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2009

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The Effects Of Ethanol Production On The U.S. Catfish Sector, Hualu Zheng Aug 2009

The Effects Of Ethanol Production On The U.S. Catfish Sector, Hualu Zheng

Theses and Dissertations

The overall purpose of this study is to estimate how the rise in grain prices (especially corn prices) induced by ethanol production impacts U.S. catfish industry. Using monthly data from January 1996 to December 2007, an ARDL model and bounds testing procedure were used. The existence of cointegration between the feed price and its regressors and between the farm price and its regressors was found. Results show that the short- and long-run feed price elasticity with respect to corn prices were 0.224 and 0.075, respectively. It was found that energy is more important to catfish feed production than to farm …

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Characterization Of Tissue Mimicking Materials For Testing Of Implantable And On Body Antennas, Tuba Yilmaz Aug 2009

Characterization Of Tissue Mimicking Materials For Testing Of Implantable And On Body Antennas, Tuba Yilmaz

Theses and Dissertations

Characterization and applications of soft tissue mimicking materials are presented. A skin mimicking material and a skin mimicking gel is characterized for industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) band (2.40 GHz-2.48 GHz). Also a wide band (0.3 GHz – 2.5 GHz) muscle mimicking material is developed. A dual band implantable antenna operating at medical implant communication service (MICS) band (402 MHz – 405 MHz) and ISM band is tested in vitro with skin mimicking material for ISM band. MICS band measurements of the implantable antenna tested in vitro by placing the antenna on the interface of muscle and skin mimicking gel. …

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Effects Of Climate And Density On The Survival Of Whiteooted Mice (Peromyscus Leucopus), Eric Richard Wengert Aug 2009

Effects Of Climate And Density On The Survival Of Whiteooted Mice (Peromyscus Leucopus), Eric Richard Wengert

Theses and Dissertations

Short-lived rodents are sensitive to changes in environmental conditions and exhibit annual fluctuations under seasonal environments in northern temperate regions. I analyzed 34 years of monthly live-trapping data on whiteooted mice (Peromyscus leucopus) collected in Carter Woods, Ohio. I used a theoretic-information approach to select the best approximating models and analysis of deviance to infer effects of climate and density on survival of mice. I tested for a cost of reproduction to females and found no difference in survival between reproductive states. Directions and magnitudes of effects of climate and density varied over time. Increased variability in temperature reduced effects …

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Effects Of Microbial Interactions On Gene Expression During The Wood Decay Process, Lee Christopher Mangum Aug 2009

Effects Of Microbial Interactions On Gene Expression During The Wood Decay Process, Lee Christopher Mangum

Theses and Dissertations

Real-time RT-PCR was used to assess the effects of interspecific microbial interactions on the expression of genes associated with lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase and alcohol oxidase production during the wood decay process. Expression levels of genes encoding the selected lignolytic enzymes were quantitated in one-, two- and multiple-organism interaction tests with the basidiomycetes Trametes elegans, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Gloeophyllum sepiarium and Gloeophyllum trabeum. Compression strength loss was measured for each decay sample and correlated with gene expression data for each species. Soil microflora actively producing lignolytic enzymes during wood decay were also assessed and identified using degenerative PCR coupled with denaturing …

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Development Of A Decision Support System Framework For The Improvement Of A Surface Transportation Security Training Program, Justin Marshal Warren Aug 2009

Development Of A Decision Support System Framework For The Improvement Of A Surface Transportation Security Training Program, Justin Marshal Warren

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to develop a decision support system framework that could be used for improving a surface transportation security training program. The program provides domain awareness, reporting, and information sharing capabilities in order to help protect the nation’s critical infrastructure and key resources. The thesis specifically focuses on a program that deals with the nation’s roadway sector. Literature reviews were conducted on training performance, service quality, and decision support systems to gain a basic understanding of some of the elements that will be incorporated in the decision support system framework. A discussion of freight flow analysis …

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Effect Of Electrical Charges On Glycerol Nanodroplets Catalytic Reforming, Gayan I. Nawaratna Aug 2009

Effect Of Electrical Charges On Glycerol Nanodroplets Catalytic Reforming, Gayan I. Nawaratna

Theses and Dissertations

Recently there has been increasing interest in using glycerol as a substrate on steam reforming due to the increase of biodiesel production. With the increase of biodiesel production a glut of glycerol has resulted and this would be a more suitable substrate for value added production of hydrogen from reforming. Reforming biorenewable viscous fluids such as glycerol is difficult due to mass transfer limitations associated with vaporizing glycerol to gas phase before steam reforming. This study was to evaluate the feasibility of reforming electrically atomized liquid phase glycerol by means of a technique called electro-spray. It was hypothesized that reforming …

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Balancing Work And Family Responsibilities As An Extension 4-H Agent, Joseph Richard Rhea Aug 2009

Balancing Work And Family Responsibilities As An Extension 4-H Agent, Joseph Richard Rhea

Theses and Dissertations

A career with Extension can be very rewarding, but also very demanding, as employees have to balance job stress and time demands with family goals and demands. The very nature of Extension work brings some tension between the job and family, and employees need to be equipped to make decisions about personal and work time. If the Extension System is to be a leader of positive change for individuals, families and communities, its employees must be able to find that balance. Previous research with 4-H agents has identified 23 job responsibilities that were stressors, with some studies showing a direct …

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Bile-Induced Damage In Listeria Monocytogenes, Megan Elisa Merritt Aug 2009

Bile-Induced Damage In Listeria Monocytogenes, Megan Elisa Merritt

Theses and Dissertations

Listeria monocytogenes is an enteric pathogen that can replicate within bile, yet this capability differs between strains. This project analyzed whether the pathogenic potential of the strain affects the ability to resist bile. We tested this hypothesis by examining the effect of bile on the morphology of a virulent strain (EGD-e) and an avirulent strain (HCC23) under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Our data showed that exposure to bile greatly impacted the growth of HCC23. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses indicated that bile affects the cell envelope of EGD-e and HCC23 differently. Our results suggest that differences …

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Ethnicity And Academic Achievement By Malaysian Eighth Grade Students, Hui Peng Liew Aug 2009

Ethnicity And Academic Achievement By Malaysian Eighth Grade Students, Hui Peng Liew

Theses and Dissertations

Malaysia’s preferential policies have reduced the educational attainment gap between ethnic groups. However, we know less about their effects on ethnic differences in academic achievement. With this point in mind, the overall goal of this study is to examine inter-ethnic differences in mathematics and science achievement based on the cohort of eighth grade (Form 2) Malaysian students who participated in the Third International Mathematics and Sciences Study Repeat Project (TIMMS-R). It sought to determine the extent to which theoretical propositions of the structural and cultural perspectives developed to explain achievement differences in the United States are applicable in Malaysia. Malaysia …

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Evaluation Of Bluegill (Lepomis Macrochirus) Feeding Habits After Eradication Of Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum Spicatum), Krisan Marie Webb Aug 2009

Evaluation Of Bluegill (Lepomis Macrochirus) Feeding Habits After Eradication Of Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum Spicatum), Krisan Marie Webb

Theses and Dissertations

The objectives of this study were to determine effects of Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) removal on bluegill feeding habits relative to diet composition, size, and feeding selectivity. Data were collected from 2003 through 2007 in four Minnesota lakes during June and September using boat electrofishing. Two lakes received an herbicide application of Endothall 2, 4-D, whereas remaining lakes were untreated and used as a reference. Bluegill diet composition, diets relative to size, and feeding selectivity were unaffected by vegetation removal, but varied seasonally with macroinvertebrate availability. Therefore, removal of Eurasian watermilfoil had minimal effects on bluegill feeding habits.

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Examining The Self-Reported Health Behaviors And The Importance Of Role Modeling Among Resident Directors Affiliated With The Association Of College And University Housing Officers-International (Acuho-I) Institutions, Maylen Lizeth Aldana Aug 2009

Examining The Self-Reported Health Behaviors And The Importance Of Role Modeling Among Resident Directors Affiliated With The Association Of College And University Housing Officers-International (Acuho-I) Institutions, Maylen Lizeth Aldana

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine self-reported health behaviors (health responsibility, physical activity, nutrition, spiritual growth, interpersonal relations and stress management) of Resident Directors who self-reported being affiliated with ACUHO-I. The second purpose of the study was to examine which areas of health behaviors, do Resident Directors believe, their participation influences the health behaviors of their students. This was completed by inviting Resident Directors to complete the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLPII). A total of (n=308) Resident Directors completed the HPLPII. The results of this study are ground breaking because it is the first study examining the …

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Changing Currents: Interpreting The Promise Of The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, Nathan Horn Aug 2009

Changing Currents: Interpreting The Promise Of The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, Nathan Horn

Theses and Dissertations

At the time of its construction (1971-1985), the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway was a highly scrutinized public works project, but the years after its construction have remained largely unexplored. Research in the John C. Stennis Collection, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority archives, and local newspapers, revealed that despite developers’ promise the waterway’s economic impact failed to live up to expectations, while its environmental influence more than exceeded them. Though rural southerners failed to benefit economically from the waterway, they embraced the environmental changes forced upon the project by the National Environmental Policy Act. Built as a promise …

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High-Spin Triaxial Strongly Deformed Structures And Quasiparticle Alignments In 168hf, Ram Babu Yadav Aug 2009

High-Spin Triaxial Strongly Deformed Structures And Quasiparticle Alignments In 168hf, Ram Babu Yadav

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation research consists of two parts: (i) investigation of quasiparticle alignments at high-spins and (ii) identification of triaxial strongly deformed structures in 168Hf. A γ-ray spectroscopy study was carried out, as well as lifetime measurements using the Doppler-shift Attenuation Method (DSAM). The two data sets used for this research were obtained from experiments at Argonne National Laboratory employing the reaction 96Zr(76Ge, 4n). The decay γ-rays were measured with the Gammasphere Compton-suppressed Ge spectrometer array. A self-supporting 96Zr foil ("thin target") was used in the first experiment, while in the second experiment the 96Zr target material was evaporated onto a …

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Assay Of The Efficacy Of Novel Pyridinium Oximes For Potential Activity In The Central Nervous System For Reactivating Phosphorylated Acetylcholinesterase, Ashley Renee Harmon Aug 2009

Assay Of The Efficacy Of Novel Pyridinium Oximes For Potential Activity In The Central Nervous System For Reactivating Phosphorylated Acetylcholinesterase, Ashley Renee Harmon

Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this research was to determine whether a series of novel pyridinium oximes that were synthesized to incorporate phenoxyalkyl moieties to increase lipophilicity, and thereby increase their likelihood of crossing the blood-brain barrier, could effectively reactivate phosphorylated AChE in vitro. An experimental OP was synthesized as a surrogate for sarin to test the reactivation potential of the oximes, phthalimidyl isopropyl methylphosphonate (PIMP). The reactivation activities of the novel pyridinium oximes on PIMP exposed AChE and structure activity relationships were examined. Differences in reactivation potential in comparison to the widely used 2-PAM were also examined. All the novel oximes …

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Spatial Dispersion Of The Fungus Aspergillus Flavus In Corn Ears: A Spatial Analysis Of Ubiquitin Mrna, Leif Saxon Mylroie Aug 2009

Spatial Dispersion Of The Fungus Aspergillus Flavus In Corn Ears: A Spatial Analysis Of Ubiquitin Mrna, Leif Saxon Mylroie

Theses and Dissertations

Aflatoxin is a carcinogen produced by the fungus Aspergillus flavus that causes millions of dollars in agriculture losses in the southeastern US. This thesis examines the dispersal of A. flavus on two corn inbred lines, resistant (Mp313E) and susceptible (B73), which differ in total aflatoxin accumulation after infection with A. flavus. After inoculating corn kernels with the fungus an RNA analysis was used to determine the location (number of kernels away from inoculation site) and abundance of A. flavus at weekly intervals. A. flavus started its spread at 7 days after inoculation (DAI) on both corn lines. The B73 corn …

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Population Genetics Study Of The Imported Fire Ants (Formicidae: Solenopsis Spp.), Rajesh Babu Garlapati Aug 2009

Population Genetics Study Of The Imported Fire Ants (Formicidae: Solenopsis Spp.), Rajesh Babu Garlapati

Theses and Dissertations

The study was divided into three main sections. In the first section, temporal stability of genetic structure of red imported fire ant populations and effective population sizes were assessed with the help of microsatellites. The second part of the study was focused on the development of new microsatellite markers for the population genetics study of fire ants. The third part of the study was aimed at describing the association of phenotypic and genotypic characters of polygyne hybrid (Solenopsis invicta x richteri) fire ant in a colony and identifying the origin of polygyny in hybrid imported fire ant colony. Meridian, Yazoo …

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Student Progress Monitoring: Teachers' Perceptions, Darlene H. Barron Aug 2009

Student Progress Monitoring: Teachers' Perceptions, Darlene H. Barron

Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi Student Progress Monitoring System (MSPMS) was developed for the Mississippi Department of Education to be used to monitor student progress on the state framework which constitutes the curriculum for each course taught in Mississippi schools. This study was designed to investigate teachers’ perceptions of the implementation and use of the MSPMS. Research question 1 was to determine if the various independent variables of age, level of education, years of experience as an educator, level of school where teaching, perceived level of computer and/or technology comfort, perceived level of computer and/or technology experience, subject area taught, number of MSPMS …

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Proximity Based Association Rules For Spatial Data Mining In Genomes, Surya Saha Aug 2009

Proximity Based Association Rules For Spatial Data Mining In Genomes, Surya Saha

Theses and Dissertations

Our knowledge discovery algorithm employs a combination of association rule mining and graph mining to identify frequent spatial proximity relationships in genomic data where the data is viewed as a one-dimensional space. We apply mining techniques and metrics from association rule mining to identify frequently co-occurring features in genomes followed by graph mining to extract sets of co-occurring features. Using a case study of ab initio repeat finding, we have shown that our algorithm, ProxMiner, can be successfully applied to identify weakly conserved patterns among features in genomic data. The application of pairwise spatial relationships increases the sensitivity of our …

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Indirect Effects Of Invasive Species:Community Effects Of Invasive Aquatic Plant Control And Direct And Indirect Effects Of Non-Native Peacock Bass, Ekaterina Kovalenko Aug 2009

Indirect Effects Of Invasive Species:Community Effects Of Invasive Aquatic Plant Control And Direct And Indirect Effects Of Non-Native Peacock Bass, Ekaterina Kovalenko

Theses and Dissertations

Biological invasions are one of the main factors responsible for the imperiled status of freshwater ecosystems, but much remains to be learned about their indirect effects on native communities. The first part of this dissertation examines community effects of long-term efforts to selectively control invasive Eurasian watermilfoil. Results of the first study show that native plants immediately recolonized treated areas and habitat complexity was unaffected. Fish community was not influenced by invasive plant control. Macroinvertebrate communities were highly variable and part of their variability could be explained by plant community attributes. Both fish and macroinvertebrates used invasive watermilfoil, which emphasizes …

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The Ecology Of Cactoblastis Cactorum (Berg) (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae) In Florida, Kristen Erica Sauby Aug 2009

The Ecology Of Cactoblastis Cactorum (Berg) (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae) In Florida, Kristen Erica Sauby

Theses and Dissertations

I used a theoretical model to determine the conditions under which Cactoblastis cactorum populations would be expected to experience positive population growth. Results from simulations suggest that host species richness, host quality, and the C. cactorum death rate interact to determine the probability of C. cactorum positive population growth. I also studied the influence of host diversity empirically. Cactoblastis cactorum prevalence was significantly higher when O. stricta was present in the community. Also, higher species richness within host assemblages led to a higher prevalence of infestation than in single-species host assemblages. Finally, I explored cooccurrence patterns of native cactuseeding insects …

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The Effectiveness Of Job Card Grounding And Job Card Grounding With A Token Economy In The Management Of The Behavior Of Males Residing In A Therapeutic Group Home, Penny Paige Ward Aug 2009

The Effectiveness Of Job Card Grounding And Job Card Grounding With A Token Economy In The Management Of The Behavior Of Males Residing In A Therapeutic Group Home, Penny Paige Ward

Theses and Dissertations

Time-out, an effective way of controlling undesirable behavior in children, is considered to potentially yield limited effectiveness for individuals over the age of 11 due to their maturation and their parents’ ability to physically enforce time-out. A practical alternative to time-out for adolescents is Job Card Grounding. Job Card Grounding possesses the same behavioral components of time-out in that it provides a system through which parents can deliver consistent discipline and the adolescent has control over the frequency and duration of the consequence. This study is unique in that Job Card Grounding has not yet been empirically validated in the …

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Mobility And Population Change In Northeast Mississippi: An Object-Based Seriation Of Projectile Points As A Relative Paleodemographic Indicator, Jason L. Edmonds Aug 2009

Mobility And Population Change In Northeast Mississippi: An Object-Based Seriation Of Projectile Points As A Relative Paleodemographic Indicator, Jason L. Edmonds

Theses and Dissertations

Archaeological considerations of mobility have primarily focused on the differences in and among the kinds or degrees of mobility itself, rather than addressing the underlying issue of why human settlement patterns were or are mobile. The focus of this study is to address such questions within Darwinian evolutionary theory. Using the concepts of bet-hedging, as used in biology, and waste, as used in archaeology, it is argued that mobility was selectively favored for its population limiting properties. Relative changes in the numbers of projectile points in each assigned class, ordered chronologically by seriation, were taken to indicate relative population change …

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Using Remote Sensing To Monitor Herbicide Injury And Biomass Of Waterhyacinth, Wilfredo Robles Aug 2009

Using Remote Sensing To Monitor Herbicide Injury And Biomass Of Waterhyacinth, Wilfredo Robles

Theses and Dissertations

Aquatic vegetation plays an important role in the ecological interactions and processes within a water body. However, the presence of the invasive exotic aquatic plant species, waterhyacinth [Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms], negatively affects those interactions as well as interfering with water use for recreation and navigation. An implemented management plan for waterhyacinth control relies on the use of herbicides. Efficacy is commonly assessed using visual injury and control ratings as well as estimating biomass. The problem is that those approaches are labor intensive only assessing single points throughout the entire water body. Therefore, technology like remote sensing, which is the …

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Developing Resistance To Whitefly In Poinsettia (Euphorbia Pulcherrima) Using Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation, Hettiarachchige Niranga Dinum A. Perera Aug 2009

Developing Resistance To Whitefly In Poinsettia (Euphorbia Pulcherrima) Using Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation, Hettiarachchige Niranga Dinum A. Perera

Theses and Dissertations

The broad objective of this research was to develop transgenic poinsettia that express tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC) capable of protecting poinsettia against whitefly. An effective and efficient in vitro micro propagation and proliferation technique of poinsettia ‘Prestige Red’ was successfully developed in this study and this protocol can be used for potential development of transgenic poinsettia. Poinsettia ‘Prestige Red’ was successfully infected by Agrobacterium rhizogenes producing hairy roots at the site of infection. Investigations of more effective PGR concentrations are necessary in order to develop transgenic poinsettia through hairy roots. Stem disks of poinsettia ‘Eckespoint Pollys Pink’ developed into somatic embryos …

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Log Grade Volume Distribution Model For Tree Species In Red Oak-Sweetgum Forests In Southern Bottomlands, George Maynard Banzhaf Aug 2009

Log Grade Volume Distribution Model For Tree Species In Red Oak-Sweetgum Forests In Southern Bottomlands, George Maynard Banzhaf

Theses and Dissertations

Southern bottomland sites are among the most productive areas for producing high quality grade hardwood, yet the ability to estimate the quantity and quality of standing grade hardwood is almost non-existent. Measurements and observed log grades were recorded on standing trees to construct volume prediction models for individual trees. Several different modeling techniques were explored and compared during development. Developed equations predict merchantable sawtimber volume and volume by grade category in trees by species group. Two separate sets of equations were developed for each species group using either total height or merchantable height. Models were chosen based on significance of …

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X-Ray Crystallographic Studies Of Complexes Of Human Myeloperoxidase With Hydroxamic Acids And Nitrite, Corneliu Sologon Aug 2009

X-Ray Crystallographic Studies Of Complexes Of Human Myeloperoxidase With Hydroxamic Acids And Nitrite, Corneliu Sologon

Open Access Dissertations

Compound I of myeloperoxidase is capable of both one-electron oxidation and two-electron oxidation reactions. Halides and pseudohalides are the substrates for the two-electron oxidation and other compounds including a large variety of aromatic alcohols and amines can be oxidized via the single electron oxidation pathway. To investigate the catalytic mechanism of myeloperoxidase four structures of complexes of myeloperoxidase were solved. Two of them are complexes with hydroxamic acids and the other two are complexes with nitrite. Hydroxamic acids (salicylhydroxamic acid and benzylhydroxamic acid) can function as structural analogues for the aromatic alcohol and amine substrates of myeloperoxidase. The crystal structures …

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Pseudouridine Modifications On 23s Ribosomal Rna: When, How And Why, Pavanapuresan P. Vaidyanathan Aug 2009

Pseudouridine Modifications On 23s Ribosomal Rna: When, How And Why, Pavanapuresan P. Vaidyanathan

Open Access Dissertations

Pseudouridine synthases are enzymes responsible for modifying uridines to pseudouridines in a site-specific and energy-independent manner. There are 5 families of these synthases, named after the first member of each family to be characterized in Escherichia coli : RluA, RsuA, TruA, TruB and TruD. The 23S ribosomal RNA in E. coli contains 10 pseudouridine modifications made by 6 specific synthases named RluA-RluF. These modifications cluster around important functional regions of the ribosome such as the peptidyl transferase center, the tRNA binding sites, and the inter-subunit bridge regions. My research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of substrate selection by pseudouridine synthases …

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On The Green Vol. 38 No. 12 August 7, 2009, Gallaudet University Aug 2009

On The Green Vol. 38 No. 12 August 7, 2009, 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.

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Summer Commencement: August 7, 2009, University Of North Dakota Aug 2009

Summer Commencement: August 7, 2009, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

UND Summer Commencement program from August 7, 2009.

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Molecular And Cellular Mechanisms Whereby The Apical Ectodermal Ridge (Aer), Via Wnt5a, Mediates Directional Migration Of The Adjacent Mesenchyme During Vertebrate Limb Development, Kate E. Kmetzsch Aug 2009

Molecular And Cellular Mechanisms Whereby The Apical Ectodermal Ridge (Aer), Via Wnt5a, Mediates Directional Migration Of The Adjacent Mesenchyme During Vertebrate Limb Development, Kate E. Kmetzsch

Theses and Dissertations

The vertebrate embryonic limb is a key model in elucidating the genetic basis underlying the three dimensional morphogenesis of structures. Despite the wealth of insights that have been generated from this model, many long-standing questions remain. For example, it has been known for over 70 years that the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) of the embryonic limb is essential for distal outgrowth and patterning of the adjacent limb mesenchyme. The mechanisms whereby the AER does accomplish outgrowth and patterning are still poorly understood. We propose that secreted FGFs from the AER activate Wnt5a expression in gradient fashion, which in turn provides …

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