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Long-Term Monitoring And Experimentalmanipulation Of A Chihuahuan Desert Ecosystem Near Portal, Arizona, Usa, S.K. Morgan Ernest, T. J. Valone, J. H. Brown

Biology Faculty Publications

Desert ecosystems have long served as model systems in the study of ecological concepts (e.g., competition, resource pulses, top-down/bottom-up dynamics). However, the inherent variability of resource availability in deserts, and hence consumer dynamics, can also make them challenging ecosystems to understand. Study of a Chihuahuan desert ecosystem near Portal, Arizona, USA, began in 1977. At this site, 24 experimental plots were established in 1977 and divided among controls and experimental manipulations. Experimental manipulations over the years include removal of all or some rodent species, all or some ants, seed additions, and various alterations of the annual plant community. While some …

Selective Herbivory By The Woodrat (Neotoma Lepida) On Joshua Trees (Yucca Brevifolia), M P. Stanford, Nancy J. Huntly

Biology Faculty Publications

We studied herbivory by the desert woodrat (Neotoma lepida) on Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia) in the Mojave Desert to determine whether N. lepida fed selectively based on leaf nitrogen content. We measured leaf nitrogen content and the location and amount of herbivory by woodrats on Y. brevifolia trees in southwestern Utah, USA. Neotoma lepida removed the outer tips of leaves (1/3 to 2/3 of total leaf length) but left leaf bases, which had lower nitrogen content, uneaten. Herbivory by N. lepida also was concentrated on rosettes that were oriented south, and these had significantly higher nitrogen content than rosettes that …

An Introduction To The Biocomplexity Of Sanak Island, Western Gulf Alaska, Hd G. Maschner, M Betts, J Cornell, B Finney, J A. Dunne, Nancy J. Huntly, J W. Jordan, N Misarti, K L. Reedy-Maschner, R Russell

Biology Faculty Publications

The Sanak Biocomplexity Project is a transdisciplinary research effort focused on a small island archipelago 50 km south of the Alaska Peninsula in the western Gulf of Alaska. This team of archaeologists, terrestrial ecologists, social anthropologists, intertidal ecologists, geologists, oceanographers, paleoecologists, and modelers is seeking to understanding the role of the ancient, historic, and modern Aleut in the structure and functioning of local and regional ecosystems. Using techniques ranging from systematic surveys to stable isotope chemistry, long-term shifts in social dynamics and ecosystem structure are present in the context of changing climatic regimes and human impacts. This paper presents a …

Graduate Programs Commencement, 10th Class (2009), Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine

Commencements

This digital project provides access to PCOM Graduate Commencement Programs. Commencement is a collaborative effort by the offices of Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, and Registrar, with support from a variety of other college departments.

Heuristic Search Cryptanalysis Of The Zodiac 340 Cipher, Pallavi Kanagalakatte Basavaraju

Master's Projects

The Zodiac 340 cipher is one of the most famous unsolved ciphers of all time. It was allegedly written by “the Zodiac”, whose identity remains unknown to date. The Zodiac was a serial killer who killed a number of people in and around the San Francisco Bay area during the 1960s. He is confirmed to have seven victims, two of whom survived [1], although in taunting letters to the news media he claims to have killed 37 people. During this time, an encrypted message known as the Zodiac 408 cipher was mailed to 3 different newspapers in the San Francisco …

Distribution, Diversity And Ecology Of Aerobic Carbon Monoxide-Oxidizing Bacteria In Hawaiian Volcanic Deposits, Carolyn Frances Weber

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Carbon monoxide-oxidizing bacteria are among the first colonists of recently formed volcanic deposits despite environmental conditions that challenge their survival, such as oscillating water regimes and lack of endogenous sources of organic carbon and nitrogen. Activity assessments and molecular surveys of the coxL gene (large subunit carbon monoxide dehydrogenase) across a vegetation gradient on a 1959 volcanic deposit on Kilauea Volcano (Hawai’i) indicated that CO-oxidizing communities continue to expand, diversify and remain competitive during ecosystem development. Distinct compositional shifts occurred across the gradient with Firmicutes-like coxL sequences dominating clone libraries from unvegetated sites (Bare) and Proteobacteria coxL sequences dominating libraries …

Development And Application Of Dissociable Antibody Microarray (Dama) Staining Technique, Guanyuan Fu

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Dissociable Antibody Microarray (DAMA) staining is a novel technique that integrates protein microarrays with conventional immunostaining techniques. It can simultaneously determine the expression and subcellular localizations (SCLs) of hundreds of proteins in cultured cells. I optimized this technology for protein expression and SCL profiling, and generated expression profile data analysis program DAMAPEP, molecular image database management program ChipView and automatic SCL assignment program DAMASCL. We demonstrated the application of this technique in the identification of potential biomarkers for breast cancer. We compared the expression profiles of 312 proteins among ten breast cell lines and identified 10 differentially expressed proteins. Among …

Expression Of The Edwardsiella Ictaluri Type Iii Secretion System And Its Relationship To The Native Plasmids, Matthew Lee Rogge

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Edwardsiella ictaluri encodes a type III secretion system (T3SS) required for intracellular replication. Analysis of in vitro gene expression indicates the T3SS translocon proteins express and secrete in acidic pH. Expression of other T3SS genes, however, requires that phosphate be limited in the culture media, in addition to acidic pH. Responses to environmental stimuli are mediated through the T3SS-encoded regulatory proteins EsrA, EsrB, and EsrC. Mutations in these genes result in differing phenotypes. Mutation of EsrA results in moderately reduced expression of T3SS genes, but translocon protein secretion is retained in the mutant. However, the EsrA mutant is attenuated intracellularly …

Common Data Set, 2008-2009, Planning, Research, And Policy Analysis

Common Data Set (2001-present)

Common Data Set 2008-2009 for Illinois State University

Meta-Learning Computational Intelligence Architectures, Ryan J. Meuth

Doctoral Dissertations

"In computational intelligence, the term 'memetic algorithm' has come to be associated with the algorithmic pairing of a global search method with a local search method. In a sociological context, a 'meme' has been loosely defined as a unit of cultural information, the social analog of genes for individuals. Both of these definitions are inadequate, as 'memetic algorithm' is too specific, and ultimately a misnomer, as much as a 'meme' is defined too generally to be of scientific use. In this dissertation the notion of memes and meta-learning is extended from a computational viewpoint and the purpose, definitions, design guidelines …

Novel Optofluidic Sensor Systems For Quantitative Chemical Imaging And On-Chip Sensor Calibration, Jongwon Park

Doctoral Dissertations

"The design, fabrication and characterization of optofluidic biosensor systems for quantitative oxygen imaging with a color charge-coupled device (CCD) camera as well as on-chip self-calibration of sensors utilizing gas bubbles was investigated. This dissertation was prepared in publication format. The first and second papers demonstrate that color imaging devices can be used in quantitative chemical analysis. The final paper explores the feasibility of using electrolytically generated bubbles for a novel functionality of reagentless, on-chip, in situ calibration of optical biosensors. Work in the first paper includes the use of a color CCD camera for fluorescence intensity imaging. This involves extracting …

Decentralized Adaptive Neural Network Control Of Interconnected Nonlinear Dynamical Systems With Application To Power System, Shahab Mehraeen

Doctoral Dissertations

"Traditional nonlinear techniques cannot be directly applicable to control large scale interconnected nonlinear dynamic systems due their sheer size and unavailability of system dynamics. Therefore, in this dissertation, the decentralized adaptive neural network (NN) control of a class of nonlinear interconnected dynamic systems is introduced and its application to power systems is presented in the form of six papers. In the first paper, a new nonlinear dynamical representation in the form of a large scale interconnected system for a power network free of algebraic equations with multiple UPFCs as nonlinear controllers is presented. Then, oscillation damping for UPFCs using adaptive …

Cognition And Consensus In The Natural Law Tradition And In Neuroscience: Jacques Maritain And The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights, C.M.A. Mccauliff

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Freeze Casting Of Bioactive Glass And Ceramic Scaffolds For Bone Tissue Engineering, Qiang Fu

Doctoral Dissertations

"The main objectives of this dissertation were to explore the production of bioactive ceramic and glass scaffolds with oriented pore architectures by unidirectional freezing of suspensions, and to characterize the mechanical and biological performance of the scaffolds. Freezing of aqueous suspensions of hydroxyapatite (HA) or bioactive 13-93 glass particles resulted in the formation of scaffolds with a lamellar-type microstructure (pore width = 5-30 µm). The addition of polar organic solvents (such as 60 wt% dioxane) to the aqueous suspensions markedly changed the morphology and size of the oriented pores, giving scaffolds with a columnar-type microstructure and larger pre width (90-110 …

Investigation Of The Interactions Between Selected Nanoparticles And Human Lung Carcinoma Cells At The Single Cell And Single Particle Level, Isaac Stayton

Doctoral Dissertations

"The recent advances in nanomaterials development and applications have sparked concerns regarding the safety of these materials in living organisms. This body of work investigates specific interactions between chosen nanoparticles and living human lung carcinoma (A549) cells"--Abstract, page iv.

An Experimental And Numerical Investigation Of Flapping And Plunging Wings, Taylor A. Swanson

Doctoral Dissertations

"Micro air vehicles, or MAVs, are of current interest for a multitude of uses to which they, being small, unmanned vehicles, are uniquely suited. Among the proposed uses are exploration, reconnaissance, and communications. They can be deployed inside buildings, where their small size, hovering capability, and maneuverability, are important factors. Due to their small size, they operate at low Reynolds numbers where conventional flying mechanisms are not advantageous. Thus, attempts have been made to learn from natural flyers like insects and birds. Natural flight is accomplished by flapping wings, and this idea has been proposed for certain types of MAVs …

Helical Force Flow: A New Engineering Mechanics Model For Biological Materials, Jeffery S. Thomas

Doctoral Dissertations

"The author has long speculated that the prevalence of helical structures in botany and zoology hints to an optimized pathway for force and/or energy transfer. His goal has been to realize an alternative approach to the standard stress analysis used in engineering in order to more efficiently and accurately deal with biological materials. Improved tools for these natural materials should in turn aid the design and analysis of engineered materials. Following the role of a navigator in leaf C. Levesque's book "Breakthrough Creativity", the author typically searches for ideas in a variety of places, including physics, materials science, biomimetics, dimensional …

A Study Of The Beneficial Role Of Thiol Antioxidant Supplementation In Various Forms Of Glutathione Deficiency, Linu Sara Abraham

Doctoral Dissertations

"Oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathology of numerous disorders afflicting humans, ranging from neurodegenerative diseases, to cancer, and heavy metal toxicity. Scientists are on the constant lookout for new and better antioxidants that have the ability to slow, if not stop the harmful degenerative effects of free radicals in oxidative stress related disorders. Both synthetic and naturally occurring compounds are being constantly screened for their antioxidant properties. This study attempted to evaluate the abilities of a thiol antioxidant, N-Acetylcysteine amide (NACA), to protect cells from the harmful effects of glutathione depletion in two different models of oxidative …

The Role Of Stochastic Resonance And Physical Constraints In The Evolution Of Foraging Strategy, Nathan Daniel Dees

Doctoral Dissertations

"This work represents a detailed study of the optimization of this process: foraging within a single, finite food patch for a limited amount of time. The work is an example of the computational algorithms of statistical physics being applied to the ecological field of foraging behavior. The analysis begins with an examination of the probability distributions observed in the movement parameters of the zooplankton, Daphnia. While foraging, these small aquatic organisms stochastically choose movement parameters with particular levels of variation, or noise, which are similar across several species. Here, related simulations consistently show that these noise levels may be adjusted …

F₂-Isoprostanes Study After Exposure To Selected Nanoparticles By Liquid Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry And Investigation Of Nanoparticles On The Cytotoxicity Effect Of Arsenic In Vitro, Xiaoqian Liu

Doctoral Dissertations

"Nanopartices as a new class of materials found their applications in industry, aerospace, clinical diagnosis and cancer therapy. Recently, the health effects of nanoparticles have caused people great concerns. This dissertation studies the mechanisms of nanoparticle cytotoxicity in human lung epithelial cells (A549). F₂-isoprostanes are novel reliable biomarkers for lipid peroxidation. In the first part of this work, total free F₂-isoprostanes were quantified by high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry followed by the exposure of SiO₂ (15 nm), CeO₂ (20 nm), Fe₂O₃ (30 nm), and ZnO (70 nm) nanoparticles for 24 hours. For the first time, the results showed that F₂-isoprostanes …

Investigating The Impact Of Microbial Interactions With Geologic Media On Geophysical Properties, Caroline A. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations

"The goals of this study were to investigate the effect of: (1) microbial metabolic byproducts, microbial growth, and biofilm formation on the low frequency electrical properties of porous media, (2) biofilm formation on acoustic wave properties, and (3) the natural electrical (self-potential) signatures associated with an in-situ biological permeable reactive barrier (PRB). The results suggest: (1) increases in electrolytic conductivity are consistent with increased concentrations of organic acids and biosurfactants; (2) mineral weathering promoted by organic acids causes increases in electrolytic conductivity, concomitant with increases in major cation concentrations; (3) interfacial conductivity generally parallels microbial cell concentrations and biofilm formation; …

Protein Responsive Synthetic Materials For Biomedical Applications, Youyou Zheng

Doctoral Dissertations

"The production of synthetic materials with molecular recognition abilities towards biomacromolecules has been widely researched because of its potential applications in separations, sensing, therapeutics, etc. While molecular imprinting has become a commercially viable method for the production of synthetic materials with molecular recognition abilities towards small molecules, little success has been recorded towards protein targets. Proteins are difficult to imprint as they present a number of epitopes for imprinting, are difficult to remove from the completed material, and are incompatible with the densely crosslinked structures required. As a result, a novel surface molecular imprinting technique was developed to synthesize polymeric …

The Effects Of Stat Activators In The Crosstalk Of Gp130 Cytokines In Adipocytes, Ursula Antoinette White

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Obesity is characterized by an overabundance of fat cells, or adipocytes, and is currently a global epidemic. Adipocytes store energy, respond to insulin, and participate in diverse endocrine signaling pathways by secreting adipokines. Obesity leads to the dysregulation of adipocyte function, which could lead to numerous metabolic diseases, such as Type II diabetes. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate adipocyte development and involvement in endocrine signaling will lead to a greater understanding of the importance of fat metabolism in full-body health. Many lines of evidence demonstrate the importance of various transcription factors in regulating adipogenic processes, and one of which is …

Factors That Influence College Students Who Choose Engineering As Their Major To Presist In That Major To Their Fifth Semester, Kelli Elaine Wildman

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Individuals, institutions, and society are affected by whether or not students persist in college; therefore, persistence and retention on college campuses is an important topic for higher education systems. However, little research has been done on program retention. Since engineering as a profession is expected to increase, it is imperative to have students persist in the major. The primary purpose of this study is to determine the influence of selected demographic and academic characteristics in the decision of first time in college (FTIC) traditional-age undergraduates who declare engineering as their major at admission to persist in the curriculum from second …

Do Tops Eligibility Requirements Predict In-System College Retention?, Jason J. Droddy

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) is a state-funded, merit-based scholarship codified into Louisiana state law in 1997. More than $1 billion in awards have been distributed since the program’s inception. By 2006, eligibility for TOPS required a 2.5 high school grade point average on a legislatively specified 16.5-unit college preparatory curriculum, and a minimum ACT score equivalent to the average of the prior year’s test takers. These rules were believed to promote greater academic preparedness resulting in higher college retention rates. Only recently has the six-year graduation rate for Louisiana’s public universities passed the 30% mark. Since TOPS’ …

The Effects Of Increasing The Risk Perception Of High-Risk Behaviors On Decision Making Among College Daily Smokers And Never-Smokers, Scott Patterson

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Participation in high-risk behaviors, such as substance use or dangerous driving practices, is widely reported by young adults and college students. Psychosocial theories explain participation in high-risk behaviors by the effects of risk perception on the outcome of behavior. Physiological researchers assert that biological factors (such as the role of the prefrontal cortex) better account for participation in high-risk behaviors based on impulsive decision-making patterns in substance users. The current study explored the relationship between impulsive decision-making and risk perception by assessing the impact of changes in high-risk perceptions on a measure of impulsive decision-making (delay discounting task). A sample …

The Anatomy Of Anatomia: Dissection And The Organization Of Knowledge In British Literature, 1500-1800, Matthew Scott Landers

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation develops a conceptual history of human anatomy, both as a discipline and as an epistemological model. Building on recent scholarship in the history of science, I argue that the basic organization of anatomical inquiry inspired a number of literary productions during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This project counters important critical trends of the last five decades, which have focused on the ambiguous characterization of an anatomical genre without providing sufficient medical context. I argue that intellectual history reveals a persistent epistemological analogy between the body and textual arrangements of human knowledge. By examining this analogical structure, it …

Categorization And Indentification Of Mechanisms Of Sugarcane Resistance To The Sugarcane Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae), Waseem Akbar

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Sugarcane in Louisiana is colonized and sometimes heavily infested by two aphid species, the sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari (Zehntner), and the yellow sugarcane aphid,Sipha flava(Forbes). Melanaphis sacchari, the main vector of sugarcane yellow leaf virus, is distributed throughout Louisiana’s sugarcane-growing regions. Five cultivars representing 90% of the commercial acreage in Louisiana (LCP 85-384, HoCP 91-555, Ho 95-988, HoCP 96-540,L 97-128) were evaluated for resistance to aphids in the greenhouse. Antibiosis was the primary category of resistance to both aphid species. Based on the intrinsic rate of natural increase, L 97-128 and HoCP 91-555 were comparatively susceptible and resistant cultivars, respectively. …

An Uncertainty-Based Approach To The Total Maximum Daily Load Development, Abhijit Patil

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A Bayesian-updating approach is developed to the estimation of the total uncertainty-based Margin of Safety (MOS) for Total Maximum Daily Load calculations using the watershed modeling tool HSPF. In order to determine the prior, likelihood, and posterior distributions of uncertainties involved in Bayesian approach, various probability density functions are derived. The temperature measurement induced uncertainty in dissolved oxygen simulation is found to be normally distributed. The temporal scale uncertainty in weather data decreases with decreasing temporal resolution. The temporal-scale uncertainties in the rainfall and temperature data follow a Weibull and general extreme value distributions, respectively. The spatial-resolution uncertainty in simulated …

Tournefortia Hirsutissima (Boraginaceae) New To The Flora Of Texas, Alfred Richardson, Ken King

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

Toumefortia hirsutissima (Boraginaceae) is reported for extreme south Texas, a new record for the state of Texas.

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Toumefortia hirsutlssima (Boraginaceae) se cita de! extremo sur de Tejas, es el primer registro para el estado de Tejas.