Digital Commons Network^™

Identification Of Disease Resistance Networks In Maize Involved In Resistance To Aspergillus Flavus And To Aflatoxin Accumulation, Aparna Natarajan

Theses

Aspergillus flavusis a filamentous fungusthat causes an ear and kernel rot in maize (Zea mays L.). It produces a toxic secondary metabolite, aflatoxin, on the colonized maize kernels. Aflatoxin is a carcinogen to humans and animals. The toxin is also an immunosuppressant and causes aspergillosis in immune compromised individuals. Therefore, the presence of aflatoxin in food is strictly regulated by governmental agencies. Contaminated food leads to severe loss in profit and in marketable yield. There has been extensive research to investigate resistance of maize toA. flavus. Certain lines of maize exhibit increased resistance to A. flavus and aflatoxin accumulation compared …

In-Service Elementary Teachers' Familiarity, Interest, Conceptual Knowledge, And Performance On Science Process Skills, Erin Miles

Theses

The purposes of this research study were to determine (a) in-service elementary teachers' familiarity, interest, conceptual knowledge of , and performance on science process skills and (b) how in-service elementary teachers' familiarity with, interest in conceptual knowledge of and performance on science process skills relate to each other. The science process skills include the basic skills [observation, classification, measuring, predicting, inferring, and communication,] and the integrated skills [hypothesizing, experimenting, identifying and controlling variables, formulating models, interpreting data, and graphing]. Twenty-four in-service elementary teachers enrolled in a master of math and science education degree program participated in this study. Participants completed …

The Effects Of A Community-Based Lifestyle, Cassidy Maria Scoggins

Theses

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Cassidy Scoggins, for the Masters of Science degree in Food and Nutrition, presented on November 19, 2009, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: THE EFFECTS OF A COMMUNITY-BASED LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION ON SNACKING PATTERNS, SCREEN TIME PATTERNS, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVELS AMONG ADOLESCENTS WHO ARE AT-RISK FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES MAJOR PROFESSOR: Dr. Sharon Peterson Previous research has shown that overweight and obesity in adolescents is one of the leading risk factors for developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). There are several risk factors for obesity that are modifiable in adolescents. Of these, snacking patterns, …

Prevalence And Timing Of Enamel Hypoplasias In The Vagnari Skeletal Sample (1st - 4th Centuries A.D.), Chrystal Lea Nause

Theses

This thesis investigates infant and childhood health in the Roman period (1st to 4th centuries A.D.) cemetery at Vagnari using data on the prevalence and timing of linear enamel hypoplasias (LEH‘s). These results are examined in the context of historical and archaeological evidence for childhood health in ancient Rome. Analysis of the prevalence of LEH‘s in 48 individuals reveals a low frequency (64.6 %) of enamel hypoplasias in comparison with other Roman period skeletal samples, suggesting that political–economic or geographical variables may have contributed to the generally healthy conditions for subadults at Vagnari. Intrasite analysis indicates no significant difference between …

Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry Analysis Of Healthy And Emphysemic Acinus Models, Emily Jean Berg

Theses

Inhaled particles reaching the alveolar walls have the potential to cross the blood gas barrier and enter the blood stream. Pulmonary dosimetry, however, is not well understood. Numerical and experimental studies shed some light on the mechanisms of particle transport, but realistic geometries have not been investigated. In order to accurately predict particle deposition, the characteristics that affect deposition need to be understood. This includes, but is not limited to, fluid flow, lung morphology, breathing conditions, and particle concentration. Various geometries have been used for research, but very few are close representations to in vivo geometry. Most studies have used …

Validation Of 3d Radiative Transfer In Coastal-Ocean Water Systems As Modeled By Dirsig, Jacqueline Amy Speir

Theses

The radiative transfer equation (RTE) is a mathematical description of radiative gains and losses experienced by a propagating electromagnetic wave in a participating medium. Except for an isotropic lossless vacuum, all other volumes have the potential to scatter, absorb and emit radiant energy. Of these possible events, the global scattering term is the greatest obstacle between a radiative transfer problem and its solution. Historically, the RTE has been solved using a host of analytical approximations and numerical methods. Typical solution models exploit plane-parallel assumptions where it is assumed that optical properties may vary vertically with depth, but have an infinite …

Memory Box, An Interactive Teaching Application For Young Students With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Itai Shperber

Theses

This thesis presents an outline and fundamental design for the development of an interactive teaching application for young students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or (ADHD). The project proposes a visual teaching aid used by sixth to ninth grade middle school students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders. The author argues that the combination of various modern instructional methods, focusing on user experience and interactivity, can improve the learning experience for students with ADHD. He also argues that students can achieve higher marks and improve their overall educational experiences by adding visual and interactive elements to the written educational material. The …

Fusing Small-Footprint Waveform Lidar And Hyperspectral Data For Canopy-Level Species Classification And Herbaceous Biomass Modeling In Savanna Ecosystems, Diane Sarrazin

Theses

The study of ecosystem structure, function, and composition has become increasingly important in order to gain a better understanding of how impacts wrought by natural disturbances, climate, and human activity can alter ecosystem services provided to a population. Research groups at Rochester Institute of Technology and Carnegie Institution for Science are focusing on characterization of savanna ecosystems and are using data from the Carnegie Airborne Observatory (CAO), which integrates advanced imaging spectroscopy and waveform light detection and ranging (wLiDAR) data. This component of the larger ecosystem project has as a goal the fusion of imaging spectroscopy and small-footprint wLiDAR data …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Zinc Oxide Complex Nanostructures, Dinghao Tang

Theses

Zinc Oxide nanostructures are important for many applications, specifically for developing novel catalysts and sensors which our research group has been working on. The objectives of this thesis are: (1) synthesis and characterization of complex ZnO nanostructures; (2) development of synthesis protocols for high-yield and reliable synthesis of nanostructures. In this thesis, chapter 1 introduces the background of nanoscience and nanotechnology, with a focus on nanomaterials. In chapter 2, the fundamental knowledge of ZnO and relevant characterization techniques are introduced, specifically the crystallography of ZnO wurtzite structure and the scanning (transmission) electron microscopy. Several goals have been achieved and they …

Evaluation Of The Relationship Of Aiouea With Cinnamomum, Ocotea And Mocinnodaphne (Lauraceae) Using Epidermal Leaf Characters, Juan Carlos Penagos Zuluaga

Theses

The relationship of species of Aiouea (Lauraceae) to Cinnamomum, Ocotea, and Mocinnodaphne was evaluated using leaf epidermal characters. Representative species of these genera had been placed in two quite separate clades in a previous molecular study by Chanderbali et al. (2001). This study includes thirty-seven neotropical species of Aiouea, Cinnamomum, Ocotea and Mocinnodaphne. Epidermal characters, including the stomatal apparatus, were observed to evaluate the relationship of Aiouea with the other three genera. Samples were examined under light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and characters were scored from digital images. A stomatal rim made by the …

Optimizing And Benchmarking Returnable Container Processes Within An Automotive Distribution System, Camille Chism

Theses

An analysis of Reusable Packaging in automobile manufacturing facilities, as well as a comparison to other industries, shows that returnable container systems are not being fully utilized.

In this study, methods to return and track packaging materials for reuse are examined. Issues identified through surveys and interviews are summarized, and a recommendation to more fully utilize systems currently in place is proposed. An evaluation based on utilizing the current system will enable us to assign a cost to current operations, and may support an investment in improved systems and technologies.

Most of the companies surveyed gauge functionality based on whether …

Analysis And Design Of An Intra-Coaxial Reflected-Power Telemetry System, Jeffrey Kemp

Theses

Failures of connectors used in radio frequency (RF) systems cost the telecom industry, mainly cellular phone providers, billions of dollars annually. This cost is incurred because the integrity of the connectors cannot currently be monitored in-system and failure results in catastrophic signal loss. The Smart Connector project aims to solve this problem by designing a connector with the capability to sense and report its own integrity. An integrated sensor chip has been developed that mounts on a molded inter-connect device inside of a coaxial cable connector. The current prototype system uses a direct connection to the chip to send the …

Assessment Of Healthcare Waste Management In The Uae With Emphasis On Radioactive Waste, Maryem Ahmad Joan Al-Dahiri

Theses

During coastline cleaning campaign carried out in the UAE in 1993, various amounts of waste classified as medical waste were identified. As a result, public concern has been raised concerning the handling and disposal of medical waste in the country. Despite that, little work has been conducted to assess medical waste management in the UAE and no published work has been found that assesses the management of radioactive medical waste. The main objective of this research was to assess the process of implementation of medical waste management applied at major hospitals in the UAE in comparison with the guidelines established …

Modification Of An Asynchronous Dexterous Hand Movement Decoder For Hardware Implementation, Adam Kevin Bosen

Theses

One of the goals of modern prosthetics research is to provide natural, neurologically driven control of a prosthetic device, preferably in a portable format. Previously, an algorithm for asynchronously decoding individuated finger and wrist movements from recordings of neural activity in the primary motor cortex was developed by Aggarwal et al. and implemented in software. The first objective of this work was to determine what effect simplifying Aggarwal's algorithm by using linear Artificial neural networks instead of nonlinear ones would have on movement detection and classification accuracy. The simplified algorithm developed in this work was demonstrated to achieve movement detection …

Geometric Effects On The Wear Of Microfabricated Silicon Journal Bearings, Shpend Demiri

Theses

This dissertation presents an investigation of geometric effects on the wear of large aspect ratio silicon journal microbearings. The consideration of geometric conformality of rotor and hub as a critical design parameter manifests from the inherent properties of deep reactive ion etching as part of the current MEMS fabrication process employed in this dissertation. The investigation is conducted in two phases, each characterized by novel microbearing designs, fabrication processes, experimental test methodologies, and characterization techniques. The intent of Phase 1 is to focus on the effects of conformality of wear, while the intent of Phase 2 is to focus on …

Design Of Drug Delivery Strategies Based On Well-Stirred Experiments, Kumud Kanneganti

Theses

Drugs are generally administered to the human body via injections (IV) or through other paths such as the buccal, nasal routes. The main consideration when designing a medication schedule is to maintain a therapeutic level of the drug in the body during the course of treatment. To achieve this goal, when IV drug therapy is selected, particular importance has to given to the dose to be injected and how to maintain the concentration of the pharmaceutical active ingredient (API) in the body between a Minimum Toxic Concentration (MTC) and a Minimum Effective Concentration (MEC). This therapeutic range varies with the …

Axon Guided Axon Growth In Drg Neurons From The Spinal Cord Of Rat Embryos, Neha Jain

Theses

Early studies in the area of neuronal physiology and injury have shown that axons are guided by a number of physical as well as chemical cues. Although the guidance effect of initial axons and their processes on later axons has been shown from a development point of view, little light has been thrown on the subject from the injury point of view. This important ability of axons which plays a key role during development and formation of neuronal networks could become crucial in repairing damaged nerves and disrupted neuronal tracts.

In the following study, the guidance effect of an older …

Comparison Between Different Techniques Of Preprocessing For Resting State Fmri Analysis, Megha Girdhar

Theses

Resting state functional connectivity as the name suggests is defined as significant temporal correlation between spatially distinct regions of the brain during rest. In this thesis, fMRI resting state dataset was analyzed using different available processing techniques with the same fMRI data to study differences between the various methods. All the imaging data from each of the subjects was processed in an identical fashion. The same method was used for detecting connectivity. The number of independent components in the data was used as the base to differentiate the effect of each of these methods. Independent component analysis was performed on …

Minimum Agitation Speed For Solid Suspension And Mixing Time In A Torispherical -Bottomed Pharmaceutical Stirred Tank Under Different Baffling Conditions, Dilanji Bhagya Wijayasekara

Theses

The minimum agitation speed, NS, required to just suspend solid particles dispersed in water was experimentally determined in this work for a glass-lined type of mixing tank provided with a torispherical bottom and agitated with a retreat-blade impeller under different baffling configurations. Ns for the same tank but equipped with a different agitation system, namely an axial impeller, was also experimentally determined for the purpose of comparing of performances of the two systems. The effect of impeller off- bottom clearance and the vessel's liquid level on the minimum agitation speed were also experimentally studied. Njs, was experimentally determined …

Synthesis Of Polyethylene/Starch Hybrids Using Aqueous Mini Emulsion Polymerization, Brinda Shah

Theses

Sustainability regarding the most produced plastic, polyethylene, was the main motivation factor behind research of this thesis. The aim was to synthesize hybrids of polyethylene and starch in an aqueous mini emulsion polymerization process using single-site catalysts. Two types of water soluble starches were applied: potato and hydroxyethyl starch. A trifluoromethane bearing nickel enolate catalyst and a 5-halo 3-methoxy salicyl aldiminate nickel pyridyl catalyst (with Cl and Br as halogen atoms) were used as polymerization catalysts, the latter two known to results in higher molecular weight polymer. The first catalyst turned to be sufficiently active with increased loads of starch …

The Nhanes Iii Database: Design And A Retrospective Study To Identify Associations Between Vitamin D And Hypertension, Brandon J. Marzullo

Theses

The results from government surveys are often available wholly or in part to the general public. However the format of this information is not always optimal for distribution or analysis, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III, NHANES III, is one such example. This survey is released as data sets containing a Statistical Analysis Software (SAS) program, a column delimited data file, and documentation. This limits access to the data by requiring a license to read in and query the data. By taking the data in its available format and parsing it into a MySQL database the wealth of …

Scalability Study For Robotic Hand Platform, Melissa Monahan

Theses

The goal of this thesis project was to determine the lower limit of scale for the RIT robotic grasping hand. This was accomplished using a combination of computer simulation and experimental studies. A force analysis was conducted to determine the size of air muscles required to achieve appropriate contact forces at a smaller scale. Input variables, such as the actuation force and tendon return force, were determined experimentally. A dynamic computer model of the hand system was then created using Recurdyn. This was used to predict the contact (grasping) force of the fingers at full-scale, half-scale, and quarter-scale. Correlation between …

Gas-Phase Surface Modification Of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes And Polymers, Fei Lu

Theses

Gas-phase surface modification is a key technology for the processing and manufacture of many materials. Three experimental methods were used in this research to modify the surfaces: (1) Vacuum UV (VUV) photo-oxidation of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) paper, polystyrene and Nafion®-117; (2) Microwave (MW) plasma discharge of an Ar-O2 mixture producing oxygen atoms in the absence of radiation to treat SWNT paper and polystyrene; and (3) UV bromination employing photolysis of gaseous HBr at different wavelengths (253.7 & 184.9 nm and 253.7 nm) to treat SWNT paper and powder. The quantitative and chemical changes in the top 2-5 nm of …

Pho13 Phosphoglycolate Phosphatase From Saccharomyces Cerevisiae (Baker’S Yeast), A Member Of The P-Nitrophenylphosphatase Family Of The Haloalkanoic Acid Dehalogenase (Had) Superfamily, Regina Puts

Theses

The function of phosphoglycolate phosphatase (PGPase) in photosynthetic organisms such as green algae (Chlamydomonas reinhardti) is to recycle the 2-phosphoglycolate that is formed as a by-product of the Calvin cycle. The role of PGPase in nonphotosynthetic organisms is less understood, but one potential role that has been suggested is to remove the 2-phosphoglycolate that is formed as a result of DNA repair. This may be the biological role of PHO13 PGPase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae as well. PHO13 PGPase from S. cerevisiae is a member of the PGPase subfamily within the p-nitrophenylphosphatase (p-NPPase) family, which is within the Haloalkanoic Acid Dehalogenase …

Topological & Network Theoretic Approaches In Hyperspectral Remote Sensing, Ryan H. Lewis

Theses

Hyperspectral remote sensing is a valuable new technology that has numerous com- mercial and scientific applications. For example, it has been used to study crop health, mineral and soil composition, and pollution levels. Hyperspectral imaging also has im- portant military and intelligence applications such as the identification of man-made materials, and detection of chemical and biological plumes. The key mathematical challenges of hyperspectral imaging include image classification, anomaly detection, and target detection. Image classification is the process of grouping pixels into spec- trally similar clusters. This thesis describes a new topological and network-theoretic approach for classifying pixels in hyperspectral image …

Scalable Data Clustering Using Gpus, Andrew D. Pangborn

Theses

The computational demands of multivariate clustering grow rapidly, and therefore processing large data sets, like those found in flow cytometry data, is very time consuming on a single CPU. Fortunately these techniques lend themselves naturally to large scale parallel processing. To address the computational demands, graphics processing units, specifically NVIDIA's CUDA framework and Tesla architecture, were investigated as a low-cost, high performance solution to a number of clustering algorithms. C-means and Expectation Maximization with Gaussian mixture models were implemented using the CUDA framework. The algorithm implementations use a hybrid of CUDA, OpenMP, and MPI to scale to many GPUs on …

The Environmental Concern Of Youth At A Ymca Youth Adventure Camp, Sarah A. Schneider

Theses

This study was conducted to examine and report on the environmental concern of the youth participants of the Teen Adventure program at YMCA Camp Jones Gulch to determine if those ideas altered over the course of the campers' chosen summer camp experience. Campers and their guardians were asked to provide consent and assent to participate. Forty-three participants completed both a pre and posttest survey which included 15 items on a Likert-type scale asking participants to rate their agreement with statements about the environment. Results indicated that neither activity nor age was significant in explaining differences. However, further examination showed a …

Effects Of Internal Fields In Quantum Dots, Sasi Sekaran Sundaresan

Theses

In this work we study the effect of built in electrostatic fields in Quantum Dots. Built-in electrostatic fields in Zincblende quantum dots originate mainly from--(1) the fundamental crystal atomicity and the interfaces between two dissimilar materials, (2) the strain relaxation, and (3) the piezoelectric polarization. We also study the geometric dependence of built in fields on 3 shapes namely Box, Dome and Pyramid. The main objectives are 3 fold they are (1) Explore the nature and the role of crystal atomicity at the interfaces and built-in fields (strain-field, and piezoelectric polarization) in determining the energy spectrum and the wave functions. …

Impacts Of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid On Tsuga Canadensis Forest Communities In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Usa, Kurt J. Krapfl

Theses

Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr. (eastern hemlock), a long lived and shade tolerant coniferous tree species native to eastern North America, is currently threatened by the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand, HWA). This exotic, invasive insect poses a serious threat to T. canadensis stands throughout their native range. The loss of this unique tree species is often coupled with numerous ecological consequences. HWA-induced mortality has exceeded 95% in some forest types, and will likely continue to decimate T. canadensis populations in the coming years. Shortly after HWA was found in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), long-term monitoring plots …

Evaluation Of The Tab-Simco Acid Mine Drainage Treatment System: Water Chemistry, Performance And Treatment Processes, Yosief Teklehaimanot Segid

Theses

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