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2008

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Characterization Of Adrenergic Receptor Subtypes In The Rodent Hippocampus, Christopher A. Knudson Aug 2008

Characterization Of Adrenergic Receptor Subtypes In The Rodent Hippocampus, Christopher A. Knudson

Theses and Dissertations

Catecholaminergic input, acting through adrenergic receptors (AR), serves an important role in regulating the activity of the hippocampus; however, the synaptic elements whereby the abundant input mediates its actions remains obscure. Immunohistochemical and molecular biological techniques and a variety of experimental animal models, were used to examine the adrenergic receptor profiles displayed by distinct populations of neurons (interneurons and principal cells) or glial in rodent hippocampus. In the adult rat, immunoreactive puncta for eight of the nine adrenergic receptor subtypes were differentially distributed amongst regional glia, blood vessels, and neurons of the subiculum, hippocampus proper and dentate gyrus. Developmentally, there …

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Historic Origin, Range Expansion, And Habitat Suitability Of Introduced Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa) In California, Ronald E. Loggins Aug 2008

Historic Origin, Range Expansion, And Habitat Suitability Of Introduced Wild Pigs (Sus Scrofa) In California, Ronald E. Loggins

Theses and Dissertations

This study describes this historic origin, recent range expansion, and a generalized habitat suitability model for wild pigs (Sus scrofa ) in California. The genetic origins of wild pigs in California was determined to be of European and Asian descent by comparing published mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence data from European and Asian wild and domestic pigs with 107 wild pig mtDNA sequences from California. Based on the clustering of mtDNA genotypes, the recent range expansion of wild pigs in California was a function of both natural range expansion and multiple hunter related introductions. Analysis of the range expansion of wild …

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Brownian Dynamics Simulations Of Interactions Between Aldolase, Gapdh Or Ldh With Cytoskeletal Proteins, Eric N. Njabon Aug 2008

Brownian Dynamics Simulations Of Interactions Between Aldolase, Gapdh Or Ldh With Cytoskeletal Proteins, Eric N. Njabon

Theses and Dissertations

One potentially important step in the compartmentation of glycolysis is the binding of glycoltic enzymes including: fructose-1 .6-biphosphate aldolase (aldolase), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) or lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) isoforms to cytoskeletal proteins like: F-actin or tubulin which is the major building block of microtubules. Tetrameric LOH can have different isoforms resulting from all possible combination of the muscle (M) or heart (H) type monomers. The LDH mixed tetrameric isoforms, LDH-M3H, LDH-MMHH, LDH-MHMH, LDH-MHHM and LDH-MH3, give distinctive electrostatic potentials and charges. If the positive electrostatic potential region between subunits A/D and subunits B/C, remains intact (such as in M3H) the mixed …

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Cellular And Matrix Changes In Articular Cartilage Of The Disproportionate Micromelia Mouse Model Of Osteoarthritis, Crystal Noelle Smaldone Aug 2008

Cellular And Matrix Changes In Articular Cartilage Of The Disproportionate Micromelia Mouse Model Of Osteoarthritis, Crystal Noelle Smaldone

Theses and Dissertations

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that affects more than 60% of Americans 65 and older. Because human subjects and samples are not readily available for research, animal models are an invaluable resource for the study of OA. Disproportionate micromelia (Dmm) is one such model that develops OA early in life due to a deletion in the c-propeptide of the Col2a1 gene. Light microscope analysis of the articular cartilage in Dmm has been completed, but is insufficient to show the cellular effects of the deletion mutation in Dmm in adequate detail. The present study explores the changes that occur …

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Limited Native Plant Regeneration In Novel, Exotic-Dominated Forests On Hawai’I, Joseph Mascaro, Kristen K. Becklund, R. Flint Hughes, Stefan A. Schnitzer Aug 2008

Limited Native Plant Regeneration In Novel, Exotic-Dominated Forests On Hawai’I, Joseph Mascaro, Kristen K. Becklund, R. Flint Hughes, Stefan A. Schnitzer

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Ecological invasions are a major driver of global environmental change. When invasions are frequent and prolonged, exotic species can become dominant and ultimately create novel ecosystem types. These ecosystems are now widespread globally. Recent evidence from Puerto Rico suggests that exotic-dominated forests can provide suitable regeneration sites for native species and promote native species abundance, but this pattern has been little explored elsewhere. We surveyed 46 sites in Hawai’i to determine whether native species occurred in the understories of exotic-dominated forests. Native trees smaller than 10 cm in diameter were absent in 28 of the 46 sites and rare in …

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Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, August 9, 2008, University Of South Florida Aug 2008

Commencement Convocation Program, Usf, August 9, 2008, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

King O'Neal Scholar - Shamik Dwivedi

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Relating Groundwater To Seasonal Wetlands In Southeastern Wisconsin, Usa, John D. Skalbeck, Donald M. Reed, Randall J. Hunt, Jamie D. Lambert Aug 2008

Relating Groundwater To Seasonal Wetlands In Southeastern Wisconsin, Usa, John D. Skalbeck, Donald M. Reed, Randall J. Hunt, Jamie D. Lambert

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Historically, drier types of wetlands have been difficult to characterize and are not well researched. Nonetheless, they are considered to reflect the precipitation history with little, if any, regard for possible relation to groundwater. Two seasonal coastal wetland types (wet prairie, sedge meadow) were investigated during three growing seasons at three sites in the Lake Michigan Basin, Wisconsin, USA. The six seasonal wetlands were characterized using standard soil and vegetation techniques and groundwater measurements from the shallow and deep systems. They all met wetland hydrology criteria (e.g., water within 30 cm of land surface for 5% of the growing season) …

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Commencement Convocation Exercises - August 2008, Prairie View A&M University Aug 2008

Commencement Convocation Exercises - August 2008, Prairie View A&M University

Commencement and Convocation Exercises

No abstract provided.

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An Assessment Of Suspended Sediment In Weeks Bay Reserve, Baldwin County, Alabama, Using Geospatial Modeling And Field Sampling Methods, Jamie Cindi Thomason Aug 2008

An Assessment Of Suspended Sediment In Weeks Bay Reserve, Baldwin County, Alabama, Using Geospatial Modeling And Field Sampling Methods, Jamie Cindi Thomason

Theses and Dissertations

This study compares suspended sediment and land use/land cover in the watershed of Weeks Bay, Alabama. Using Landsat thematic mapper imagery, potential high and low erosion sites were determined based on the increase in urban development form 2002 to 2005. In situ sediment sampling was used to test the hypothesis that the high erosion potential sites have larger amounts of suspended sediments. Additionally, sampling was performed along the Fish and Magnolia rivers to establish a background total suspended sediment level. The background study established an average total suspended sediment concentration of 18.71 mg/L for the Fish River and 17.47 mg/L …

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An Examination Of The Prevalence Of Obesity And Student Performance In A Low Socioeconomic School District, Mary L. Hillones Aug 2008

An Examination Of The Prevalence Of Obesity And Student Performance In A Low Socioeconomic School District, Mary L. Hillones

Theses and Dissertations

Since few studies exist that examine the relationships between adolescent obesity and academic performance, the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of obesity on high school students’ academic performance in a low socioeconomic school district. The topics addressed in this study included prevalence of overweight and obesity in high school students and the impact of overweight and obesity on student academic performance. The potential population of this study consisted of 236 high school students aged 14 to 19 years old enrolled in a rural Mississippi school district in grades 9 -12. However, only 35 students had usable …

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Development Of A One-Dimensional Contaminant Model For Streams And Rivers, Scott Allen Fant Aug 2008

Development Of A One-Dimensional Contaminant Model For Streams And Rivers, Scott Allen Fant

Theses and Dissertations

The Contaminant Model for Streams (CMS) was developed for use in studies where both data and resources for model application are limited. CMS can be quickly and easily applied, yet it is still versatile enough to be used for a variety of conditions ranging from short term spill modeling to multi-year simulations of contaminant fate in stream water and bottom sediments. The model can be applied for both organic and inorganic contaminants. Suspended solids can be transported or a steady-state concentration may be input. Steady-state, uniform hydraulic conditions are assumed within the modeled reach, which greatly reduces model complexity. A …

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A Comparison Of The Effects Of Online Synchronous Versus Online Asynchronous Versus Traditional Approaches On Learner Achievement Via Education Of Mississippi Child Care Providers, Carla Caldwell Stanford Aug 2008

A Comparison Of The Effects Of Online Synchronous Versus Online Asynchronous Versus Traditional Approaches On Learner Achievement Via Education Of Mississippi Child Care Providers, Carla Caldwell Stanford

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to compare three types of instruction: online synchronous, online asynchronous, and traditional, and assess which would yield more learner achievement. Participants for the online groups volunteered then were randomly assigned to either the online synchronous or the online asynchronous. Participants for the traditional group were also voluntary but were not randomly assigned; all that volunteered for the traditional group were accepted. In the final sample, a total of 96 Mississippi child care professionals completed the course Early Learning Guidelines: Lesson Plans and Thematic Units for Three Year Old Children: 31 in the online …

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A Study On Biological Fuel Cells For Micro Level Applications, Duminda Anuradh Gunawardena Aug 2008

A Study On Biological Fuel Cells For Micro Level Applications, Duminda Anuradh Gunawardena

Theses and Dissertations

Finding new energy sources has been a major quest in the 21st century. The challenge is not simply to find alternatives for traditional energy sources like crude oil and coal to generate power on a large scale but also to produce power to energize micro and nano scale devices. For electricity production in the nano and the micro scale, research has been done on technologies including fuel cells and batteries.This study is focused on two themes, i.e., the use of a microbial fuel cell and an enzymatic fuel cell for potential bioMEMS/NEMS applications. In the first , a fully functional …

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Prediction Of Estuarine Morphological Evolution, Gaurav Savant Aug 2008

Prediction Of Estuarine Morphological Evolution, Gaurav Savant

Theses and Dissertations

Estuaries are vital environmental and economic resources, providing habitat for thousands of species, absorbing runoff, and supporting recreation and commerce. Yet, despite their importance, estuaries are threatened by human activities. Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis and Cross Spectral techniques were used in the analysis and prediction of estuarine morphology. The estuaries selected for study were Suisun Bay, CA and Mobile Bay, AL. It was found that EOF is an effective and efficient technique to analyze morphology, a coupling with cross spectral methods such as Fourier Transformation (FFT) resulted in determination of forcing functions responsible for imparting variance to the bathymetry. …

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Clemson Commencement Program, August 2008, Clemson University Aug 2008

Clemson Commencement Program, August 2008, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

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A Stand Level Growth And Yield Model For Red Oak/Sweetgum Forests In Southern Bottomlands, John Clinton Iles Aug 2008

A Stand Level Growth And Yield Model For Red Oak/Sweetgum Forests In Southern Bottomlands, John Clinton Iles

Theses and Dissertations

A greater emphasis is being placed on hardwood management, yet there has been relatively little effort to develop growth and yield information for hardwood forest types. Measurements on permanent growth and yield plots collected in 1981, 1988, 1994, and 2006 in minor stream bottoms in Mississippi and Alabama were used to construct a stand level growth and yield model for red oak/sweetgum stands. The model predicts arithmetic mean diameter, quadratic mean diameter, trees per acre, basal area, total tree height, and cubic foot volume per acre for the total stand and by species. Different sets of equations were constructed depending …

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Development Of Fiber Optic Sensor Based On Laser Raman Spectroscopy, Vidhu S. Tiwari Aug 2008

Development Of Fiber Optic Sensor Based On Laser Raman Spectroscopy, Vidhu S. Tiwari

Theses and Dissertations

Laser Raman Spectroscopy (LRS) has received worldwide acknowledgement as a powerful molecular ‘finger print’ technique. The Raman spectrum of sample contains useful information such as molecular identity, composition, constituent’s concentration ratio etc. These information are manifested in the Raman spectrum in band heights, peak wavelength, band areas etc. The basis of quantitative analysis in Raman spectroscopy lies in the measurement of Raman band intensity, which is linearly dependent upon the sample concentration. On the other hand, Raman spectroscopy can also yield the qualitative information of samples by exhibiting bands corresponding to various chemical constituents in the sample mixture. The potentiality …

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An Application Of Artificial Intelligence Techniques In Classifying Tree Species With Lidar And Multi-Spectral Scanner Data, Benedict Kit A Posadas Aug 2008

An Application Of Artificial Intelligence Techniques In Classifying Tree Species With Lidar And Multi-Spectral Scanner Data, Benedict Kit A Posadas

Theses and Dissertations

Tree species identification is an important element in many forest resources applications such as wildlife habitat management, inventory, and forest damage assessment. Field data collection for large or mountainous areas is often cost prohibitive, and good estimates of the number and spatial arrangement of species or species groups cannot be obtained. Knowledge-based and neural network species classification models were constructed for remotely sensed data of conifer stands located in the lower mountain regions near McCall, Idaho, and compared to field data. Analyses for each modeling system were made based on multi-spectral sensor (MSS) data alone and MSS plus LiDAR (light …

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Characterization Of Fresh Muscle Pigments In Channel Catfish And Their Influence By Chilling Stress, Youkai Lu Aug 2008

Characterization Of Fresh Muscle Pigments In Channel Catfish And Their Influence By Chilling Stress, Youkai Lu

Theses and Dissertations

Color and color components are important quality attributes for fresh channel catfish muscle. The objective of the present research was to obtain inside understanding regarding color distribution, color component stability and the pre-slaughter conditions influence on color and color components and other quality attributes. Catfish fillets were rendered to be paler and redder on iced storage; and paler, less red and less yellow by ice-water chilling process. Visual classified “reddish” catfish fillets had higher heme-protein content than “white” fillets and these pigments were derived mainly from hemoglobin. Pre-slaughter live fish chilling in ice water and bleeding at slaughter also slightly …

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Characterization Of Johne's Disease In Mississippi Cattle, Jesse Lee Carter Aug 2008

Characterization Of Johne's Disease In Mississippi Cattle, Jesse Lee Carter

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to characterize Johne’s disease in Mississippi cattle. Nine hundred eighteen animals from 23 sale barns in Mississippi were tested for Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Ten milliliters of blood and 4-10 grams of feces were collected from cattle over two years of age presented to the attending auction veterinarian. Information obtained at the time of collection included the animal’s sex, type, and reproductive status. Serum samples were screened by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for MAP. Shedding status was determined using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on corresponding fecal samples. Overall, 17.3% (4/23) of sale …

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Common Factors Linking Male High School Completers From A Low Socio-Economic Urban Setting, Terry James Larabee Aug 2008

Common Factors Linking Male High School Completers From A Low Socio-Economic Urban Setting, Terry James Larabee

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if specific characteristics of male students in a low socio-economic urban setting predispose them to successful high school completion. Rather than focusing on dropouts, this research focused on male students who are successful high school completers. They were compared to one another in order to find correlations among variables which made them successful in completing high school. While research exists detailing the reasons students choose to drop out of school, the factors that lead to successful graduation from high school have yet to be determined. This research addresses that gap. This study …

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Effects Of Nisin And Buffered Sodium Citrate Supplemented With Sodium Diacetate Against Listeria Monocytogenes On Commercial Beef Frankfurters Formulated Without Antimicrobials Stored At 4 And 10{Deg}C In Vacuum Packages, Shweta Kumari Aug 2008

Effects Of Nisin And Buffered Sodium Citrate Supplemented With Sodium Diacetate Against Listeria Monocytogenes On Commercial Beef Frankfurters Formulated Without Antimicrobials Stored At 4 And 10{Deg}C In Vacuum Packages, Shweta Kumari

Theses and Dissertations

Post process application of antimicrobials is one method to control recontamination of Listeria monocytogenes on cooked RTE meat products. This study evaluated the antilisterial effect of externally applied solutions of nisin, buffered solution of sodium citrate supplemented with sodium diacetate (SCSD) and a combined solution of the two antimicrobials on commercial beef frankfurters formulated without antimicrobials. Autoclaved frankfurters were inoculated (104 -105 CFU/g), dipped (5 min, 25 ± 2°C) in treatments consisting of 2000; 4000;or 6000 IU/ml nisin, and buffered solutions of 2.5; 3.0; or 3.5% SCSD (Study I), and 6000 IU/ml nisin followed by 3.5% SCSD, or 3.5% SCSD …

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Development And Application Of A Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay For The Myxozoan Parasite Henneguya Ictaluri, Matthew J. Griffin Aug 2008

Development And Application Of A Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay For The Myxozoan Parasite Henneguya Ictaluri, Matthew J. Griffin

Theses and Dissertations

Proliferative gill disease (PGD) caused by the myxozoan parasite Henneguya ictaluri is one of the most devastating parasitic infections in channel catfish aquaculture. Currently, there is no effective treatment for H. ictaluri and the unpredictable outbreaks can result in 100% mortality. Management strategies have been developed to prevent losses in newly stocked fingerlings by evaluating the PGD status of a pond prior to stocking, which is difficult since resident fish may not show clinical signs even when actinospore levels are lethal to naive fish. Current diagnostic methods are limited to the identification of an active infection and methods of predicting …

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Development Of A Bioenergetic Model For Black Carp To Predict Consumption And Growth, Nathaniel Charles Hodgins Aug 2008

Development Of A Bioenergetic Model For Black Carp To Predict Consumption And Growth, Nathaniel Charles Hodgins

Theses and Dissertations

Black carp consume large quantities of mollusks but food consumption and growth rates have not been studied. Consumption and growth of two sizes of fish fed formulated and natural diets at 20, 25, and 30 C under laboratory conditions were measured. Consumption and growth of fish fed formulated feed increased as temperature increased but followed a convex relationship for fish fed a natural diet. Metabolic and fecal production rates were determined for fish at each temperature. This information was used to develop balanced energy budgets for black carp. Bioenergetic simulation models were constructed to predict consumption and growth in natural …

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Development Of A Multi-Scale Management Perspective For Wadeable Stream Fisheries In Mississippi, John Brian Alford Aug 2008

Development Of A Multi-Scale Management Perspective For Wadeable Stream Fisheries In Mississippi, John Brian Alford

Theses and Dissertations

I used multivariate, hierarchical analyses to examine the relative influence of watershed-, riparian- and channel-scale environmental characteristics on catch per unit effort (CPUE: fish/angler-hour) and species composition of sport fisheries in Mississippi wadeable streams. Partial canonical correspondence analyses indicated that riparian-scale variables (31.1%) explained more variation in sport fish relative abundances compared to watershed-scale (24.4%) and channel-scale variables (18.9%). Largemouth bass M. salmoides and longear sunfish Lepomis megalotis were more abundant in smaller-watershed streams with dense forest cover and greater woody debris, alkalinity and diverse substrates. Spotted bass M. punctulatus and bluegill L. macrochirus were more abundant in larger-watershed streams …

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Educational Video Impact On Preservice Teacher Knowledge, Opinions, And Referral Attitudes Regarding Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Brandon Shane Davis Aug 2008

Educational Video Impact On Preservice Teacher Knowledge, Opinions, And Referral Attitudes Regarding Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Brandon Shane Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Educators’ knowledge of and attitudes towards Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) vary. Still, teachers serve a crucial role in the diagnostic and referral processes regarding ADHD in children. Educational videos on ADHD aim to develop or alter viewers’ knowledge and attitudes. This study investigated the impact of two different videos on preservice teacher knowledge, opinions, and referral tendencies for ADHD children. One video was consistent with a medical model, multi-disciplinary approach to understanding ADHD while the other video provided a critical and ultimately negative review of the diagnostic category and its application. Results indicated that preservice teacher knowledge, opinions and referral …

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Effect Of Poultry Litter Amended With Aluminum Sulfate On Plant Growth And Soil Properties, Sosten Lungu Aug 2008

Effect Of Poultry Litter Amended With Aluminum Sulfate On Plant Growth And Soil Properties, Sosten Lungu

Theses and Dissertations

Amending litter with aluminum sulfate (Al-S) has proven to be effective in reducing water-soluble P but there are concerns that it could result in soil pH reduction and increase levels of extractable soil Al if applied to acidic soils. A glasshouse study with soybean (Glycine max, L Merr) and cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L) as test crops was conducted to determine the impact of applying litter amended with Al-S at 0, 10 and 20% to an acidic sandy loam soil. These treatments were applied to meet N needs of a crop grown in soil with pH levels of 4.5, 5.0, 5.5 …

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Design Of A Cyclic Pressure Bioreactor For The Ex Vivo Study Of Aortic Heart Valve Mechanobiology, Kimberly Jo Schipke Aug 2008

Design Of A Cyclic Pressure Bioreactor For The Ex Vivo Study Of Aortic Heart Valve Mechanobiology, Kimberly Jo Schipke

Theses and Dissertations

The differentiation of myosin into the respective heavy chain isoforms has shown a correlation with high mechanical stress. Aortic valve myosin expression has been reported; however, the characterization of the pressure response has yet to be fully developed. Thus, a cyclic pressure bioreactor was developed to elucidate the á/â-myosin heavy chain (MHC) expression in aortic valve leaflets subject to physiological and pathological transvalvular pressure loads. The pressure bioreactor achieved the desired pressure modulation via LabVIEW controlled solenoid valves. Results showed á/â-MHC expression on the fibrosal endothelium and minimal dispersal in the subendothelium, indicating the presence of smooth muscle cells. Endothelial …

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Analysis Of The Effects Of Atropine And Saline On The Hrv Of Rats Using Ensemble Averaging And Frequency Analysis, Donald Lee Green Aug 2008

Analysis Of The Effects Of Atropine And Saline On The Hrv Of Rats Using Ensemble Averaging And Frequency Analysis, Donald Lee Green

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study is to examine heart rate variability (HRV) alteration after the injection of atropine and saline and to determine if ensemble averaging affects the outcome of frequency domain analysis. The HRV data is pre-processed using ensemble averaging and then frequency domain and statistical analysis is done. The HRV readings originate from a previous study of four rats. Ensemble averaging reduces the mean drift effect in the data. The original and ensemble is then processed through an Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The results show that the ensembled data allows frequency peaks and changes to be seen more …

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Evaluation Of Automated, Manual And Constant Aeration Practices In Managing Of Dissolved Oxygen For Channel Catfish Farming In Earthen Ponds, Shelby E. Fortune Aug 2008

Evaluation Of Automated, Manual And Constant Aeration Practices In Managing Of Dissolved Oxygen For Channel Catfish Farming In Earthen Ponds, Shelby E. Fortune

Theses and Dissertations

Maintaining dissolved oxygen concentrations under different operating schemes (constant, manual or automated aeration control) was evaluated in 20 earthen catfish ponds ranging from 0.04 to 0.07 hectares in size. Ponds were assigned to treatments based on achieving equal distribution of biomass among treatments. Catfish weighing approximately 0.11 kg each were stocked at a rate of 14,820 catfish/hectare and were fed, to satiation, a 36% crude protein floating feed for the first week and switched to a 32% crude protein floating feed for the remainder of the study. Percentage weight gain, FCR and survival were calculated but did not differ among …

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