Digital Commons Network^™

Analysis Of Dna Methylation Differerences Between High And Low Chill Peach (Prunus Persica [L. Batsch]), Sherri Hughes-Murphree

All Theses

Chilling requirement is a critically important phenological trait that controls the timing of vegetative bud break and floral bloom, and impacts the climatic distribution of temperate tree species. However, the molecular basis of the chilling requirement trait is not well understood. Analysis of chilling requirement QTL from peach and apricot has detected numerous genes known to modulate DNA and histone methylation pathways. Evidence from other plant systems suggests these types of epigenetic mechanisms may play a role in temperature-modulated plant developmental responses.
For this study, DNA from vegetative buds of overwintering peach trees was examined for changes in methylation status …

Register Of The Camp Floyd Field School Records, J. Michael Hunter

Faculty Publications

The Brigham Young University Field School of Archaeology excavated part of Camp Floyd during the 1980s. College credit was offered to both university and high school students for participating in the field work. This Register contains an inventory of 4 boxes of materials from 1982 to 1992, including field school correspondence, field notes, laboratory notes, historical research notes, photos, copy orders, flyers, student information, budgets, artifact records, newspapers articles, journal articles, historical records such as enlistments, deaths, and supply inventories. The materials inventoried are housed in the Camp Floyd State Park Museum at Camp Floyd Stagecoach Inn State Park, 18035 …

Effects Of Developmental Conditions On Nestling American Kestrel (Falco Sparverius) Corticosterone Concentrations, Erin H. Strasser, Julie A. Heath

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

How nestling birds respond to stressful situations may constitute an important survival component that has lasting developmental effects on the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. As birds are exposed to increasing amounts of potential anthropogenic stressors through land use change, understanding how these factors contribute to HPA development is important. We examined whether conditions experienced during the nestling stage affected free-living American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) HPA activity prior to fledging. Kestrels experienced varying levels of human disturbance around their nest and we classified this environmental exposure as high or low environmental human disturbance based on traffic patterns and …

Variable Helper Effects, Ecological Conditions, And The Evolution Of Cooperative Breeding In The Acorn Woodpecker, Walter D. Koenig, Eric L. Walters, Joseph Haydock

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The ecological conditions leading to delayed dispersal and helping behavior are generally thought to follow one of two contrasting scenarios: that conditions are stable and predictable, resulting in young being ecologically forced to remain as helpers (extrinsic constraints and the habitat saturation hypothesis), or that conditions are highly variable and unpredictable, leading to the need for helpers to raise young, at least when conditions are poor (intrinsic constraints and the hard life hypothesis). We investigated how variability in ecological conditions influences the degree to which helpers augment breeder fitness in the cooperatively breeding acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus), a …

Mycorrhizal Colonization Of Native Salt Marsh Plants On Mississippi's Gulf Coast And The Effects Of Commercial Mycorrhizal Inoculants On Nursery-Grown Plants, Kathryn Rondot Mcbride

Master's Theses

Salt marshes are important economically and ecologically to the Gulf Coast and other coasts worldwide. Due to human activities, many coastal salt marshes have been degraded or destroyed. Restoration efforts, through the replacement or addition of naturally occurring salt marsh plants, are taking place worldwide. Most restoration plants are raised in nurseries and are not ready for transfer to restoration sites for eight or nine months. Once the plants are at the restoration site many die due to transplant stress. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) may be able to shorten the time the restoration plants need to stay in the nursery …

Chemical Processing Of Fingerprints On Thermal Paper, Megan Elizabeth Dutton

Master's Theses

This research seeks to determine how well muriatic acid and acetic acid fuming develop the thermal side of thermal paper using aged prints. Additionally, the research seeks to determine how well ninhydrin develops the paper side of thermal paper using aged prints after exposure to the fuming. Twenty-four random individuals placed a total of thirty sets of fingerprints per person on thermal paper over a 10-day period. Each set of fingerprints consisted of three fingerprints on the thermal side of paper and three fingerprints on the nonthermal side of paper. During the 30 to 40-day time period, however, more specifically …

Effects Of Osteopontin Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms On Bull Semen Quality, Chance L. Williams

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Two groups of bulls were utilized to evaluate if single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the Bos taurus OPN gene (GenBank accession # AY878328.1) promoter region were related to bull semen quality variables as evaluated by computer assisted semen analysis (CASA). Group 1 consisted of 19 Angus and Balancer bulls, ranging in age from 5 to 8 years, which were collected weekly during a 2-month period (July 15, 2010 through September 19, 2010). Group 2 consisted of 16 Brahman influenced (1/8 to 3/16 Brahman) bulls, mean age = 1.1 ± 0.1 year, that were collected monthly for a 7 month period …

With Our Backs To The Wall' : Entente Grand Strategy In 1918, Saxton Sain Wyeth

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Facing a military defeat in the face of the 1918 German offensive on the Western Front, the armies of the Entente reorganized under a Supreme Commander. This shift to coordinated grand strategy in conjunction with Allied strategic disunity enabled the Entente to destroy the armies of the Quadruple Alliance on the battlefield and bring the Great War to a conclusion on November 11th, 1918.

The Health Status, Concerns, And Reform In Uruguay With An Emphasis On Health Promotion Programs Geared Towards The Care And Development Of The Country's Children And Adolescents, Melissa Raquel Ramírez

Honors Scholar Theses

This study was conducted in Montevideo, Uruguay, where I examined the actions that the country and society as a whole, its various communities, the Uruguayan government, and the people take in order to prevent disease and promote a healthy society. An ethnographic experiential and evidence-based approach, including personal experience, interviews, and official government documents, was used to fully describe the way the system operates. Due to Uruguay's demographic characteristics, particular attention was paid to children and adolescents. For this thesis, Uruguay is described in terms of its history, physical and mental health issues, society's shared health concerns, and its vulnerable …

Image Registration And Visualization Of In Situ Gene Expression Images., Ernur Saka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the age of high-throughput molecular biology techniques, scientists have incorporated the methodology of in-situ hybridization to map spatial patterns of gene expression. In order to compare expression patterns within a common tissue structure, these images need to be "registered" or organized into a common coordinate system for alignment to a reference or atlas images. We use three different image registration methodologies (manual; correlation based; mutual information based) to determine the common coordinate system for the reference and in-situ hybridization images. All three methodologies are incorporated into a Matlab tool to visualize the results in a user friendly way and …

Alleviating Equines: Investigating The Hypothesized Mechanisms Of Change In Equine Assisted Psychotherapy, Kathy L. Korell-Rach

Theses and Dissertations

Animal Assisted Therapy research was integrated to develop the Tri-Level Mechanisms of Change (TLMC) Conceptualization, which is a comprehensive theoretical framework hypothesizing how Equine Assisted Psychotherapy produces psychological change. TLMC hypothesizes that the strength of human animal bond (HAB) with personal pets accounts for the development of HAB with therapy horses (primary level). The quality of HAB with therapy horses is responsible for producing changes in general psychological constructs (secondary level). Adaptive changes in secondary level constructs account for reductions in mental illness symptoms (tertiary level). Results indicated a significant reduction in tertiary level symptoms, and gains were maintained at …

Pulsed Electric Field (P.E.F.) And Pectinase For The Extraction Of Polyphenols From Grape Pomace And Peel, Julien Khalil

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Grapes are an important source of bioactive compounds such as gallic acid, resveratrol, and catechin. The consumption of grapes is associated with a lower risk of diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and some types of cancer. Grape pomace and skins are good sources of many phytochemicals known for their antioxidant potential.

In this research, the peel of the Chilean “Flame” grape cultivar and the pomace of St. Croix, Frontenac and St. Pepin grape cultivars were subjected to a pulsed electric field (5 KV, 1 μFarad, 20 Pulses) and to an enzymatic treatment (Pectinase, 5KU). The total phenolic content, determined in …

Breeding Fidelity And Landscape Effects On Distribution Of Mallards And Duck Broods In The Nebraska Sandhills, Zachary J. Cunningham

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

I investigated aspects of mallard (Anas platyrhnchos) breeding ecology in the Nebraska Sandhills during 2007-2008. Previous work in this region suggests that nest success is low for a large area of intact grassland such as the Sandhills. My goal was to conduct a local-scale examination of age distribution and return rates of mallards, and a large-scale examination of brood distribution in the Sandhills region as a whole. This information will help explain factors contributing to the low nest success previously observed, determine relationships between landscape composition and spatial distribution of waterfowl in the Sandhills, and predict productivity and …

Avian Influenza In Migratory Birds In The United States, 2007–2009, And Effects Of September Hunting Seasons On Survival, Harvest, And Recovery Rates Of Canada Geese Banded In Southeast Nebraska, Scott R. Groepper

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Highly-pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV H5N1) poses risks to wild birds, poultry, and humans. Personnel with the United States Department of Agriculture-Animal Plant Health Inspection Service-Wildlife Services, state, and tribal wildlife agencies collected 168,940 samples from migratory birds from 2007 to 2009 to test for presence of HPAIV H5N1. No HPAIV was found, but other subtypes were discovered, including H5 and H7. I estimated prevalence of avian influenza virus by flyway and found prevalence was lowest each year in the Atlantic Flyway (6.7%–8.3%), highest in the Pacific Flyway in 2007 (13.3%) and 2008 (13.4%), and highest in the Mississippi Flyway …

Effects Of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms In The Human Holocarboxylase Synthetase Gene On Catalytic Activity, Shingo Esaki

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Holocarboxylase synthetase (HCS) catalyzes the covalent binding of biotin to carboxylases and histones in eukaryotic cells. Biotinylated carboxylases play essential roles in the metabolism of fatty acids, amino acids, and glucose; biotinylated histones play essential roles in gene regulation and genome stability. HCS null individuals are not viable whereas HCS deficiency is linked to developmental delays and phenotypes such as short life span and low stress resistance. Greater than 2,500 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been reported for HCS, but the biological importance of these polymorphisms is unknown. We hypothesized that some of these SNPs impair catalytic activity and that …

High Yield Synthesis Of Positron Emission Tomography Ligands For Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Imaging, Saraanne E. Hitchcock

Department of Chemistry: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a powerful and non-invasive imaging technique used for human and animal organ imaging. Currently, the market for PET is project to reach $5.4 billion per year by 2015.5 This research focuses on the direct incorporation of [18F]-fluoride into PET ligands. The widespread use of PET imaging is currently frustrated, in part, by the lack of efficient fluorination chemistry.

Glutamate, one of the 20 most abundant naturally occurring amino acids, serves as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Glutamate functions in this capacity by binding to ionotropic and metabotropic receptors. Metabotropic receptors are Gcoupled proteins …

Moral Cognition In Children An Examination Of The Possible Impact Of School Didactic Philosophies, Smit S. Shah

HIM 1990-2015

The purpose of this thesis is to examine the effects that Montessori and public school environments have on the moral cognition of children and to assess the differences using modified moral dilemma stories. Through the analysis of these children's responses on moral dilemma stories this thesis reveals that there are stark and statistically significant differences in the children's responses on two of the three stories. The Montessori children scored higher on the morality level and the answers reflected altruism over authority on story one and story three. Through these results the researcher surmised that school environment can have an impact …

Stress Associated With Law Enforcement Work And Its Effect On Conjugal Relationships, Patricia S. Peace

HIM 1990-2015

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in stress from associated with the occupation of law enforcement exists across the officers' relationship domains. The sample consisted of 51 participants that was comprised of both law enforcement officers and their significant others. Unlike past studies, this study included those that were married, divorced, in a civil union, single, or cohabitating. Based on past research it was hypothesized that the stress placed on officers and their significant other would be higher than that of other relationships. An anonymous survey was sent out to a several departments. …

Effect Of A Human-Teacher Vs. A Robot-Teacher On Human Learning A Pilot Study, Melissa A. B. Smith

HIM 1990-2015

Studies about the dynamics of human-robot interactions have increased within the past decade as robots become more integrated into the daily lives of humans. However, much of the research into learning and robotics has been focused on methods that would allow robots to learn from humans and very little has been done on how and what, if possible, humans could learn from programmed robots. A between-subjects experiment was conducted, in which two groups were compared: a group where the participants learned a simple pick-and-place block task via video of a human-teacher and a group where the participants learned the same …

Qubit, August 2011

Qubit (Cuban science fiction magazine)

The August 2011 issue of the Qubit.

Evaluating Nature Of Expenditures And Economic Impact Of Tourism Spending On Nature-Based Activities In South Carolina Coastal Economies, Alexis Imler

All Theses

The general goal of this study is to better understand South Carolina coastal tourism. The region of study includes the coastal counties of Horry, Charleston, and Beaufort (and Georgetown, Berkeley, Dorchester, and Jasper counties for the economic impact analysis). This study includes two types of analyses: a regression analysis of visitors' expenditures and an economic impact analysis of tourist spending.
The empirical visitors' expenditure models are specified using economic consumer demand theory. The regression analysis of the model is conducted using data from a tourist survey of 818 South Carolina visitors (conduced in fall 2008 and summer 2009). The activity …

Lawyer: Summer 2011, Seattle University School Of Law

Lawyer

• The Promise of Civility
• Leaders for Justice: Three Fellows Will Work for Underserved Communities After Graduation
• Honoring Courage: Law School Leads Effort to Award Honorary Degrees to Japanese Americans Forced from School During WWII

The Eagleville Times,Volume 9, Issue 8, Debbie Ryan

Eagleville Times

No abstract provided.

The Subordinate Status Of Negative Speech Rights, Nat Stern

Buffalo Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Evolution And Development Of Wing Form, Body Size And Flight In Large- And Small-Bodied Fruit Bats (Artibeus Jamaicensis And Carollia Perspiciillata), Jason B. Shaw

Dissertations

Differences in developmental patterns important to diversification are produced through heritable variation of the onset/offset and timing of juvenile growth. As the size and shape of an organism changes during ontogeny, morphological, and behavioral components must adjust to accommodate proper function. This study explored the ontogenetic pathways of two closely related Phyllostomids differing in flight ability, body size, life history strategies, and developmental state at birth. We hypothesized that Artibeus jamaicensis and Carollia perspicillata will show ontogenetic differences that account for the diversification of morphological, body size, and behavioral patterns. Comparisons between the two species‟ flight development, growth rates, and …

Up-Regulation Of P-Glycoprotein Reduces Intracellular Accumulation Of Beta Amyloid: Investigation Of P-Glycoprotein As A Novel Therapeutic Target For Alzheimer's Disease, Alaa H. Abuznait, Courtney Cain, Drury Ingram, David Burk, Amal Kaddoumi

Faculty Publications

Objectives: Several studies have suggested the efflux transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) to play a role in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease through the clearance of amyloid beta (Aβ) from the brain. In this study, we aimed to investigate the possibility of P-gp as a potential therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease by examining the impact of P-gp up-regulation on the clearance of Aβ, a neuropathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. Methods: Uptake studies for 125I-radiolabelled Aβ 1-40, and fluorescent immunostaining technique for P-gp and fluorescent imaging of Aβ 1-40 were carried out in LS-180 cells following treatment with drugs known to induce P-gp …

Analysis Of Chlamydia Pneumoniae And Ad-Like Pathology In The Brains Of Balb/C Mice Following Direct Intracranial Infection With Chlamydia Pneumoniae, Jessica Rachel Barton

PCOM Biomedical Studies Student Scholarship

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an age-related progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the most common form of dementia. The pathology in the central nervous system (CNS) impairs memory and cognition, hindering the capabilities and the quality of life of the individual. This project continues studying the role of infection and Alzheimer’s disease and contributes to the overall understanding of the possible causes of this disease. In this study, BALB/c mice were infected, via direct intracranial injection, with a respiratory isolate (AR-39) of Chlamydia pneumoniae. Their brains were analyzed at 7 and 14 days post-infection, using immunohistochemistry, for the presence of C. …

Nevadagives.Org: Building Website Capacity For Data Collection, Snezhanka V. Christy, Lisa E. Stamanis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Since the adoption of the Government Performance and Result Act of 1993, the same demand for accountability placed upon government agencies is also expected in the nonprofit sector (Poister, 2003). Also fueling the need for dependable nonprofit performance data, is the current economic environment where funding is scarce or non-existent. Along with providing routine information and services, developing a competent website to collect and make available performance data for stakeholders and patrons is a necessary practice in both the public and private sector. Nonprofit organizations fortunate enough to have functioning websites can maximize their potential by managing them as a …

Statistical Analysis Of Fatalities Due To Vehicle Accidents In Las Vegas, Nv, Annabelle Marie Mathis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The goal of this thesis is to investigate factors that affect the odds of having a fatality in a vehicle collision. We will be looking at characteristics of the driver that caused the accident (age, gender, behavior, actions, influences, and seat belt worn), the characteristics of the vehicle the driver drove (type of vehicle, and air bag deployment), the characteristics of the environment in which the accident occurred (weather, road condition, lighting, time of day, the day of the week, and month of the year), the characteristics of the crash (direction of accident and how many vehicles were involved), and …

Embryonic Development Of The Grass Shrimp, Palaemonetes Pugio, And The Influence Of Salinity On Cardiac Physiology, Amie Lynn Romney

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The grass shrimp, Palaemonetes pugio, inhabit the brackish waters along the Atlantic coast of North America and are a key component of the estuarine ecosystem. These decapod shrimp can tolerate large fluctuations in environmental parameters including daily and seasonal fluctuations in salinity between 0 to 55 parts per thousand (seawater at 30-32 ppt). Any observed distribution patterns of adult P. pugio in relation to salinity may be accounted for by their relative ability to tolerate a range in salinity and their ability to maintain internal water volumes and cardiac performance in the earliest life stage, the embryonic period. This thesis …