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Suitability Of Great South Bay, New York To Blooms Of Pfiesteria Piscicida And P. Shumwayae Prior To Superstorm Sandy, October 29, 2012, Pawel Tomasz Zablocki Aug 2015

Suitability Of Great South Bay, New York To Blooms Of Pfiesteria Piscicida And P. Shumwayae Prior To Superstorm Sandy, October 29, 2012, Pawel Tomasz Zablocki

Theses and Dissertations

Pfiesteria piscicida and P. shumwayae are toxic dinoflagellates implicated in massive fish kills in North Carolina and Maryland during 1990s. A set of physical, chemica l, and biological factors influence population dynamics of these organisms. This study employs i nformation gathered from relevant literature on temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbulent mixing, and dissolved nutrients, bacteria, algae, microzooplankton, mesozooplankton, bivalve m ollusks, finfish, and other toxic dinoflagellates, which influence Pfiesteria population dynamics. The research focused on whether conditions in the Great South Bay, Long Island, New York were suitable to blooms of Pfiesteria species prior to the passage of superstorm …

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Ribosome Component Turnover Kinetics Describes A Two-Pool Kinetic Model In Dietary Restriction That Suggests Rpl10 Is Exchanged During Ribosome Lifespan, Andrew David Mathis Aug 2015

Ribosome Component Turnover Kinetics Describes A Two-Pool Kinetic Model In Dietary Restriction That Suggests Rpl10 Is Exchanged During Ribosome Lifespan, Andrew David Mathis

Theses and Dissertations

The eukaryotic ribosome is a large molecular machine consisting of ~80 ribosomal proteins and 4 rRNAs. The 40S and 60S ribosomal subunits are assembled in the nucleolus by ~200 helper proteins then shipped into the cytoplasm or to the endoplasmic reticulum where protein translation takes place. Eventually ribosomes are removed from the cytoplasm and recycled through ribophagy, however, very is little is known about ribosomal protein exchange after assembly but before ribophagy. Using kinetic turnover measurements of ribosomal proteins and rRNA in vivo we determined ribosomal protein replacement rates are diverse suggesting ribosomal components may be replaced without destruction of …

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Effects Of Land Management On Mammalian Species Abundance And Richness Among Four Sites In West-Central Georgia, Kelsey A. Champagne Aug 2015

Effects Of Land Management On Mammalian Species Abundance And Richness Among Four Sites In West-Central Georgia, Kelsey A. Champagne

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

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Design, Fabrication, And Optimization Of Miniaturized Devices For Bioanalytical Applications, Suresh Kumar Aug 2015

Design, Fabrication, And Optimization Of Miniaturized Devices For Bioanalytical Applications, Suresh Kumar

Theses and Dissertations

My dissertation work integrates the techniques of microfabrication, micro/nanofluidics, and bioanalytical chemistry to develop miniaturized devices for healthcare applications. Semiconductor processing techniques including photolithography, physical and chemical vapor deposition, and wet etching are used to build these devices in silicon and polymeric materials. On-chip micro-/nanochannels, pumps, and valves are used to manipulate the flow of fluid in these devices. Analytical techniques such as size-based filtration, solid-phase extraction (SPE), sample enrichment, on-chip labeling, microchip electrophoresis (µCE), and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) are utilized to analyze biomolecules. Such miniaturized devices offer the advantages of rapid analysis, low cost, and lab-on-a-chip scale integration …

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Caffeine Use Within The Safety Sensitive Industry, Cory Austin Mullins Aug 2015

Caffeine Use Within The Safety Sensitive Industry, Cory Austin Mullins

Theses and Dissertations

This study is an in-depth look at caffeine use and its effect on individuals who work within a safety and security sensitive job industry. The focus of this paper is on the current use of caffeine in our society as well as the overuse/abuse of the drug and the causes behind it. This paper will highlight the negative impacts caffeine has on the human body and its cognitive thinking skills but does not neglect the positive impacts as well. Caffeine in energy drinks and similar products is used in an attempt to retain one’s alertness and focus, with little regard …

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An Evaluation On The Wilson Reading Program For Students With Learning Disabilities: A Longitudinal Study, Rosemarie Harrison Jul 2015

An Evaluation On The Wilson Reading Program For Students With Learning Disabilities: A Longitudinal Study, Rosemarie Harrison

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the Wilson Reading Program as a supplemental reading program for students with disabilities. A school district's student decoding and comprehension scores in three years were reviewed and synthesized for the program evaluation. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a repeated measure was used to compare possible differences of student performance in decoding and word recognition, and overall reading skills at each grade level respectively. It was found that the Wilson Reading Program had a significant effect on students' Word Reading Scores in Year 2 of the intervention, but not …

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Level Set Segmentation Using Non-Negative Matrix Factorization With Application To Brain Mri, Dimah Dera Jul 2015

Level Set Segmentation Using Non-Negative Matrix Factorization With Application To Brain Mri, Dimah Dera

Theses and Dissertations

We address the problem of image segmentation using a new deformable model based on the level set method (LSM) and non-negative matrix factorization (NMF). We describe the use of NMF to reduce the dimension of large images from thousands of pixels to a handful of "metapixels" or regions. In addition, the exact number of regions is discovered using the nuclear norm of the NMF factors. The proposed NMF-LSM characterizes the histogram of the image, calculated over the image blocks, as nonnegative combinations of basic histograms computed using NMF (V ~ W H). The matrix W represents the histograms of the …

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My Sisters Myself: Exploring The Health And Wellness Practices Of African American Women, Carmen Alexis Jul 2015

My Sisters Myself: Exploring The Health And Wellness Practices Of African American Women, Carmen Alexis

Theses and Dissertations

African American women contribute disproportionately to disease in the United States. Researchers have repeatedly turned to issues related to poverty, access to medical care, and stress to explain this syndrome, however studies have shown that the disparities persist even in the absence of poverty and impaired access. Stress remains a constant in every discussion of disease in African American women, but what is it that fuels their particular brand of stress and how does it impact the health of African American women? The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the perceptions held by African American women in …

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A Mathematical Model Of A Control Systems Hypothesis Of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate-Receptor-Mediated Ethanol Dependence And Withdrawal Dynamics, Carlos Gutierrez Jul 2015

A Mathematical Model Of A Control Systems Hypothesis Of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate-Receptor-Mediated Ethanol Dependence And Withdrawal Dynamics, Carlos Gutierrez

Theses and Dissertations

The biochemical effects of ethanol on the human brain are manifested through many neurological pathways. Chronic exposure to the depressant has been shown to result in physical dependence. Subsequent cessation results in withdrawal symptoms such as seizures and both short- and long-term changes in neurological activity. One of the primary conduits implicated in the pathways of ethanol dependence and withdrawal is the detection of glutamate via N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors (NMDARs). Ethanol molecules inhibit these receptors, and consequent NMDA-induced glutamatergic changes can result in dependence on ethanol in order to sustain normal brain function. This study considers the relocation control of …

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Analysis Of Protein-Protein Interactions Using Chemical Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry (Cxms): Novel Computational Approaches, Mihir S. Jaiswal Jul 2015

Analysis Of Protein-Protein Interactions Using Chemical Cross-Linking Mass Spectrometry (Cxms): Novel Computational Approaches, Mihir S. Jaiswal

Theses and Dissertations

Chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry (CXMS) is a useful method for studying protein-protein interactions. Short length non-specific cross-linkers are able to capture many interactions between and within proteins. However, due to the complexity of mass spectra of the non-specific cross-linked peptides coupled with unavailability efficient data analysis tool non-specific cross-linkers are not widely used. In this dissertation I describe a new algorithm XLPM (X-linked peptide mapping) for the analysis of CXMS data. The XLPM algorithm has a novel b-y ion filter. The XLPM is validated on non-specific cross-linker data successfully. Furthermore, I have developed a new probabilistic scoring system for the …

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The Emphasis Of Physical Activity Across The Curriculum; A Positive Approach To Increased Academic Achievement, Alexandra Maldonado Jul 2015

The Emphasis Of Physical Activity Across The Curriculum; A Positive Approach To Increased Academic Achievement, Alexandra Maldonado

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess whether physical activity has an effect on academic achievement in students. The presence of a physically active lifestylehas received much support due to its physiological and mental benefits. The establishment of such a lifestyle should begin at an early age; however, there has been a recent shift away from physically active programming within the school system that could perpetuate a healthier future. Pressure to increase academic achievement has led to the reduction and elimination of opportunities for physical activity, but these actions could have an adverse impact on students (Mahar, Murphy, Rowe, …

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Framing In Crime News, Gabriele Ward Jul 2015

Framing In Crime News, Gabriele Ward

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate if televised news programs overrepresent or underrepresent certain races as perpetrators or victims. Three weeks of crime news programming were surveyed. The races of perpetrators and victims were identified and coded. Those findings were then compared to 2014 crime statistics obtained from the Philadelphia Police Department. It was hypothesized that (a) Blacks would be overrepresented as perpetrators, (b) Blacks would be underrepresented as victims, (c) Whites would be overrepresented as victims, (d) Whites would be underrepresented as perpetrators, (e) Hispanics would neither be underrepresented or overrepresented as perpetrators, and (f) Hispanics would …

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Investigating Preschool Teachers' Implementation Of Multicultural Curriculum Through Teacher Evaluation Approaches, Anna Krummel Reinking Jul 2015

Investigating Preschool Teachers' Implementation Of Multicultural Curriculum Through Teacher Evaluation Approaches, Anna Krummel Reinking

Theses and Dissertations

"American schools have in fact grown increasingly diverse as policies opened classroom doors to previously excluded populations" (Paine, 1989, p. 1). However, as student populations are increasing in diversity, the teaching staff is not (Gollnick & Chin, 2009). Therefore, this qualitative research study focused on five preschool teachers' (three certified head teachers and two assistant teachers) understanding of diversity between and among their students, as well as their implementation of multicultural curriculum. This study used teacher evaluation approaches, such as observation, feedback, and self-reflection, to understand teachers' implementation of multicultural curriculum, as defined by Banks (1993) and McIntosh (2000). The …

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Children's Responses To Cooperative And Competitive Games: A Person X Situation Analysis, Thomas David Mulderink Jul 2015

Children's Responses To Cooperative And Competitive Games: A Person X Situation Analysis, Thomas David Mulderink

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined the relations between goal structure, task-completion order, time, and individual differences in agreeableness for school-aged children completing a tower building task. The tower building task (Graziano et al., 1997) allows for the study of in-game behavior during competitive and cooperative tasks with a similar structure. Children completed a total of 13-trials (six per goal structure) under two different goal structures in order to observe changes both prosocial and destructive behaviors over time. Results revealed that children engage in more destructive behaviors over time under contrient goal structure conditions after working together relative to groups that completed contrient …

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Adverse Home Environments And Its Influence On Academic Achievement, John Chillem Jul 2015

Adverse Home Environments And Its Influence On Academic Achievement, John Chillem

Theses and Dissertations

Higher incidences of academic deficiency resulting from previous adverse circumstances in the home environment were investigated. A review of Bronfrenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory illustrated the impact of the home environment on a child's development which can greatly influence academic achievement in later years. A vast collection of literature was compiled and presented to shed insight on implications surrounding adverse home environments. The current study examined associations between college students' retrospective ratings using the validated Risky Family Questionnaire and their concurrent academic achievement. The specific measures of distress in home environments under consideration included family conflict, parental divorce, inadequate parenting styles, …

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Bacterially-Based Immune Challenges And Trauma Elicit Terminal Investment In Male Aedes Aegypti, Molly K. Schumacher Jul 2015

Bacterially-Based Immune Challenges And Trauma Elicit Terminal Investment In Male Aedes Aegypti, Molly K. Schumacher

Theses and Dissertations

Investment in life history traits such as immune function and reproduction is constrained by finite available resources. A cost-of-immunity trade-off may occur in response to infection when resources are diverted away from reproductive effort and into an immune response. Alternatively, an infected individual may enhance reproductive effort to maximize terminal reproductive success in response to the survival threat inherent to infection (terminal investment). We measured male Aedes aegypti reproductive behavior following inoculations with: living bacteria; killed bacteria as an immune elicitor; and a sham control. Mating competitiveness relative to naïve males was also determined through a binary mate choice experiment …

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Drought And Nitrogen Effects On Maize Canopy Temperature And Stress Indices, David A. Carroll Jul 2015

Drought And Nitrogen Effects On Maize Canopy Temperature And Stress Indices, David A. Carroll

Theses and Dissertations

Increased water scarcity due to changing climate, population growth, and economic development is a major threat to the sustainability of irrigated agriculture in the Western United States and other regions around the world. Management practices, such as controlled deficit irrigation, that seek to maximize the productivity of a limited water supply are critical. When using controlled deficit irrigation, remote sensing of crop canopy temperature is a useful tool for assessing crop water status and for more precise irrigation management. However, there is potential that nutrient deficiencies could compound the interpretation of water status from leaf temperature by altering leaf color …

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The Synthesis And Characterization Of Ferritin Bio Minerals For Photovoltaic, Nanobattery, And Bio-Nano Propellant Applications, Trevor Jamison Smith Jul 2015

The Synthesis And Characterization Of Ferritin Bio Minerals For Photovoltaic, Nanobattery, And Bio-Nano Propellant Applications, Trevor Jamison Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Material science is an interdisciplinary area of research, which in part, designs and characterizes new materials. Research is concerned with synthesis, structure, properties, and performance of materials. Discoveries in materials science have significant impact on future technologies, especially in nano-scale applications where the physical properties of nanomaterials are significantly different than their bulk counterparts. The work presented here discusses the use of ferritin, a hollow sphere-like biomolecule, which forms metal oxo-hydride nanoparticles inside its protein shell for uses as a bio-inorganic material.Ferritin is capable of forming and sequestering 8 nm metal-oxide nanoparticles within its 2 nm thick protein shell. A …

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Analytical Approaches In Investigating The Kinetics Of Water-Molecule Complexes In Tropospheric Reactions, William J. Keeton Jul 2015

Analytical Approaches In Investigating The Kinetics Of Water-Molecule Complexes In Tropospheric Reactions, William J. Keeton

Theses and Dissertations

Ozone is a heavily monitored pollutant. Ozone is not directly emitted into the atmosphere, but rather the product of chemical reactions. Ground level ozone occurs when nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react with each other in the presence of sunlight. The primary precursors of ozone are anthropogenically emitted, and as a result, tropospheric ozone has cost millions of dollars in damages and has hurt the health of countless people. This dissertation is a collection of work that aims to provide insight into atmospheric reactions that result in tropospheric ozone and the instrumentation to study such reactions. While …

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Mating-Type Locus Characterization And Variation In Pyrenophora Semeniperda, Julie Leanna Henry Jul 2015

Mating-Type Locus Characterization And Variation In Pyrenophora Semeniperda, Julie Leanna Henry

Theses and Dissertations

Pyrenophora semeniperda is a generalist fungal pathogen that occurs primarily on monocot seed hosts. It is in the phylum Ascomycota, which includes both self-compatible (homothallic) and self-incompatible (heterothallic) species. Homothallic fungal species contain complementary mating-type (MAT) idiomorphs in a single unikaryotic strain, while heterothallic strains contain a single MAT idiomorph requiring interaction between strains of complementary mating-types for sexual reproduction to occur. Because the majority of P. semeniperda strains contained either MAT1 or MAT2, this species was provisionally categorized as heterothallic. However, many strains contain both MAT idiomorphs and appear to be homothallic. These results warranted a closer look at …

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Describing Spiritual Growth In An Online Religious Education Course: A Phenomenological Perspective, Benjamin Trevor Fryar Jul 2015

Describing Spiritual Growth In An Online Religious Education Course: A Phenomenological Perspective, Benjamin Trevor Fryar

Theses and Dissertations

An estimated 33% of all college students take at least one online class (Allen & Seaman, 2013). Online classes are offered across a wide range of domains, including courses designed for spiritual development. Little research exists examining students' experiences in these types of classes. The purpose of this research is to help address this gap by describing the phenomenon of spiritual growth in an online religious education course. Brigham Young University-Idaho (BYU-Idaho) offers online courses designed to help students grow spiritually. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten students who took one of these classes and who reported positive gains in …

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Evaluation Of A Combination Approach To Pedagogy In A Soil Science Laboratory Classroom And An Environmental Site Assessment Sample, Emily Linda Gervais Jul 2015

Evaluation Of A Combination Approach To Pedagogy In A Soil Science Laboratory Classroom And An Environmental Site Assessment Sample, Emily Linda Gervais

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1 of this study explores research that has shown that the use of technology in the classroom can be beneficial to student learning. Additionally, a need for Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) instruction in university level core environmental science classrooms has been demonstrated. This study includes an investigation of the potential benefits of using a combination of pedagogies: web-based teaching tools and ESA instruction in a laboratory classroom. The research design included two class formats, one that employed web-based tools (PowerPoint and video) and ESA instruction, and one that did not, with four class sections. All classes were taught by …

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Correlation Of Fluorescence Spectroscopy And Biochemical Oxygen Demand (Bod5) Using Regression Analysis, Alexander Tetteh Narteh Jul 2015

Correlation Of Fluorescence Spectroscopy And Biochemical Oxygen Demand (Bod5) Using Regression Analysis, Alexander Tetteh Narteh

Theses and Dissertations

This research uses Regression analysis of fluorescence spectroscopy results to correlate with Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5). Fluorescence spectroscopy was applied to samples taken from seven sample sites in the Provo and Orem waste water treatment plants found in Utah County. A total of 161 samples were collected for this research. 23 samples each were taken from four sites in the Provo waste water treatment plant namely Provo head works, aeration basin, primary filter settlement basin and the Provo effluent basin. The Orem head works, the clarifier and the Orem effluent basin were the three sample sites in the Orem waste …

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Histone Deacetylase 6 (Hdac6) Is Critical For Tumor Cell Survival And Promotes The Pro-Survival Activity Of 14-3-3Ζ Viadeacetylation Of Lysines Within The14-3-3Ζ Binding Pocket, Jeffrey Benjamin Mortenson Jul 2015

Histone Deacetylase 6 (Hdac6) Is Critical For Tumor Cell Survival And Promotes The Pro-Survival Activity Of 14-3-3Ζ Viadeacetylation Of Lysines Within The14-3-3Ζ Binding Pocket, Jeffrey Benjamin Mortenson

Theses and Dissertations

Our understanding of non-histone acetylation as a means of cellular regulation is in its infancy. Using a mass spectrometry approach we identified acetylated lysine residues and monitored acetylation changes across the proteome as a consequence of metabolic stress (hypoxia). We observed changes in acetylation status of non-histone lysines in tumor cells. Through the use of small molecule inhibitors of histone deacetylase enzymes (HDACs) and siRNA screening identified HDAC6 as a pro-survival regulator of lysine acetylation during hypoxia. The phospho-binding protein 14-3-3ζ acts as a signaling hub controlling a network of interacting partners and oncogenic pathways. We show here that lysines …

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Respite Care And Marital Quality In Parents Of Children With Down Syndrome, Michelle Norton Jul 2015

Respite Care And Marital Quality In Parents Of Children With Down Syndrome, Michelle Norton

Theses and Dissertations

Parents of a child with a disability are at greater risk than other couples for having higher stress, adjustment difficulties, and lower marital quality. Respite care has been shown to reduce stress in parents of children with disabilities. This study focused on parents who have a child with Down syndrome and their reported marital quality and respite care received. One hundred and twelve couples, each consisting of a mother and a father who lived with their child with Down syndrome, completed questionnaires including the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Experience in Close Relationships Questionnaire, Daily Hassles and Uplifts Scale, and a …

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Delimiting Species And Varieties Of Cycladenia Humilis (Apocynaceae), Holly Kathryn Brabazon Jul 2015

Delimiting Species And Varieties Of Cycladenia Humilis (Apocynaceae), Holly Kathryn Brabazon

Theses and Dissertations

Taxonomic delimitation of rare species is vital for accurate assessments of diversity and for their conservation. Cycladenia humilis, the sole species of Cycladenia, is an enigmatic perennial widely dispersed across the western United States. Within this species there are three currently recognized varieties: C. humilis var. humilis in Northern California, C. humilis var. venusta in Southern California, and C. humilis var. jonesii in Utah and Northern Arizona. Some populations occur geographically in areas between the typical distribution of each variety and the presently accepted taxonomy inadequately addresses these populations. Using five nDNA regions, we seek to clarify relationships between current …

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Dna Origami Stabilized And Seeded With 4'-Aminomethyltrioxsalen For Improved Dna Nanowire Fabrication, Matthew Paul Mcdowell Jul 2015

Dna Origami Stabilized And Seeded With 4'-Aminomethyltrioxsalen For Improved Dna Nanowire Fabrication, Matthew Paul Mcdowell

Theses and Dissertations

A fast emerging technology in the microelectronics field is bottom-up self-assembly of computer circuitry. A promising method to develop nanoelectronic devices through bottom-up self-assembly is the implementation of DNA-based technologies. Using DNA to create nanoelectronic devices is advantageous because of its already well understood base-paring and annealing qualities. These base-pairing and annealing qualities can be used to design and construct DNA nanostructures called DNA origami. DNA origami are specially designed structures made from single stranded DNA. Short single stranded DNA oligonucleotides called staple strands attach to a large single stranded DNA called a DNA scaffold. DNA staple strands and DNA …

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Progress Towards The Total Synthesis Of Yaku'amide A, Zhiwei Ma Jul 2015

Progress Towards The Total Synthesis Of Yaku'amide A, Zhiwei Ma

Theses and Dissertations

The synthetic progress towards yaku'amide A is described. The study leads to development of new synthetic methodologies. Base-free regioselective aminohydroxylation is convenient to deliver β-tert-hydroxyamino acids. A sequence consisting of alkylative esterification, Martin sulfurane mediated anti dehydration, a tandem azide reduction-O→N acyl transfer allows the rapid access of E- and Z-dehydroisoleucine-containing peptides from β-tert-hydroxyisoleucine derivatives. Those methods are effective in constructing complicated peptides and advanced subunits of yaku'amide A.

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The Infectious Monster: Borders And Contagion In Yeti And Lágrimas En La Lluvia, Kiersty Lemon Jul 2015

The Infectious Monster: Borders And Contagion In Yeti And Lágrimas En La Lluvia, Kiersty Lemon

Theses and Dissertations

Monsters are disruptive characters, who cross boundaries and blend categories. They come in various kinds: Non-human monsters, such as Dracula, created-by-human monsters like Frankenstein, human monsters like Hitler, and more-than-human monsters such as the X-men. These monsters can either be dangerous or helpful to humanity. Dangerous monsters appear as infectious, viral forces, while helpful monsters are inoculative forces for positive change. In either case, they penetrate the borders set up between normatively separate categories. Critics and authors have long realized the connection between heroes and monsters, often portraying them as necessary to one another, as two sides of a single …

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Participation In Sports And The Development Of Resilience In Adolescents, Jason Johnson Jul 2015

Participation In Sports And The Development Of Resilience In Adolescents, Jason Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents today are faced with an array of risk factors including sexual activity and drug and alcohol use, as well as environmental factors that are beyond their control, such as parental divorce and poverty. The attribute of resilience is an extremely desirable quality that, if developed, has the capacity to reduce the effect of many of these risk factors that many adolescents are exposed to. Sport participation is a potential intervention that a large portion of adolescents can have access to through school and community programs that could potentially foster resilience. The current causal-comparative, non-experimental study sought to add to …

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