Digital Commons Network^™

Cellular Mechanisms Of Luteal Regression In The Bovine Corpus Luteum (Cl), Aritro Sen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The corpus luteum (CL) is a transient endocrine gland that produces progesterone (P4) for the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. In absence of pregnancy, timely regression of the CL is essential for normal ovarian cyclicity. Several factors are known to participate in luteal regression. In this study, two factors, PGF2 alpha and endothelin (ET-1) are being studied. Protein kinase C (PKC) and calcium are the two main intracellular mediators of PGF2 alpha. The role of ET-1 in the regulation of luteal regression is unclear. The early CL is insensitive to the luteolytic actions of PGF2 alpha and the cellular mechanism(s) …

Factors Affecting Reproductive Efficiency Of Cattle, Melanie J. Starbuck

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Four experiments were conducted to evaluate two measures of reproductive efficiency in cattle, conception rate and retention of pregnancy. In experiment I, the relationship between concentrations of progesterone and retention of pregnancy was examined. The corpus luteum (CL) was removed on day 29 of pregnancy in 40 suckled, beef cows, and pregnancy was supported with exogenous progesterone to day 53. Concentrations of progesterone (1.8 +/- 0.1 ng/mL between days 30 and 38), were below those normally recorded for pregnant cows. Retention of pregnancy (77%) was monitored frequently using ultrasonography until day 53 and was negatively associated with age of cow, …

Adoption Of Resource -Conserving Agricultural Technologies: An Economic And *Policy Analysis For South Africa, Daniel Vusanani Dlamini

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Land degradation continues to be a threat to the agricultural sector of South Africa. Land degradation induced by agricultural production activities is considered to be among the major factors responsible for a decline in land productivity. Conservation efforts through government intervention and voluntary efforts have produced minimal success compared to the desired targets. The purpose of this study is to understand the factors that influence the adoption decisions of resource conserving technologies in the context of commercial farmers in South Africa.;Adoption of conservation-oriented agricultural technologies in South Africa is influenced by a wide range of economic and social factors, and …

The Use Of Charge -Charge Correlation In Impedance Measurements: A Test Of The Epet Method, Christopher W. Gregory

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

It is well known that biological tissues possess impedance properties that might be useful in medical diagnostics and treatment. Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) images internal electrical properties by using numerical methods to solve Laplace's differential equation. The indirect reconstruction method (IRM), a common method in application, predicts internal electrical property distribution by iteratively computing a forward and inverse solution. This approach reduces the non-linear Laplace's equation into a poorly conditioned series of linear equations, which are solved simultaneously. This method suffers from high computational effort and is susceptible to prediction errors that stem from measurement noise.;As an alternative to Laplace's …

Strategies Nurse Educators Use To Integrate Computer -Assisted Instruction Into Their Courses To Teach Clinical Decision-Making, Beverly J. Schaefer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The strategies nurse educators' use to integrate computer-assisted instruction (CAI) designed to teach clinical decision-making into their courses were investigated to determine their frequency of use and effectiveness. The "Integration of CAI Questionnaire," an on-line electronic survey designed by the investigator, was used to collect data. A stratified randomly-selected group of 109 schools of nursing that was a statistically representative mix of baccalaureate (BSN), associate (AD) and diploma schools from each of six geographic regions of the United States comprised the sample.;The study questions were as follows: (1) What integration strategies have nurse educators used to integrate CAI? (2) How …

Learner Satisfaction And Learning Performance In Online Courses On Bioterrorism And Weapons Of Mass Destruction, Tatiana I. Solovieva

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the relationships between measures of (a) learner satisfaction with online courses on weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and bioterrorism intended to address the educational needs of responder Communities of Practice (CoP) and (b) degrees of accomplishment by the learner with those online courses. Provided that course design characteristics were similar between courses and that content was different, it was important to examine learner satisfaction with course common aspects in relation to learning outcomes and identify the predictors of effectiveness and relations between the learner satisfaction with the course characteristics and the learner achievement for potential design improvements …

A West Virginia Family In World War Ii, Miles B. Berger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As an analysis and examination of the letters of two West Virginia residents written during each resident's service in World War II, this thesis compares the wartime experiences of a brother and sister against secondary and primary source literature covering World War II and the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps/Women's Army Corps. The experiences of these two soldiers are told through an interpretation of their letters home and an examination of the training experiences of women and men in World War II. In addition, the first main section of the thesis, Chapter Two, is devoted to an overview and analysis of …

Ozone Forming Potential Of Exhaust Emissions From Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines, Ravi Kaklasaria

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research aimed at determining the effect of exhaust aftertreatment devices and ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) fuel on the reactivity of exhaust emissions from heavy duty diesel (HDD) engines. Specifically, the objective of this research was to determine the effect of two diesel particulate filters: Engelhard DPX(TM) and Johnson Matthey CRT(TM), and two ULSD fuels, ECD and ECD1 on the ozone forming potential (OFP) of exhaust emissions from HDD engines. To achieve this objective, data was obtained from the "ECD Study" performed in the Spring 2001 to chemically characterize emissions from trucks and buses operating on the two test …

Computer Aided Detection Of Defects In Frp Bridge Decks Using Infrared Thermography, Gajanan M. Lonkar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this research is to develop a turn-key system that is able to interface with the FLIR ThermaCAM S60 infrared camera and automatically capture and analyze defects in infrared images of FRP bridge decks. Infrared thermography is one of the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques that are being used to locate defects (debonds and delaminations) in bridge components. It is a rapid data collection and interpretation technique having high sensitivity and reliability. Analysis of infrared images by human interpretation is dependent on the users knowledge and hence introduces ambiguity in the defect detection process.;This thesis investigates the use of …

Empirical Study Of Error Behavior In Web Servers, Ajay Deep Singh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The World Wide Web has been a huge success, bringing the Internet to widespread popularity. For Web based systems to deal effectively with increasing number of Web clients, it is very important to understand the basic fundamentals of Web workload and error characteristics. In this thesis we focus on detailed empirical analysis of Web server error characteristics and reliability based on the data extracted from eleven different web servers. First, we address the data collection process and describe the methods for extraction of workload and error data from Web logs. Then, we analyze the Web error characteristics which include unique …

Investigation Of Internal Fluid Pressure In Cells, Jayendran Srinivasan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Articular cartilage is a connective tissue that covers the ends of bones in joints, providing a nearly frictionless bearing surface for efficiently transmitting loads to the underlying joint. It is made up of specialized cells called chondrocytes that are responsible for its growth and maintenance. Studies indicate that cells remodel the tissue in response to mechanical loading. However the mechanism by which cells sense and respond to mechanical signals is poorly understood.;Studies also suggest the presence of internal fluid pressure in cells and change in this fluid pressure is believed to play a role in cellular mechanical signal transduction. This …

America And China: Cultural Differences In Online Learning Motivation, Zongxiang Mei

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There are learning motivation differences among students from different countries. And differences between American and Korean online learners were identified. This study was to identify whether American and Chinese online learners' motivation differed and what were the learner characteristics that affected the motivation of online learners. This study was conducted in May-June, 2005, West Virginia University, the United States of America, and Fudan University, China. Findings revealed that there was a significant difference in learning motivation between the U.S. and Chinese online learners. And there were some learner characteristics affected the learning motivation of online learners as well, such as …

A Performance Evaluation Of A Homogeneous Wireless Network Using Opnet It Guru, Roy Lee Gentry Jr.

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Science and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Roy Lee Gentry Jr. on November 30, 2005.

The Cord Weekly (November 30, 2005)

The Cord

No abstract provided.

The Register, 2005-11-30, North Carolina Agricutural And Technical State University

NCAT Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

28th Annual Economic Forecast Set For December 8, Chapman University Media Relations

Chapman Press Releases 2003-2011

No abstract provided.

Spartan Daily, November 30, 2005, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 125, Issue 52

Polls Show Center-Left Candidate Lopez Obrador With Lead Over Two Rivals, Ladb Staff

SourceMex

No abstract provided.

Great Um Christmas Cookie Cook-Off At Um Dec. 15, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Banner News, Chan Soo Park, Mary Elizabeth Drahos, Cindy Wisecup, Kelly Ingstad, Moses Powell Eckstein, Linda Carr, Andrew Penner, Chris Williams, Emily Cooper

Banner News

No abstract provided.

The Spinnaker Vol. 29 No. 16, University Of North Florida

Spinnaker

Student newspaper for the UNF community

Panther - November 2005 - Vol. Lxxxiv No. 11, Prairie View A&M University

PV Panther Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Testing Primitive Polynomials For Generalized Feedback Shift Register Random Number Generators, Guinan Lian

Theses and Dissertations

The class of generalized feedback shift register (GFSR) random number generators was a promising method for random number generation in the 1980's, but was abandoned because of some flaws such as poor performance on certain tests for randomness. The poor performance may be due to the choice of primitive polynomials used in the generators, rather than inherent flaws in the method. The original GFSR generators were all based on primitive trinomials. This project examines several alternative choices of primitive polynomials with more than one "interior" term to address this problem and hopefully provide access to good random number generators.

Teacher Evaluation In Chinese Elementary Schools: An Historical Account, Ping Zeng

Theses and Dissertations

This research is an historical account of the development of teacher evaluation in Chinese elementary schools. Descriptive by nature, it reviews the historical origins that have shaped the teaching profession and evaluation practice. It also describes the effort made by the government and educators in the reform to improve the elementary school teacher evaluation system in China. The findings of this research focus on the complexity and problems in the teacher evaluation system and painful struggles teachers have experienced. Suggestions are provided in terms of possible improvement of the teacher evaluation system and establishment of national evaluation standards to facilitate …

Education In The Environment: A Hands-On Student Research And Outdoor Learning Experience: Quarterly Progress Report: Period Ending November 30, 2005, Margaret N. Rees

Reports (PLI Education)

During the past three-months, the focus of the university’s efforts has included the following highlights:

• Forever Earth was scheduled 15 times in the past quarter.
• Twelve Discover Mojave Outdoor World events were completed; a draft Year 2 schedule was completed.
• An Outdoor World assessment report compiled and results were presented at a professional academic conference.
• The Phase I Education in the Environment Strategy document was completed.
• A Phase II action plan is underway by the Environmental Education Committee.
• A place-based education conference, “Our Places Tell Stories,” will be held in January 2006.
• Survey data is being collected from Clark County …

White Beauty: The Portrayal Of Minorities In Teen Beauty Magazines, Micaela Choo Banks

Theses and Dissertations

This content analysis examines the representations of minorities in the two most popular teen beauty magazines: Seventeen and YM. Nine issues for 2003 constituted the sample frame yielding a total of 620 advertisements containing human models. After setting up a theoretical framework of the new racism and White beauty, this study investigates the portrayals of minority models. Overall, when compared with earlier studies the number of minority models used in mainstream magazine advertising rose and the portrayals of minority models in prominent roles increased. Yet, the subtle nature of the new racism was reinforced in the following findings: Prominent …

Mixed Media November 30, 2005, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

Mixed Media began as the student publication Your Name Here. The November 30, 2005 issue includes articles on issues with Portfolio Cafe, whether the "RISD Bubble" still exists, an increased number of Asian students at RISD, future goals for the Illustration department, career advice from a recent RISD graduate, a faculty member's favorite things at the RISD Museum, and the Cable Car Cinema, along with the comics "Campfire Building" by Steve Weed, "My Experience with Health Services" by Melissa Meyer, "I Get These Great Ideas" by Melissa Meyer, "Damn Animation" by Ian Topple, student creative work, event notices, and other …

Question Of Bias: A Content Analysis Of The Visual Coverage Of The 2004 Presidential Campaign, Angie Bergstrom

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the question of preferential treatment by U.S. national newsmagazines of presidential candidates in the 2004 election as evidenced by their visual coverage. Using content analysis, all the visual depictions of candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry were analyzed for 10 visual attributes to determine whether one had received better pictorial treatment. This study asked if the newsmagazines had printed greater amounts of visuals overall for one candidate and if one candidate's visuals were more or less positive than the other. The author concludes that more coverage was given to Bush over Kerry in a 60/40 …

Christmas Chapel Hour At Iwu, Leslie Boelter

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

The Bg News November 30, 2005, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. November 30, 2005. Volume 96-Issue 66.