous forest. My study objectives were to (1) quantify abundance and probability of occurrence of Cerulean Warblers relative to distance from large-scale edge (defined as reclaimed MTMVF sites) and (2) relate habitat structure and landscape characteristics to the species' probability of occurrence. Cerulean Warbler abundance increased significantly (P < 0.10) with distance from reclaimed mine edge. However, percent occurrence relative to distance from mine edge was not significant, suggesting a degree of tolerance to the large-scale edge created by MTMVF. Abundance was significantly greater on ridges than bottomlands. Percent occurrence did not differ among the three slope positions but followed a trend similar to abundance. Consequently, disturbances such as MTMVF in which ridges are removed may have a greater impact on populations compared to other sources of fragmentation where ridges are not disturbed. Other habitat structure analyses suggest good indicators of Cerulean Warbler presence are the more productive sites on northwest to east facing slopes and low sapling density. Similarly, Cerulean Warbler abundance was positively associated with more productive sites and snag density. Important landscape characteristics positively associated with abundance were large blocks of mature deciduous forest and low edge density. Mountaintop mining/valley fill alters the spatial configuration of forested habitats in southwestern West Virginia, thus creating less suitable habitat and edge effects that negatively affect Cerulean Warbler abundance, occurrence, and distribution in the reclaimed mine landscape.

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Population Level Dynamics Of Grasshopper Sparrow Populations Breeding On Reclaimed Mountaintop Mines In West Virginia, Frank K. Ammer Dec 2003

Population Level Dynamics Of Grasshopper Sparrow Populations Breeding On Reclaimed Mountaintop Mines In West Virginia, Frank K. Ammer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

During 2001 and 2002, I surveyed three mountaintop mining/valley fill (MTMVF) complexes in southern West Virginia to determine vegetation characteristics important to nest site selection and to estimate nest success for Grasshopper Sparrow populations inhabiting these complexes. I also performed genetic analyses to assess overall population structure, mating system, parentage, kinship, and gender of individuals comprising these populations. A total of 415 grasshopper sparrows were captured and systematic searches of study plots produced 75 active nests. Nest survival for 2001--2002 breeding season (33%) is comparable to survival rates previously reported in the literature. Nest survival rates decreased with increased reclamation …

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Synthesis And Characterization Of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers And Their Application In Preconcentrators For Gas Phase Sensors, Yi Fu Dec 2003

Synthesis And Characterization Of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers And Their Application In Preconcentrators For Gas Phase Sensors, Yi Fu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Various of molecularly imprinted polymers were synthesized by different protocols. Piezoelectric quartz crystals coated with molecularly imprinted polymers were prepared to detect small organic vapors. Hydroquinone (HQ) and Phenol (P) have been used as non-covalent bound templates in order to generate shape-selectivity cavities in the polymer matrix. The recognition film was immobilized on the crystal surface via a pre-coated Poly(isobutylene) layer. The selective behaviors of the imprinted polymer films were studied by their steady-state response to various kinds of small organic vapors. The partition coefficients of polymers toward vapors were evaluated. The imprinted polymers exhibit high sensitivity and selectivity toward …

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Censusing And Modeling The Dynamics Of A Population Of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis L.) Using Remote Sensing, W. Robert Lamar Dec 2003

Censusing And Modeling The Dynamics Of A Population Of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis L.) Using Remote Sensing, W. Robert Lamar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A population of eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis L.) was censused from the ground using traditional field methods and from the air using large scale, high-resolution, aerial imagery in the early spring of 1997, 1998 and 1999. A manual crown survey map of the population, prepared from aerial imagery, was compared to a traditional field census. Over 60% of the individuals measured on the ground were not detected in the aerial census. Tree size, crown density and crown position all played roles in determining a crown's visibility from the air. Nearly all large, upper canopy hemlocks were visible in the aerial …

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Ecology And Management Of Raccoons Within An Intensively Managed Forest In The Central Appalachians, Sheldon F. Owen Dec 2003

Ecology And Management Of Raccoons Within An Intensively Managed Forest In The Central Appalachians, Sheldon F. Owen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The raccoon (Procyon lotor), a generalist meso-predator, is commonly found throughout the eastern United States. Many researchers have examined the ecology and spatial requirements of raccoons in agricultural and wetland areas of the mid-western and southeastern United States. However, no studies have quantitatively examined raccoon habits in the forested central Appalachians and their response to forest management. During the fall of 2000 through the spring of 2003, I monitored the spatial movements and den site selection of raccoons within an intensively managed forest.;I investigated the occurrence of raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) in raccoons (Procyon lotor) within my study area. I …

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Metallothionein Isoform 3 Expression In Human Bladder Urothelium, Seongmi Park Dec 2003

Metallothionein Isoform 3 Expression In Human Bladder Urothelium, Seongmi Park

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The third isoform of metallothionein, MT-3 is shown to have a restricted pattern of tissue distribution with expression confined to the neural tissue. Previous work done by this laboratory has shown that MT-3 is not expressed in the normal bladder but is over-expressed in bladder cancer with levels correlating to the type and grade of tumor. Recently, a new bladder epithelial cell line UROtsa has been characterized that does not express the MT-3 gene and may serve as a useful in vitro model system of the normal human urothelium. The goal of this study was to see the effect of …

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Sport Psychology Strategies, Types Of Social Support, And Adherence To Injury Rehabilitation Among University Student -Athletes, Kenneth Tubilleja Dec 2003

Sport Psychology Strategies, Types Of Social Support, And Adherence To Injury Rehabilitation Among University Student -Athletes, Kenneth Tubilleja

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study examined differences between levels of adherence to athletic injury rehabilitation (SIRAS; Brewer, Van Raalte, Petitpas, Sklar, & Ditmar, 1995) among injured student-athletes on their use of sport psychology strategies (TOPS; Thomas, Murphy, & Hardy, 1999) and their perceived social support (SSS-C; Richman, Rosenfeld, & Hardy, 1993). Relationships between adherence to athletic injury rehabilitation and sport psychology strategies and perceived social support were also investigated. In addition, participants' use and training in sport psychology strategies was explored. The sample consisted of 35 student-athletes from 1 NCAA Division I and 3 Division II institutions who sustained athletic injuries that …

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Impacts On Terrestrial And Streamside Herpetofauna By Mountaintop Removal Mining In Southern West Virginia, Jennifer Mravintz Williams Dec 2003

Impacts On Terrestrial And Streamside Herpetofauna By Mountaintop Removal Mining In Southern West Virginia, Jennifer Mravintz Williams

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Mountaintop removal mining, a mining technique used in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia and nearby states, converts mature forests to grassland and shrub-pole habitats. I sampled terrestrial herpetofauna using drift fences with pitfalls and funnel traps from 2000--2002 to evaluate habitat use of unmined native habitat (intact forest), mined habitat (reclaimed grassland, reclaimed shrub-pole habitat, and fragmented forest), and early successional off-mine habitats that were created by other types of disturbance and were structurally similar to reclaimed grasslands and reclaimed shrubpole habitats. I searched transects in valley fill and reference streams from 2001--2002 to evaluate impacts of valley fill …

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Investigation Of Initiation Of Reverse Transcription In Retroviruses Using Vectors With Two Primer -Binding Sites, Yegor A. Voronin Dec 2003

Investigation Of Initiation Of Reverse Transcription In Retroviruses Using Vectors With Two Primer -Binding Sites, Yegor A. Voronin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Initiation of reverse transcription in retroviruses occurs on a specific place in viral genome, called primer-binding site (PBS). Cellular tRNA is annealed to the complementary PBS and is used as a primer. We constructed murine leukemia virus (MLV)-based vectors containing two PBSs, one in normal position and another in the middle of the vector. Green fluorescence protein (GFP) gene was inserted between the two PBSs. The internal PBS was derived from a spleen necrosis virus (SNV), which uses the same tRNA-Pro as a primer. We have shown that the internal PBS was functional for initiation of reverse transcription. Replication of …

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Novel Syntheses Of Indoles, Quinoxalines, 2-Quinoxalinones, 2-Alkylbenzimidazoles And Other Heterocycles, Jeffery M. Wallace Dec 2003

Novel Syntheses Of Indoles, Quinoxalines, 2-Quinoxalinones, 2-Alkylbenzimidazoles And Other Heterocycles, Jeffery M. Wallace

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Using a palladium-catalyzed reductive N-heteroannulation method previously discovered in our labs, a 20 mmol synthetic route to methyl indole-4-carboxylate has been developed. Methyl indole-4-carboxylate is synthesized in four steps, with the key step being the reductive cyclization of methyl 2-ethenyl-3-nitrobenzoate in good overall yield. This cyclization method has been modified and applied to the preparation of quinoxalines, 2-quinoxalinones and other heterocyclic compounds. We also propose a possible mechanism for these transformations.;In addition, a novel method to 2-alkylbenzimidazoles has been developed. The thermal reaction of 2-azidonitrobenzenes and various aldehydes give 2-alkylbenzimidazoles generally in moderate yield.

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Gender Stereotypes In Children's Television Commercials And The Effects On Consumer Purchasing Behavior, Joanne G. Asztalos Dec 2003

Gender Stereotypes In Children's Television Commercials And The Effects On Consumer Purchasing Behavior, Joanne G. Asztalos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research presents an exploratory investigation on the extent of gender stereotypes portrayed in children's television commercials and the effects on consumer purchasing behavior. The author conducted two studies including a content analysis of viewing 75 children's television commercials, 25 boy, 25 girl, 25 neutral, and documenting evidence of roles, traits, activities, products, speaking parts and settings. Qualitative focus groups were then conducted to correlate the documented gender stereotypes with purchasing behaviors among children between the ages of 6--12. Major findings for this research revealed that there are many gender stereotypes in children's television commercials including the issue that male …

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Laboratory Experiments In Thermal Sciences, Christopher K. Jackson Dec 2003

Laboratory Experiments In Thermal Sciences, Christopher K. Jackson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Study of the basic sciences (chemistry, biology, physics, etc.) requires experimental verification to support the theory developed in the classroom. Engineering solutions are the same in their need for verification. In an academic environment this verification comes in the form of laboratory courses. The link to applications is equally important as the demonstration of theory. This is especially true for engineering disciplines due to the nature of tasks engineers are expected to successfully complete in industry. It is vital for the engineer's career that he/she can successfully apply the background theory learned in university study to real world applications.;The Department …

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Fungi Associated With Northern Red Oak (Quercus Rubra ) Acorns, Dawn M. Washington Dec 2003

Fungi Associated With Northern Red Oak (Quercus Rubra ) Acorns, Dawn M. Washington

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Poor regeneration of northern red oak is widespread in the central hardwood region. A two-part study was conducted to determine what fungi are associated with and cause cotyledon discoloration of northern red oak acorns. The field study determined that simulated small mammal notching, surface sowing, time, and site all play a significant role in the amount of cotyledon discoloration in acorns as well as the number of acorns with discoloration. However, germination rate was only affected by site and surface sowing, while seedling vigor ratings were actually higher when acorns had discolored cotyledons. The five species of fungi isolated most …

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On The Contribution Of Mmp-2 And Mmp-9 To The Postnatal Cerebellar Corticogenesis, Albert E. Ayoub Dec 2003

On The Contribution Of Mmp-2 And Mmp-9 To The Postnatal Cerebellar Corticogenesis, Albert E. Ayoub

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The development of the cerebellar cortex is dependent on orchestrated cell-cell, cell-matrix interactions, as well as intrinsic genetic programs. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes that degrade ECM molecules and are involved in neuronal migration, process extension, and synaptic plasticity. The current study investigated (1) the developmental expression and activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9, and (2) the effect of blocking the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 by a specific inhibitor on the histogenesis of the cerebellar cortex. Cerebella were collected from rat pups every three days starting at postnatal day 3 (P3) until P25---a period equivalent to the third gestational …

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Plant-Wide Energy Assessment Using A Systems Approach, Rajkumar Selvaraj Dec 2003

Plant-Wide Energy Assessment Using A Systems Approach, Rajkumar Selvaraj

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Energy plays a central role in the operation of the industrialized U.S. economy. Industry is historically the largest consuming sector of the economy with more than 60 percent of the energy consumed for manufacturing. The U.S. chemical industry is the world's largest producer of chemicals producing over 25 percent of the total production worldwide. In a chemical industry, the energy is used to supply heat and power for manufacturing processes and for energy feedstock. Due to the energy intensive nature of chemical industries, energy assessments performed could yield huge savings in energy and cost.;The aim of this research is to …

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Raptor Assemblage, Abundance, Nesting Ecology, And Habitat Characteristics Under Intensive Forest Management In The Central Appalachian Mountains, Rebecca D. M. Smith Aug 2003

Raptor Assemblage, Abundance, Nesting Ecology, And Habitat Characteristics Under Intensive Forest Management In The Central Appalachian Mountains, Rebecca D. M. Smith

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Raptor abundance and diversity were examined in three treatments (20-, 40-, and 80-yr harvest rotations) on an industrial forest in the central Appalachian Mountains. I conducted diurnal broadcast surveys, compared nocturnal survey protocols, examined habitat characteristics at two spatial scales (564 m and 1000 m buffers), and described nesting ecology (including prey composition) of 3 species of diurnal raptors. I detected 17 species and found no significant differences in abundance among treatment for all raptors. Forest-dwelling species were detected more often than edge-dwelling species and Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) was the most abundant species. Using a Barred Owl vocalization survey …

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