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Community Ecology Approaches To Amphibian Conservation, Joanna Hawley

All Theses

Amphibian declines have been observed globally for several decades and populations continue to decline in many areas today. Through an extensive literature review of amphibian `impact studies,' I evaluated the use of multiple species, multiple spatial and temporal scales in an effort to ascertain a more complete, community-wide perspective on the causes of amphibian declines as well as management and conservation implications aimed at reversing these declines. Additionally, I performed multivariate analysis of an amphibian community dataset from southern Maine, USA using a multi-species and scalar approach to identify potentially important environmental variables associated with high levels of amphibian reproductive …

Infrared Thermography And Ultrasonic Inspection Of Adhesive Bonded Structures, Overview And Validity, Suhas Vedula

All Theses

The work focuses on establishing a relationship between two different techniques of Nondestructive testing, namely Infrared Thermography and Ultrasonic Inspection. The integration of the two testing techniques is done with an expectation to achieve accurate characterization and determination of internal defects in adhesive bonded structures.
Experiments are done on sandwich samples with defects using various ultrasonic testing methods like pulse-echo and immersion techniques. The results thus obtained are documented and location of the defects is marked. The same samples are then tested using Infrared thermography to visualize the defects.
The results obtained by both the methods are compared to check …

Fosinopril, A Potential Substrate For Mrp2, Competes With Several High Use Pharmaceuticals For Elimination, Benjamin Green

All Theses

The multidrug-resistance associated protein 2 (MRP2) is a membrane-bound transporter responsible for the efflux of a variety of drugs and endogenous compounds. MDCK cells transfected with the human MRP2 gene were used to assess whether several highly used pharmaceuticals were potential substrates by examining their differential toxicity, accumulation, and efflux. Fosinopril, an ACE inhibitor, was 2.4-fold less toxic to the MRP2 transfected cells compared to mock transfected cells, suggesting that fosinopril is a potential MRP2 substrate. In addition, fosinopril was effluxed more rapidly, as the MRP2 cells only retained 13 % of the dosed fosinopril after 20 minutes compared with …

Characterization Of Compression Molded Sodium Caseinate-Based Films, Kathryn Hartwig

All Theses

The objective of this research was to characterize compression molded sodium caseinate based films and investigate the effect of water and glycerol ratios on thermal transition and heal sealing properties. Studies were conducted on films from three variations of film-forming mixtures or 'resins', derived from US patent 4,076,846 containing sodium caseinate (NaCas), methylcellulose (MC), calcium chloride (CaCl2), glycerol (Gly), and distilled water. Moisture sorption isotherms were used to evaluate the water-protein and water-glycerol interactions in the resins. Sorption isotherms were characteristic of most biopolymer material and showed increasing moisture sorption with increasing amounts of glycerol. In compression molded films containing …

Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis For The Selection Of A Land Use Impact Method For A Life Cycle Assessment Of Switchgrass As A Bioenergy Feedstock In The Pee Dee Region Of South Carolina, Joel Kohn

All Theses

The interactions of a growing human population and increasing demand for food and energy have led to governmental and social pressures encouraging the adoption of biofuels as a substitute for fossil energy sources; however, several potential biofuel feedstocks can compete directly with food products for valuable land area. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a tool that examines the environmental impacts of a product or process and can assist decision makers in the development of policy. The environmental impacts of land use are not well incorporated into LCA. As an emerging field, there is no consensus regarding the best methods by …

Contextualizing The Health Belief Model And The Social Epidemiology Theories In The Study Of Aids In Malawi, Kumbirai Madondo

All Theses

The association between HIV/AIDS knowledge, risk perception and risky sexual behavior remains a valuable area of study among scholars seeking to understand the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Past research has focused only on either the Health Belief Model or social epidemiology ideas to understand AIDS but never combined the two. The current study is unique and adds to the body of knowledge by making use of both the Health Belief Model and social epidemiology ideas to understand these relationships more clearly and, more importantly, to explore the role that keeping AIDS a secret has in the contexts of risk perception, …

Developing A Management Tool To Estimate Unmarked Puma (Puma Concolor) Populations With A Remote Camera Array, Megan Pitman

All Theses

Puma (Puma concolor) ecological research, puma management, and puma conservation require a technique to efficiently estimate puma populations. Adequate population estimates for pumas are difficult to produce due to natural history characteristics of the species. Remote camera arrays present a promising new tool for surveying cryptic mammals, but techniques for estimating population levels of unmarked animals or species that are difficult to individually identify in photographs are needed. Our goal was to develop techniques to (1) determine the camera effort needed to detect resident pumas with 95% certainty and (2) estimate puma population density for unmarked pumas with a remote …

Sustainable Urban Transport: The Issue Of Equity In The Emerging Bric Countries, Tamara Tavares

All Theses

Although sustainable frameworks for transportation have been widely discussed in the transportation planning field in recent decades, the issue of equity in transportation systems is still relatively unexplored in comparison to the other pillars of sustainability. Globally, the concept of equity gains different nuances in developed and developing countries, and have yet new implications when considering fast emerging nations. The objective of this paper is to investigate how transit policies in fast emerging economies are used to distribute equitable access to benefits and opportunities; and to derive lessons that can orient future cohorts of emerging cities and countries to use …

Insect Diversity And Pest Status On Switchgrass Grown For Biofuel In South Carolina, Claudia Holguin

All Theses

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has tremendous potential as a biomass and stock crop for cellulosic ethanol production or combustion as a solid fuel. The first goal of this study was to assess diversity of insects in a perennial switchgrass crop in South Carolina. A three-year study was conducted to sample insects using pitfall traps and sweep nets at the Pee Dee Research and Education Center in Florence, SC, from 2007-2009. Collected specimens were identified to family and classified by trophic groups, and predominant species were identified. The diversity and density of weeds in the field during the establishment year (2007) …

Christian Fundamentalism: Militancy And The Scopes Trial, Michael Smith

All Theses

The Scopes Trial held in Dayton, Tennessee, lasting for eight days in 1925, is one of the seminal events in American history. Its importance has little to do with the place, but much to do with cultural, political, scientific, and religious trends of the times. Historians extensively studied these trends and volumes were written, filled with their analyses of these trends and why the Scopes Trial represents such an interesting snapshot of history.
This work considers the militancy of the Fundamentalist movement as a definer of religious zeal and a desire to defend publicly what they perceived as an erosion …

The Influence Of Nursing Curriculum In Associate Degree Nursing Programs On The Development Of Nursing Professionalism In Graduating Nursing Students, Cristina M. Riter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nursing professionalism is assumed to develop during the educational process, with the model of the baccalaureate degree program. There have been few studies on the development of professionalism in beginning nursing students, especially those in a two-year associate degree nursing program. This research study explored the concept of professional development in reaction to the increased number of associate degree registered nurses in this country since the inception of the associate degree nursing programs in the 1950s. The impact of the registered nursing shortage on the nursing profession and the educational preparedness of future registered nurses was also explored. The research …

Selective Placement Of Actin Filaments On Protein Patterned Surfaces, Lenin J. Leon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Motors proteins are used by living organisms to convert chemical energy into mechanical energy. The human body uses such motors proteins to transport materials through cells and, in the case of the biomolecular motor system of actin and myosin, to contract muscle. By understanding how these biological motors work, artificial motors with improved function may be possible and may be engineered to work in complex biological and non-biological environments. Recent research efforts have focused on understanding how to harness the power of, and manipulate the functioning of biological motors for integration into useful nanoscale systems. One important step towards this …

Correlation Between Flexural Strength And Denture Base Acrylic Thickness Overlaying Implant Stud Attachments, Khaled N. Alawadhi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Objectives. To investigate the effect of acrylic resin thickness and the stud attachment housings on the maximum breaking load, flexural strength and flexural modulus of denture base acrylic resins overlying implant overdenture attachments.;Methods. Fifty-two rectangular specimens were fabricated from high impact denture acrylic resin (Lucitone 199). Forty specimens contain 2.00 mm height Locator attachment titanium denture caps with black processing males, 12 specimens did not include the denture cap. All specimens were fabricated according to ANSI/ADA SPECIFICATION NO. 12-2002 for testing denture base resin with constant measurements of 64 mm in length, 10 mm in width, and variable testing thickness. …

Reovirus As A Probe To Study Induction Of Anti-Viral Immunity And Modulation Of Peanut Allergy, Ronald J. Fecek Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Infectious diarrheal diseases are a major burden to human health worldwide. A proportion of those diarrheal diseases are caused by enteric viruses that gain access through the gastrointestinal tract. Consequently, the human gastrointestinal mucosa represents an important route of entry for enteric viruses. Enteric viruses are taken up by gastrointestinal mucosal dendritic cells (DCs) that induce and shape adaptive immunity, however, activation of mucosal DCs by enteric viruses is poorly understood. The research presented in this dissertation is focused on deciphering the requirements for activation of murine DCs in response to an enteric virus as well as the subsequent generation …

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Interaction Between Roughages And Corn Milling Byproducts In Finishing Cattle Diets, Joshua R. Benton

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

During ethanol production, starch is the primary nutrient fermented and the remaining byproducts are excellent sources of fiber and protein. In addition, inclusion of byproducts in finishing diets may reduce the incidence of acidosis. As a result, roughage level and quality could potentially be reduced in finishing diets containing byproducts. Three experiments were conducted to examine the effects of roughage and wet corn gluten feed (WCGF) in finishing cattle diets containing corn distillers grains plus solubles. Cattle fed finishing diets containing wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS) with no roughage had decreased DMI and ADG compared to cattle fed roughage. …

Noninvasive, In-Vivo, Tissue Modulated Near Infrared Spectroscopy Of Fingertips: Resonance Raman Spectrum Of Human Hemoglobin, Bin Deng, Jerry Goodisman, George Shaheen, Rebecca J. Bussjager, Joseph Chaiken

Chemistry - All Scholarship

Tissue modulation refers to using external stimuli such as mechanical pressure and temperature to produce various spatiotemporal distributions of blood and conceivably other fluids in tissues. Having the capacity to execute tissue modulation¹ allows forms of difference spectroscopy to be used to isolate spectroscopic signals from specific components of the tissues noninvasively and in vivo. In the case of human fingertips we can think of the tissues present in the probed volume as being static tissue, plasma and red blood cells (RBCs). Static tissues deform under mechanical pressure based tissue modulation and the only possible fluid motions2 involve plasma …

Attitudes Toward Transsexual People: Effects Of Gender And Appearance, Kelly R. Gerhardstein

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The transgendered community, like other gender non-conforming communities, is the subject of stigmatization, discrimination, and violence. However, there is a notable lack of research investigating the specific attitudes toward various manifestations of transgenderism, and the factors that may be contributing to these attitudes. The goal of this study was to investigate factors that contribute to negative attitudes toward, and discrimination against, this consistently marginalized group of people. The present study explored the relationship between attitudes toward transsexuals and several gender-related variables, including gender of the rater, sex and apparent gender of the transsexual, as well as gender role beliefs, personal …

A Comparison Of The Violence Risk Appraisal Guide, Psychopathy Checklist-Revised, And Child And Adolescent Taxon Scale: Predictive Utility And Cross Cultural Generalizability, Micheal Bruce Lister

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG) is a widely utilized measure for estimating the risk of violent reoffending among forensic populations. However, completing the VRAG can be a lengthy process as it requires entering scores from a second test, the Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R), which must be administered separately and requires hours to complete. In order to reduce scoring time, the authors of the VRAG have developed a brief checklist, the Child and Adolescent Taxon Scale (CATS), which can be used in place of the PCL-R as a more efficient method of assessing psychopathy (Quinsey et al., 2004). Previous research …

Neural Network Classification Of Hyperspectral Imagery For Urban Environments: A Case Study., Vijay Lulla

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Urban environments are complex because many different artificial and natural objects occur in close proximity. Being able to understand the processes and workings of these environments requires the ability to observe and record data with high spatial and spectral resolution. Hyperspectral sensors have been gaining popularity for this task as they are becoming more affordable. In this research, a commonly used maximum likelihood (ML) classifier and artificial neural network (ANN) classifier have been compared for classifying urban land use and land cover (LULC) using AISA+ hyperspectral data. Further, the best set of bands were identified for classification of urban areas …

Parenting A Child With Behavior Problems: Dimensions Of Religiousness That Influence Parental Stress And Sense Of Competence, Chelsea Weyand M.S.

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parenting a child with behavior problems has been associated with an increase in parental stress and a decrease in parental sense of competence. While parental religiosity has generally been associated with greater child and parent functioning, it has been suggested that when parenting a child with behavior problems, some aspects of parental religiousness (e.g., negative religious coping, biblical conservatism) might decrease functioning. One hundred and thirty-nine parents of children between the ages of three and twelve completed a questionnaire in order to examine the influence of religious variables (sanctification of parenting, negative religious coping, positive religious coping, biblical conservatism) on …

The Catalytic Function Of The Rev1 Dcmp Transferase Is Required In A Lesion-Specific Manner For Translesion Synthesis And Base Damage-Induced Mutagenesis, Ying Zhou, Jillian Wang, Yanbin Zhang, Zhigang Wang

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

The Rev1-Polζ pathway is believed to be the major mechanism of translesion DNA synthesis and base damage-induced mutagenesis in eukaryotes. While it is widely believed that Rev1 plays a non-catalytic function in translesion synthesis, the role of its dCMP transferase activity remains uncertain. To determine the relevance of its catalytic function in translesion synthesis, we separated the Rev1 dCMP transferase activity from its non-catalytic function in yeast. This was achieved by mutating two conserved amino acid residues in the catalytic domain of Rev1, i.e. D467A/E468A, where its catalytic function was abolished but its non-catalytic function remained intact. In this mutant …

A Gis-Based Analysis Of Chickasaw Settlement In Northeast Mississippi: 1650-1840, Wendy Cegiellski

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

During the early colonial period in the Southeast, the Chickasaw were remarkably successful in their negotiations with Europeans. By the mid-eighteenth-century, their position had been weakened. These changes are reflected in the expansion and contraction of Chickasaw settlement. This analysis uses new temporal and locational data from a large collection of Chickasaw artifacts to create a more precise model of Chickasaw settlement changes over time employing Geographic Information Systems software (ArcGIS 9.3). This analysis also elucidates the complex links between Chickasaw movements and historical factors including warfare and economic change. Both archaeological and historical documentation are used to gain a …

Ridge Preservation Comparing The Clinical And Histologic Healing Of A Mineralized Cortical Vs. Mineralized Cancellous Allograft With An Acellular Dermal Matrix Barrier Membrane., Marquez J. Sams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aim. To compare two techniques of ridge preservation using a mineralized cancellous particulate allograft to a mineralized cortical particulate allograft plus an acelluar dermal matrix barrier membrane using clinical and histologic data to assess the outcome. Methods. Twelve positive controls received a intrasocket mineralized cortical particulate allograft (500-800 µm) while twelve test patients received an intrasocket mineralized cancellous particulate allograft (500 to 800 µm). All sites were covered with acellular dermal matrix barrier. Following tooth extraction, horizontal ridge dimensions were measured with a digital caliper and vertical ridge dimensions were measured from a stent. Each site was re-entered for implant …

The Effect Of The Blue Light Diode Laser On Shear-Peel Bond Strength Of Orthodontic Brackets With Varying Curing Time And Distance., Kamran Shaikh 1978-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Light cured composite resin can be time consuming for bonding orthodontic brackets. A new Blue light diode laser may reduce curing times for composite resins. Hypothesis: The laser will achieve similar bond strengths in half the time and at greater distances as the LED. Methods: 90 extracted premolars will be bonded and cured using Laser and LED curing units at varying times, another 120 extracted premolars will be bonded and cured at varying distances. An Instron machine will be used to test shear bond strength. Results: The laser was not able to achieve similar bond strengths as the LED …

A Comparison Of The Effectiveness Of Two Suturing Techniques For The Coronally Positioned Tunnel Procedure With An Acellular Dermal Matrix Allograft., Courtney Tyler Shearer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Aims. The primary aim of this randomized, blinded, controlled clinical trial was to compare the percent root coverage obtained using a coronally positioned tunnel surgery plus an acellular dermal matrix allograft (ADM) with single tooth sling versus continuous sling sutures 6 months post-surgically. Methods. Twenty-four patients with 1 site of ~3 mm Miller Class I or II recession were treated and followed for 6 months. Twelve patients received a coronally positioned tunnel plus ADM and single tooth sling sutures (Single) and were considered the test group. The positive control group consisted of 12 patients treated with a coronally positioned tunnel …

Temporal And Spatial Variations Of Ions, Isotopes And Agricultural Contaminants In Surface Waters And Groundwater Of Nebraska's Rainwater Basin Wetland Region, Sarah E. Foster

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The wetlands of south-central Nebraska’s Rainwater Basin region are considered of international importance as a habitat for millions of migratory birds, but are being endangered by agricultural practices. The Rainwater Basin extends across 17 counties and covers 4,000 square miles. The purpose of this study was to assemble baseline chemical data for several representative wetlands across the Rainwater Basin region, and determine the use of these chemical data for investigating groundwater recharge.

Eight representative wetlands were chosen across the Rainwater Basin to monitor surface and groundwater chemistry. At each site, a shallow well and deep well were installed and sampled …

An Investigation Of Interpersonal Disruptions And Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Mental Health Therapists, Rachael Ann Robinson-Keilig

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mental health therapists who work with victims of trauma are often exposed to vivid descriptions of traumatic events and strong emotional expressions from their clients. Research within the last fifteen years has started to explore the impact of this indirect form of trauma exposure on therapists who treat trauma clients.

The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence of interpersonal and sexual disruptions as symptoms of secondary traumatic stress/vicarious trauma among practicing mental health therapists, to understand how various therapist characteristics predict interpersonal and sexual disruptions, and to explore the role that gender and prior trauma history play …

Medical Students' Attitudes Toward The Medical College Admission Test, Cassie J. Connealy

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The following study analyzed the attitudes held by pre-clinical medical students about the Medical College Admission Test or MCAT. One hundred and eighty first-year and second-year medical students at a public Midwestern medical university participated in this study. Participants completed the “Medical Students Attitudes toward the Medical College Admission Test” survey during their morning lectures near the end of their spring semester. A composite scale score of the Likert items of the survey was computed and the proportion of students with attitudes ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree was calculated. For six of the twelve Likert items the largest …

Morphological Characterization And Molecular Mediated Genetic Variation Of Thief Ant (Solenopsis Molesta Say, Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Ralph B. Narain

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The thief ant, Solenopsis molesta (Say), a common nuisance ant species found throughout the United States is genetically related to other stinging ants. This research was undertaken to estimate genetic variation utilizing mitochondrial DNA sequences of cytochrome oxidase I in thief ant populations from various geographic locations. Thief ants were collected from nine states, identified to species using morphologic characteristics from available keys. DNA extractions were completed with Qiagen’s Gentra PUREGENE® DNA Isolation Kit using their solid tissue protocol. PCR reactions were run on the extracted DNA using primers Lep-F1 (forward) and Lep-R1 (reverse). The resulting DNA products were concentrated …