Digital Commons Network^™

Analysis Of Microrna Microarray (Mm Chip) Data For Aging Mice Models., Vikranth Shetty

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present experimental designs have unique challenges in the analysis of microRNA expression intensity levels. In this project, various Normalization techniques were discussed with different statistical techniques and their application in an analysis performed at the Genes Centre of aging on mice models. The project involved repeated measures over time, and the intra-subject correlation caused by the repeated measurements should be incorporated into the analysis, resulting in additional significant miRNAs. Collection of multiple samples from the same individuals over time from an experiment may have issues with the commonly used methodologies-these issues are discussed here. Mixed model approach is used …

Dental And Buccal Bone Stability After Rapid Maxillary Expansion And Fixed Orthodontic Treatment, Allison Milliner

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The objective of this study was to quantitatively evaluate, via CBCT, the dental and osseous effects of patients who had completed comprehensive orthodontic treatment with rapid maxillary expansion (RME) in conjunction with Ricketts prescription brackets. Thirty consecutive patients (16 males, 14 females; mean age = 13.9  1.9 years) who required RME as part of their orthodontic treatment and had pre-RME (T1), post-RME (T2) and final orthodontic (T3) CBCT images were included in the study. Thirteen patients had 2-banded, while 17 had 4-banded appliances. Measurements of interdental distance (ID), interdental angle (IA), buccal bone thickness (BBT) and buccal marginal bone …

Mechanical Evaluation Of Mandibular Defects Restored With Rhbmp-2: A Finite Element Model, Jelson Yalung

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Introduction: The utilization of recombinant human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 (rh- BMP2) to form new bone has been shown to be a promising alternative to autogenous bone grafts. Understanding the biomechanical properties of rhBMP-2 restored mandibular defects would provide useful knowledge in the future success of orthopedic and dental treatment in patients who have had restoration of mandibular defects with rhBMP-2. The aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the biomechanical characteristics of rhBMP-2 regenerated bone in mandibular defects using 2 different concentrations of rhBMP-2 with a given carrier in non-human primates Material and Methods: Critical-sized defects (approximately 2.5 …

Relationship Between Nut Consumption And Memory Domains Of Cognitive Function Among Elderly Seventh-Day Adventists, Angeline B. David

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Objective. To determine the relationship between consumption of all types of nuts, tree nuts, and peanut and peanut butter and specific memory domains of cognitive function in a community-dwelling elderly population.

Design. Cross-sectional analysis using clinic data from the Biopsychosocial Religion and Health Study and dietary intake data from the Adventist Health Study-2.

Subjects/Methods. Adults aged 50 and older were administered the California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT) Short Form and provided self-report frequency and portion sizes of nut consumption, anthropometric measures, and other demographic, lifestyle, and clinic data. CVLT scores were age- and gender-strata specific z-scores normed to a …

Studying Community Vitality & Revitalization: Synthesizing Case Study Research For Practical Application, Jennifer Curtis, Mariah Cunningham

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to advance our ability to assess efforts by municipalities to revitalize their downtowns and improve the community amenities and opportunities that constitute livability, which is a main factor in establishing community vitality. In order to-do this we will build upon the work of two previous capstone teams looking at community vitality and revitalization by working with the case studies of the previous teams to determine key indicators, identify missing indicators, and assess the validity and reliability of indicators for future case study use. This work represents the third phase of a larger project initiated …

The Ratio Of Positive To Negative Affect, Flourishing, And Health Behavior, Michael Stuart Leibow

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The ratio between positive and negative affect, known as the positivity ratio (PR) is thought to be associated with flourishing (psychological and social well-being). However, little research has been done on how PR and flourishing relate to specific health behaviors. The relationships between PR and flourishing with health behavior i.e., physical activity, and diet (fruit, leafy green vegetables [LGV] and meat intake) were investigated in this study. We examined whether PR mediated the relationship between flourishing and health behaviors, and whether flourishing mediated the relationship between PR and these behaviors. Gender and ethnic differences for the above associations were examined …

Report To The Pastoral Lands Board On The Condition Of The Western Australian Pastoral Resource Base 2012, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia, Commissioner Of Soil And Land Conservation

Natural resources published reports

This report documents changes in the Western Australian pastoral rangelands at Land Conservation District (LCD) scales, providing updated information on seasonal quality, stock numbers and changes in the density/frequency of perennial shrubs and grasses. It is based on data from the Bureau of Meteorology, the Annual Return of Livestock and Improvements (submitted annually by pastoral lessees) and the Western Australian Rangeland Monitoring System (WARMS). The sixth assessment of the Kimberley (grassland) sites (Epoch 6) was completed in 2011 . The second full cycle (i.e. three assessments) was completed for shrubland sites in 2010. This report discusses changes recorded over 201 …

Law And Justice On The Small Screen, Jessica Silbey

Books

'Law and Justice on the Small Screen' is a wide-ranging collection of essays about law in and on television. In light of the book's innovative taxonomy of the field and its international reach, it will make a novel contribution to the scholarly literature about law and popular culture. Television shows from France, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and the United States are discussed. The essays are organised into three sections: (1) methodological questions regarding the analysis of law and popular culture on television; (2) a focus on genre studies within television programming (including a subsection on reality television), and …

Podcasting In Educational Settings: What Works Best?, Tzuhan Chen

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examined three major instructional technologies, generally associated with Web 2.0: wikis, blogs and podcasting. The main focus of the study is to explore the application, characteristics, advantages, disadvantages of podcasting, and in particular, its influence on teaching and learning. The study provided a comprehensive literature review, a report of the findings from interviews of three educators, and is followed by a discussion of the emergent themes and their relevance to literature review. The purpose of the study is to identify how to make best use of podcasts in educational settings. The findings of the study suggested that in …

Using The Concrete-Representational-Abstract Sequence To Connect Manipulatives, Problem Solving Schemas, And Equations In Word Problems With Fractions, Julie L. Reneau

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Students with learning disabilities or learning difficulties in mathematics often have difficulties solving word problems with fractions. These difficulties limit students' abilities to solve everyday math problems and develop the skills necessary for higher level mathematics. Prior research on problem solving indicates that direct instruction on problem schemas can improve problem solving performance. Previous research also suggests that instruction using the concrete-representational-abstract (CRA) sequence and instruction with virtual manipulatives can enhance understanding of mathematical concepts. However, a CRA sequence that incorporates virtual manipulatives has not been combined with schema-based instruction to help students solve word problems with fractions. The purpose …

Director's Intro & News - 39:2, Brad Sietz

LOEX Quarterly

No abstract provided.

Burns's Two Memorials To Fergusson, Carol M. Mcguirk

Studies in Scottish Literature

Discusses the relation between the Scottish poet Robert Burns and one of his most important precursors Robert Fergusson, describing Burns's efforts to raise a memorial on Fergusson's grave and the ways in which Burns's first book, Poems chiefly in the Scottish Dialect (Kilmarnock, 1786) was also a memorial to Fergusson.

Modeling And Mathematical Analysis Of Plant Models In Ecology, Eric A. Eager

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Population dynamics tries to explain in a simple mechanistic way the variations of the size and structure of biological populations. In this dissertation we use mathematical modeling and analysis to study the various aspects of the dynamics of plant populations and their seed banks.

In Chapter 2 we investigate the impact of structural model uncertainty by considering different nonlinear recruitment functions in an integral projection model for Cirsium canescens. We show that, while having identical equilibrium populations, these two models can elicit drastically different transient dynamics. We then derive a formula for the sensitivity of the equilibrium population to …

Expression And Distribution Of Thiol-Regulating Enzyme, Glutaredoxin 2 In Porcine Ocular Tissues, Bijaya Prasad Upadhyaya

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Glutaredoxin 2 (Grx2), a thiol-regulating enzyme of oxidoreductase family and a mitochondrial isozyme of glutaredoxin 1, was discovered 11 years ago in our laboratory. Grx2 is present in the lens where it shows dethiolase, peroxidase, and ascorbate recycling activities. Recently, Grx2 has also been identified to protect the mitochondrial electron transport system with anti-apoptotic function. Since other eye tissues besides the lens are rich in mitochondria and are very sensitive to oxidative stress, we speculate the presence of Grx2 therein as an important redox regulator. This study is to investigate the expression and distribution of Grx2 in ocular tissues using …

Using Place Conscious Education And Social Action To Plug The "Rural Brain Drain", Danielle M. Helzer

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The following thesis will explore the Rural Brain Drain phenomenon as outlined by researchers Patrick Carr and Maria Kefalas and its relation to a rural Nebraska school. In order to take action against the exodus of small-town America’s best and brightest, I propose a pedagogical solution that is a blend of Place Conscious Education and Social Action. The last part of the document features a narrative section describing how I’ve implemented the aforementioned solution into English 9 classes at Ogallala High School and the impact this had on students involved.

Adviser: Robert Brooke

High-Throughput Transcriptome Sequencing For Snp And Gene Discovery In A Moth, Nicholas J. Miller, Jing Sun, Thomas W. Sappington

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Smith) (Leptidoptera: Noctuidae) is a pest of corn (Zea mays L.) and dry beans that underwent a dramatic range expansion in North America during the first decade of the 21st century. Research into the population genetics of this species has been hindered by a lack of genetic markers. The transcriptome of adult male S. albicosta was partially sequenced using Illumina sequencing-by-synthesis. Assembly of the sequence reads yielded 16,847 transcript sequences, of which 6,631 could be assigned a putative function. A search for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified 2,487 candidate SNPs distributed among 1,265 …

Tax Consequences To Drought, Tina Barrett

Cornhusker Economics

It’s been a few years since we’ve had to deal with the drought related tax laws, but with the recent drought conditions across the Midwest, it’s a good time to review them.

The Bg News August 1, 2012, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. August 1, 2012. Volume 102-Issue 113.

The Folliculin-Fnip1 Pathway Deleted In Human Birt-Hogg-Dubé Syndrome Is Required For Murine B-Cell Development, Paul W. Bible

Computer Science Faculty publications

Birt-Hogg-Dubé (BHD) syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by cutaneous fibrofolliculomas, pulmonary cysts, and kidney malignancies. Affected individuals carry germ line mutations in folliculin (FLCN), a tumor suppressor gene that becomes biallelically inactivated in kidney tumors by second-hit mutations. Similar to other factors implicated in kidney cancer, FLCN has been shown to modulate activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). However, its precise in vivo function is largely unknown because germ line deletion of Flcn results in early embryonic lethality in animal models. Here, we describe mice deficient in the newly characterized folliculin-interacting protein 1 (Fnip1). In …

Macro Fungi Species Richness Between Two Oak Tree Species (Quercus Insignis And Quercus Corrugata), August 2012, Victoria La Rocca

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Oak tree species (Quercus spp.) have been known to host a variety of fungi on several different substrates. This study compared the macro fungi species richness between the oak tree species, Quercus corrugata and Quercus insignis. These species are found at different elevations ranging below1 700m, as well as different substrates; including acorns, soil, roots, and leaf litter. A total of 30 trees were surveyed along the ridges and peaks on the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica. Each tree contained several different species of fungi, some overlapping, some repetitive, and some unique. The fungi were identified using photographs, …

Condensin Ii Promotes The Formation Of Chromosome Territories By Inducing Axial Compaction Of Polyploid Interphase Chromosomes, Christopher R. R. Bauer, Tom A. Hartl, Giovanni Bosco

Dartmouth Scholarship

The eukaryotic nucleus is both spatially and functionally partitioned. This organization contributes to the maintenance, expression, and transmission of genetic information. Though our ability to probe the physical structure of the genome within the nucleus has improved substantially in recent years, relatively little is known about the factors that regulate its organization or the mechanisms through which specific organizational states are achieved. Here, we show that Drosophila melanogaster Condensin II induces axial compaction of interphase chromosomes, globally disrupts interchromosomal interactions, and promotes the dispersal of peri-centric heterochromatin. These Condensin II activities compartmentalize the nucleus into discrete chromosome territories and indicate …

Cobalt Mof-5 : A Novel Catalyst For Co2 Conversion To Carbonates., Christine Elizabeth Phillips 1989-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As more attention is focused toward carbon dioxide emissions into the environment, conversion of CO2 to useful chemicals can utilize the extra carbon dioxide captured from power plant stack gas, instead of sequestration. The mainstream method of producing carbonates and carbamates utilizes toxic phosgene. The cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to epichlorohydrin, or other epoxides, can produce carbonates without the use of phosgene. A catalyst with high surface area, Lewis acid sites, and an affinity for carbon dioxide is required to develop carbonates using carbon dioxide. A cobalt doped metal-organic framework-5 (Co21-MOF-5) was developed to test the cycloaddition reactions with carbon …

Foreign Savings, Financialization And Minsky: How External Capital Flows Pave The Way For Financial Instability In The Face Of Increasing Risk, Marcus C. Fresques

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Minsky's Financial Instability Hypothesis has not come without its fair share of criticism. Much ado about Minsky's endogenous business cycle theory stems from a model where boom-time profit opportunities indelibly encourage firms to finance investment by leveraging their fixed capital assets against their internal liquidity. Opposition to Minsky often points to two distinct circumstances that might discourage the external finance of investment: a rise in effective demand and increasing risk. A rise in effective demand can increase the retained earnings of a firm providing more capital to internally finance investment and investment financed from retained earning is less risky than …

Training For Empire And Modernity: Japan’S Development Of Hokkaido From The 1870s-90s, Keegan J. Cothern

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Most history texts place the beginning of Japan’s colonial empire in 1895, with the acquisition of Formosa (now Taiwan) and Korea in 1910. The first Japanese experience with administering and developing a land not traditionally their own, nor inhabited by ethnically Yamato Japanese, however, might be found in the relatively inhospitable northern island of Hokkaido during the first half of the Meiji era (1868-1912). Hokkaido can be viewed as a colonization laboratory, where the blueprints of the later Japanese Empire were initially developed. It was not solely by native Japanese knowledge that the exploration, research, development, and the creation of …

Diet Composition, Niche And Geographic Characteristics, And Prey Size Preference Of Barred Owls (Strix Varia) In The Pacific Northwest, Scott Alan Graham

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis comprises three chapters describing my investigations of dietary composition, niche and geographic characteristics, and prey size preference of Barred Owls (Strix varia) following their recent range expansion into the Pacific Northwest. In the first chapter, I examine annual, seasonal, within-breeding season, and local variation in the diet and evaluate reproductive success as a function of dietary composition in western Oregon during 2007–2009. Diets were based on 3,686 prey individuals identified in 1,127 regurgitated pellets collected from 26 owl family areas. Prey identified in pellets included ≥ 85 taxa (33 mammals, 25 birds, 4 reptiles, 4 amphibians, …

Let’S Make A Connection: Understanding How Physically Interactive Technology Is Taking The Virtual To The Physical, Lacey Vander Boegh

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This study offers initial research on Physically Interactive Technology (PIT). Findings of this research reveal how people made sense of PIT, how the ways people understand PIT reveal presence due to physical interaction, and how PIT challenges the definition of online interaction. Current and past literature on social presence theory and social cues theory provide a rationale for how “present” a person can be during online interaction via Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC). Current research states CMC is used in many contexts because of the beneficial ways it allows individuals to feel face to face. However, within this literature, scholars tend to …

Transformative Multicultural Science Curriculum: A Case Study Of Middle School Robotics, Mary Katheryn Grimes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Multicultural Science has been a topic of research and discourse over the past several years. However, most of the literature concerning this topic (or paradigm) has centered on programs in tribal or Indigenous schools. Under the framework of instructional congruence, this case study explored how elementary and middle school students in a culturally diverse charter school responded to a Multicultural Science program. Furthermore, this research sought to better understand the dynamics of teaching and learning strategies used within the paradigm of Multicultural Science. The school's Robotics class, a class typically stereotyped as fitting within the misconceptions associated with the Western …

Effects Of Controlling Versus Autonomy-Supportive Language On Learning A Novel Motor Skill And Cortisol Release, Andrew Mcmahon Hooyman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to compare how different types of instruction effect the learning of a novel motor skill and how salivary cortisol correlates to learning differences. Participants (N = 44), average age 22.3 years (standard deviation 2.37), were randomly assigned to an autonomy-supportive, controlling-language or neutral language group which was manipulated via instructional video. Saliva was collected before and after each session, and questionnaires were given after pitching was completed during each day. Results showed that there was a significant difference among groups in throwing accuracy on performance and retention. Questionnaire results also showed significant group differences …

All Aboard The Succulent Wave, Oscar William Oswald

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

All Aboard the Succulent Wave is a collection of poems written over the past three years. It is the product of major shifts in my faith and trust in language. The manuscript is divided into three parts: "The Staccato Monsoon," "Today / / / A Poetics," and "Elliptics." Each of these sections concerns a particular theme about my language, my god, and my soul.

I wrote many poems that used language to find god. In these poems, those designated by "/ / / A Poetics," I write about what is holy to me in the moment and about how the …

Beyond Materiality In Animation: Sensuous Perception And Touch In The Tactile Existence Of "Would A Heart Die?", Ellen C. Rocha Souza

Research Papers

This research focuses on the tangibility three-dimensional stop-motion animation allows in its authorial process, and on the tactility and materiality it evokes on the other side of the screen. Based on these assumptions, I seek to demonstrate how the sense of touch is evoked by the tactility of materials used in three-dimensional stop-motion animation, by drawing on the concepts of fabrication (Wells, 1998), haptic visuality (Marks, 2002), tactile image (Barker, 2009), and on the embodied viewer’s experience as defined by Vivian Sobchack (1992; 2004). This work is also directed to the application of theories to an empirical experience on materiality …