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Ecology Of Larra Bicolor (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) In The Northern Gulf, Cheri Muthirakalayil Abraham

Theses and Dissertations

Mole Crickets (Scapteriscus spp.) are the most destructive pests in southern turf and pasture grasses. In response to extensive losses from mole crickets, Florida formed a task force to identify natural enemies in the native range of these pests. Two parasitic insects, Larra bicolor and Ormia depleta, and Steinernema scapterisci, an entomopathogenic nematode, were imported and released. Of the two insects, only Larra bicolor has spread to other states infested with mole crickets in the southeast. The present study documents the seasonal biology of Larra bicolor in the northern Gulf region, ornamental plants that can be used as nectar sources, …

A Study Of Statewide Transfer And Articulation Reporting System (Stars) Approved Courses Completed At An Alabama Community College, Khristy Gibson Large

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this study was to determine if students have earned more STARS articulated and transferrable hours since the creation of the STARS program than students did before the existence of the program in the state of Alabama. Study results revealed that the STARS program has had a significant impact on the amount of articulated credit hours students have earned since the creation of the STARS program. Additional variables such as ethnicity, gender, GPA, status, and student type were also used to determine if significant differences existed among these variables in students completing STARS-approved hours. Pre-existing data were …

An Evaluation Of Magnesium Status And Inflammatory Response During The Third Trimester Of Normal Pregnancy And Preeclampsia, Fauzia Asadullah Khan

Theses and Dissertations

Recent reports suggest that preeclampsia is the result of an excessive maternal systemic inflammatory response. The role of magnesium and systemic inflammation in normal pregnancy and preeclampsia needs to be defined. The objectives of this study were to compare (1) demographic and (2) anthropometric characteristics of normal and preeclamptic pregnant women; and (3) to determine and compare serum iMg++ and tMg concentration and the association between inflammatory makers such as TNFα, leptin, adiponectin, IL10, ET-1, triacylglycerol, FFA, serum iMg++ and, tMg concentration of normal and preeclamptic pregnant women during the third trimester of pregnancy. Thirtyfive healthy pregnant and thirtyive preeclamptic …

Antimicrobial Effect Of Yogurt Lactic Acid Bacteria And Muscadine Products On Enterobacter Sakazakii, Weiien Weng

Theses and Dissertations

Enterobacter sakazakii has been associated with powdered infant formula outbreaks which caused high mortality rate illnesses in infants in recent years. Current research was mainly focused on searching for natural antimicrobial agents which may be incorporated into baby foods to control this emerging pathogen. Yogurt and muscadine products were used in this study. The antimicrobial effects of yogurt were evaluated on agar plates and in a simulated gastrointestinal model. In the agar spot tests, diluted yogurt sample containing lactic acid bacteria at 106 CFU/mL was antagonistic toward E. sakazakii. However, the antimicrobial effect of yogurt on E. sakazakii in the …

Long-Term Trophic Shifts Among Fishes After Extensive Modification Of A Southeastern U.S. River System, Matthew E. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

Regulation of the Upper Tombigbee River and its incorporation into the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway has resulted in main-channel flows that differ from the pre-regulation condition. Flows differ in (1) magnitude: higher base flows, damped peak flows, and (2) variability: the river rises and falls faster and the number of reversals has increased. A shift in the trophic ecology of the resident fish assemblage corresponded with the altered hydrology. Assemblage-level trophic plasticity manifested through dietary shifts in species present during both time periods are coupled with changes to the taxonomic structure observed previously. Species representing the contemporary assemblage feed on fewer taxa …

Molecular And Biochemical Analysis Of Water Stress Induced Responses In Grape, Ramesh Katam

Theses and Dissertations

Water stress affects vine productivity, disease tolerance, and enological characteristics of grape. Florida Hybrid Bunch grape are developed through hybridization of local grape spp with Vitis vinifera. These cultivars are mostly grown in southeast region of United States. Water deficit conditions resulted due to failure of rains in the region has developed concern among Florida grape growers to increase water use efficiency of grape. The goal of this research is to identify genes and proteins differentially expressed in response to water stress and to correlate these changes with enological characteristics. Investigating transcripts and proteins will allow us to correlate them …

Nmr Backbone Chemical Shift Assignments Of The Hvdhfr1:Nadph Binary Complex, Karthikeshwar Vangala

Theses and Dissertations

Extremophiles are the organisms that survive in environments which are inhospitable to other creatures. This thesis made an attempt to understand the enviromental effects, in particular saline, on enzyme structure by using three dimensional NMR. The enzyme DHFR1 from halophile Haloferaxi volcanii is complexed with its coactor NADPH, and the saline effects on the complex are studied by comparison with its apoenzyme, hvDHFR1. Backbone chemical shift assignments of the hvDHFR1:NADPH complex were attained which can be functional (along with future work) in understanding the effect of salts on enzyme structure, function, and flexibility. A total of 27 amino acids were …

Population Characteristics Of Interior Double-Crested Cormorants Breeding Across The Southern Border Of Ontario, Jennifer Erin Chastant

Theses and Dissertations

Interior Double-crested cormorant reproduction was examined on a large geographical scale to evaluate management actions. Three distinct breeding areas across Ontario were selected. Beginning in 2002, over 11,000 preledged cormorants have been marked. During 2006 and 2007, re-observation of banded birds, colony data such as nest, egg, and chick measurements, and island morphology, were collected. Data revealed no significant regional differences in adult size. However, eggs in eastern Lake Ontario (ELO) were larger than North Channel of Lake Huron (NChan) and Lake of the Woods (LOW). Chicks in ELO throughout development were smaller than NChan and LOW. Number of gulls …

Determination And Compatibility Of Putatively Hypovirulent And Virulent Isolates Of Cryphonectria Parasitica Collected From The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, David Franklin Mcneill

Theses and Dissertations

A two-year study was conducted to collect and identify hypovirulent isolates of the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) from American chestnut trees located in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM). During the survey, 339 isolates were obtained, 54 of which had abnormal morphological characteristics in culture and 3 of these contained dsRNA. Analysis of vegetative compatibility divided all 339 isolates into 34 distinct groups, 16 of which only contained a single isolate. A total of 19 isolates (compared to 3 controls) containing abnormal cultural morphologies or dsRNA were randomly selected for use in a field trial containing 44 natural …

Determination Of Ricin Content In Castor (Ricinus Communis L.) Tissues And Comparison Of Detoxification Methods, Daniel Joseph Barnes

Theses and Dissertations

Experiments were conducted to test for ricin content in tissue samples from four castor cultivars, developing castor seed, germinating castor seedlings, and chemically and heat treated seed meal. Ricin content of each sample was examined via Western blotting with ricin A-chain specific antibodies. Results indicate that ricin is present solely within castor endosperm and is not present any other tissues. Samples from developing seed and germinating seedlings indicate ricin production begins around day 28 post pollination, and ricin is absent from the seedling 6 days after the onset of radicle emergence. This would seem to indicate that the purpose of …

The Effect Of Policy And Land Use Change On Water Quality In A Coastal Watershed City: An Analysis Of Covington, Louisiana, Kenneth Tyler Langley

Theses and Dissertations

There is currently a great need to expand the understanding of land use policy’s impact on water quality. The purpose of this thesis is to examine local policy in place in Covington, Louisiana in order to find out if it is having an impact on land use, which then has an impact on water quality. Methods used included reclassification of land use categories within a Geographical Information System and analysis of changes in the city over a four year period. Policy was assessed using a pre-existing evaluation method from The Center for Watershed Protection as well as by a more …

The Effects Of Low Atmosphere Stunning And Deboning Time On Broiler Breast Meat Quality, Vamsidhar Battula

Theses and Dissertations

A randomized complete block design with three replications (n=432, 72 broilers per treatment) was utilized to evaluate the effects of electrical (ES) and low atmosphere pressure stunning (LAPS) on the quality of broiler breast meat deboned at 0.75, 2, and 4h postmortem. The L* values were lower (P<0.05) for LAPS than ES at 4 h and 2 h deboning times. Shear force did not differ (P>0.05) between stun methods but decreased (P<0.05) as deboning time increased. Consumers were clustered into 8 groups based on preference and liking of samples. Sixtyive percent of consumers (3 clusters) liked all broiler breast treatments. Within these three clusters, some consumers preferred (P<0.05) 4 h deboned samples over those deboned at 2 h (Cluster 7), and other consumers preferred (P<0.05) those deboned at 2 h over 4 h samples (Cluster 6). Data reveals that both stunning methods provide high quality breast meat with minimal product differences.

The Impact Of Catfish Imports On U.S. Wholesale And Farm Sectors, Sammy Jermaine Neal

Theses and Dissertations

The importing of tra, basa, and channel catfish at relatively lower prices has resulted in less catfish purchased from U.S. farmers and processors. Claims have been filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) accusing Vietnamese exporters of selling catfish to the U.S. at less than fair market value. Consequently, the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled against Vietnam in 2003 and recommended tariffs from 37% to 64%. The primary objective of this research is to assess the impact of the tariffs on imported Vietnamese catfish on the U.S. catfish industry. In this study, we develop a supply and demand model …

Synthesis And Reactions Of Cyclic Ketene-N,N-Acetals, Guozhong Ye

Theses and Dissertations

Cyclic ketene-N,N-acetal chemistry was explored. 2-Methylimidazoline and 2-methyl-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine derivatives were prepared from the condensation reactions of diamines with nitriles under Lewis acid catalysis and used as the precursors of cyclic ketene-N,N-acetals including the N-methyl and N-acyl cyclic ketene-N,N-acetals. The reactions of 2-methylimidazoline with excess benzoyl chlorides in THF or MeCN in the presence of triethylamine generate N,N'-diacyl-beta-keto-cyclic ketene-N,N-acetals. The corresponding reactions of 1,2-dimethylimidazoline under the same conditions form the ring-opened (Z)-3-((2-benzamidoethyl)(methyl)amino)-3-oxo-1-phenylprop-1-enyl benzoates. The latter reactions feature the formation of carbon-carbon bonds, carbon-nitrogen bonds, and carbon-oxygen bonds in one operation. The reactions of 2-methyl-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine with excess acid chlorides in Et3N/THF generate …

On The Green Vol. 37 No. 46 December 12, 2008, Gallaudet University

2001-2010

On the Green is an internal publication of Gallaudet College, which later became Gallaudet University. It notified employees of updates around the campus and in the broader community, including new construction and the establishment of new academic programs. Running until 2010, it was supplanted by various forms of online mass communications across multiple audiences.

Reporter - December 12th 2008, Rit Reporter Staff

University Publications

No abstract provided.

The Necessity Of A New Paradigm In The Field Of Food And Nutrition, L Ortiz-Hernández

English

Objectives: To present the assumptions and limitations of "lifestyle", to then submit the contributions of social epidemiology.

2008 Fall Commencement Program: Winona State University, Winona State University

WSU Commencement Programs

This is the Winona State University Fall 2008 commencement program. Commencement was on Friday December 12, 2008.

The Bison, December 12, 2008

The Bison Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Fall 2008 Commencement Program, University Of Alabama In Huntsville

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Daily Eastern News: December 12, 2008, Eastern Illinois University

December

No abstract provided.

Soundings 2008-12, N/A N/A

Soundings

No abstract provided.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session December 12, 2008, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

Minutes of the WMU Board of Trustees meeting include appendices:

• Remarks by the Chair
• Remarks by the President
• Remarks by the WSA President and the GSAC Chair
• Presidential Evaluation/Compensation Recommendation

The Bg News December 12, 2008, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. December 12, 2008. Volume 99-Issue 72.

A High-Oleic-Acid And Low-Palmitic-Acid Soybean: Agronomic Performance And Evaluation As A Feedstock For Biodiesel, George L. Graef, Bradley J. Lavallee, Patrick Tenopir, Mustafa Tat, Bruce Schweiger, Anthony J. Kinney, Jon H. Van Gerpen, Thomas E. Clemente

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Phenotypic characterization of soybean event 335-13, which possesses oil with an increased oleic acid content (> 85%) and reduced palmitic acid content (< 5%), was conducted across multiple environments during 2004 and 2005. Under these conditions, the stability of the novel fatty acid profile of the oil was not influenced by environment. Importantly, the novel soybean event 335-13 was not compromised in yield in both irrigated and non-irrigated production schemes. Moreover, seed characteristics, including total oil and protein, as well as amino acid profile, were not altered as a result of the large shift in the fatty acid profile. The novel oil trait was inherited in a simple Mendelian fashion. The event 335-13 was also evaluated as a feedstock for biodiesel. Extruded oil from event 335-13 produced a biodiesel with improved cold flow and enhanced oxidative stability, two critical fuel parameters that can limit the utility of this renewable transportation fuel.

The Role Of Image Resolution To Locomotion Tasks In Virtual Desktop Wayfinding, Lisa Dawn Anderson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An experimental study at a large research university evaluated the role of image resolution on 60 participant's locomotion tasks in an interior virtual desktop wayfinding environment. Four virtual environments were developed using different resolutions for wayfinding images including high level 150 ppi, medium high level 100 ppi, medium level 75 and low level 30 ppi images. The environment was designed to accommodate forward, backward, sideways and figure 8 locomotion tasks as defined by the VEPAB. The effects of the different image resolutions on time-on-task performance scores to navigate through the environment, object-based visual attention as recorded by two eye movements …

Fall 2008 Commencement Ceremonies, University Of North Florida

Commencement Printed Materials

Program for the Fall Commencement ceremonies.

Physiological Correlates Of Aggression In Adolescent Females, Ashley Dibble

Theses and Dissertations

Recently, with the development of new technology, researchers have focused on physiological predictors of aggressive behavior, specifically cortisol and alpha amylase. Gordis, Granger, Susman, and Trickett (2006) found the interaction between cortisol and alpha-amylase significantly predicted parent reports of aggression indicating that low levels of physiological reactivity was associated with higher levels of problem behavior. While this research has provided valuable information about aggressive behavior, a major limitation is the majority of research focuses on males, or has not examined gender differences explicitly. This study expanded on work by Gordis et al. (2006) and other researchers on the HPA axis …

Naturalism In The Philosophies Of Dewey And Zhuangzi: The Live Creature And The Crooked Tree, Christopher C. Kirby

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation will compare the concept of nature as it appears in the philosophies of the American pragmatist John Dewey and the Chinese daoist Zhuangzi (Chuang Tzu) and will defend two central claims. The first of these is that Dewey and Zhuangzi share a view of nature that is non-reductive, philosophically liberal, and more comprehensive than the accounts recurrent in much of the Western tradition. This alternate conception of nature is non-reductive in the way that it avoids the physically mechanistic outlook underwriting much of contemporary Anglo-American thought. It is philosophically liberal in that it accepts a more generous and …

Slides: Idaho Rental Pool: Rules And Procedures, Idaho Water Resource Board, Jerry R. Rigby

Evolving Regional Frameworks for Ag-to-Urban Water Transfers (December 11)

Presenter: Jerry Rigby, Counsel for Fremont‐Madison Irrigation District, Rigby, Thatcher, Andrus, Rigby & Moeller, Idaho

25 slides