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2012

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The Potential Environmental Benefits Of Hybrid Rice Varieties, Haxhire Myrteza Aug 2012

The Potential Environmental Benefits Of Hybrid Rice Varieties, Haxhire Myrteza

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With water insufficiency being already a major issue and potential carbon policies on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Arkansas rice producers may need to undergo some changes in regards to rice cultivar selection. The purpose of this study is to estimate the environmental benefits of cultivating hybrid rice varieties as opposed to conventional and Clearfield rice varieties. To accomplish this goal, water use and GHG emissions were estimated on per acre (ac) and per bushel (bu) basis for most commonly cultivated rice varieties in Arkansas. The study focuses particularly on six main rice stations in the State of Arkansas. The hypothesis …

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The Influence Of Land Use On Fish Health And Fish Communities In Wadeable Steams In South Carolina, Andrew Sayer Aug 2012

The Influence Of Land Use On Fish Health And Fish Communities In Wadeable Steams In South Carolina, Andrew Sayer

All Dissertations

In 2011 the State of South Carolina population was over 4.6 million people and has increased at a rate of around 15% (1.5% per year) throughout the last decade. While the population density per square mile is relatively low compared to other US states, it seems certain the population will further increase in years to come. Increasing population density leads to urbanization resulting in an increase in impervious surfaces such as roadways, parking lots, and building roofs. This changing land use can have dramatic effects on smaller streams and creeks which form the upper reaches of watersheds. Although water systems …

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Environmental Implications And Applications Of Nanomaterials, Priyanka Bhattacharya Aug 2012

Environmental Implications And Applications Of Nanomaterials, Priyanka Bhattacharya

All Dissertations

Recent advances in material science and nanotechnology have given rise to a myriad of developments, while in the meantime call for research into the impacts of nanomaterials on the environment and human health. Although considerable progress has been made in the past decade concerning the behavior of nanomaterials in biological systems, such understanding is critically lacking with respect to the fate of nanomaterials in ecosystems.
Accordingly, this dissertation addresses the interactions between nanomaterials and algae--the major constituent of the aquatic food chain (Part I, Chapter two), and exploits the physicochemistry of nanoscaled synthetic dendritic polymers for environmental applications, especially for …

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Design Of Advanced Fouling-Resistant And Self-Cleaning Membranes For Treatment Of Oily And Impaired Waters, Daniel Wandera Aug 2012

Design Of Advanced Fouling-Resistant And Self-Cleaning Membranes For Treatment Of Oily And Impaired Waters, Daniel Wandera

All Dissertations

The overall goal of my Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) research was to design and develop advanced anti-fouling and self-cleaning membranes for treating impaired waters. Initial work focused on the development of membranes to treat produced water, which is oily wastewater that is co-produced during oil and gas exploration. Economical, environmentally sustainable treatment of the large volumes of produced water is a grand challenge for oil and gas companies. While membranes offer many advantages over more conventional treatment methods, membrane-based treatment processes for oily waters often fail due to membrane fouling. Therefore, the primary objective of my doctoral research was to …

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Engineering Single-Molecule, Nanoscale, And Microscale Bio-Functional Materials Via Click Chemistry, Michael Daniele Aug 2012

Engineering Single-Molecule, Nanoscale, And Microscale Bio-Functional Materials Via Click Chemistry, Michael Daniele

All Dissertations

To expand the design envelope and supplement the materials library available to biomaterials scientists, the copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuCAAC) was explored as a route to design, synthesize and characterize bio-functional small-molecules, nanoparticles, and microfibers. In each engineered system, the use of click chemistry provided facile, bio-orthogonal control for materials synthesis; moreover, the results provided a methodology and more complete, fundamental understanding of the use of click chemistry as a tool for the synergy of biotechnology, polymer and materials science. Fluorophores with well-defined photophysical characteristics (ranging from UV to NIR fluorescence) were used as building blocks for small-molecule, fluorescent biosensors. Fluorophores …

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Sparsity Regularization In Diffuse Optical Tomography, John Cooper Aug 2012

Sparsity Regularization In Diffuse Optical Tomography, John Cooper

All Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to improve image reconstruction in Diffuse Optical Tomography (DOT), a high contrast imaging modality that uses a near infrared light source. Because the scattering and absorption of a tumor varies significantly from healthy tissue, a reconstructed spatial representation of these parameters serves as tomographic image of a medium. However, the high scatter and absorption of the optical source also causes the inverse problem to be severely ill posed, and currently only low resolution reconstructions are possible, particularly when using an unmodulated direct current (DC) source.
In this work, the well posedness of the forward …

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Identification Of Early Behavioral Markers Of Anxiety And Social Withdrawal In Preschool Children, Chelsea M. Ale Aug 2012

Identification Of Early Behavioral Markers Of Anxiety And Social Withdrawal In Preschool Children, Chelsea M. Ale

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined an observational method for identifying specific behaviors to indicate social anxiety and social withdrawal in preschool children. During an interaction task with a novel adult, 28 children (ages 4 and 5) were observed for specific verbal and non-verbal behaviors (i.e., total utterances, commands, questions, unsolicited conversation, direct responses, eye gaze aversion, non-verbal response, physical distancing, freezing, smiling ) and global behaviors (i.e., shyness, volume or speech, and postural rigidity), theoretically relevant to early childhood social anxiety. Behaviors observed during the interaction task were examined in relation to the parent-reported Spence Preschool Anxiety Scale's social anxiety subscale (Spence, …

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The Association Of Social Anxiety And Parenting Factors With Adolescent Use Of Facebook, Brian Creasy Aug 2012

The Association Of Social Anxiety And Parenting Factors With Adolescent Use Of Facebook, Brian Creasy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Computers and the Internet play a substantial role in how adolescents communicate with one another. Social networking websites, in particular, are a popular medium used by adolescents in which users can develop and maintain a large number of relationships from a single profile page. Facebook represents one of the most widely used social networking websites; however, little is known about the types of factors that are associated with the way in which adolescents use it. The present study examined the association of social anxiety and parenting with adolescent Facebook use. One hundred and sixty-two adolescents between the ages of 16 …

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Effect Of Rigor State, When Processed, On Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Fillet Quality, Oluwatoyin E. Adebisi Aug 2012

Effect Of Rigor State, When Processed, On Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss) Fillet Quality, Oluwatoyin E. Adebisi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A study was conducted to investigate the effect of rigor development, at time of processing, on weight and length changes, proximate analysis, pH, K-value, color, and texture of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss ) fillets. Texture of cooked fillets was characterized using two instrumental methods: Allo-kramer and Variable blade. Forty-five rainbow trout were harvested and immediately slaughtered using percussive stunning they were stored, following evisceration, at 4°C on ice. Fish were processed at 0, 24, and 48 h postharvest, and fillets were vacuumed packaged and stored for 2 days at 4°C. These storage treatments were applauded in the context of a …

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Development And Testing Of A High Resolution Pet Detector For Prostate Imaging, Evan P. Delfino Aug 2012

Development And Testing Of A High Resolution Pet Detector For Prostate Imaging, Evan P. Delfino

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

According to the American Cancer Society one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Current methods for screening of prostate cancer including various PSA blood tests, as well as the digital rectal exam, are unreliability while current imaging modalities clinically employed (US, CT, MRI) are unable to localize intraprostatic cancer(s). Consequently, diagnosis via core needle biopsy is problematic and a game of chance at best. Therefore, in response to new radiopharmaceuticals applicable to both internal and external prostate cancer visualization and localization, novel prostate specific nuclear medical imagers are being developed.;The first prototype of a …

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Reversible Myocardial Dysfunction In A Rodent Model Of Prenatal Stress, Jessalyn Marie Hadfield Aug 2012

Reversible Myocardial Dysfunction In A Rodent Model Of Prenatal Stress, Jessalyn Marie Hadfield

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Compelling clinical reports indicate that emotional/behavioral stress alone is sufficient to cause profound, but completely reversible myocardial dysfunction in selected individuals. A rodent cardiomyopathy model was previously reported by combining pre-natal and post-natal behavioral/restraint stress (Stress). A decrease in % FS (the ratio between the diameter of the left ventricle when it is relaxed and when it is contracted) by echocardiogram was previously reported, along with both systolic and diastolic dysfunction by catheter-based hemodynamics, as well as attenuated hemodynamic and inotropic responses to the beta adrenergic agonist, isoproterenol (ISO) in Stress compared with matched Controls. The p38mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase …

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Genetic Basis For Thermal Tolerance In Two Different Strains Of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss): Case Western And Kamloops, Paola Reale Aug 2012

Genetic Basis For Thermal Tolerance In Two Different Strains Of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus Mykiss): Case Western And Kamloops, Paola Reale

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis examines the thermal tolerance based on how expression of Heat Shock Protein (HSP) 70 and HSP90 differ between two different strains of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), the Case Western strain and the Kamloops strain, and determines if cortisol levels affect HSP expression in red blood cells. The Case Western strain is considered the only warm water trout, only recently was any aspect of its thermal tolerance quantified. Porto (2012) determined critical thermal maxima (CTM) for the Case Western strain and found it to be about 0.15 °C higher than the Kamloops strain. This thesis is comprised of three …

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A Retrospective Clinical Study To Evaluate Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (Mta) As A Direct Pulp Capping Agent In A One-Visit Protocol, Patrick J. Petley Aug 2012

A Retrospective Clinical Study To Evaluate Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (Mta) As A Direct Pulp Capping Agent In A One-Visit Protocol, Patrick J. Petley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the long-term success that can be achieved by the use of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) as a pulp capping agent, demonstrate the simplicity of the procedure, and overcome the commonly held objections of cost, difficult handling characteristics, and the need for two appointments to complete the procedure.;A single visit protocol was utilized in the completion of forty-eight pulp cap procedures with twenty-seven procedures available for recall. The MTA pulp cap was covered with glass ionomer liner and then restored with a bonded composite or amalgam. Teeth were evaluated for sensitivity to percussion, …

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Habitat Selection Of Male Eastern Wild Turkey (Meleagris Gallopavo Silvestris) In West Virginia, Jesse L. De La Cruz Aug 2012

Habitat Selection Of Male Eastern Wild Turkey (Meleagris Gallopavo Silvestris) In West Virginia, Jesse L. De La Cruz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) have been the focus of widespread research throughout their range, but research on male wild turkey home range size and habitat resource selection is limited in West Virginia. To address this lack of knowledge, I proposed the quantification of home range within a region (second-order) and core home range within a periphery (third-order) resource selection. Home ranges estimates and regional vector sampling grids were modeled against anthropomorphic land use and landscape cover features, land fragmentation, slope, and aspect raster data within the Geospatial Modeling Environment (GME) to derive proportional resource use and availability data.;West …

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Land As A Renewable Resource: Integrating Climate, Energy, And Profitability Goals Using An Agent-Based Netlogo Model, Inocencio Rodriguez Aug 2012

Land As A Renewable Resource: Integrating Climate, Energy, And Profitability Goals Using An Agent-Based Netlogo Model, Inocencio Rodriguez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objectives of this study center over the course of the beef production life cycle as a management strategy to optimize the financial and natural resource endowment on farms at the county level based on the data available. Although the application is to West Virginia, implications can be derived for other areas with similar resource endowments. The beef farms located in adjacent locations within a county are identified as suppliers of inputs to the farm of interest (or contracting farm) in order to provide the basic foundation for agglomeration economies.;Both an intertemporal component and a spatial component are involved since …

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Physiological And Genetic Changes In Poplar During Mycorrhizal Colonization Under Phosphorus Limitation, Shalaka Desai Aug 2012

Physiological And Genetic Changes In Poplar During Mycorrhizal Colonization Under Phosphorus Limitation, Shalaka Desai

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Poplar species and hybrids are intensively cultivated as renewable sources of biomass because of their rapid growth, extensive genetic variation and ease of propagation. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying soil stress resistance within these poplar species and hybrids are not yet understood. With the recent sequencing of the poplar genome, the use of this species in physiological stress resistance studies may help elucidate the underlying basis of stress resistance in a woody species. Further, although symbiotic mycorrhizal associations have farreaching ecological significance in forest ecosystems, our understanding of the influences of the association on the genetic basis of environmental stress …

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Modulation Of Cardiac Pacemaker Channels By Tyrosine Phosphorylation, Jianying Huang Aug 2012

Modulation Of Cardiac Pacemaker Channels By Tyrosine Phosphorylation, Jianying Huang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Encoded by hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels, the cardiac pacemaker current If is a major determinant of diastolic depolarization in sinus node myocytes and has a key role in the origin of heart beat. My dissertation consists of two chapters, focusing on the modulation of If and HCN channels by tyrosine phosphorylation, which is maintained by a fine balance between tyrosine kinases and phosphatases. Chapter 1 aims to investigate the role of Src tyrosine kinases in the regulation of sinus node If and HCN channels; Chapter 2 explores the modulation of ventricular If and HCN channels by a family of …

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Microfluidic Based Human Blood Plasma Separation, Ruizhi Zhong Aug 2012

Microfluidic Based Human Blood Plasma Separation, Ruizhi Zhong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Microfluidic based biotechnologies have been widely applied for biological and biomedical research and applications because the physical scales of microfluidics are suitable for biological cells and provide the ability and flexibility to control spatiotemporal biochemical parameters. The current efforts for biosensor technologies are aiming to develop detection technologies directly from small volumes of the human fluids, such as blood, urea, and saliva, for accurate, fast, and affordable detection and analysis.;Human blood provides information and supports the functioning of human body, such as nourishing tissues, regulating organs activities and defending harmful material. Blood components are the prime interests for biosensor applications …

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Training Manual For Providers Of Psychoeducational Services To Fms Patients, George E. Vasquez Jr. Aug 2012

Training Manual For Providers Of Psychoeducational Services To Fms Patients, George E. Vasquez Jr.

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic pain syndrome that is typically characterized by chronic and widespread pain; tenderness; sleep problems, fatigue, and muscle stiffness. Additional symptoms are many and can include cognitive impairment, numbness, and psychological distress such as anxiety and depression. FMS is typically diagnosed using criteria that were established by the American College of Rheumatology in 2010 and is currently experienced by approximately 5 million adults in the United States. A biopsychosocial conceptualization of the etiology of FMS currently exists, wherein the development of FMS is attributed to the interplay of particular predisposing, precipitating, and perpetuating factors. The …

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Couple's Relationship With Diabetes: Transformation, Partnership, And Management, Ruth Houston Barrett Aug 2012

Couple's Relationship With Diabetes: Transformation, Partnership, And Management, Ruth Houston Barrett

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study used an MFT perspective to examine a model of three bio-psychosocial constructs, seeking to depict key dimensions of what makes couples successful in managing the demanding self-care regimen of diabetes. The model includes a meaning and emotion-oriented construct called relationship with diabetes, a psychosocial relational construct of diabetes-specific partnering support, and their direct and indirect effects on an endogenous construct of success in diabetes management. Surveys from 118 adult couples with diabetes provided data to test the hypothesized path and measurement model. Correlational and multiple regression analysis examined variable relationships, factor analysis examined construct dimensionality, and structural equation …

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Qualitative Study Of Psychosocial Needs For Individuals With Lung Cancer, Kevin R. Criswell Aug 2012

Qualitative Study Of Psychosocial Needs For Individuals With Lung Cancer, Kevin R. Criswell

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Lung cancer affects many people in the United States, accounting for 14.5% of cancer cases in 2010. Additionally, it is responsible for more cancer-related deaths than any other cancer type. Those living with lung cancer also experience a higher prevalence of psychological distress and mood problems relative to most other cancer types. Despite the high physical and mental health burden borne by those living with lung cancer, psychosocial research on lung cancer generally lags far behind comparable studies in other cancer populations. Evidence from the few interventions developed specifically for lung cancer patients demonstrate an underutilization of those services, which …

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The Gaise College Report: The American Statistical Association Meets Sound Pedagogy In Central Virginia, Beverly Wood Aug 2012

The Gaise College Report: The American Statistical Association Meets Sound Pedagogy In Central Virginia, Beverly Wood

Publications

Research in undergraduate statistics education often centers on the introductory course required for a large percentage of college students. While acknowledging the diverse setting, audience, and purpose of introductory courses, existing research assumes that courses offered by different disciplines share the same goals and teaching practices. The purpose of this study is to examine the objectives for student outcomes and pedagogical delivery of introductory statistics courses in various academic departments to provide explicit evidence for this assumption. The American Statistical Association’s Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) are meant to apply to all introductory courses. The College …

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Testing The Effects Of Social Bond Factors On Delinquency And The Moderating Effects By Gender And Race/Ethnicity, Yurino Kawashima Aug 2012

Testing The Effects Of Social Bond Factors On Delinquency And The Moderating Effects By Gender And Race/Ethnicity, Yurino Kawashima

Research Papers

No abstract provided.

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Interactions Among Positions In The Third And Fourth Membrane-Associated Domains At The Intersubunit Interface Of The N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Forming Sites Of Alcohol Action, Hong Ren, Yulin Zhao, Donard S. Dwyer, Robert W. Peoples Aug 2012

Interactions Among Positions In The Third And Fourth Membrane-Associated Domains At The Intersubunit Interface Of The N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Forming Sites Of Alcohol Action, Hong Ren, Yulin Zhao, Donard S. Dwyer, Robert W. Peoples

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor is a major target of ethanol in the brain. Previous studies have identified positions in the third and fourth membrane-associated (M) domains of the NMDA receptor GluN1 and GluN2A subunits that influence alcohol sensitivity. The predicted structure of the NMDA receptor, based on that of the related GluA2 subunit, indicates a close apposition of the alcohol-sensitive positions in M3 and M4 between the two subunit types. We tested the hypothesis that these positions interact to regulate receptor kinetics and ethanol sensitivity by using dual substitution mutants. In single-substitution mutants, we found that a position …

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The Impact Of Student Race In The Determination Of Eligibility Of Emotional Disturbance As Recommended By School Psychologists: Implications For The Disproportionate Representation Of African-American Males In Special Education, Shirley Ja. Green Aug 2012

The Impact Of Student Race In The Determination Of Eligibility Of Emotional Disturbance As Recommended By School Psychologists: Implications For The Disproportionate Representation Of African-American Males In Special Education, Shirley Ja. Green

Education Doctoral

This mixed-method study investigated the impact of student race in the determination of eligibility of emotional disturbance as recommended by school psychologists. The results of this study looked at the implications that the evaluation component of the referral to the Committee on Special Education (CSE) has on the disproportionate representation of African-American males classified with an emotional disturbance. The quantitative component was completed during an experiment involving school psychologists who reviewed student profiles of an African-American male student and a White male student with the same profile. The analysis looked to determine the frequency that the African-American student was classified …

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An Examination Of The Positive Factors Impacting Graduation Rates Of Minority Males At A Successful Secondary Urban School In New York City, Achil Petit Aug 2012

An Examination Of The Positive Factors Impacting Graduation Rates Of Minority Males At A Successful Secondary Urban School In New York City, Achil Petit

Education Doctoral

The issue of minority achievement, as measured by graduation rate is a critical one, especially for African American males. This study seeks to provide a backdrop for the problem of high dropout rates, reviewing some of the reasons for low graduations rates, connecting theories of race and achievement, and relating student achievement to the theories presented. By studying one single-sex school where the graduation rate for minority males is relatively high, the researcher identifies and analyzes factors for high achievement and provides recommendations for application to similar settings. The research study uses a mixed method approach to gather and analyze …

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The Relationship Between Pre- And Post-Matriculation Factors And College Student Retention In A Small, Technical, Public Institution, Tara Hisert Winter Aug 2012

The Relationship Between Pre- And Post-Matriculation Factors And College Student Retention In A Small, Technical, Public Institution, Tara Hisert Winter

Education Doctoral

Despite the volume of research on college retention, additional investigation is warranted as many institutions continue to be plagued by poor retention rates. This study investigated the impact of pre- and post-matriculation factors on student retention at SUNY Cobleskill. The focus of the study was on the associate degree students and includes variables such as financial aid type and amount, and college choice. Statistical procedures such as Chi Square, Kendall’s Tau and Cramer’s V were employed during the data analysis. This research adds to the existing body of research by studying a small, regional, state-assisted institution that focuses on teaching. …

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On The K-Mer Frequency Spectra Of Organism Genome And Proteome Sequences With A Preliminary Machine Learning Assessment Of Prime Predictability, Nathan O. Schmidt Aug 2012

On The K-Mer Frequency Spectra Of Organism Genome And Proteome Sequences With A Preliminary Machine Learning Assessment Of Prime Predictability, Nathan O. Schmidt

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

A regular expression and region-specific filtering system for biological records at the National Center for Biotechnology database is integrated into an object oriented sequence counting application, and a statistical software suite is designed and deployed to interpret the resulting k-mer frequencies|with a priority focus on nullomers. The proteome k-mer frequency spectra of ten model organisms and the genome k-mer frequency spectra of two bacteria and virus strains for the coding and non-coding regions are comparatively scrutinized. We observe that the naturally-evolved (NCBI/organism) and the artificially-biased (randomly-generated) sequences exhibit a clear deviation from the artificially-unbiased (randomly-generated) histogram distributions. …

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A Genetic Analysis Of Bald Eagles In The Pacific Northwest: Retained Genetic Diversity Following A Large-Scale Population Bottleneck, Andrew Joseph Nadeau Aug 2012

A Genetic Analysis Of Bald Eagles In The Pacific Northwest: Retained Genetic Diversity Following A Large-Scale Population Bottleneck, Andrew Joseph Nadeau

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) populations in the continental United States experienced a dramatic population decline during the twentieth century. Populations across the species’ range have largely recovered, thanks in part to the ban of DDT, rapidly enacted conservation measures, and reintroduction efforts. Using six microsatellite loci, I tested the genetic variation of bald eagles across six states in the Pacific Northwest. Genetic analysis revealed that, despite undergoing a population-wide decline, the bald eagles in the locations sampled outside of Idaho did not exhibit the characteristics typically associated with a genetic bottleneck (i.e., a reduced number of alleles and …

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Phylogenetic Relationships Within Columnea Section Angustiflorae: Insights Into Forces Driving Speciation, Lacie Janelle Schulte Aug 2012

Phylogenetic Relationships Within Columnea Section Angustiflorae: Insights Into Forces Driving Speciation, Lacie Janelle Schulte

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Determining the specific factors that played a role in speciation previously took extensive resources that made such studies nearly intractable. Despite the difficulties presented by speciation studies, we are still interested in determining what forces drive the process of evolution to gain a better understanding of divergence among species. Advances in technology allow for a new approach to speciation studies, beginning with molecular phylogenetic analyses that identify the species within a monophyletic clade and generate a species-level phylogeny. Molecular data are an independent source of data and provide a phylogeny to map both morphological characters and ecological parameters. Identifying patterns …

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