Digital Commons Network^™

Public Land Management Values: A Delphi Study Of Austrian And Pacific Northwest United States Recreation Resource Managers, Jessie Meybin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

There is a continuing global increase in recreational visitor use of public land. This rise in visitation can be a good thing if a proactive management plan utilizing strong methodology to anticipate impacts to an area and sustain its natural and social resources is in place. Although a wide spectrum of issues is presented to each management, few of the concepts are new to any of the administrators. With increasing duties, newly emerging concerns, and decreasing time, there is little room or patience for error concerning the implementation of any management derivatives or techniques. If the existing research on all …

The Transcription Factor Grainyhead-Like 2 Is A Novel Suppressor Of The Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition, Benjamin Cieply

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process that is essential for normal embryonic development as well as the healing of damaged adult tissues. In the context of cancer, oncogenic EMT induces enhanced invasion, survival and tumorigenicity which can promote disease progression and recurrence after therapy. Many factors that induce EMT during development and in culture are known and these include the transcription factors Twist, Snail1/2, ZEB1/2 and goosecoid. Transforming growth factor beta can induce EMT both in the contexts of wound healing and cancer, but some cell types are resistant to this stimulus. Furthermore, knowledge of factors which …

Assessing The Surface Water Quality Impacts Of Marcellus Shale Development In Whiteday Creek Watershed, West Virginia, D. Aaron Streets

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Shale gas development in Central Appalachia will likely increase economic activity and help meet future energy needs; however, there are concerns over potential impacts to water resources. This research assessed impacts of drilling for gas in the Marcellus shale in the White Day Creek watershed in northern West Virginia. A total of eight stream sites, located both upstream and downstream of three permitted gas wells, were monitored. Two of the permitted wells were in the development phase while the third was actively being drilled. Water samples were collected during the bi-weekly sampling and analyzed at the National Research Center of …

In Vitro Staining Of Denture Liners And Potential For Color Correction Using Commonly Available Denture Cleansers, Russell D. Morrell

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Background: Denture liners are routinely used as part of immediate denture therapy, following surgery involving edentulous tissues, and to improve the function and stability of existing removable prostheses. Appropriate application of denture liners can facilitate patient comfort during prolonged therapy and prior to placement of definitive restorations. However, concern has been raised regarding the susceptibility of common denture liners to agent-induced color change which, in turn, adversely impacts the esthetic appeal of the associated removable prosthesis.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the color stability of denture liners exposed to commonly encountered food stains and commonly used …

Mrp4 Is A Crucial Regulator Of Testosterone Biosynthesis, Jessica Ann Morgan

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The physiological role of multidrug resistance protein 4 (Mrp4) in the testes is unknown. It was discovered that Mrp4 is expressed primarily in mouse and human Leydig cells; however, there is no current evidence that Mrp4 regulates testosterone biosynthesis. The role of Mrp4 was investigated in Leydig cells where testosterone production is regulated by cAMP, an intracellular second messenger formed when the luteinizing hormone (LH) receptor (Lhr) is activated. As Mrp4 regulates cAMP, we compared testosterone levels in our Mrp4 WT and KO mice. Prepubertal KO mice had significantly reduced testicular testosterone, impaired gametogenesis, and disrupted cAMP homeostasis, resulting in …

The Role Of Bip Nucleotide Exchange Factor Sil1 In Immunoglobulin Biosynthesis, Tyler Sanford

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

BiP is an essential endoplasmic reticulum resident molecular chaperone of the HSP70 family that binds exposed hydrophobic regions of unfolded proteins. Substrates bound by BiP are protected from dangerous non-specific interaction with other unfolded proteins via their aggregation prone exposed hydrophobic regions, which are normally buried in the native state, and act as BiP binding targets. For these substrates to mature into the native state, BiP must be released. Like all HSP70 family members, cycles of BiP binding and release are nucleotide dependent and facilitated by two genres of cochaperones, HSP40s, and nucleotide exchange factors (NEFs). HSP40s function in stimulating …

Order Without Judges: Customary Adjudication, Joseph Blocher

Duke Law Journal

Scholarship on custom and law has largely focused on the creation and enforcement of informal rules, demonstrating and in some cases endorsing the existence of "order without law." But creating and enforcing rules are only two of the three functions of governance, corresponding roughly with what in other contexts are called the legislative and executive branches. The third function—adjudication—has not played such a prominent role in the scholarly literature on informal governance. As one leading scholar puts it: "Custom has no constitution or judges." But if customs can be created and enforced by nonstate actors, why should scholars assume that …

Nanotherapies For Treating Prostate Cancer, Michael Danquah

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Current prostate cancer treatment remains ineffective primarily due to ineffectual therapeutic strategies and numerous tumor-associated physiological barriers which hinder efficacy of anticancer agents. Therefore, the focus of this study was to investigate a new combination therapy approach for treating prostate cancer and develop polymeric nanocarriers to facilitate anticancer drug and nucleic acid delivery.

It was hypothesized that simultaneously targeting androgen-androgen receptor (AR) and X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) signaling pathways would be effective in treating prostate cancer. The effect of bicalutamide (antiandrogen) and embelin (XIAP inhibitor) on the growth of prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo was …

The Effect Of Timbre And Vibrato On Vocal Pitch Matching Accuracy, Sirisha Duvvuru

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Research has shown that singers are better able to match pitch when the target stimulus has a timbre close to their own voice. This study seeks to answer the following questions: 1. Do classically trained female singers more accurately match pitch when the target stimulus is more similar to their own timbre? 2. Does the ability to match pitch vary with increasing pitch? 3. Does the ability to match pitch differ depending on whether the target stimulus is produced with or without vibrato? 4. Are mezzo sopranos less accurate than sopranos? Stimuli: Source signals were synthesized with a source slope …

Daily Water Consumption Of Turkeys Raised In Utah, David Frame

All Current Publications

This publication explains why knowing the daily water consumption of poultry is so important whenit comes to administering medication and vaccines safely and effectively.

Attracting Wildlife For Pest Control On Farmland, Terry Messmer

All Current Publications

Native predators will rarely completely eliminate a pest problem, but can be part of a multifaceted solution to pest control. Using wildlife to help control pests can cut down on pesticide use, improve water quality, save time, supply important habitat, and provide viewing enjoyment. The structures outlined in this document are ideal for farmland, but can also be used in parks, golf courses, large gardens and yards, and other open areas.

Early Experience Can Change The Structure Of The Body, Beth Burritt

All Current Publications

Why do animals eat certain foods and live in certain locations? Your first thought might be that they are born that way or it’s in their genes. While it is true that every animal is born with a set of genes that helps determine how it looks and what it needs to survive, genetics are only part of the story.

How Livestock Learn About Food And Locations, Beth Burritt

All Current Publications

Anyone who has ever trained animals has wondered what animals learn from different experiences. For instance, a person walks into a pen of animals that have just been fed, catches a lamb or calf, and puts a balling gun containing a capsule with a toxin down its throat.

Structure, Quality, And Skills Interact To Influence Forage Intake, Beth Burritt

All Current Publications

In general, the more livestock eat, the more weight they gain or milk they produce. Thus, forage intake is key to animal performance. Agronomists manage for plant density and height to ensure livestock maximize intake.

Meat-Wise Eating Habits, Jenna Haycock, Kelly Anderson, Roslynn Brain

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Grandparents As Guards: A Game Theoretic Analysis Of Inheritance And Post Marital Residence In A World Of Uncertain Paternity, Brishti Guha

Research Collection School Of Economics

I unify the following (1) men face paternal uncertainty while women do not face maternal uncertainty, (2) putative fathers and paternal kin care about true paternity, (3) paternity confidence is systematically lower in matrilocal cultures than in patrilocal ones, (4) inheritance tends to be patrilineal in high paternity confidence cultures and matrilineal in low confidence ones, and (5) most societies with patrilineal inheritance were patrilocal while most societies with matrilineal inheritance were matrilocal. I model the co-evolution of inheritance patterns and post-marital residence patterns - and their relationship with paternity uncertainty. Using a game theoretic model, I examine how a …

Investigating Intelligent Agents In A 3d Virtual World, Yilin Kang, Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah, Ah-Hwee Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Web 3.0 involves "intelligent" web applications that utilize natural language processing, machine-based learning and reasoning, and intelligent techniques to analyze and understand user behavior. In this research, we empirically assess a specific form of Web 3.0 application in the form of intelligent agents that offer assistance to users in the virtual world. Using media naturalness theory, we hypothesize that the use of intelligent agents in the virtual world can enhance user experience by offering a more natural way of communication and assistance to users. We are interested to test if media naturalness theory holds in the context of intelligent agents …

Evaluation Of The Recombination Efficiencies Of Flp Proteins, Linh Duy Nguyen

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Site-specific recombination systems are powerful tools for genetic modification. They have been used to integrate a transgene into a pre-defined locus and to remove marker genes from a transgene locus. Two of the most widely used site-specific recombination systems in plants are the Cre/lox system from the bacteriophage P1 and the FLP/FRT system from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The Cre/lox system is well-characterized and is the first choice in application of site-specific recombination system. However, some applications such as marker-free site-specific gene integration require the use of two recombination systems. In addition, the availability of alternative recombination systems can offer …

Timing Of Castration, With Or Without Analgesia, On Growth Performance, Hematology, And Behavior Of Beef Calves, April C. Brown

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Angus-sired (n = 30) and Hereford-sired (n = 32) bull calves were assigned randomly to 1 of 4 treatments. Treatments were 1) surgical castration near birth, 2) oral administration of the analgesic meloxicam (1 mg/kg of body weight) followed by surgical castration near birth, 3) surgical castration at weaning, or 4) surgical castration at weaning with oral administration of the analgesic meloxicam (1 mg/kg of body weight). Data was recorded for behavior, hematology, and growth at birth and weaning. Calf standing and lying activity was monitored at both stages by recording x and y axis positions of a data logger …

Inquiry-Based Science Education As Multiple Outcome Interdisciplinary Research And Learning (Moirl), Allan Feldman, Angela M. Chapman, Vanessa Vernaza-Hernández, Dilek Ozalp, Fayez Alshehri

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

The article provides the basis for a model of inquiry-based science education in which K-12 teachers’ and pupils’ engage in authentic science experiences as participants of a scientific research project, which we refer to as Multiple Outcome Interdisciplinary Research and Learning (MOIRL). We provide the basis for the model for inquiry based science education (IBSE) by first describing how the model came about through our 10 years of research on how people learn to do science in research groups. We then turn to the literature on the relationship among scientific inquiry, inquiry learning and MOIRL. As our case studies of …

Taking My Dad Fishing, Howard Schaap

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Sediment Metal Concentrations As A Function Of Land Use In The Charles River, Eastern Massachusetts, Darryl L. Luce

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Two sediment cores and eleven grab samples collected from the Charles River were analyzed to determine changes to the concentration of metals in sediments due to anthropogenic changes in the watershed. The unique aspect of this research was that sediment cores from the same geologic setting, yet having widely different sources, were compared. The findings from that comparison were used to focus the investigation through the remainder of the Charles River. The radionuclides 210Pb, 214Pb, and 137Cs established the year of deposition in the sediment cores. The concentrations of aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), chromium …

Dissociation Of The Role Of The Prelimbic Cortex In Interval Timing And Resource Allocation: Beneficial Effect Of Norepinephrine And Dopamine Reuptake Inhibitor Nomifensine On Anxiety-Inducing Distraction, Alexander R. Matthews, Olivia H. He, Mona Buhusi, Catalin V. Buhusi

Psychology Faculty Publications

Emotional distracters impair cognitive function. Emotional processing is dysregulated in affective disorders such as depression, phobias, schizophrenia, and PTSD. Among the processes impaired by emotional distracters, and whose dysregulation is documented in affective disorders, is the ability to time in the seconds-to-minutes range, i.e. interval timing. Presentation of task-irrelevant distracters during a timing task results in a delay in responding suggesting a failure to maintain subjective time in working memory, possibly due to attentional and working memory resources being diverted away from timing, as proposed by the Relative Time-Sharing model. We investigated the role of the prelimbic cortex in the …

Delayed Matching To Sample: Reinforcement Has Opposite Effects On Resistance To Change In Two Related Procedures, John A. Nevin, Timothy A. Shahan, Amy L. Odum, Ryan D. Ward

Psychology Faculty Publications

The effects of reinforcement on delayed matching to sample (DMTS) have been studied in two within-subjects procedures. In one, reinforcer magnitudes or probabilities vary from trial to trial and are signaled within trials (designated signaled DMTS trials). In the other, reinforcer probabilities are consistent for a series of trials produced by responding on variable-interval (VI) schedules within multiple-schedule components (designated multiple VI DMTS). In both procedures, forgetting functions in rich trials or components are higher than and roughly parallel to those in lean trials or components. However, during disruption, accuracy has been found to decrease more in rich than in …

Ideology In Popular Late Twentieth And Twenty-First Century Children's And Young Adult Literature And Film, Iris Grace Shepard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Texts created for the consumption of children and young adults are not simple texts made for the sole purpose of entertaining young audiences. In fact, these texts are complicated, multi-faceted texts that function both in the creation and performance of childhood. Children's and young adult literature and film disseminated mainstream ideology about young people's place in society and attempt to enculturate young readers and viewers in regards to race, gender, age, and Social class. However, by helping young people interact critically with these texts, critical thinking skills as well as a passion for reading can be fostered. In addition, by …

Response Of Broiler Chickens To Variation In Dietary Nutrient Content, Sarah Diane Goodgame

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rising feed costs, environmental pollution concerns targeted at animal agriculture, a worldwide focus on sustainability and the never ending battle to improve production and efficiency within the poultry industry challenges nutritionists to focus on products to improve nutrient digestibility and decrease feed costs while at the same time maximizing performance. The research presented in this dissertation focuses on improving nutrient utilization of protein sources with protein liberating enzymes currently available commercially. The research also conducted addresses the addition of crystalline amino acids valine and isoleucine and their effect on improving efficiency of broilers.

The first research project compared the efficacy …

Community Structure And Ecological Specialization In Plant-Ant Interactions, Paola Barriga

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Positive associations among species have contributed to the maintenance of biodiversity. These interactions are typically studied in pairwise fashion where two interacting organisms are the focus. This dissertation uses network theory to analyze positive plant-ant associations in three Neotropical forests. Obligate plant-ant mutualisms were used, where plants host the ants in domatia and provide food bodies while the ants protect the plants and can feed them. A network approach was used to depict all obligate plant-ant interactions within a community. The main questions asked at the community level were: 1) Do network structure and levels of specialization change geographically and, …

President's Newsletter, Brooks Keel

President's Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Semi-Supervised Heterogeneous Evolutionary Co-Clustering, Pankaj Andhale

Theses

One of the challenges of the machine learning problem is the absence of sufficient number of labeled instances or training instances. At the same time generating labeled data is expensive and time consuming. The semi-supervised approach has shown promising results to solve the problem of insufficient or fewer labeled instance datasets. The key challenge is incorporating the semi-supervised knowledge into the heterogeneous data which is evolving in nature. Most of the prior work that uses semi-supervised knowledge has been performed on heterogeneous static data. The semi-supervised knowledge is incorporated into data which aid the clustering algorithm to obtain better clusters. …

Killing Them With Kindness: Examining "Consumer-Friendly" Arbitration Clauses After At&T; Mobility V. Concepcion, Myriam E. Gilles

Articles

The article focuses on the U.S. Supreme Court case AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion, in which California's "Discover Bank rule" was struck by the Court under the Federal Arbitration Act, which was upheld by the California Supreme Court in the court case Discover Bank v. Superior Court. It provides information that the rule is a judge-made rule which depicts that class action waivers are unforceable in arbitration agreements if such agreements are mentioned in standard form consumer contracts.