Digital Commons Network^™

Hydrodynamic Properties Of Dna Polymerases, Angela Sherell Byrd

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Objective And Subjective Personality Characteristics Of Medical Students, Heather Anderson Meit

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study viewed personality characteristics of medical students using both objective (i.e., a valid and reliable psychological instrument) and subjective methods (i.e., medical students' self-ratings of how they viewed themselves and how they believed others viewed them). The 16 Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF, 5th Edition) and a researcher developed instrument, the Subjective Rating Form (SRF), were utilized in this study. Significant differences were found in 16PF scores from entry to medical school (Time 1) to exit from medical school (Time 2). Significant differences were also observed when SRF scores were compared between Self at Time 1 (retrospectively), Self at …

Sorption Of Lead And Arsenic On Soil Components And Effectiveness Of Phosphates For Remediating Lead And Arsenic Contaminated Soils, Harjinder Sandhu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

High concentration of trace elements such as arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) represents one of the potentially costly threats to water and soil resources as well as serious threats to humans. Clay minerals are potential binding agents for pollutants due to their high cation exchange capacity and large surface area. Laboratory investigations were undertaken to evaluate the effect of Fe and Al hydrous oxide coatings on the sorption of Pb and As. Four clay minerals attapulgite, illite, kaolinite and montmorillonite with a range of surface characteristics were selected to investigate the Pb and As sorption. The minerals were coated with …

Problem -Solving Communication Training And Behavioral Exchange For The Treatment Of Parent -Adolescent Conflict, Ethan Sage Long

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Elevated levels of parent-adolescent conflict have been associated with a number of adolescent problem behaviors. One treatment that appears to be effective in reducing family conflict is Problem Solving Communication Training (PSCT). Research has indicated that PSCT appears to be an effective and acceptable treatment program for reducing parent-adolescent conflict. However, researchers have suggested some possible limitations associated with PSCT treatment. Many of the identified limitations of PSCT potentially may be addressed with the inclusion of a Behavioral Exchange (BE) treatment component. Evidence supporting this hypothesis is provided by the documented success of Behavioral Marital Therapy, a treatment package that …

Generic Pronouns And Their Influence On The Speakers' Language Awareness, Maike Engelhardt

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The English language is a genderless language in which nouns receive grammatical gender through natural gender assignment. The generic pronoun encoded in English is the pronoun he, which next to its secondary meaning of the generic also has the primary meaning of the third person masculine singular. Following the moderate version of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, English speaking societies may therefore be considered androcentric societies, since the unmarked use of the generic he makes everyone in this society male until explicitly proven otherwise. In this thesis I explore the history of the generic pronoun in English and offer suggestions for a …

Trends In Contraceptive Use Among Catholics In The United States: 1988-1995, Richard J. Fehring, Andrea Schlidt

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

National surveys to determine trends in contraceptive use in the United States have occurred every 6 to 10 years since 1955.1,2,3 Since that time, there has been a rapid decline in the use of natural methods of family planning; a sharp rise and slow decline in the use of oral contraceptives and, in the past ten years, a major reliance on surgical sterilization for contraception. Information from these national surveys has provided useful information for contraceptive providers, policy makers, and religious groups. The method of avoiding and achieving pregnancy that is promoted and encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church is …

Effects Of Eluent Ph And Different Types Of Acidic Modifiers On The Retention And Electrospray Ionization Efficiency Of Basic Analytes In Lc-Esi-Ms., Unita L. Peri-Okonny

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Morphine Enhances The Permeability Across Vascular Endothelial Cell Barriers, Jenine Anday

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Using three types of in vitro endothelial cell barrier models, we investigated the direct effects and mechanisms of morphine on vascular permeability. Our current studies illustrate LPS induces permeability across these VEC barriers, and is significantly enhanced when co-treated with morphine, displayed using the [ 14 CJ-inulin paracellular marker. Incubation with morphine alone induces permeability in a concentration­ depeodent manner, and is not blocked by the addition of naloxone. Morphine enhances the detrimental effects of LPS on cell viability and alone also decreases endothelial cell viability, concentration-dependently, which is also not affected by naloxone, as demonstrated by the trypan blue …

Digital Transmission : An Innovative Strategy To Improve Quality In Education., Vijaya Gururajan

Australian Journal of Teacher Education

In 2000 the Australian government, recognising the need for educational equality for Australian Indigenous people has commissioned a taskforce to identify various factors affecting Indigenous Education. One of the factors identified by the task force included the need for strategies to deliver quality education to various Indigenous communities. Research studies conducted on the delivery of education highlight the importance of the Internet for the flexible delivery of education. However, government reports indicate that Australian Indigenous communities have problems in utilising this technology for reasons such as access, infrastructure, training, etc. Therefore a new model based on the recently introduced digital …

Mitigation Of Water Quality And Ecosystem Impacts Of Roadway Construction Through Retrospective Engineering Analyses, Jaime Monique Sayre

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

During the construction of a segment of Appalachian Corridor H between Buckhannon and Elkins, West Virginia, mine spoils and land use features related to historic mining were disturbed. An assessment of the water quality, benthic macro invertebrates, and fish populations was conducted to ascertain the condition of the water and to assess the biological productivity of Laurel Run, a tributary of the Tygart Valley River which runs parallel to Corridor H. The water quality and biological impairments were attributed to the ineffective vegetation of the spoils pile, which permitted water infiltration and thus, served as a source of metals and …

Cmos Fingerprint Sensor Electrostatic Modeling, Praveen Kumar Soora

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The use of Biometrics in personal identification is an important emerging technology in modern electronic society. Fingerprints are one of the most popular biometric technologies, currently used in majority of biometric applications. In recent years, solid-state capacitive fingerprint sensors which image fingerprints using Silicon CMOS Technology are gaining much acceptance in the market. This research work is carried out to quantify and explore approaches for achieving improved sensitivity of the capacitive imaging process through reduction of parasitic capacitances and sensor cell scaling for future generation devices. Evaluation of sensor cell and array geometries was completed using a commercial 2-D electrostatic …

Evaluation Of A Fall Stocking Of Adult And Intermediate Largemouth Bass (Micropterus Salmoides) Into Two Ohio River Embayments, Eric C. Janney

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

On October 20, 1998 the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources stocked adult and intermediate size hatchery reared largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) into two Ohio River embayments in an attempt to supplement existing populations. Prior to stocking each fish was fitted with an anchor tag and a visible implant elastomer mark to help ensure recognition as a hatchery-origin fish. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of this stocking event for enhancing largemouth bass populations and improving angling opportunities in Ohio River embayment areas. A multifaceted sampling approach was incorporated to: (1) evaluate the persistence and return …

Attitudes, Knowledge, And Implementation Of Biotechnology And Agriscience By West Virginia Agricultural Education Teachers, Jason E. Hughes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to provide information on the attitudes toward and knowledge level of biotechnology and agriscience as well as activities conducted which demonstrate implementation of biotechnology and agriscience by West Virginia Agricultural Education teachers.;Data was collected via a questionnaire. Knowledge level, teaching methods used, attitudes of the subject and teaching responsibilities, barriers to teaching, and preferred information sources of biotechnology and agriscience were the major parts. Demographics and level of science knowledge were other parts of the questionnaire.;A major finding of the study was that West Virginia agricultural education teachers possess a positive attitude towards biotechnology, …

Mutagenicity Of Root Canal Sealer Rsa Roekoseal Automix In The Ames Test, Joseph Anthony Wateska

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The mutagenic activities of the root canal sealers, RSA Roekoseal Automix and AHPIus, were tested in the bacterial gene mutation assay (Ames test). Both materials were tested immediately after mixing and after setting 24 h. The Salmonella typhimurium tester strains TA98 and TA 100 were used to detect the induction of frame shift mutations and base pair substitutions both in the presence and absence of a metabolically active microsomal fraction from rat liver (S9 fraction). No mutagenic or toxic effects were found with DMSO eluates of freshly mixed or 24h set RSA Roekoseal Automix. However, under extreme experimental conditions, DMSO …

Time-Dependent Circumferential Deformation Of Cortical Bone Subjected To Internal Radial Loading, Christopher Uriah Brown

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Human cortical bone is a complex composite material that displays time-dependent deformation. The response of bone to loads in the transverse orientation is not well understood and has implications to the stability of a press-fit hip implant. Total hip arthroplasty is a surgical procedure to replace the hip joint. It involves inserting an implant into the shaft of the femur. One method of implant fixation is a press-fit of the implant into the bone canal. Press-fit fixation relies on the elastic response of the proximal femur to hold the implant in place until new bone growth occurs. The radial load …

Biochemistry And Application Of Exopolysaccharide Production In Mozzarella Cheese Starter Cultures, Brent Petersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study sought to investigate the role of the C₅₅ undecaprenol lipid carrier in the production of exopolysaccharide (EPS), the effect of exopolysaccharide producing (EPS⁺) starter cultures on the viscosity of Mozzarella cheese whey, and the possible protective characteristics of capsular EPS against freezing and freeze drying. Efforts to investigate the role of the lipid carrier in EPS production employed pAMbacA, a plasmid that encodes an enterococcallipid kinase that confers bacitracin resistance by increasing intracellular levels of undecaprenol phosphate lipid carrier. Unfortunately, this avenue of study was thwarted by the inability to demonstrate bacA …

The Effects Of Parental Modeling On The Health-Related Behaviors Of American Indian Adolescents: A Culturally Specific Investigation Of Social Learning Theory, Amy Jo Williams

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Health-compromising behavior is a leading cause of death among American Indian (Al) adolescents. Examples of these behaviors include: smoking, alcohol consumption, drug use, and lack of seatbelt use. Theories that predict which Al youth are most at risk for executing these behaviors are needed.

Social learning theory (SL T) has shown adolescents' behaviors are sometimes highly correlated with their parents' behaviors across different ethnic groups. However, there has been little previous research done with Als.

The present study attempted to determine if SLT was applicable to Al adolescents and their parents with regard to four health-related behaviors: cigarette smoking, alcohol …

Regulation Of Yy1, A Multifunctional Transcription Factor, Ya-Li Yao

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Yin Yang 1 (YY1) is a sequence-specific DNA binding transcription factor that plays an important role in development and differentiation. It activates or represses many genes during cell growth and differentiation and is also required for the normal development of the mammalian embryo. Moreover, it has been shown that YY1 may function as a transcriptional initiator. In this dissertation, regulation of human YY1 is analyzed systematically at three levels: At the genomic level, one major transcriptional initiation site of the YY1 gene was mapped to 478 bp upstream of the ATG translational start site. The YY1 promoter was localized to …

Benthic Invertebrate Assemblage Structure In Mountain Streams: The Influence Of Spatial Scale Of Observation And Organism Size On Relationships With Environmental Factors, James N. Hogue

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The description of pattern in nature depends on the size and scale of both the observer and the phenomena being observed. The relative influence that different environmental factors have on organism distributions depends not only on scales of variation inherent to each factor, but also on the size and scale of the organisms. 

I used data from 649 sites within 45 mountain streams in California to quantify relationships between environmental factors and organism distribution. I compared these relationships across analyses conducted at different spatial and biotic scales of resolution. I also examined relationships between environmental variation and assemblage size structure …

Morphometric Evaluation Of The Whitefish Complex In Bear Lake, Utah/Idaho, Alan Ward

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Whitefish populations around the world have long been difficult to categorize taxonomically. The whitefish of Bear Lake, Utah/Idaho are no exception. There are three recognized species of Prosopium that are endemic to the lake. Two of these species, Prosopium spilonotus and Prosopium abyssicota, have previously been indistinguishable outside of spawning times. Previous studies have proposed additional taxa within P. spi/onotus to further complicate the identification among these taxa.

Morphological characteristics were quantified on wild whitefish from Bear Lake, as well as from progeny reared in the laboratory from the wild adult fish. The purported taxa were separated in the field …

Female Adolescent Role Models And Body Image, Tracy L. Funk

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study primarily examined the relationship between role model choices and body image of female adolescents. More specifically this study sought to examine the relationship between the reasons that adolescent females give for choosing a role model and body image. Because body image dissatisfaction has been found to be associated with self-esteem and eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa, these variables also were investigated. Body image was examined by using two measures of the body image construct· the Figure Rating Scale and the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ). Both were used in order to capture a greater portion …

Therapeutic Benefits Of A Wilderness Therapy Program And A Therapeutic Community Program For Troubled Adolescents, Kreg J. Edgmon

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wilderness therapy is increasingly seen as a viable treatment alternative for troubled youth, yet there is a noticeable dearth of research comparing the effectiveness of wilderness therapy with more traditional treatment programs. To help address this research need, this study conducted an exploratory analysis of the therapeutic benefits of a wilderness therapy program, Wilderness Quest (WQ), compared to a therapeutic community program, Life-Line (LL). The WQ and LL programs both are based on a 12- step recovery philosophy and emphasize the integral role of the family in adolescent treatment.

The study employed a qualitative methodology, beginning with an extended period …

Language, Social Interactions, And Attention As Predictors Of Reading Development In Second Grade, Lisa A. Newland

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Social interactions between 153 mother-infant dyads in the laboratory were examined for associations with language and play preferences when infants were 14 months old. Later associations with reading skills, attention, and book reading were examined at the end of second grade. Mothers and infants were videotaped in a 20-minute laboratory observation at 14 months, and joint visual attention and social toy play were coded from the interactions. Language was assessed at 14 months using a standardized instrument, and mothers rated their own and their infants' preferences for specific types of play. A follow-up study, conducted at the end of second …

Reproductive Allocation And Survival In Grasshoppers: Effects Of Resource Availability, Grasshopper Density, And Parasitism, David Heath Branson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A major challenge in ecology is to understand intraspecific variation in life histories. Variation in resource availability can lead to differences in reproductive allocation and life histories. Grasshoppers are a good organism for the study of variation in life histories, since they exhibit life history plasticity in response to biotic and environmental factors. An optimality model for grasshoppers was developed that predicts optimal total allocation to reproduction and optimal effort-per-offspring as functions of resource availability and mortality. Relative allocation to reproduction is predicted to increase with resource availability, while relative allocation to survival declines. A resource-based trade-off between egg size …

Rangeland Resources Monitoring: Concepts And Practical Applications, Benny R. Bobwski

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

How does one person manage and monitor a half million acres of rangelands towards a sustainable future? Through a journey that begins with the understanding of sustainability, I explore the monitoring concept, two of its applications, and summarize with an emphasis on the art and science of management. Sustainability is a concept that confuses many managers because it is so complex. However, if one considers adaptability as the complement to sustainability, and realizes that an adaptable organism is a sustainable organism, then a manager can relate because the emphasis shifts from that of stability for the future to that of …

Energy, Fractal Movement Patterns, And Scale-Dependent Habitat Relationships Of Urban And Rural Mule Deer, Mark F. Mcclure

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

I studied the behaviors, movement dynamics, habitat relationships, and population characteristics of Rocky Mountain mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) using urban and rural winter ranges in Cache Valley, Utah, from January 1994 to February 1998. There were 2 goals to my research endeavors. The first was to assess how and why the behaviors and demographic characteristics of urban deer differed from those of rural deer. The second was to assess the scale-dependent responses to habitat and the scale-dependent patterns of habitat use by deer living in each area. To accomplish the first goal, I compared the prevalence of migration, the spatial …

Ecology Of Treeline Whitebark Pine (Pinus Albicaulis) Populations In Central Idaho: Successional Status, Recruitment, And Mortality, And A Spring Temperature Reconstruction From Whitebark Pine Tree Rings, Dana Lee Perkins

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research investigated the successional status of treeline whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) populations on 14 stands in central Idaho and used empirical statistical models to determine the principal factors affecting recruitment and mortality. The longest lived whitebark pines from four additional high-elevation sites were used to develop a tree-ring chronology to reconstruct over 1,000 years of average April-May temperature.

The assessment of stand structures using size-frequency distributions generally provides evidence that treeline whitebark pine populations are currently self-sustaining in areas of low to nonexistent incidence of white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola). However the presence of …

The Relationship Of Milk Urea Nitrogen And Dhia Production Variables In Western Commercial Dairy Herds, Rachael G. Johnson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Monthly individual cow DHIA test records (approximately 90,000) from 96 Holstein and Jersey herds from Utah, Idaho, and Montana were analyzed used the Mixed procedure in SAS to determine the relationships of milk production parameters to milk urea N (MUN). Records spanned two consecutive years ending December 2000. Means for Holsteins were 34.1 kg/d milk yield, 15.2 mg/dl MUN, 3.18% milk protein, 3.5% milk fat, and 280,000 somatic cell count. Mean MUN for Holsteins was lowest in fall (Oct.-Dec) and highest in winter and spring. Cows with highest milk protein percent (≥ 3.2%) had lowest MUN over all levels of …

Rna Levels And Activity Of Flowering Locus C Are Modified In Mixed Genetic Backgrounds Of Arabidopsis Thaliana, Michael Schläppi

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Flowering time and FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) RNA levels were analyzed in different accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana and in mixed genetic backgrounds resulting from crosses between accessions. Dominant alleles of FRIGIDA (FRI) promote accumulation of FLC RNA, which in turn promotes late flowering. Although the coding regions of sequenced FLC alleles are identical, some accessions have genetically weak alleles that do not promote late flowering in the presence of FRI. In this study, a new weak allele of FLC with open reading frame identity to previously sequenced alleles was isolated from a Niederzenz (Nd) accession. …

Genetic Relationships Between Two Rare Plant Species, Aliciella Caespitosa And A. Tenuis, And Their Putative Progenitor, A. Subnuda, Carrie L. Mccracken

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Isolated populations have potential to become new species that should have less genetic variation than their ancestors. Small populations are more likely to lose genetic variation, which is, thus, expected to be greater in ancestors. Aliciella caespitosa and A. tenuis, two endemic species, may be derived from small populations of A. subnuda, a widespread species. Chloroplast DNA sequences were used to test this hypothesis. Allozyme data were used to compare genetic variation and numbers of alleles. Chloroplast data do not support the proposed relationships between A. subnuda and the other two species. Allozyme data were not more variable …