Digital Commons Network^™

Degradation Of Chlorophenols In Swine Waste, Srilatha Gangula

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Naturally occurring plant derived phenols can be degraded through bacteria in swine waste. Chlorinated phenols, which are not naturally present in the environment, are toxic and generated from industrial activities as such petrochemical, pharmaceutical, plastic, rubber, pesticide, iron, steel, paper production, coal conversion, wood preserving, and cellulose bleaching. Large scale coal gasification and carbonization plants are another source of chlorinated phenols. Although not normally present in the environment, chlorinated phenols are structurally similar to many plant derived phenolics.

It is our hypothesis that bacteria located in swine wastes may also have the ability to degrade chlorinated phenols. Identifying situations (and …

Discrete Fractional Calculus And Its Applications To Tumor Growth, Sevgi Sengul

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Almost every theory of mathematics has its discrete counterpart that makes it conceptually easier to understand and practically easier to use in the modeling process of real world problems. For instance, one can take the "difference" of any function, from 1st order up to the n-th order with discrete calculus. However, it is also possible to extend this theory by means of discrete fractional calculus and make n- any real number such that the ½-th order difference is well defined. This thesis is comprised of five chapters that demonstrate some basic definitions and properties of discrete fractional calculus …

A Content Validity Study Of The Water Training Institute Curriculum, Alicia Turner

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Content validity methods, such as matching matrices, have been used to assist in the design and evaluation of training programs. In the present study, the Water Training Institute (WTI) curriculum was evaluated using a content validation approach. The purpose of the study was to identify topics that were being under-emphasized, over-emphasized, or receiving the correct amount of emphasis in the curriculum. A Job Knowledge Survey was developed and administered to subject matter experts to determine the importance of topics to the jobs that WTI graduates would most likely enter after graduation; the importance ratings were used as the criterion for …

A Comparison Of The Singing Activity Of Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus Ludovicianus)) In Urban And Rural Settings, Shannon R. Trimboli

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

As the earth’s landscape becomes increasingly urbanized, local wildlife must adapt to urban conditions or migrate to areas that are more rural. Urban wildlife face challenges such as direct loss of habitat, competition with non-native species, disturbance due to anthropogenic noise, and micro-climatic changes. Factors such as temperature, relative humidity, and noise affect the acoustical environment and may affect the ability of many animals, including birds, to communicate.

Understanding how urbanization affects birds’ singing behavior is critical because singing often plays a vital role in attracting mates and defending territories. In addition, as global climate change occurs it will become …

Benevolent Vs. Hostile Sexism Impact On Work Performance For Women In Turkey, Crystal M. Bonneau-Kaya

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

All studies to date that have assessed the direct impact of benevolent vs. hostile sexism on performance outcomes have done so in the context of a Western society. Because of this void in the literature, it remained unknown how living in a low egalitarian and/or non-Western society may impact women's experiences of sexism. The purpose of this study is to address this gap in the literature. This study investigates the impact of benevolent vs. hostile sexism on women in four Turkish textile factories. 210 Turkish female textile factory workers were randomly assigned to the benevolent sexism, hostile sexism, or control …

An Antibody Directed Against The Fusion Peptide Of Junin Virus Envelope Glycoprotein Gpc Inhibits Ph-Induced Membrane Fusion, Joanne York, Jody D. Berry, Ute Stroeher, Qunnu Li, Heinz Feldmann, Min Lu, Meg Trahey, Jack H. Nunberg

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The arenavirus envelope glycoprotein (GPC) initiates infection in the host cell through pH-induced fusion of the viral and endosomal membranes. As in other class I viral fusion proteins, this process proceeds through a structural reorganization in GPC in which the ectodomain of the transmembrane fusion subunit (G2) engages the host cell membrane and subsequently refolds to form a highly stable six-helix bundle structure that brings the two membranes into apposition for fusion. Here, we describe a G2-directed monoclonal antibody, F100G5, that prevents membrane fusion by binding to an intermediate form of the protein on the fusion pathway. Inhibition of syncytium …

What To Do, Now That Big Pharma And Psychiatry Have Thrown Empiricism Under The Bus, W. Joseph Wyatt

Psychology Faculty Research

Organized Psychiatry and the pharmaceutical industry have worked toward a mutually reinforcing cultural zeitgeist, to wit: the majority of psychological/behavioral disorders are biologically caused and medications are the treatments of choice. The history of this phenomenon and its implications for behavioral practitioners will be presented.

Aboveground Biomass Estimation For Three Common Woody Species In The Post Oak Savannah Of Texas, Brian P. Oswald, R R. Botting, Dean W. Coble, Ken W. Farrish

Faculty Publications

The Post Oak Savannah occupies about 3.4 million hectares of gently rolling to hilly lands in east central Texas. Large post oak (Quercus stellata Wangenh.) blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica Munchh.), Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L.) and honey mesquite (Juniperus virginiana L.) usually form the overstory, often above thickets of yaupon (Ilex vomitoria), winged elm (Ulmus alata), gum bumelia (Sideroxylon lanuginosum Michx. Subsp. Oblongifolium (Nutt) T.D. Penn.), and live oak (Quercus virginiana Mill.). Historically limited to rocky hillsides …

The Legal Fiction Of De Facto Parenthood, William C. Duncan

Journal of Legislation

No abstract provided.

Ua45/6 Commencement Program, Wku Registrar

WKU Administration Documents

Commencement program listing graduates.

Sagestep News, Spring 2010, No. 12, Sagestep

Newsletters

Seasonal newsletter of SageSTEP.

Tuning Quantum Dots Optical Properties By Temperature And Concentration Modulation, Amber Sexton

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Quantum dots have recently been awarded attention due to their tunable optical and spectroscopic properties. The optical and spectroscopic behavior of quantum dots was investigated as a function of mean particle size. Manipulation of the reaction conditions and constituents impact the controllability of size and surface conditions. Therefore, synthesis of CdSe and CdS semiconductor nanoparticles with tunable particle size were created using temperature, time, and composition as variables. Analytical techniques used to characterize the nanoparticles included fluorescence and electronic absorption. The effect of temperature, aside from changing the size of the particle, also eliminated defects on the surface and caused …

Final Report Of The Commission To Study The Causes, Effects, And Remediation Of Siltation In The Great Bay Estuary, State Of New Hampshire

PREP Reports & Publications

A report on: the historic and current sources of siltation the Great Bay Estuary; the impacts upon the aquatic and riparian ecosystem; the recreational, social, and commercial uses of estuarine waters; methods of minimizing additional siltation; an evaluation of the desirability of remediation; the optimal means of remediation considering economic, ecological, and other relevant factors.

Zebrafish-Encoded 3- O -Sulfotransferase-3 Isoform Mediates Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Entry And Spread, Kevin Jones

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans modified by human glucosaminyl 3-O-sulfotransferase-3 (3-OST-3) isoform generates the cellular receptor for herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Interestingly, the ability of zebrafish (ZF)-encoded 3-OST-3 isoform to modify heparan sulfate to mediate HSV-1 entry and cell-cell fusion has not been determined although it is predominantly expressed in ZF, a popular model organism to study viral infections. Here, we demonstrate that expression of ZF-encoded 3-OST-3 isoform renders the resistant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells to become susceptible for HSV-1 entry. The following lines of evidence support the important role of ZF-encoded 3-OST-3 isoform as the mediator of HSV-1 …

Study Of Convergence In Nebraska Newspapers, Kathryn L. Schindler

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

This thesis studies Nebraska newspapers and their efforts to converge with Web, multimedia, radio, or television entities. It also studies the efforts by Nebraska newspapers to converge reporter roles and organizational roles. Paper surveys were sent and in-person interviews were conducted in Nebraska during the 2009-2010 academic year. The results showed more examples of multimedia convergence than role or organizational convergence. Nebraska publishers and editors say they do not want to attempt convergence or multimedia products just to be trendy. They say convergence has to make sense, be useful, and be profitable for their individual businesses, staff, and communities.
Advisor: …

Hsp110 Chaperones Control Client Fate Determination In The Hsp70–Hsp90 Chaperone System, Atin K. Mandal, Patrick A. Gibney, Nadinath B. Nillegoda, Maria A. Theodoraki, Avrom J. Caplan, Kevin A. Morano

Publications and Research

The Hsp110 family of protein chaperones was known to promote maturation of Hsp90 client proteins. The yeast Hsp110 ortholog Sse1 is now shown to influence the decision to fold or degrade substrates of the Hsp70–Hsp90 chaperone system when maturation is compromised.

Professors With Criminal Records: Criminology & Criminal Justice Students Views On Former Convicts As Professors, John Frana

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As America’s incarceration binge begins its fourth decade, one unintended consequence of this social policy has been a growing number of criminologists/sociologists who have personal experience with incarceration as many former convicts have been pursuing education as an avenue for successful re-entry. Some of these ex-convicts have begun to secure PhD’s and have been conducting research as well as teaching various university courses in Sociology and/or Criminology and Criminal Justice. Within this thesis the myths maintained by society surrounding crime and prisoners will be discussed. Using survey research, students majoring in Criminology and Criminal Justice (n = 186) at ISU …

Analysis Of Egg-Lay Dates Of Bald Eagles As A Potential Indicator Of Global Climate Change, Jennifer Garrison

All Theses

The effects of climate change on many wildlife species is a new area of research. Long&ndashterm data sets on raptor populations may hold the key to documenting these impacts from local to ecosystem scales. The Michigan bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) population has been monitored continuously since 1961, and virtually all reproductive outcomes are known since 1963. The bald eagle population at Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota has been monitored continuously since 1973. Though these data sets are extensive, little is known about the effects of climate change on egg laying dates in sea eagles (Haliaeetus spp). Understanding these effects could ultimately …

Growth And Hydrogen Production From Carbohydrates And Switchgrass By Thermotoga Neapolitana, Divya Dharshini Chandrasekaran

All Theses

Thermotoga neapolitana is an anaerobic thermophilic marine bacterium that has been reported to degrade cellulose. This hyperthermophilic bacterium grows at 77¡C and could be used in large scale applications because of its ability to withstand extreme conditions. The aim of this study was to analyze the growth and production of hydrogen by T. neapolitana when grown on various carbon sources including the bioenergy crop switchgrass. Switchgrass was provided by the Clemson University Pee Dee Research and Education Center and was milled to about 4mm in size. Switchgrass was then added to an anaerobic medium and inoculated with T. neapolitana . …

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2: A New Target For Neurogenic Hypertension, Yumei Feng, Huijing Xia, Robson A. Santos, Robert Speth, Eric Lazartigues

HPD Articles

Overactivity of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension, and an overactive brain RAS has been highlighted in several genetic and experimental models. Until now, angiotensin II (Ang II) was thought to be the main effector of this system, and the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-Ang II-Ang II type 1 receptor axis was the main target for antihypertensive therapies. A new member of the RAS, ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme type 2), has been identified in organs and tissues related to cardiovascular function (e.g. heart, kidney and blood vessels) and appears to be part of a counter-regulatory pathway to buffer …

Rational Design Of Self-Assembled Nanostructures Based On Polymers Synthesized Via Aqueous Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization, Stacey Kirkland York

Dissertations

Recent advances in reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization have allowed the rational, bottom-up design of biorelevant assemblies. Utilizing foresight, polymers can be tailored to self-assemble into nano-, micro-, and macroscopic structures. Given the size scale on which rationally-designed polymers can be tailored, they hold significant promise in the biomedical field. For example, nanoscale materials can be designed to carry small-molecule and gene therapeutics while macroscopic structures can be tailored for cell growth scaffolds. The design process begins by selecting monomers, chain transfer agents, and reaction conditions which will yield the desired polymer architecture and composition.

The work herein builds …

Acceleration Of Spiking Neural Networks On Single-Gpu And Multi-Gpu Systems, Venkittaraman Vivek Pallipuram Krishnamani

All Theses

There has been a strong interest in modeling a mammalian brain in order to study the architectural and functional principles of the brain and offer tools to neuroscientists and medical researchers for related studies. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are compute models that try to simulate the structure and/or the functional behavior of neurons and process information using the connectionist approach to computation. Hence, the ANNs are the viable options for such studies.
Of many classes of ANNs, Spiking Neuron Network models (SNNs) have been employed to simulate mammalian brain, capturing its functionality and inference capabilities. In this class of neuron …

Results From The April 2009 Gulf Of Alaska Line Transect Survey (Goals) In The Navy Training Exercise Area, B. K. Rone, A. B. Douglas, A. N. Zerbini, L. Morse, A. Martinez, P. J. Clapham, J. Calambokidis

United States Department of Commerce: Staff Publications

Little is known about the present-day occurrence of cetaceans found in offshore waters in the Gulf of Alaska; however, whaling records and a few recent surveys have shown this area to be important habitat. The U.S. Navy maintains a maritime training area in the central Gulf of Alaska, east of Kodiak Island, and has requested additional information on marine mammal presence and use of this area. To describe the occurrence and distribution of marine mammals in and around the U.S. Navy training area, a line transect visual and acoustic survey was conducted 10-20 April 2009 from the NOAA ship Oscar …

Physiological Responses To Temperature In The Lizard, Sceloporus Undulatus, Joseph C. Ehrenberger

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Temperature affects all organisms differently. Physiological processes, such as metabolism, interact with temperature to determine a minimal rate of energy loss. Physiological limits, such as heat and cold tolerances, likely constrain the activity and survival of organisms. Ultimately, these physiological processes and limits determine a species‘ geographical distribution. Through experiments, I sought to understand specifically how temperature affects the physiology of the lizard Sceloporus undulatus. This species is a model organism to answer such questions, as it is geographically widespread species and well-described phylogenetically. In the first experiment, I compared standard metabolic rates of lizards from three locales and interpreted …

Risk, Everyday Intutions, And The Institutional Value Of Tort Law, Govind C. Persad

Sturm College of Law: Faculty Scholarship

This Note offers a normative critique of cost-benefit analysis, one informed by deontological moral theory, in the context of the debate over whether tort litigation or a non-tort approach is the appropriate response to mass harm. The first Part argues that the difference between lay and expert intuitions about risk and harm often reflects a difference in normative judgments about the existing facts, rather than a difference in belief about what facts exist, which makes the lay intuitions more defensible. The second Part considers how tort has dealt with this divergence between lay and expert perspectives. It also evaluates how …

University Magazine Spring 2010, University News Service, Office Of Alumni Relations

University Publications

This is the official magazine for RIT Alumni. Issued thrice a year in spring, fall and winter. Printing began in 1999.

The Fox In The Henhouse: Responses Of Chickens (Gallus Domesticus) To The Scent Of A Predator, Andrew C. Alba, Gregory B. Cunningham

Biology Faculty/Staff Publications

Domestic chickens (Gallus domesticus) are often used as a model species in testing bird olfaction. Previous studies have indicated that domestic chicks can discriminate between various odors, are attracted to familiar odors, and use olfactory cues during food selection. Additionally, studies have indicated that olfaction plays an important role in predator recognition in a variety of songbirds. It has yet to be demonstrated, however, whether chickens can detect predators using olfactory cues. To address this, we tested 1-2 day old naïve chicks with undiluted fox urine and found that they were able to detect this scent. This could …

Using Ant Colonization Optimization To Control Difficulty In Video Game Ai., Joshua Courtney

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Ant colony optimization (ACO) is an algorithm which simulates ant foraging behavior. When ants search for food they leave pheromone trails to tell other ants which paths to take to find food. ACO has been adapted to many different problems in computer science: mainly variations on shortest path algorithms for graphs and networks.

ACO can be adapted to work as a form of communication between separate agents in a video game AI. By controlling the effectiveness of this communication, the difficulty of the game should be able to be controlled. Experimentation has shown that ACO works effectively as a form …

Utah State University Commencement, 2010 – Main Campus, Utah State University

Commencement Programs

123^rd Annual Commencement of Utah State University.

Refuge Update – May/June 2010, Volume 7, Number 3

RefugeUpdate (USFWS-NWRS)

Table of Contents:

After Rehab, Vessel Starts Over in Alaska The latest addition to the Refuge System’s fleet of vessels in Alaska spent much of its life on the wrong side of the law.

In Arizona, Refuges Are Oases for Fish Fish in the desert? Yes. At San Bernardino and Leslie Canyon National Wildlife Refuges, protecting fish is in the establishing mission.

FOCUS: Marine National Monuments The four marine national monuments are among the Refuge System’s most distinctive components. As such, they present special challenges, rare opportunities and unparalleled beauty.

Can You Hear Me Now? Looking for a low-cost way …