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Role Of Actin Cytoskeleton Filaments In Mechanotransduction Of Cyclic Hydrostatic Pressure, Keertik S. Fulzele

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the role of actin cytoskeleton filaments in chondroinduction by cyclic hydrostatic pressurization. A chondroinductive hydrostatic pressurization system was developed and characterized. A pressure of 5 MPa at 1 Hz frequency, applied for 7200 cycles (4 hours intermittent) per day, induced chondrogenic differentiation in C3H10T1/2 cells while 1800 cycles (1 hour intermittent) did not induce chondrogenesis. Quantitative analysis of chondrogenesis was determined as sulfated glycosaminoglycan synthesis and rate of collagen synthesis while qualitative analysis was obtained as Alcian Blue staining and collagen type II immunostaining. Actin disruption using 2 uM Cytochalasin D inhibited the enhanced sGAG synthesis in …

Examination Of The Effects Of Biosurfactant Concentration On Natural Gas Hydrate Formation In Seafloor Porous Media, Charles E. Woods

Theses and Dissertations

Various porous media were tested with biosurfactant solutions (rhamnolipid or Emulsan) at concentrations ranging from 0 ppm to 1000 ppm. The biosurfactant solutions in the presence of porous media often showed substantial gas hydrate catalyzation, localization on selected surfaces, and/or specific hydrate form (massive, stratified, dispersed.) At 1000-ppm concentrations of rhamnolipid, all porous media surfaces exhibited the same hydrate formation rate increase of 187% over the control. The curves generated for rhamnolipid or Emulsan concentration versus peak hydrate formation rate resembled certain classical adsorption curves. Bentonite and aragonite showed hydrate catalyzation properties with or without biosurfactants. The preference for hydrate …

Production Of Ethanol From The Fermentation Of Synthesis Gas, Christine Evon Morrison

Theses and Dissertations

Ethanol produced from lignocellulosic agricultural products and waste is an environmentallyriendly alternative to petroleum-derived fuel. Lignocellulosic biomass is gasified producing synthesis gas, which is composed of CO, CO2, and H2. Synthesis gas is fermented via anaerobic biocatalyst. The bacterium was grown in a fructose-rich medium then concentrated in ethanol production medium for synthesis gas fermentation. While the known ethanol-producing bacterium Clostridium ljungdahlii was used to provide baseline values for synthesis gas utilization and ethanol production, synthesis gas fermentation were conduced with a culture discovered at Mississippi State University. Additionally, efforts were made to isolate other anaerobic cultures capable of fermenting …

Production Of Acetic Acid From The Fermentation Of Synthesis Gas, Jackson Walker Ford

Theses and Dissertations

In recent years economic, environmental, and strategic concerns over the use of petroleum resources have led to increased interest in renewable resources. Biomass gasification produces a synthesis gas composed of primarily carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide, which can be fermented into a variety of fuels and chemicals. This study evaluated the performance of a two-stage approach to batch synthesis gas fermentations. The first stage employs a rich medium optimized for cell growth, while the second stage is designed to maximize production of acetic acid from synthesis gas. This two-stage approach is hypothesized to be more metabolically efficient than previous …

Investigation Into The Effect Of Various Metals' Ionic Charge And Size On Their Mobility Under The Influence Of Electrokinetics, Prashanth R. Buchireddy

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the effect of ionic charge and size on the mobility of specific metal ionic species in sandy soil under an electric field. During Phase-I experiments, three ions: lithium, lead and, aluminum were initially selected for study. Since the resistance of the cell varied with time, power could not be maintained constant. Therefore, a numerical integration technique was adopted to compare the results. These results show that the mobility of the ions increased with the increase in valence of the ions (for lithium and lead). However, aluminum interacted with and adsorbed to sand. To overcome this problem, aluminum …

The Effects Of Shear Deformation On Chondrogenesis, Kori Vasser Brabham

Theses and Dissertations

Due to mechanical loading, cartilage experiences distortional change, volumetric change, and fluid flow. Research has shown cells to be responsive to unconfined compression, a load that produces all three conditions. To isolate the factor(s) responsible for chondrogenesis, the first goal of this research was to design and implement a device for the application of shear deformation to cells. Secondly, using this device, Stage 23/24 chick limb bud cells were suspended in 2% alginate and subjected to 20% shear deformation at 1 Hz. for two hours daily for three days. Gene expression, DNA content, sGAG content, and cartilage nodule formation were …

Ad Hoc Integration And Querying Of Heterogeneous Online Distributed Databases, Liangyou Chen

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation provides an ad hoc integration methodology to manage and integrate heterogeneous online distributed databases on demand. The problem arises from an impending demand from scientific users to conveniently manage existing Web data along with the complexity involved in the construction of a functional data federation system using existing data integration technologies. We close this gap with a databases management framework accompanying novel Web data specification languages, wrapper generation technologies, and distributed query processing techniques. A major achievement of this dissertation is the establishment of a sound relational data model for Web data. Under this model, the Web becomes …

Computer Modeling Of Geology In The Sparta And Montpelier Quadrangles Of Clay And Chickasaw Counties, Mississippi: A Tantalizing Near Miss, Jason Defibaugh Y Chávez

Theses and Dissertations

This project attempted to combine digital data sets to define and map geologic features in the Sparta and Montpelier quadrangles of Chickasaw and Clay counties in northeastern Mississippi. LANDSAT TM, digital elevation, and soil permeability data was used in conjunction with reference data for the Sparta quadrangle to build a computer model. Variables used in the model were: geology, slope, soil permeability, vegetation indices, the first three bands of a tasseled cap transformation, and drainage frequency. The data used was LANDSAT TM 30 meter imagery, digital elevation models, also at 30 meter resolution, Penn State STASGO soils data, and the …

Inventory And Geometric Analysis Of Flank Margin Caves Of The Bahamas, Monica J. Roth

Theses and Dissertations

Flank margin caves are karst features that develop in the freshwater/saline mixing zone within the carbonate islands of the Bahamas. The flank margin caves that are currently exposed developed during the last interglacial sea level highstand (+6 m; ~125 ka). Initially small ovid chambers, the caves increase in size to about 100 m2, then interconnect with adjacent chambers to form medium-sized caves. At about 1000 m2, these medium-size caves interlink forming large caves that are laterally extensive, vertically restricted, do not penetrate the fresh-water lens a significant amount, and run parallel to the axis of the ridge in which they …

Optical Fiber Humidity Sensor Based On Evanescent Wave Scattering, Lina Xu

Theses and Dissertations

An optical fiber humidity sensor has been devised using a porous sol-gel silica (PSGS) coating as a transducer. Evanescent wave scattering (EWS) in the PSGS coating. PSGS particles are highly hydrophilic and have a strong tendency to absorb water molecules from the surrounding environment. The absorbed water molecules form a thin layer on the inner surface of the pores inside the porous silica and enhance EWS, from which an indicatory signal can be obtained. The humidity sensor presented in this thesis has a fast response, is reversible, low cost, and has a broad dynamic relative humidity range from 3.6?0-6% to …

Speech/Language And Social Behavior Performance As Predictors Of Literacy Acquisition In Children With Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects, Kristen Ann Runge

Theses and Dissertations

This study was a review of existing case files and focused on the struggles of one particular segment of the special needs student population and the challenges that educators face as they attempt to engage them in meaningful learning experiences. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome/Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAS/FAE) are completely preventable; yet, their presence in classrooms remains high and bears profound implications for educators. This study examined the specific relationships between FAS/FAE and literacy acquisition in children. Specific variables of children with FAS/FAE were considered. They included IQ, speech/language development, and social behavior performance.

Hypotheses guiding this study were the following:

1. Evidence …

The Impact Of Tourette's Syndrome On Families: Perceptions Of Fathers, Mothers, And Children With Tourette's Syndrome, Judith L. Olson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover the impact Tourette's syndrome has on families; specifically, fathers, mothers, and children diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome. More specifically, what is the impact of Tourette's syndrome on fathers who have a child with Tourette's syndrome7 What is the impact of Tourette's syndrome on mothers who have a child with Tourette's syndrome7 What is the impact of Tourette's syndrome on a child with Tourette's syndrome?

Three families were selected as participants. All families had at least one child, ages 10-21 medically diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome.

Qualitative research methods included initial visits and interviews, followup …

Spirituality And Coping: Caregivers Of Spouses Afflicted With Alzheimer's, Khalil A. Sakalla

Theses and Dissertations

Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease can be one of the biggest commitments a spouse will make and the most difficult experience to undertake. Undesired surprises of old age such as a spouse’s affliction with Alzheimer’s disease can increase the individual’s psychological distress and hinder his or her ability to cope with stressful situations. Religious and spiritual beliefs, activities and experience are believed to help distressed individuals bring emotional equilibrium into their lives.

In this study, I explored the influence of spiritual well-being, also religious wellbeing and existential well-being, on task-, emotion-, and avoidance-oriented coping among caregivers challenged …

Research-Supported Professional Development Perceptions Of K-12 Educators Of Self-Determined Professional Development Needs, Robert T. Grosz

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the degree of involvement of K-12 educators in a Minnesota district in research-supported professional development (RSPD), to determine the perceived needs for future professional development of the same K-12 educators, and to determine whether recent participation in RSPD activities, areas, and approaches impacted the K-12 educators perceived professional development needs and/or wants.

Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was conducted to determine what differences existed in the recent involvement in RSPD activities, areas, and approaches compared by the variables; gender, years of experience as a classroom teacher, current teaching level, and current education …

Constructions Of Female Identities In Mary Gordon's The Other Side And Maureen Howard's Before My Time, Neli Gogovska

Theses and Dissertations

In Women's Time Kristeva designates three broad currents of feminist struggle: first, the suffragist movement declaring a universalist view of women's experience regardless of class, age, and cultures; second, the phase of difference, that she regards as "returning to an archaic (mythic) memory as well as cyclical or monumental temporality of marginal movements" (355); and third, a trend that she wholeheartedly supports for their concept that "the dichotomy of man and woman as an opposition of two rival entities is a problem of metaphysics" (366).

This thesis discusses Howard and Gordon as proponents of the second phase because they write …

Transforming The Fairytale: A Diachronic Study Of Utopias Of Popular Romance, Deborah A. Jossart

Theses and Dissertations

Popular romance novels have been examined by a number of critics over the past several decades, but each of these studies has analyzed texts within a fixed, synchronic context. Such analyses, while useful, fail to provide the same depth and breadth of a study of a popular culture genre that combines both synchronic and diachronic approaches. This study evaluates the popular romance novels produced during three distinct historical moments: the early mass-market romance novel, popular during the 1960s and 70s; the contemporary erotic romance novel, produced from the 1980s until currently; and the “chick-lit” sub-genre of popular romance, currently rising …

The Influence Of Menarche On Fathers' Perceptions Of Father-Daughter Relationships, Jennifer L. Mueller

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is a time of transformation for a young girl and her relationships with her parents. One way to conceptualize the evolving dynamics between father and adolescent daughter is to use the Circumplex Model of Marital and Family Systems. The purpose of this study is to examine the differences in relationships between fathers and their premenarchal daughters, girls who have not had their first menstrual period, compared to fathers and postmenarchal daughters, girls who have experienced their first menstrual period. The participants completed three questionnaires. The Demographic questionnaire included general demographic questions in order to learn more about the participants. …

An International Service-Learning Experience For Physical Therapy Students: Its Meaning And Effect On Civic Engagement And Leadership Skills, Mary K. Dockter

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this 2-part study was to investigate the impact of an international service-learning experience (SOLE) on physical therapy (PT) students. The quantitative component compared outcomes relating to civic attitude, interpersonal and problem-solving skills, political awareness, leadership skills, social justice attitudes, and diversity attitudes of PT students who participated in the SOLE to PT students who did not participate. The qualitative portion asked the following questions: 1) What beliefs and attitudes did PT students gain from an international service-learning experience? and 2) Did an international service-learning experience assist the PT student in assuming the role of a servant leader? …

Bias In Perceptions Of Parenting Roles: Analysis Of Gender And Socioeconomic Status, Krislea E. Wegner

Theses and Dissertations

After industrialization in the United States, men primarily moved from the farm to the workplace, leaving women responsible for the children and maintaining the household alone. This arrangement contributed to the so called "tender years" doctrine, which suggested that mothers were better caretakers of the children and should therefore receive sole custody. The preference for mothers continued until the 1960's, after the women's liberation movement, when a large portion of women moved from the home into the workforce. State statutes were later changed to establish gender-neutrality for the purposes of determining custody decisions and suggested the custody of children should …

Prevalence Of Teleological And Lamarckian Misconceptions Of Natural Selection Among College Students, Bryce T. Battisti

Theses and Dissertations

Science teachers and researchers note that students must correctly understand the role of natural selection in evolution to make sense of biology. The level of understanding of natural selection can be assessed using the Conceptual Inventory of Natural Selection (CINS) which is a 20-item multiple-choice test that incorporates student misconceptions as distractors. In the present study, Item Response Theory (IRT) was used to analyze the occurance of misconceptions on the CINS among 1192 students in an introductory non-majors biology course. The four most difficult topics in the CINS are: (a) how change occurs in a population; (b) origin of variation; …

The Characterization Of The Expression Of Bog25 And 7a5 In Normal And Cancerous Bladder, Prostate And Breast Cell Lines, Katerine Vanasek

Theses and Dissertations

The BOG25 family proteins, BOG25 and 7a5, contain domains of the EH- Network family of endocytosis, intracellular sorting and cell fate determination proteins as well as a C-terminal death domain that may play an important role in apoptosis. No other known proteins contain the same domain combinations which makes this family unique. The normal physiological roles of the BOG25 family of proteins are currently unknown, and this is the first study of the possible role of BOG25 and 7a5 in cancer. Additionally, this study is the first to confirm the transcription of mRNA for 7a5, the putative protein identified as …

Cons, Ex-Cons And Odinism Across Cultural And National Borders: Why Attempt To Procure Knowledge And Dare We Not?, Lene T. Vallestad

Theses and Dissertations

The occurrence of right-wing extremism is becoming more prominent in the social landscape of Western European countries, including Norway, and in the United States. Amongst these movements one will find groups that base and justify their racist behavior in religious beliefs. Odinism, a pre-Christian, Norse neopagan faith, has merged racist beliefs and violent behavior with religious creed and ideology, and is a prime example of these right-wing religions.

During the 1990s Odinism emerged as one of the most dynamic trends within the extreme right-wing milieu in the U.S. and Western Europe. The popularity of Odinism today is connected to the …

Capillary Liquid Chromatography Using Micro Size Particles, Yanqiao Xiang

Theses and Dissertations

High speed and/or high efficiency separations can be realized using small particles (~ 1 µm) in liquid chromatography (LC). However, due to the large pressure drop caused by small particles, conventional LC pumping systems cannot satisfy the pressure requirements needed to drive the mobile phase through the column. Use of ultrahigh pressure, elevated temperature, or both can overcome these pressure limitations and allow the use of very small particles for high speed and/or high efficiency separations.

In this dissertation, the use of ultrahigh pressures with and without elevated temperatures in capillary LC is described. Very fast separations of various samples …

A Study Investigating The Feasibility Of A Co-Curricular Leadership Program At Rowan University, Christopher A. Farrell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research project was to investigate the feasibility of implementing a co-curricular student leadership program at Rowan University. The project included both a content analysis of transcripts from focus group sessions held with faculty members, administrators and student leaders, as well as analyses of existing co-curricular student leadership programs on several college campuses. Results from the focus group sessions included a strong interest for a co-curricular student leadership program at Rowan University, as well as recommendations for the proper implementation of such a program. Analyses of existing programs from several college campuses provided a methodology for program …

A Study Of The Relationship Between Let Me Learn And Process Writing: A Qualitative Analysis, Grace D. Hagan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research project was to examine the relationship between Let Me Learn and process writing. Christine A. Johnston's Let Me Learn Inventory was administered to a middle school class of 27 students, and 8 students were selected with use-first learning patterns in each of the four learning pattern categories. Once the 8 students were selected, the students participated in interviews with questions regarding their learning patterns and writing process style. The researcher then collected three writing samples from each student as well as a novel project. Upon completion of the data collection, the writing samples were analyzed …

The Use Of The Socratic Method In A Contemporary High School Classroom In Developing Problem-Solving, Critical Thinking, And Decision Making Skills, Anna Schneider Muessig

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to attempt to use a modified approach to the Socratic method in a contemporary high school classroom as a means of developing problem-solving, critical thinking, and decision-making skills in high school students. The participants in the study were 16 male students and 13 female students from two sections of an eleventh grade Honors English class at a suburban high school in southern New Jersey. These students were selected as a population of convenience during the researcher's Clinical Internship II experience. As a part of regular classroom instruction, the researcher employed a modified form …

Casuistical Connections From Dunton To Defoe, John E. Fossum

Theses and Dissertations

This master's thesis is primarily concerned with the philosophical conditions of late seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century England that encouraged the emergence of periodical literature and perpetuated the birth of the novel. While most connections between periodical literature and the novel are made on how the former created the readership that ensured the latter's success, I focus on how the epistemology unique to the advent of empirical science together with the growing prominence of casuistic thought created a space in which periodical literature could emerge and the early novel could flourish. I investigate the underlying assertion of a particular philosophical amalgam …

Hermine Cloeter, Feuilletons, And Vienna: A Flaneuse And Urban Cultural Archaeologist Wandering Through Opaque Spaces, Bridging Past And Present To Reclaim What Could Be Lost, Kelli D. Barbour

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the authority that time holds in the discipline of studying events of the past, not all historians or writers analyzing the past use time to study history—some use space, including writers who write about and interact with an urban topography. The space used by these writers is built space, as well as inhabited and practiced "lived" space. Whereas time provides a transparent overview of history, the urban spaces tend to be opaque. Clarifying history through urban space is additionally troublesome, because built space and its attached memories are visibly forgotten and ignored as time advances. Despite the difficulties of …

Pressurized Hot Water: An Alternative Method Of Nutrient Extraction And Subsequent Analysis For Use In Small-Scale Agriculture, Kristy Susanne Crane

Theses and Dissertations

Soil analysis for small acreage farms in developing countries is often inconvenient and prohibitively expensive using current procedures, yet the information gained from these soil tests could have economical and environmental benefits. The pressurized hot-water (PHW) extraction coupled with colorimetric or turbidimetric analyses shows promise as an alternative to current procedures. Accepted methods of colorimetric analysis for NO3-N and P exist but an alternative method to atomic absorption spectrometry for K analysis is needed. Of the many possible methods to quantify K, tests performed in the Brigham Young University (BYU) laboratory found sodium tetraphenylborate to be unsatisfactory and sodium cobaltinitrite …

The Application Of Pedology, Stable Carbon Isotope Analyses And Geographic Information Systems To Ancient Soil Resource Investigations At Piedras Negras, Guatemala, Kristofer Dee Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The ancient inhabitants of the Maya Lowlands enjoyed a long and fruitful period of growth which climaxed at around AD 800. At that time, millions of people successfully subsisted in a challenging environment that today only supports a population a fraction of that size. These facts, and the subsequent "Maya Collapse", are the impetus of many recent studies that utilize environmental data, in addition to conventional archaeology, to investigate this Maya mystery. Pedological studies and stable carbon isotope analysis of soil organic matter, combined with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are three tools that can be used to answer crucial questions …