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Immunohistochemical Mapping Of Hypoxia In Ischemic Mouse Hindlimb Skeletal Muscle, Emily Deckert

Biomedical Engineering

The study of blood vessel growth and remodeling is a complex endeavor. Hypoxia, the lack of oxygen in a tissue, is known to stimulate angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels), and have little effect on arteriogenesis (the enlargement of existing blood vessels). However, the role of hypoxia in vessel function is unknown, but may be determined using the results and methods developed in this experiment.

Supplied by the bloodstream, oxygen is required by all cells and tissues to remain healthy. If the bloodstream supplying a certain tissue with blood is disrupted, the tissue becomes ischemic, often leading to hypoxia. …

Global Competence: Determination Of Its Importance For Engineers Working In A Global Environment, Gregg M. Warnick

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

We live and work in a world that is even more interconnected and interdependent than ever before. Engineers must now not only develop technical engineering competence, but must also develop additional skills and competencies including global competence to obtain success within a global engineering environment.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether multinational companies considered global competence an important skill in mechanical engineering graduates when making hiring decisions. The study was an exploratory study that utilized an extensive literature review to identify eight global competencies for engineering success within a global environment and also included a survey instrument …

Fracture Of Bone Using Microindentation, Séverine Vennin

Department of Engineering Mechanics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Osteoporosis is a current disease which is especially of concern to post-menopausal women. It is characterized by a decrease of bone density and an increase in the risk of fracture. Interest in the fracture mechanisms with respect to the underlying biological structure of the bone is of great interest to researchers in this field. In this thesis, a new method based on microindentation on rat femurs was developed to determine the relation between the viscoelastic and the fracture properties of bone. The main goal is to measure the viscoelastic properties by using a dynamic mechanical analysis indentation method and then …

Development Of Tissue Engineered Test Systems To Study Mammary Cell Interactions In Vitro, Cheryl Cass

All Dissertations

The work described in this dissertation was conducted in the interdisciplinary research environment of the Clemson University Institute for Biological Interfaces of Engineering. A note at the beginning of each chapter acknowledges, as relevant, collaborating doctoral students and reminds the reader where work from each chapter has been presented or published. The overall goal of this work was to develop tissue engineered test system methodologies to allow the study of mammary cell interactions in vitro. The background, as described in Chapter 1, was published in part in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A in 2010. The studies were designed …

Seasonal Trends In Separability Of Leaf Reflectance Spectra For Ailanthus Altissima And Four Other Tree Species, Aaron Burkholder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project investigated the spectral separability of the invasive species Ailanthus altissima, commonly called tree of heaven, and four other native species. Leaves were collected from Ailanthus and four native tree species from May 13 through August 24, 2008, and spectral reflectance factor measurements were gathered for each tree using an ASD (Boulder, Colorado) FieldSpec Pro full-range spectroradiometer. The original data covered the range from 350-2500 nm, with one reflectance measurement collected per one nm wavelength. To reduce dimensionality, the measurements were resampled to the actual resolution of the spectrometer's sensors, and regions of atmospheric absorption were removed. Continuum removal …

Black And White And Read In Profile: The Silhouette As Race Manirhetoric In Flannery O'Connor And Kara Walker, Michelle Dacus Carr

All Dissertations

ABSTRACT
My research project, in fulfillment of the requirements for the dissertation in Rhetorics, Communication, and Information Design, utilizes the schema or trope of the silhouette as a binding metaphor for black/white race relationships in America. Specifically, I argue that there is no better model for examining social interactions between the races than the back- and fore-grounding that is transacted through this primarily visual--but also verbal and oral--technique of profiling and outlining. This is particularly true given its origins in discriminatory practice, dating as far back as the literary iconismos and characterismos used to categorize Greek and Roman slaves, and …

A Reconfigurable Distributed Multiagent System Optimized For Scalability, Summiya Moheuddin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis proposes a novel solution for optimizing the size and communication overhead of a distributed multiagent system without compromising the performance. The proposed approach addresses the challenges of scalability especially when the multiagent system is large. A modified spectral clustering technique is used to partition a large network into logically related clusters. Agents are assigned to monitor dedicated clusters rather than monitor each device or node. The proposed scalable multiagent system is implemented using JADE (Java Agent Development Environment) for a large power system. The performance of the proposed topology-independent decentralized multiagent system and the scalable multiagent system is …

Elucidating The Role Of Ascorbic Acid In Flowering And Pathogen Defense In Arabidopsis Thaliana, Madhumati Mukherjee

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

L-ascorbic acid (AA) protects plants against abiotic stress. Previous studies suggested that this antioxidant is also involved in the control of flowering and enhanced disease resistance. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms through which AA deficiency promotes flowering and pathogen resistance.;To decipher how AA influences flowering time, four AA-deficient Arabidopsis thaliana mutants vtc1-1, vtc2-1, vtc3-1 and vtc4-1 were grown under short and long days, respectively. These mutants flowered and senesced before the wild type irrespective of the photoperiod, a response that cannot simply be attributed to slightly elevated oxidative stress in the mutants. Genetic analyses demonstrated that various photoperiodic …

Switchgrass Establishment And Growth For Biofuels And Carbon Sequestration On Reclaimed Mine Lands In Appalachia, Travis L. Keene

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Climate change mitigation and the high cost of transportation fuels have created an interest in utilizing biofuels to supplement the nation's energy portfolio. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) has been suggested as a possible biofuel feedstock because of its ability to produce large amounts of biomass over a wide range of growing conditions and its ability to sequester atmospheric carbon (C) into stable soil organic carbon. Appalachia has the potential to become a center of biofuel production with its large expanses of reclaimed mine land. Switchgrass production on surface mine land offers the opportunity to increase the land resources devoted to energy …

The Effect Of Cannula Design Upon Apically Extruded Sodium Hypochlorite During Endodontic Therapy, Gavin L. Criser

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This in vitro study investigates the effect of cannula design on the amount of apically extruded sodium hypochlorite during non surgical root canal therapy. Ten human, extracted, single canal teeth were decoronated and instrumented and randomly assigned to two different treatment groups BO (blown out apices) and NBO (non-blown out apices). Three different cannula designs (Max-i-Probe, Pro-Rinse, Monoject) were compared in respect to the amount of extruded root canal irrigant yielded beyond the root apex. The results of this study support the conclusion that safe ended, side vented cannula design reduces the possibility of extruding sodium hypochlorite beyond the root …

A Comparison Of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy And Treatment As Usual With Families With A History Of Child Abuse And Neglect And Intimate Partner Violence, Kimberly P. Foley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Child abuse and neglect (CAN) and intimate partner violence (IPV) are serious public health issues that need to be addressed. In 2005, a reported 899,000 children throughout the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico were the victims of either abuse or neglect resulting in the death of 1,460 children under 18-years-of-age (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2005). In the United States each year, adult women are subjected to over 5 million IPV incidences and which result in the death of approximately 1,300 women (APA, 2005). A meta-analysis of 31 studies conducted by Appel and Holden …

Hydroclimate Reconstructions Of The Potomac River Basin Using Tree Rings, Richard Stockton Maxwell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The following dissertation is composed of three separate manuscripts with the overall theme of hydroclimate reconstructions of the Potomac River Basin. The first manuscript investigated two methods of crossdating eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) and examined the dendroclimatic response of earlywood, latewood, and total ring-width. In the second manuscript, May precipitation for West Virginia Climate Region 6 was reconstructed using two millennial-length eastern redcedar chronologies from 750-1998. Comparisons were made to other paleoclimate proxy records of moisture in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The final manuscript focused on a multi-species reconstruction of Potomac River streamflow from 950-2001. In this manuscript, species importance …

Dietary Cholesterol Effects On Learning, Memory And Amyloid Beta: Learning And Memory Effects On Brain Cholesterol And Sulfatide Levels, Deya S. Darwish

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Recent studies have revealed ambiguous findings on the effects of dietary cholesterol on learning. In one study by Schreurs and coworkers it was reported that a 2% cholesterol diet had a positive effect on learning. However, it was realized that metals, specifically copper, could potentially exacerbate the aggregation of amyloid beta (Abeta), a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) leading to the formation of Abeta plaques. In a subsequent publication by Sparks and Schreurs it was reported that a 2% cholesterol diet with the addition of 0.12 ppm copper had a detrimental effect on learning and resulted in the formation …

Changes In Throwing Pattern And Perceptual Judgment As The Function Of Task Variations For Young Children, Yoojin Choi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Ecological Task Analysis (ETA; Davis & Burton, 1991) hypothesizes that movement change may emerge from dynamic interaction in given environmental conditions. In other words, task variability provides opportunities for the performer to choose skills suitable to his or her capabilities in order to achieve a task goal.;The purpose of the present study is to examine 4 year-old children's changes in throwing patterns and perceptual judgment as a function of task variation in specific throwing tasks. Each experiment identifies various task parameters (e.g., force, trajectory of throws) and attempts to adjust them to meet a task goal.;The modifications of tasks include …

Real-Time Implementation Of A Sensor Validation Scheme For A Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine, Manoharan Thiagarajan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

With ultra-low exhaust emissions standards, heavy-duty diesel engines (HDDEs) are dependent upon a myriad of sensors to optimize power output and exhaust emissions. Apart from acquiring and processing sensor signals, engine control modules should also have capabilities to report and compensate for sensors that have failed. The global objective of this research was to develop strategies to enable HDDEs to maintain nominal in-use performance during periods of sensor failures. Specifically, the work explored the creation of a sensor validation scheme to detect, isolate, and accommodate sensor failures in HDDEs. The scheme not only offers onboard diagnostic (OBD) capabilities, but also …

Effect Of Conjugated Linoleic Acid On The Regulation Of Feed Intake And Body Fat In The Short Term, Valerie J. Shelton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is known to decrease feed intake and body fat in mice. Our objectives were to determine the incorporation of CLA into tissues and the effect on serum hormones and arcuate neuropeptides during the first 7 d of CLA consumption. Mice (n=150; 9-wk-old) were fed 0 (ad libitum or pair-fed to CLA-fed mice) or 2% CLA (ad libitum) for 1, 2, 3, 5, or 7 d. A body fat index was calculated; liver, adipose tissue, and brain were analyzed for fatty acid profiles; and serum insulin, leptin, and PYY were measured. CLA and pair-fed mice ate less …

The Effects On The Antimicrobial Properties Of Hoshino's Triple Antibiotic Paste When Chlorhexidine Gluconate (0.12%) Is Substituted For The Propylene Glycol And Macrogol Ointment Mixture, Spencer R. Stiles

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this in vitro agar-diffusion study was to evaluate the effect on the antimicrobial efficacy of Hoshino's triple antibiotic paste when 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate is substituted for the traditional propylene glycol and macrogol ointment carrier solution. Ciprofloxacin (200 mg), metronidazole (500 mg), and minocycline (100 mg), were mixed with either chlorhexidine or a 1:1 combination of propylene glycol and macrogol ointment. Seven microorganisms, including: E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, E. faecalis, S. sanguis, F. nucleatum, and C. albicans, were incubated and plated onto triplicate blood agar plates. Two blank paper discs were positioned onto each agar plate, …

Justifying Phytogenic Feed Additive Matrix Values In Conjunction With Exogenous Feed Enzymes, Laurel K. Shires

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Phytogenic feed additives are purported to possess antimicrobial properties as well as nutrient sparing characteristics that may aid in alleviating high diet costs; however, in order for PFAs to assist nutritionists in decreasing diet cost, matrix values must be determined and implemented in feed formulation. Study 1 evaluated proposed matrix values for a commercially available PFA and assessed nutrient sparing when the product was combined with commercial phytase, carbohydrase and protease. The most remarkable proposed matrix values were 32.2 kcal/kg for metabolizable energy and 0.07% for both Ca and AP. The objective of Study 2 was to determine true amino …

Hypercholesterolemia And Microvascular Dysfunction: Altered Mechanisms And Interventional Strategies, Phoebe Stapleton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cardiovascular disease has a number of risk factors and confounding variables associated with the development and progression of the condition. Hypercholesterolemia is one of the few independent risk factors of peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and coronary artery disease (CAD) with causes stemming from a genetic predisposition and lifestyle management. The primary symptom of these diseases can be described as an endothelial cell dysfunction, which hypercholesterolemia can exacerbate, leading to a pro-inflammatory state of elevated oxidant stress and significant reduction in nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability, a key mediator of endothelium-dependent dilation. This environment can culminate into an impairment of the vascular …

Peptide Based Molecular Recognition Elements For Binding 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene, Avram Siegel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Three peptides labeled AS2, AS3 and AS6 were designed to evaluate the role of secondary structure in a peptide's ability to selectively bind 2,4,6 trinitrotoluene (TNT). The peptides were produced using recombinant DNA methods through E. coli expression. It was hypothesized that AS6 would form a random coil, AS2 would form an alpha-helix and AS3 would form a beta-sheet. The secondary structures of the peptides were determined using circular dichroism spectroscopy and the binding of the peptides to TNT was studied using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. After expression, the presence of the peptide in the final purified product was …

Leaching Of Chalcopyrite With Sodium Hypochlorite, Ravinder Kumar Garlapalli

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Chalcopyrite is the most important copper mineral source and also a refractory mineral for leaching. Several processing routes have been proposed to overcome the environmental problems related to copper extraction from chalcopyrite. In this study, the leaching of chalcopyrite has been investigated with a new reagent sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). Experiments were carried out in two stages: conversion of chalcopyrite to cupric oxide with NaOCl solution in the first stage, followed by dissolution of the cupric oxide to cupric ion with 1 normal sulfuric acid at room temperature in the second stage. In the first stage leaching, the initial pH varied …

Effects Of Face Velocity, Cross-Draft Velocity And Interventions On The Performance Of A Benchtop Enclosing Hood, Xinjian He

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In industry, benchtop enclosing hoods are critical in protecting workers from airborne contaminants, but there is little research published about industrial enclosing hoods. Almost all hood research has been done on laboratory fume hoods.;A tracer gas method was used to study the performance of a single benchtop enclosing hood tested inside a 9 ft high, 12 ft wide and 40 ft long wind tunnel. Freon-134a concentrations were measured on an anthropometrically scaled, heated, breathing manikin holding a source between its hands while standing at the enclosing hood's face. Samples were taken at the nose (Cnose), mouth (Cmouth), inlet of the …

The Design Of An Evolutionary Algorithm For Artificial Immune System Based Failure Detector Generation And Optimization, Jennifer N. Davis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The development of an evolutionary algorithm and accompanying software for the generation and optimization of artificial immune system-based failure detectors is presented in this thesis. These detectors use the Artificial Immune System-based negative selection strategy. The utility is a part of an integrated set of methodologies for the detection, identification, and evaluation of a wide variety of aircraft sub-system abnormal conditions. The evolutionary algorithm and accompanying software discussed in this document is concerned with the creation, optimization, and testing of failure detectors based on the negative selection strategy. A preliminary phase consists of processing data from flight tests for "self" …

Perceived Levels Of Empowerment In Parish Nursing, Jean C. Bokinskie

Theses and Dissertations

Parish nursing is a community-based subspecialty practice of nursing. The parish nurse (PN) melds spiritual care with nursing practice to wholistically address the needs of parishioners and faith communities. PNs work with other health care providers and organizations, as well as lay and professional church leaders to successfully develop, organize, and lead health promoting and spiritually healing activities. Empowerment of PNs is necessary to achieve positive outcomes of PN directed initiatives. Empowerment occurs through supportive and nurturing environments, as well as access to resources, information and power. However, multiple professional demands, interpersonal conflicts, and lack of adequate resources have created …

Ecology: A Prerequisite For Malaria Elimination And Eradication, Heather M. Ferguson, Anna Dornhaus, Arlyne Beeche, Christian Borgemeister, Michael Gottlieb, Mir S. Mulla, John E. Gimnig, Durland Fish, Gerry F. Killeen

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Existing front-line vector control measures, such as insecticide-treated nets and residual sprays, cannot break the transmission cycle of Plasmodium falciparum in the most intensely endemic parts of Africa and the Pacific. The goal of malaria eradication will require urgent strategic investment into understanding the ecology and evolution of the mosquito vectors that transmit malaria. Priority areas will include understanding aspects of the mosquito life cycle beyond the blood feeding processes which directly mediate malaria transmission. Global commitment to malaria eradication necessitates a corresponding longterm commitment to vector ecology.

The 71f Advantage: Applying Army Research Psychology For Health And Performance Gains, Paul T. Bartone, Ross H. Pastel, Mark A. Vaitkus

Books

This book grew out of paper presentations and discussions at the Army Research Psychology Biennial Conference held April 24–25, 2008, in Bethesda, Maryland. It provides a snapshot of groundbreaking research currently being done by Army research psychologists around the globe. The book illuminates the many contributions of Army research psychologists to supporting Soldiers and their families, as well as enhancing their performance and wellbeing.

Impact Of Cultural Competence Educational Learning Unit Intervention On First-Semester Junior Bachelor Of Science Nursing Students, Jennifer E. Reid

Education Doctoral

Research evidence strongly suggests that there is a direct relationship between a lack of cultural competence in healthcare providers and health care disparities in diverse racial, ethnic, and socio-cultural groups of people. Nursing education curricula designed to educate nurses in the process of becoming culturally competent may have a significant impact on inequity in healthcare delivery. This study examined how entry level nursing students responded to a cultural competence educational learning unit (CCELU) to improve their level of cultural competence in desire, awareness, knowledge, skill, and encounters. A one-way between-groups multivariate analysis of variance and an independent t-test were used …

Costs And Benefits Of Variable Nest Density In Burrowing Owls: Effects On Predation, Ectoparasites, Egg Yolk Hormones, And Productivity, Justin Lamar Welty

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Nesting density in birds is influenced by a number of factors including food availability, predation, and breeding site availability. As a result of a species’ nesting density, individuals incur certain costs and benefits related to predation rates, parasite levels, and productivity. I evaluated hypotheses related to these costs and benefits in burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) that nested within the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in southern Idaho. I calculated territory overlap, an index of nesting density, of actual nests by creating a 200m radius buffer around each nest and measuring the percentage …

Effects Of Old Nest Material On Occupancy And Reuse Of Artificial Burrows, And Breeding Dispersal By Burrowing Owls (Athene Cunicularia) In Southwestern Idaho, Corey S. Riding

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis comprises two chapters describing my investigations of the breeding ecology of burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) in southwestern Idaho. The first chapter details two experimental studies where I examined the effects of old nest material, primarily mammal dung, on the occupancy and reuse of artificial burrows by burrowing owls in 2004 and 2005. For burrows that owls had not used previously for nesting, adding material from actual nests did not induce occupancy. Thus, old nest material does not appear to function as a cue for burrow suitability. Removing old material from burrows that owls had used for …

A Reconfigurable Pattern Matching Hardware Implementation Using On-Chip Ram-Based Fsm, Indrawati Gauba

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The use of synthesizable reconfigurable IP cores has increasingly become a trend in System on Chip (SOC) designs. Such domain-special cores are being used for their flexibility and powerful functionality. The market introduction of multi-featured platform FPGAs equipped with on-chip memory and embedded processor blocks has further extended the possibility of utilizing dynamic reconfiguration to improve overall system adaptability to meet varying product requirements. A dynamically reconfigurable Finite State Machine (FSM) can be implemented using on-chip memory and an embedded processor. Since FSMs are the vital part of sequential hardware designs, the reconfiguration can be achieved in all designs containing …