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Communication: The Lost Art, Mary Zenyuk Jun 2013

Communication: The Lost Art, Mary Zenyuk

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if technology, specifically text messaging, has an affect on young adult's face-to-face communication. Technology is improving on a daily basis. This continuous evolution and advancement in technology has paved the way for numerous methods of communication such as texting and social media. Not only has the methods of communication increased, so has the access to these methods become unlimited. This study is important to analyze how individuals are adapting their communication habits to conform with changing technology. A survey was developed and consisted of questions such as the student's age, major, preferred …

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Kenneth Burke As Educator: What His Theories Of Aesthetic Form And (Non-Symbolic) Motion/(Symbolic) Action Suggest For Teachers In The Literature Classroom, Tara Brock Boyce Jun 2013

Kenneth Burke As Educator: What His Theories Of Aesthetic Form And (Non-Symbolic) Motion/(Symbolic) Action Suggest For Teachers In The Literature Classroom, Tara Brock Boyce

Theses and Dissertations

Burke scholars oftentimes overlook Burke's fundamental role as educator and how his work can and should be applied to the classroom. This paper explores Burke's theoretical works and centers on two concepts important to developing rhetorical skills necessary for functioning and participating in a democratic society: his theory of aesthetic form and his distinction between motion and action. Specifically, this paper (1) clarifies these concepts and explains how they relate to each other and the emotional experience of literature, and (2) demonstrates how these concepts work together to imply a new method of practicing rhetorical criticism in the literature classroom …

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Promoter Polymorphisms In Interferon Regulatory Factor 5, Daniel N. Clark Jun 2013

Promoter Polymorphisms In Interferon Regulatory Factor 5, Daniel N. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The promoter region of interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) contains the rs2004640 T or G single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and a CGGGG indel. Both of these polymorphisms have been implicated as genetic risk factors for several autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, whose pathology involves altered apoptosis and cytokine signaling. The polymorphisms' overall effect is to increase IRF5 levels. IRF5 is a transcription factor of several cytokines, including interferon, and is pro-apoptotic. Thus an alteration of cytokine levels and apoptosis signaling due to high IRF5 levels is the proposed source of autoimmune risk. Each of IRF5's four first exons (1A, …

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Impact Of Self-Fertilization On Fecundity, The Timing Of First Reproduction, And Population Genetic Structure: Is A Mate Worth The Wait?, Serena Caplins Jun 2013

Impact Of Self-Fertilization On Fecundity, The Timing Of First Reproduction, And Population Genetic Structure: Is A Mate Worth The Wait?, Serena Caplins

Theses and Dissertations

Organisms capable of self-fertilization typically exhibit two evolutionary syndromes uniting high inbreeding depression with low levels of selfing, or low inbreeding depression and high levels of selfing. This study tests for inbreeding depression in an apparent self-compatible, hermaphroditic marine nemertean worm, Prosorhochmus americanus. Fecundity and timing to first reproduction were assessed in isolated and paired worms. Isolated worms produced significantly more offspring than paired worms and did not show inbreeding avoidance. The selfing rate of natural populations was evaluated using species-specific microsatellites and is consistent with preferential selfing (mean: 0.801), though some outcrossing appears to take place. Population genetic structure …

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The Effects Of Mismatches And Probe Tethering Configurations On The Stability Of Dna Duplexes On Surfaces, Kyle Evan Pratt Jun 2013

The Effects Of Mismatches And Probe Tethering Configurations On The Stability Of Dna Duplexes On Surfaces, Kyle Evan Pratt

Theses and Dissertations

DNA microarrays are chip-based, analysis tools which can perform hundreds of thousands of parallel assays to determine the identity of genes or gene expression levels present in a sample. They have been identified as a key technology in genomic sciences and emergent medical techniques; however, despite their abundant use in research laboratories, microarrays have not been used in the clinical setting to the fullest potential due to the difficulty of obtaining reproducible results. Microarrays work on the principle of DNA hybridization, and can only be as accurate as this process is robust. Fundamental, molecular-level understanding of hybridization on surfaces is …

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Evaluating A Social And Emotional Learning Curriculum, Strong Kids, Implemented School-Wide, Thomas Jonathan Kramer Jun 2013

Evaluating A Social And Emotional Learning Curriculum, Strong Kids, Implemented School-Wide, Thomas Jonathan Kramer

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study was to explore whether Strong Kids could result in improved social and emotional competence when implemented as a school-wide universal intervention. No prior studies have examined this question. This study also evaluated whether teachers could implement Strong Kids as it was designed and whether they viewed it as socially valid. It used a non-equivalent control group design. The treatment school in the study involved 348 students and 17 teachers from a Title I school. School demographics indicated that 61% of students were Hispanic, 37% White, and 2% of other ethnicities. Approximately 82% of the students …

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Hypersaline Lake Environments Exhibit Reduced Microbial Dormancy, Joshua Christopher Vert Jun 2013

Hypersaline Lake Environments Exhibit Reduced Microbial Dormancy, Joshua Christopher Vert

Theses and Dissertations

From acid seeps and deep-sea thermal vents to glacial ice and hypersaline lakes, extreme environments contain relatively simplified communities consisting of extremophiles that have evolved to survive and thrive under adverse abiotic conditions. In more neutral environments, microorganisms use dormancy as a common life history strategy to weather temporal fluctuations of resources or stresses until more 'optimal' conditions are present. It is unclear if dormancy is an essential survival mechanism for microorganisms in extreme environments; however, recent studies suggest that extreme environments may create stable conditions for extremophiles to the extent that dormancy is of less ecological importance. Using lake …

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Identification And Differentiation Of Tier 1 Bacterial Agents Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Dan Li Jun 2013

Identification And Differentiation Of Tier 1 Bacterial Agents Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Dan Li

Theses and Dissertations

A simple method was developed for detection and differentiation of five Tier 1 bacterial agents, including Bacillus anthracis, Francisella tularensis, Yersinia pestis, Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei as well as their closely related near neighbors by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Generally, different classes of compounds can be used as biomarkers for biowarfare agent detection, including nucleic acids (i.e., DNA or RNA), proteins (i.e., antibodies), carbohydrates (i.e., sugars), lipopolysaccharides, lipids (i.e., fatty acids) and small molecules. One-step thermochemolysis (TCM) was developed to provide GC-MS detectable biomarker signatures, including sugars, fatty acids and small molecules. Solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) was used for …

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Thymidine Kinase 1: Diagnostic And Prognostic Significance In Malignancy, Melissa Marie Alegre Jun 2013

Thymidine Kinase 1: Diagnostic And Prognostic Significance In Malignancy, Melissa Marie Alegre

Theses and Dissertations

Thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) is a cancer biomarker which has diagnostic and prognostic potential in a variety of malignancies. TK1 is significantly elevated in the serum and tumor tissue of most malignancies. This increase in TK1 can be detected in the very early stages of malignancy, including in pre-malignant disease with an increased risk for progression. Several studies have demonstrated that elevated TK1 is found in serum months before any clinical symptoms of malignancy. It has also been demonstrated that TK1 is elevated months before clinical recurrence of malignancy. This work first sought to demonstrate the early nature of TK1 …

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Resource Legacies And Priming Regulate Microbial Communities In Antarctica's Dry Valleys, Sabrina Deni Saurey Jun 2013

Resource Legacies And Priming Regulate Microbial Communities In Antarctica's Dry Valleys, Sabrina Deni Saurey

Theses and Dissertations

Multiple mechanisms control bacterial community structure but two in particular, the "legacy" of past environmental conditions, and the "priming" of bacteria to respond to seasonal or reoccurring fluctuations in resources, have the potential to determine both bacterial communities, as well as, temporal shifts in active bacterial taxa. To begin to evaluate the legacy effects of resources on microbial communities, we added four limiting resources annually (i.e., water only; C-mannitol + water; N-NH4NO3 + water; and C, N + water) and measured shifts in bacterial community composition after seven years in a cold desert ecosystem in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. …

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The Essential Value Of Lgbt Resource Centers, Matthew Raymond Damschroder Jun 2013

The Essential Value Of Lgbt Resource Centers, Matthew Raymond Damschroder

Theses and Dissertations

Through the voices and experiences of LGBTQ+ students on three campuses, this study provides evidence of the essential value of LGBT Centers as they advocate for and empower LGBTQ+ students. Grounded in theories of college student development, identity development, and Queer theory, the qualitative study draws on 35 semi-structured interviews with students and staff involved with LGBT Centers on three campuses that broadly reflect the diversity of higher education in the United States. In particular, the study answers the following questions: What are historical and current contexts of LGBT Centers? What is the nature of campus climate contexts for LGBTQ+ …

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The Effect Of Using The Ipad To Enhance Sight Word Acquisition Of Students With Autism, Jeffrey Emerson Jun 2013

The Effect Of Using The Ipad To Enhance Sight Word Acquisition Of Students With Autism, Jeffrey Emerson

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to (a) investigate the effectiveness of the Apple iPad as an assistive technology device to support students with autism spectrum disorders in their acquisition of sight words and (b) examine the social validity of using the iPad in the classroom. The participants were two 2nd and two 3rd graders diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Baseline data was collected by evaluating student progress of sight word acquisition at the end of each week for three weeks. A multiple baseline across students with AB phases was used in this study. During Intervention, the iPad was integrated …

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Bacterial Spores Remain Viable After Electrospray Charging And Desolvation, Sara Nielson Pratt Jun 2013

Bacterial Spores Remain Viable After Electrospray Charging And Desolvation, Sara Nielson Pratt

Theses and Dissertations

The electrospray survivability of B. subtilis spores and E. coli was tested in atmospheric mobility experiments. E. coli did not survive electrospray charging and desolvation, but B. subtilis did. Experimental conditions ensured that any surviving bacteria were charged, desolvated, and de-agglomerated. B. subtilis was also found to survive both positive and negative electrospray and subsequent introduction into vacuum conditions. Attempts were made to measure the charge distribution of viable B. subtilis spores using electrostatic deflection. From those experiments, it was found that either the spores do not become highly charged under the electrospray conditions used or only spores in a …

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Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide)-Based Scaffolds For Tissue Engineering Applications, Pamela Kubinski Jun 2013

Poly(N-Isopropylacrylamide)-Based Scaffolds For Tissue Engineering Applications, Pamela Kubinski

Theses and Dissertations

The primary goal of this work is to investigate the potential of poly(Nisopropylacrylamide)- based scaffolds in tissue engineering applications, specifically spinal injury and nucleus pulposus replacement. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), denoted PNIPAAm, is a synthetic polymer with hydrophilic properties at room temperature, but above 32C the chains become hydrophobic and entangle to form physical crosslinks. This thermoresponsive property enables PNIPAAm to be implanted as a free-flowing solution at room temperature and collapse into a gel in physiological conditions. However, as a homopolymer, the hydrophobicity of PNIPAAm in vivo causes the hydrogel to expel water and exhibit inelastic properties that do not mimic those …

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Adaptation To The U.S. And Religion/Spirituality: Experiences Of Indian International Students, Kirti Potkar Jun 2013

Adaptation To The U.S. And Religion/Spirituality: Experiences Of Indian International Students, Kirti Potkar

Theses and Dissertations

Religion and spirituality are deemed an important aspect of human diversity, found to be important to people, and have significant impact on different aspects of functioning. Given the rising numbers of international students on U.S. campuses, it becomes important to examine how religion/spirituality impacts their sojourn in the U.S. This study explored the religious/spiritual experiences of Indian international students here in the U.S. using a qualitative approach. Thirteen Indian international students pursuing graduate degrees in the U.S. were interviewed. The interviews were then transcribed and analyzed using a synthesis of hermeneutic methods informed by Kvale (1996). The following themes emerged …

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Genetic And Molecular Analysis Of The Maize R1 Locus, Jennifer Derkits Jun 2013

Genetic And Molecular Analysis Of The Maize R1 Locus, Jennifer Derkits

Theses and Dissertations

Canalization, the stability of phenotypes in the presence of a specific genotype and environment is important for trait selection and understanding gene expression pathways. The goal of this study was to investigate mechanisms involved in the loss of canalization at the maize r1 locus. A specific lightly colored R-sc derivative, R-sc:86-17(L), was mutagenized with ethyl methyl sulfonate (EMS), and the progeny screened for restoration of dark seed color and canalization. Putative revertants/mutants were mapped relative to the r1 locus, tested for complementation to each other to identify a minimum number of genes involved in canalization, tested for cis silencing of …

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Parental Factors Affecting Schools Drop-Outs In Egypt, Margaret Varoujan Jun 2013

Parental Factors Affecting Schools Drop-Outs In Egypt, Margaret Varoujan

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study is to shed light on the parental factors that affect children’s education in Egypt in terms of access and completion of the basic education level. Schooling increases at first as children enroll, but then it declines as some children start to drop-out after a few years. Dropping-out of school and the existence of child labor are consequences of poverty. Parental education has been found to be a major factor behind the children’s schooling and child labor decision. Low returns to education impose a further challenge to the household decision on schooling. Education in Egypt had …

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Voluven For Treatment Of Hypovolemia In Anesthetic Practice, Irina Son Jun 2013

Voluven For Treatment Of Hypovolemia In Anesthetic Practice, Irina Son

Theses and Dissertations

Many patients undergoing surgical procedures require intravenous fluid replacement with a colloid volume expander. It is a well-known fact that the choice of intravenous fluid therapy may impact postoperative outcomes in both positive and 4 negative ways (Topcu et al., 2012). In 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of 6% Hetastarch 130/0.4, also known as Voluven, to treat hypovolemia. This product was introduced to the anesthesia practice as a promising volume expander, carrying minimal side effects such as renal failure or coagulopathy. However, over the past few years multiple studies have been performed to test Voluven's …

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Government Regulatory Policy Towards The Biopharmaceutical Sector: Regulatory Outlook On Biosimilars In Egypt., Mohamed Atef Abdelhakim Farag Jun 2013

Government Regulatory Policy Towards The Biopharmaceutical Sector: Regulatory Outlook On Biosimilars In Egypt., Mohamed Atef Abdelhakim Farag

Theses and Dissertations

The thesis examines the government regulatory policy towards the pharmaceutical biotechnology sector (Biopharmaceutical), with focus on Similar Biotherapeutic Products (biosimilars). Biosimilars are highly similar but not identical molecules that claim to have similar quality, safety and efficacy of original (innovator/ reference) products. They differ significantly from the chemical based medicines (conventional pharmaceuticals) that the main active substance is usually from a living organism (biological). Such critical products are high on the treatment guidelines recommended for complex diseases with high death and disability burdens. Biosimilars started accessing the Egyptian Market long time before the Government established a proper regulatory structure/pathway to …

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Tensile And Fracture Behavior Of Single And Dual Matrix Aluminum-Carbon Nanotube Composites, Ehab Salama Jun 2013

Tensile And Fracture Behavior Of Single And Dual Matrix Aluminum-Carbon Nanotube Composites, Ehab Salama

Theses and Dissertations

Research on Al-CNT composites is in strong demand due to their high specific properties, and their potential applications in many advanced areas like in automotive and aerospace industries. In the current study, tensile and fracture properties of aluminum-multiwall carbon nanotube composites (Al-CNT) were investigated. A 99.7% pure AlPOCO® aluminum powder having an average particle size of 75 microns, in addition to 70-90% pure Elicarb® multi-walled carbon nanotubes having 10-12 nm average diameter were utilized in the synthesis of single and dual matrix multiwall carbon nanotube reinforced aluminum composites. Single matrix Al-CNT composite powders with 1, 2, 2.5, 5 wt.% CNT …

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The Perfect Me: Cosmetic Surgery And The Social Body In Egypt, María S. Muñoz Jun 2013

The Perfect Me: Cosmetic Surgery And The Social Body In Egypt, María S. Muñoz

Theses and Dissertations

There is an increasing scholarly interest around the popularization of cosmetic surgery in modern society. The medical discipline of plastic surgery is located at the crossroads of a significant number of scholarship disciplines including gender, media, consumer culture, ethics, the body, medical practices and psychology, among others. Hence, a multidisciplinary study is needed to approach the core subject of this research. However, as I find it materially impossible to address all these subtopics in this dissertation, three main sets of literature will inform my project. I will draw on feminist analysis and critique of cosmetic surgery, scholarly on social and …

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Constitutional Theory And Political History As Justification For The Gender Quota In Egypt's Legislature, Abir Ahmed El-Menshawy Jun 2013

Constitutional Theory And Political History As Justification For The Gender Quota In Egypt's Legislature, Abir Ahmed El-Menshawy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the conformity of gender quotas with the constitutional concept of equality. The importance of this examination is to answer the question whether gender quotas are constitutional. My argument is that gender quotas are constitutional because they address de facto inequality by making women’s representation equal to men’s representation. I argue that Egypt has a history of adopting quotas to guarantee the representation of disadvantaged groups. I also tie the constitutionality of the gender quota to the current political landscape where the Muslim Brotherhood controls the state. I argue that gender quotas will …

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The Construction And Assumptions Made About Egyptian Women By Development Organizations, Christina Gagnier Jun 2013

The Construction And Assumptions Made About Egyptian Women By Development Organizations, Christina Gagnier

Theses and Dissertations

Since the inception of international human rights, some activists have argued for a universal framework and this framework has encountered resistance. International feminism is a space where the concept of universal truth begins to unravel. Feminists from the First World, purporting to speak on behalf of all women, essentialized the international woman’s experience and set an agenda based on their First World experience. Third World women critiqued the systematic exclusion of their voices from the dominant feminist discourse. The international human rights agenda shares many goals with economic development. Economic development can be a vehicle through which universal human rights …

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Perception Of Women In Egyptian Advertising, Alia Mohamed Arafa Jun 2013

Perception Of Women In Egyptian Advertising, Alia Mohamed Arafa

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the relationship between Egyptian Mass Media coverage and the perception of the Egyptian audience towards women’s physical appearance in Egyptian Advertising (TV and Magazines). In TV commercials, stereotypes are associated with women. Research indicates that media can generate a continued negative imagery and stereotypes, in particular towards women. There is an obvious inconsistency in the way women dress demonstrating that they are habitually portrayed as more sexual objects than are men. Hopefully, this research would move ahead feminist view towards disparity in the depiction of sexuality and roles of women along the years. In spite of the …

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Ethnicity Homegrown: How The Lebanese-Argentines In Buenos Aires Construct Ethnicity, Bianca Kemp Jun 2013

Ethnicity Homegrown: How The Lebanese-Argentines In Buenos Aires Construct Ethnicity, Bianca Kemp

Theses and Dissertations

This work explores the construction of ethnicity among the Lebanese-Argentine population of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Although exact figures for the Lebanese population of Argentina are unknown, estimates hover around one and a half million (the national census does not require specification of ethnicity). The majority of these third-, fourth- and fifth-generation Lebanese-Argentines are descendents of early Syro-Lebanese immigrants. These migrants from Greater Syria culturally assimilated to their new “home” at the insistence of the Argentine government and xenophobic elite of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Consequently, constructing a Lebanese-Argentine ethnic identity today means doing so when distance and …

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The Influence Of Hekayat Banat On Egyptian Women’S Perceptions Of Ideal Relationships And Couples, Yomna Sallam Jun 2013

The Influence Of Hekayat Banat On Egyptian Women’S Perceptions Of Ideal Relationships And Couples, Yomna Sallam

Theses and Dissertations

This study is based on feminist theory. It uses critical textual analysis and ethnography-inspired in-depth interviews to examine the influence of Hekayat Banat on women’s expectations and perceptions of ideal couples and gender roles. The textual analysis examines seven series episodes and the title song. Results from the textual analysis suggest that the serial offered several themes that serve as advice for women, including: friendship is important in supporting one’s daily life; women should be strong and self-confident in order to eliminate being the property or under the control of men; women must find and keep men; communication and forgiveness …

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The Language Of Contemporary Egyptian Newspapers: Re-Visiting Badawi's Model, Yasser Elshami Jun 2013

The Language Of Contemporary Egyptian Newspapers: Re-Visiting Badawi's Model, Yasser Elshami

Theses and Dissertations

It is believed that the language of newspapers plays a major role in developing and reflecting the reality of the contemporary language in Egypt, where the Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and Egyptian Colloquial Arabic (ECA) have become much closer and the gap between them has shrunk (Badawi, 2012). The linguistic reality described in Badawi's model (1973) demonstrates the structure of the contemporary Egyptian community. He gives a horizontal picture of the spoken language used in Egypt at that time. This study aims at re-visiting Badawi's model and focusing on the language used in opinion articles in the current Egyptian newspapers. …

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Representations Of Privileged Motherhood In Nineteenth-Century Literature: A Comparative Analysis Of Leo Tolstoy’S Anna Karenina And Kate Chopin’S The Awakening, Dina Alhassani Jun 2013

Representations Of Privileged Motherhood In Nineteenth-Century Literature: A Comparative Analysis Of Leo Tolstoy’S Anna Karenina And Kate Chopin’S The Awakening, Dina Alhassani

Theses and Dissertations

The heroines of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina and Chopin’s The Awakening enjoy the autonomy of privileged motherhood in the nineteenth century. This role allows them the opportunities to forge their identities independent of most of the societal expectations which defined nineteenth-century feminine gender roles. The spinster enjoyed independence and yet had limited social interactions due to her perceived lack of femininity. By contrast, most mothers from lower and middle class backgrounds had fulfilled the idealized maternal role at the expense of independence and self-determination. In the context of nineteenth-century gender roles, the privileged mother enjoys the combined best aspects of spinsterhood …

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Structural Basis Of Dna Binding Complexes, Ninad Walavalkar May 2013

Structural Basis Of Dna Binding Complexes, Ninad Walavalkar

Theses and Dissertations

The nucleosome remodeling and deacetylase (NuRD) complex is an abundant deacetylase complex, which couples histone deacetylation and chromatin remodeling ATPase activities, and has a broad cellular and tissue distribution. Although the working model of how this complex forms and functions is not well known, we have demonstrated that the coiled-coil interaction between two proteins (MBD2 and p66α) is critical for DNA methylation dependent gene silencing in vivo. Chapter one: ‘Unique features of the anti-parallel, heterodimeric coiled-coil interaction between methyl-cytosine binding domain 2 (MBD2) homologues and p66α dictate high affinity binding’ describes this unique coiled coil interaction. Coiled-coils were studied using …

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Fluid-Structure Interactions With Flexible And Rigid Bodies, David J. Daily May 2013

Fluid-Structure Interactions With Flexible And Rigid Bodies, David J. Daily

Theses and Dissertations

Fluid structure interactions occur to some extent in nearly every type of fluid flow. Understanding how structures interact with fluids and visa-versa is of vital importance in many engineering applications. The purpose of this research is to explore how fluids interact with flexible and rigid structures. A computational model was used to model the fluid structure interactions of vibrating synthetic vocal folds. The model simulated the coupling of the fluid and solid domains using a fluid-structure interface boundary condition. The fluid domain used a slightly compressible flow solver to allow for the possibility of acoustic coupling with the subglottal geometry …

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