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Woody Encroachment In North Dakota Grasslands: Using Predictive Modeling To Examine Key Players And Management Implications, Leigh A. Ciofani

Theses and Dissertations

Woody shrub encroachment is one of the major threats to grasslands, closely connected to other issues such as fire regimes, herbivore grazing patterns, and climate change, and is currently a global trend. Consequences of shrub encroachment can significantly impact many of the ecological characteristics of grasslands, including grassland biogeochemistry and resource availability and biodiversity. Studies conducted on grassland ecosystems have pointed to grassland management, in the form of prescribed burning, grazing, or some combination of the two, as a way to prevent woody encroachment. Prevention of woody encroachment may be particularly important to preserving grasslands, as management may not be …

Inside Unlv, Shane Bevell, David Ashley, Tony Allen, Mamie Peers, Allison Miller

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Color Space Analysis For Iris Recognition, Matthew K. Monaco

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis investigates issues related to the processing of multispectral and color infrared images of the iris. When utilizing the color bands of the electromagnetic spectrum, the eye color and the components of texture (luminosity and chromaticity) must be considered. This work examines the effect of eye color on texture-based iris recognition in both the near-IR and visible bands. A novel score level fusion algorithm for multispectral iris recognition is presented in this regard. The fusion algorithm - based on evidence that matching performance of a texture-based encoding scheme is impacted by the quality of texture within the original image …

Stand Dynamics Of An Old-Growth Hemlock-Hardwood Forest In West Virginia, Nathan R. Beane

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cathedral State Park (CSP) is a 54-ha, old-growth, hemlock-hardwood forest located in the central Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia. Trees larger than 100 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) and 35 m tall are common. Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) (Adelges tsugae Annand) is an exotic insect that currently threatens eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr.) throughout its native range, and was found in CSP in 2002. In 2006, field plots established in 2000 were remeasured to assess adelgid-induced changes to forest structure and species composition. The herbaceous plant community was also measured during the 2006 growing season to describe how …

Modeling Sediment Movement In Forested Watersheds Using Hill-Slope Attributes, Gregory W. Hamons

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The amount of sediment delivered to stream channels and the determination of the topographical attributes responsible for the origination and transfer of sediment were investigated in a central Appalachian mixed hardwood forest from 2002 through 2005. Two study watersheds were chosen within the Indian Run watershed in north central West Virginia. One remained undisturbed (control) and the other underwent road construction and tree harvesting operations (treatment). Sediment samples were collected from silt fences which were installed along both sides of the stream channels in both watersheds to ensure all sediment material delivered from adjacent hill-slopes was captured and collected. Sediment …

Improving Pbls: Let's Go Fly A Kite!, Hla Yee Yee, Ammu Radhakrishnan, Gnananjothy Ponnudurai

Journal of Medical Education

A method which we call ”Flying A Kite Approach” to PBL was tested on second year medical students (third Semester) at the International Medical University. This method channels students into thinking of alternative causes of a clinical presentation and prepares medical students in the way they would be functioning in their professional lives. A pre-tested anonymous questionnaire addressing students' perception of PBL, characteristics of a ”good” facilitator, and students' rating of the new approach against the usual ”one diagnosis” or ”Bull's eye” approach was distributed to 53 students in four PBL groups. Forty six were returned. The ”Flying A Kite” …

The Classic, Winter 2007-2008, Public Relations

The Classic, 2000-2009

A Leader Remembered; Inbox; No Easy Answers; Faith and Friendship; On Board; Writing Hope; Blue-Ribbon Collaboration; 'Tis the Season for Giving; So Long, Farewell; One Man's Art; Food for the World; Missions-Minded; Faith and Family: A Q&A with the children of Northwestern's Parents of the Year; Fall Sports; Face Value: Karen Barker; Of Course: Sick Feelings; Looking Back: The Christmas Gift; Pop Quiz; Photo Essay: Way to Celebrate!; Distinguished: Three alumni honored at Homecoming: Marty Guthmiller '82, Don Van Etten '54, Dave Hulsart '91; New Horizon: Students learn about sustainable community development in post-communist Romania; In the Line of Fire: …

December 2007 Commencement Program, Bowling Green State University

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Role Of Peptidoglycan In The Pathogenesis Of Staphylococcus Saprophyticus In Mice, Harith J.F. Al-Mathkhury, May T. Flaih, Athra S. Fleih

Baghdad Science Journal

The pathogenicity of S. saprophyticus was studied in mice. A group of white mice were injected transurethrally using a catheter with S. saprophyticus S67 cell suspension in a concentration reached 109 CFU/ml. concomitantly, the role of its peptidoglycan in the pathogenicity was studied by injecting another group of mice with 0.3 mg/0.2 ml of partially purified S. saprophyticus S67 peptidoglycan extract. After autopsy, kidneys and urinary bladder showed several histopathological changes both in cells and peptidoglycan injected mice, included: hydropic degeneration, glomerulus shrinkage, congestion of renal vessels, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and dekeratinization in urinary bladder.

2007 December, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for December of 2007.

Review Of The Relationship Rights Of Children. James G. Dwyer. Reviewed By Mary Ann Mason., Mary Ann Mason

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of James G. Dwyer, The Relationship Rights of Children. Cambridge University Press, 2006, $ 55.00 hardcover.

Zinc Cysteine Active Sites Of Metalloproteins: A Density Functional Theory And X-Ray Absorption Fine Structure Study, Nicholas Dimakis, Mohammed Junaid Farooqi, Emily Sofia Garza, Grant Bunker

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Density functional theory (DFT) and x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy are complementary tools for the biophysical study of active sites in metalloproteins. DFT is used to compute XAFS multiple scattering Debye Waller factors, which are then employed in genetic algorithm-based fitting process to obtain a global fit to the XAFS in the space of fitting parameters. Zn-Cys sites, which serve important functions as transcriptional switches in Zn finger proteins and matrix metalloproteinases, previously have proven intractable by this method; here these limitations are removed. In this work we evaluate optimal DFT nonlocal functionals and basis sets for determining optimal …

Gustav Shpet's Literary And Theatre Theory, Galin Tihanov

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In his paper, "Gustav Shpet's Literary and Theatre Theory," Galin Tihanov introduces Shpet's theoretical work on literature and theatre, until recently little studied. Neither has been sufficient attention paid to Shpet's overall presence on the Russian cultural scene in the 1910s-1930s. As a result, our knowledge and appreciation of the scope of his writings and the variety of Russian literary and theatre life in the first third of the twentieth century have remained less rich and well-informed than they could otherwise have been. Tihanov explains that Shpet's participation in contemporary literature and theatre assumed different forms: he wrote both from …

Small Mammal Habitat Associations In A Fragmented Agricultural Landscape, William Wall Hamrick

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to examine how small mammals select habitats in a fragmented agricultural landscape in southeast Georgia. I captured small mammals at 71 trap sites within 33 locations in Bulloch and Candler Counties, Georgia. Prior to trapping, each site was classified based on predominant habitat type. Within each trap site, habitat variables were quantified for capture and non-capture trap stations. Using GPS and ArcMap GIS, I quantified surrounding land cover associated with each trap site. A total of 398 individuals of 10 different species of small mammals were captured. Peromyscus gossypinus and Sigmodon hispidus were captured …

Compromised Weaponry Enhances Crayfish Tailflipping, Sandra Y. Espinoza, Zen Faulkes

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

As a defense strategy, many crustaceans perform one of two well described stereotyped single fast tailflips (~6 ms in adult crayfish), which are triggered by a neural circuit that includes medial giant interneurons (MG) and lateral giant interneurons (LG). Tailflips can also occur without these giant interneurons firing, however; these non-giant tailflips are variable, repetitive, and significantly longer (~150 ms). Previous work showed that crayfish exposed to natural stimulus respond with a non-giant tailflip significantly faster than when presented with an artificial stimulus and that complete removal of claws lowered tailflipping threshold. We tested whether compromising weapons would influence tailflipping. …

Human Identity, Immanent Causal Relations, And The Principle Of Non-Repeatability: Thomas Aquinas On The Bodily Resurrection, Christina Van Dyke

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Can the persistence of a human being's soul at death and prior to the bodily resurrection be sufficient to guarantee that the resurrected human being is numerically identical to the human being who died? According to Thomas Aquinas, it can. Yet, given that Aquinas holds that the human being is identical to the composite of soul and body and ceases to exist at death, it's difficult to see how he can maintain this view. In this paper, I address Aquinas's response to this objection (Summa Contra Gentiles, IV.80-81). After making a crucial clarification concerning the nature of the non-repeatability principle …

Perceptions Of Chief Information Officers Who Have Managed Information Technology Both Outside And Inside Higher Education, Lisa Christine Spence

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study was conducted to examine perceptions about information technology management of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) in higher education who have previously worked outside that environment. Participants from the University System of Georgia and from universities in the Southern Regional Education Board were interviewed. They had a variety of backgrounds outside higher education, including corporate, military, not-for-profit, and small business. Participants in the study identified challenges related to diversity of students and faculty; the demand by students for leading-edge technology; academic culture; accountability; funding levels and methods; information security; the lack of a bottom line; the decision-making process; and human …

Race, Class, And Tracking: What Keeps African American Males From Pursuing College Degrees?, Sonja Renee Richardson-Shavers

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Using critical race theory (Crenshaw, Gotanda, Peller, & Thomas, 1995; Delgado & Stefancic, 1995, 2001; Ladson-Billings, 1998) as the theoretical framework and narrative inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) as the research methodology, this study explored the stories of 4 African American males to discover how race, class, and tracking affected their higher education opportunities. Participants were selected based upon their chosen curriculum; 2 participants represented a college preparatory curriculum, and represented a technical preparatory curriculum. Stories were collected via individual and focus group interviews in a predominantly Black high school in middle Georgia. Additional methods included school portraiture, participant profiles, …

Bactericidal Activity Of Extended 9-Glycyl-Amido-Minocyclines, Chang-Po Chen, Allen R. Zeiger, Dr. Eric Wickstrom

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

The need for self-protecting polymer or alloy implants resistant to a broad spectrum of bacterial challenges led us to investigate covalent bonding of minocycline (MIN), a tetracycline derivative, to polystyrene beads and to titanium alloy foils by oligoethylene glycol spacers. 9-Hydrazino-acetyl-amido-MIN, and simpler glycylcycline derivatives, retained minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Staphylococcus aureus comparable to MIN. However, PEG-glycyl-amido-MIN showed very low activity. Hence, we coupled 9-hydrazino-acetyl-amido-MIN to the aldehyde termini of oligoethylene glycol spacers bonded to polystyrene and titanium alloy surfaces to form acid-releasable hydrazone linkages. 9-Hydrazino-acetyl-amido-MIN was released from the monolayers more rapidly at pH 5.0 than at pH …

The Family And Religion, Gordon Babst

Political Science Faculty Books and Book Chapters

This introduction focuses on religious beliefs in American families.

The Saintly Female Body And The Landscape Of Foundation In Anglo-Saxon Barking, Lisa M.C. Weston

Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality

No abstract provided.

The Complete Genome Sequence And Analysis Of The Epsilonproteobacterium Arcobacter Butzleri, William G. Miller, Craig T. Parker, Mark Rubenfield, George L. Mendz, Marc Msm Wo, David W. Ussery, John F. Stolz, Tim T. Binneweis, Peter F. Hallin, Guilin Wang, Joel A. Malek, Andrea Rogosin, Larry H. Stanker, Robert E. Mandrell

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Arcobacter butzleri is a member of the epsilon subdivision of the Proteobacteria and a close taxonomic relative of established pathogens, such as Campylobacter jejuni and Helicobacter pylori. Here we present the complete genome sequence of the human clinical isolate, A. butzleri strain RM4018.

Methodology/Principal Findings: Arcobacter butzleri is a member of the Campylobacteraceae, but the majority of its proteome is most similar to those of Sulfuromonas denitrificans and Wolinella succinogenes, both members of the Helicobacteraceae, and those of the deep-sea vent Epsilonproteobacteria Sulfurovum and Nitratiruptor. In addition, many of the genes and pathways described here, …

J Am Coll Dent 2007 74 4

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The Journal of the American College of Dentists (JACD) publishes scholarly articles, editorials, essays, and reflections addressing the ethical, professional, and social dimensions of dentistry. The Journal serves as a forum for advancing ethics, professionalism, leadership, and excellence within the dental community. By fostering dialogue across disciplines and perspectives, JACD provides readers with insights that encourage ethical, professional practice, lifelong learning, and service to the public, reinforcing dentistry’s commitment to advancing oral healthcare and the common good.

Changes In Shell Morphology Of Elimia Comalensis (Gastropoda: Pleuroceridae) From The Edwards Plateau, Texas, Russell L. Minton, Scott A. Reese, Kim Swanger, Kathryn E. Perez, David M. Hayes

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Species in the pleurocerid genus Elimia are important components of freshwater systems in the eastern United States, but little is known about their natural history. Using dual-simultaneous linear regression and principal components analyses, we show patterns of morphological change in two populations of E. comalensis from the Edwards Plateau, Texas. Both populations had similar rates of change for all shell measurements analyzed, and both showed similar decreases in growth as total length of shell increased. However, the size at which growth slowed was different between populations, and small shells tended to have a consistent shape, while larger shells were more …

Neurogranin Controls The Spatiotemporal Pattern Of Postsynaptic Ca2+/Cam Signaling, Yoshihisa Kubota, John A Putkey, M Neal Waxham

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Neurogranin (Ng) is a postsynaptic IQ-motif containing protein that accelerates Ca(2+) dissociation from calmodulin (CaM), a key regulator of long-term potentiation and long-term depression in CA1 pyramidal neurons. The exact physiological role of Ng, however, remains controversial. Two genetic knockout studies of Ng showed opposite outcomes in terms of the induction of synaptic plasticity. To understand its function, we test the hypothesis that Ng could regulate the spatial range of action of Ca(2+)/CaM based on its ability to accelerate the dissociation of Ca(2+) from CaM. Using a mathematical model constructed on the known biochemistry of Ng, we calculate the cycle …

Evaluation Of Humoral Immunity In Golden Hamsters Experimentally Infected With Leishmania Donovani, Hayder Zuhair Al-Samra'ay

Baghdad Science Journal

This study has evaluated the humoral immune response in Golden Hamsters experimentally infected with Leishmania donovani along (4) times of follow up (15, 30, 60, 90) days after infection. Indirect haemagglutination test was used to determine the antibody titer through the various stages of the study. Also the progress of the infection was studied depending on some of the visceral changes caused by the parasite, like weight of liver, length and weight of spleen and the count of Leishmania parasites in spleen were measured. Results has shown that there was an increase in antibody titer and the maximum value was …

The Effect Of Preservation On The Shelf Life Of Laboratory Processed Biscuit, Salim S. Al-Timimi, Kalid A., Eshrak G. K.

Baghdad Science Journal

This study has been conducted to investigate the influence of preservatives(sodium propionate and potassium sorbate) at different levels to extend the storage life of laboratory processed biscuit.The results have shown that When%0.10 sodium propionate was added bacteria and fungi was not found for three months while found in the fourth month of storage.However bacteria and mold didnot grow until the sixth month of storage as %0.20 and %0.30 concentration was used. On the other side as %0.03 potassium sorbate was used,the growth of bacteria was cheched for 3 months and 4 months for molds..When %0.06 potassium sorbate was used no …

Preparation And Evaluation Of Polyvinyl Alcohol Derivative As Antimicrobial And Antifungal Agents, Ali.N. Abed, Jawad .K. Al-Kafaji, Ithar.K. Al-Mayaly, M.A El-Azmirly

Baghdad Science Journal

Polyvinal alcohol was Cynoethylated , complex compound with Iodin in presence of Cu++ ions were preparated and their ultra violet (U.V) and infra red( IR) spectra were investigated. The prepared derivative and complexes were evaluated as antibacterial and antifungal agents following the standard dilution method. MIC(minimum inhibitory concentration) for each polymer using ten types of gram + ve and gram - ve bacteria were determinated in addition to three types of fungi. The results obtainded showed that MIC, s were around 0.0011 × 103 molar for different polymetric derivatives tried.

Influence Of Laser Irradiation Times On Properties Of Porous Silicon, Sabah M. Ali, Alwan M. Alwan, Oday A. Abass

Baghdad Science Journal

Porous silicon (P-Si) has been produced in this work by photoelectrochemical (PEC) etching process. The irradiation has been achieved using diode laser of (2 W) power and 810 nm wavelength. The influence of various irradiation times on the properties of P-Si material such as P-Si layer thickness, surface aspect, pore diameter and the thickness of walls between pores as well as porosity and etching rate was investigated by depending on the scanning electron micrograph (SEM) technique and gravimetric measurements.

Effect Of Pupal Exposure Of Raisin Moth ,Ephestia Figulilella (Gregson),(Lepidoptera:Pyralidae) To High Temperature On Certain Biological Parameters Of The Adult, M.A. Shawkit, A.A Al Taweel, L.J. Al-Bahadyli, N.S. Deab, N.A. M. Khedher

Baghdad Science Journal

The pupal stage of Ephestia figulilella was exposed to temperature of 40 ,45 and 50 ºC for different period (1,3 and 6 hrs) besides the control which exposed to 28 ºC .The effects of these temperature degrees were determined on some biological aspects of produced adult . Results showed that there is increasing in the percentage of dry dead pupa and malformed adults as the temperature and duration of exposure to it increased . Furthermore ,the mean number of eggs / female and the age percent of egg hatch for the following mating : ( exposed female × normal male …