Digital Commons Network^™

Chromosomal Rearrangements Directly Cause Underdominant F1 Pollen Sterility In Mimulus Lewisii-M. Cardinalis Hybrids, Angela M. Stathos

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Chromosomal rearrangements can contribute to the evolution of postzygotic reproductive isolation directly, by disrupting meiosis in F₁ hybrids, or indirectly, by suppressing recombination among genic incompatibilities. Because direct effects of rearrangements on fertility imply fitness costs during their spread, understanding the mechanism of F₁ hybrid sterility is integral to reconstructing the role(s) of rearrangements in speciation. In hybrids between monkeyflowers Mimulus cardinalis and M. lewisii, rearrangements contain all quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for both premating barriers and pollen sterility, suggesting that they may have facilitated speciation in this model system. I used artificial chromosome doubling and …

Sediment Routing Through Channel Confluences: Particle Tracing In A Gravel-Bed River Headwaters, Kurt Imhoff

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Sediment routing in gravel-bed rivers refers to the intermittent transport and storage of bedload particles, where short-duration steps are separated by periods of inactivity. Channel morphology governs sediment routing, but morphologic effects on routing in headwater systems are not well understood compared to lowland systems. RFID tracers are a valuable tool that can be employed to characterize routing processes in headwater channels through individual particle tracking. I present research on coarse sediment transport and dispersion through confluences using sediment tracers in the East Fork Bitterroot River basin, MT. I investigate the following questions: (1) How do sediment routing patterns through …

A Gis Assessment Of Ecoregion Representation In Chile's Existing And Proposed Integrated Network Of Protected Areas, Jessica Schutz

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Chile's state designated protected areas are reported to show representation bias and to be unable to meet conservation goals. Private protected areas are considered an important tool to resolve these issues, which has led to support for increasing the role of private protected areas in Chile and creating an integrated public-private protected area network. But the validity of the capacity of private protected areas to fix Chile's state protected area network bias, and the advantage of creating an integrated protected area network, have not been assessed. This study uses the most recent data on Chile's state, private, and international protected …

La Reconstrucción De Significado En Doña Perfecta De Galdós, Benjamin D. Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

Generally considered a thesis novel and a primitive example of the author’s incipient Realism, Benito Pérez Galdós’ Doña Perfecta (1876) is a much more nuanced narrative. While certainly in the vein of Spanish tendentious, or thesis, novels —Galdós censures the intolerance and ignorance of the Spanish countryside and offers up the protagonist, Pepe Rey, as an example of the values of European liberal progress that have the potential to save the nation— at the close of the narrative, the author does not conclude (as is usually held) that one option (thesis) is better than the other. Written at a time …

Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha Converting Enzyme Inhibition During Acute Colitis In Mice: A Regional Analysis, Brian Maddox

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Tumor Necrosis Factor-a Converting Enzyme (TACE) induces active TNFa and may contribute to the development of colitis in humans. I hypothesized that pharmacological blockade of TNFa production would improve colitis scoring through decreased expression of inflammatory biomarkers. Acute colitis was induced in wild type BALB/c mice using 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in drinking water for 7 days. TACE inhibition was accomplished through twice daily intraperitoneal injection of DPC- 333 (10mg/kg; BSM Inc.) To determine the effects of TACE blockade during colitis, the following experimental groups (n=6-7/group) were tested: 1) vehicle; 2) DPC-333; 3) 5% DSS and vehicle; and 4) …

Profit Maximization And The Death Of God: Theology And Economics In Benedict Xvi's Charity In Truth, D. Stephen Long

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Tgf-Β1 And Il-33 On Mast Cell Function, Victor S. Ndaw

Theses and Dissertations

TGFβ is involved in many pathological conditions, including autoimmune disorders, cancer, and cardiovascular and allergic diseases. We have previously found that TGFβ can suppress IgE-mediated mast cell activation in human and mouse mast cells in vitro. IL-33 is a recently discovered member of the IL-1 family capable of inducing mast cell responses and enhancing IgE-mediated activation. In this study, we investigated the effects of TGFβ on IL-33-mediated mast cell activation. Bone marrow-derived mast cells cultured in TGFβ -1, -2, or -3 showed reduced IL-33-mediated production of TNF, IL-6, IL-13 and MCP-1, in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, TGFβ also reduced …

Low-Flow Domiciliary Oxygen As A Mechanism Of Ongoing Oxidative Stress In Copd Patients, Jill Stulce

Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare costs are escalating in the U.S., with a projected 48 trillion dollars by 2021. More than ever medical researches are obligated to ensure that costly treatment modalities are safe and effective. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a costly and debilitating disease, ranked as the third leading cause of death in America. Currently, treatment for COPD consists of anti-inflammatory agents, bronchodilators, antibiotics and supplemental oxygen when hypoxemia or clinical manifestations ensue. Oxidative stress is central to the pathology of COPD. Supplemental oxygen has been substantiated as an instigator of oxidative stress; however, LFDO has not been evaluated as a …

Reflective Curiosities, Mary O. Dickerson

Theses and Dissertations

Artist Statement

My craft work and paintings reflect my life experiences and personal curiosities, particularly those associated with the natural world. Every day, I am bombarded with a constant flow of visual impressions and ephemeral experiences. There are some that demand attention by virtue of their sheer power, such as the repetition of line in a plowed field, the color of nautical landscape at twilight, or the intelligent behavior of crows. Like a tourist who buys a souvenir to capture a moment, I try to capture instances of profound experiences. I interpret these moments through a process-oriented approach to media. …

Love Story, Grace Weaver

Theses and Dissertations

I think of my paintings as pop songs. My aim in the work is to embrace a complicated femininity, championing and questioning the aesthetics of girliness, cuteness, and whimsy. This is the realm of the Young-Girl. The text that follows will chart a path from the cliché to the empathic—holding hands with philosophical comrades in that same territory, ranging from Taylor Swift to Kaja Silverman—seeking the way in which the paintings relate to the grand tradition of the love story.

The Art Of Shadow Play: Key Frame Animation For Wayang Kulit Kelantan / Dahlan Abdul Ghani, Abdul Ghani Dahlan

Student Works (2010-2019)

Seni Wayang Kulit merupakan salah satu keunikan dalam seni persembahan teater di Malaysia. Dalam usaha untuk memelihara dan mengekalkan keunikan khazanah warisan Wayang Kulit, UNESCO telah menetapkan Wayang Kulit sebagai nilai khazanah warisan seni kemanusiaan pada 7hb Oktober 2003. Namun, realitinya Wayang Kulit pada hari ini berada dalam keadaan kritikal dan semakin dilupakan khususnya di Malaysia. Justeru, kajian ini memperkenalkan satu kaedah animasi komputer 3D bagi menghasilkan Wayang Kulit khususnya Wayang Kulit Kelantan. Objektif kajian ini adalah bagi menerokai seni asas tradisional Wayang Kulit serta kaedah penggabungan menerusi teknik ‘Key frame’ komputer menerusi sejarah dan fakta Wayang Kulit. Selain itu, …

Characteristics, Audience Reception And Challenges In Malaysian Animation / Mohd Amir Bin Mat Omar, Mohd Amir Mat Omar

Student Works (2010-2019)

The creative content industry in Malaysia is a growing and developing business. Animation, being part of the creative industry, is also seeing a rise with the increasing number of studios being set up and the increase in numbers of animated series and films being produced. Facing powerhouses such as Japan and the United States, Malaysian animation content finds itself sandwiched in between foreign programs in channels such as Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, though better opportunities may be found through local stations. With such an abundance of animated series and films, it is a challenge for Malaysian animation content to …

Production Of Reducing Sugars From Sago Waste Via Sequential Ionic Liquid Dissolution-Solid Acid Saccharification / Lee Kiat Moon, Kiat Moon Lee

Student Works (2010-2019)

Lignocellulosic biomass can be saccharified to produce reducing sugars that can be converted into various valuable products. This research aimed to produce reducing sugars from sago waste via sequential ionic liquid dissolution-solid acid saccharification process. The study included determining the best ionic liquid and solid acid catalyst combination, process optimisation, and kinetic study of the process, as well as product separation and catalyst recyclability. The ionic liquids investigated were 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([BMIM]Cl), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ([EMIM][OAc]) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate ([EMIM][(EtO)2PO2]), while the solid acid catalysts investigated were Amberlyst 15 (A15), Amberlite IR120 and Nafion NR50. The study has provided a …

Imitation Learning Through Self-Exploration : From Body-Babbling To Visuomotor Association / Farhan Dawood, Farhan Dawood

Student Works (2010-2019)

Mirror neurons are visuo-motor neurons found in primates and thought to be significant for imitation learning. The proposition that mirror neurons result from associative learning while the neonate observes his own actions has received noteworthy empirical support. Imitation learning through self-exploration is essential in development of sensorimotor skills in infants. Self-exploration is regarded as a procedure by which infants become perceptually observant to their own body and engage in a perceptual communication with themselves. It is assume that crude sense of self is the prerequisite for social interaction rather than an outcome of it. However, role of mirror neuron in …

A Study Of Yusof Ghani’S Artworks : The ‘Wajah’ Series Paintings From 2006 To 2010 / Mozhgan Ramezani, Mozhgan Ramezani

Student Works (2010-2019)

Among the artists in Malaysia, Yusof Ghani is one of the most established and prolific Abstract Expressionist painters in the Malaysian modern art scene. The Wajah series paintings (2006-2010) created by Yusof Ghani is his latest venture into the art world. According to Yusof Ghani there is not any well-written research about Wajah series and the reason might be that although Wajah series was exhibited in Indonesia (2010) and in Canada (2009), it has never been shown in Malaysia. Moreover, currently there are limited references and materials documenting Malaysian art. Thus, the researcher’s concern for the lack of research on …

Confidence Intervals (Ci) For Concentration Parameter In Von Mises Distribution And Analysis Of Missing Values For Circular Data / Siti Fatimah Binti Hassan, Siti Fatimah Hassan

Student Works (2010-2019)

This study is on circular statistics that is also known as directional statistics. Directional statistics is a branch of statistics which deal with the data in angle form in which the method of analysis is different from linear data. For example, the distribution analogues to the normal distribution in linear data is known as circular normal distribution. This study comprises of four parts. The first part of the study focuses on the efficient approximation for the concentration parameter in von Mises distribution. Here, a new method of approximating the concentration parameter is proposed, and the performance of the proposed method …

Development Of Canine Biomarker Based Detection And Quantification Assays For Determining Food Adulteration And Halal Authentication / Md. Mahfujur Rahman, Md. Mahfujur Rahman

Student Works (2010-2019)

The authentication of food product is an important issue to safeguard consumer rights, religious belief, and health and fair-trade economy. Proper labeling of food products allows consumers to make a well-informed purchase decision, commensurations his religious faith, health requirement and of course his personal budget. “Halal” logo on food products reflects both the ingredients and processing steps of the products confirm the Shariah Principles of Islam for hygienic foods. Since halal foods serve the health and religious requirements, their appeal is huge even to the non-Muslim customers. The huge turnover (US$700 billion/ annum) and expanding demands of halal food products …

Konsep Sinkretisme Menurut Perspektif Islam : Kajian Terhadap Adat Dan Kepercayaan Masyarakat Kedayan / Ros Aiza Mohd Mokhtar, Ros Aiza Mohd Mokhtar

Student Works (2010-2019)

Kajian ini bertujuan menjelaskan konsep sinkretisme dari perspektif Barat dan Islam, fenomena sinkretisme dalam adat dan kepercayaan tradisi masyarakat Kedayan dan perspektif Islam mengenainya serta faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhinya. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam kajian ini adalah metode campuran yang terdiri daripada pendekatan kualitatif iaitu etnografi dan pendekatan kuantitatif iaitu tinjauan. Kaedah pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah kepustakaan, pemerhatian ikut serta, temubual informan terpilih dan pengedaran soal selidik. Kajian kepustakaan penting bagi membentuk kerangka konsep iaitu menjelaskan sinkretisme dari sudut pandang Islam dengan mengemukakan dalil dan pandangan pemikir Islam. Pada dasarnya sinkretisme tidak dibenarkan oleh Islam, namun dalam konteks adat tradisi masyarakat, …

Development Of Multiplex Pcr Assay For The Detection Of Five Non-Halal Species In Islamic Foods / Md. Abdur Razzak, Md. Abdur Razzak

Student Works (2010-2019)

Food forgery is one of the most concerning socio-economic issues having impact on health, religions and hard earned wages. The recent scandals on horse meat in Europe, rat meat in China have given consumers apprehension on the detection, differentiation and identification of ingredients, especially the meat items, in foods, medicine and other consumers’ products. A range of analytical methods based on lipid, protein and DNAbiomarkers have been proposed for meat species authentication. However, lipid and protein-based examinations are less trustworthy since protein can be easily denatured and the level of lipids can be significantly modified through the processing treatments. On …

Role Of Nigella Sativa Oil On Histological Features And Androgenicity Of Nicotine Treated Male Sprague Dawley Reproductive System / Lina Binti Samsudin, Lina Samsudin

Student Works (2010-2019)

Tobacco is a plant from which nicotine, the alkaloid in cigarette is known to have detrimental effects on male reproductive system, can be sourced. As for Nigella sativa is a plant which has been used in culinary and also as traditional medicine since the antiquity by worldwide society. The remedial value of Nigella sativa has been attributed to its antioxidant properties. This study was conducted to investigate the protective effects of Nigella sativa oil on spermatogenic, leydig and sertoli cell count, histological features and androgenicity of nicotine treated male rat reproductive system. Thirty male Sprague dawley rats, aged 7 – …

Effects Of Habbatus Sauda (Nigella Sativa) Oil On Sperm And Testis Parameters Of Nicotine Treated Rats / Ng Cho Ping, Cho Ping Ng

Student Works (2010-2019)

Nicotine is considered as one of the most toxic substances that can be found in tobacco smoke. Besides being used as a natural insecticide, nicotine is pharmacologically active and has a negative impact on the reproductive system and fertility of males. In contrast, Nigella sativa seeds and oil have a lot of positive properties, such as antipyretic, analgesic, antihypertensive and antineoplastic. This study was carried out to investigate the potential protective effect of Nigella sativa (habbatus sauda) oil on nicotine treated male rat reproductive system. Forty-five Sprague-Dawley male rats (7-9 weeks old, 200-250g) were randomly divided into 5 groups; Nicotine …

An Assessment Of Quality, Trust And Usability Of Indonesian Agricultural Journals / Bambang Winarko, Bambang Winarko

Student Works (2010-2019)

Scientists and other scholars need information to support their research activities. This information must be of high quality for them to perform their tasks effectively. Journals are one of the communication media used for disseminating scholarly information. While there are international indexing services that rank the quality of journals, these indexes have limited applicability to local journals or those in local languages. Using the Indonesian Agency for Agricultural Research and Development (IAARD) as a case, this study examined the quality, trust, and usability of nine agricultural journals in Indonesia. It also produced journal rankings and compare the ranking resulted from …

Metaheuristic Algorithms For Solving Lot-Sizing And Scheduling Problems In Single And Multi-Plant Environments / Maryam Mohammadi, Maryam Mohammadi

Student Works (2010-2019)

Economic lot scheduling problem (ELSP) is related to lot-sizing and scheduling several items in a single production facility. This project addresses the ELSP where multiple items have shelf life restrictions and planned backorders. For some products, shelf life might be less than the production cycle time, which leads to product spoilage before the end of the cycle. In order to achieve a feasible schedule, the production cycle time needs to be reduced to less than or equal to the shelf life duration. While the cost-minimization cycle time causes the spoilage of products, due to shelf life restrictions, appropriate decisions can …

Mechanical And Biological Evaluations Of Hydroxyapatite Composite For Orthopedic Applications / Saeid Baradaran, Saeid Baradaran

Student Works (2010-2019)

Hydroxyapatite (HA) has received wide attention in orthopedics, due to its biocompatibility and osseointegration ability. Despite these advantages, the poor mechanical properties of HA often results in rapid wear and premature fracture of implant. Hence, there is a need to improve the mechanical properties of HA without compromising its biocompatibility. The aim of the current research is to explore the potential of metal ion doping and graphene nanosheets (GNS) as reinforcement to HA for orthopedic implants. HA/reduce graphene oxide (rGO) and Ni doped HA/Graphene nano platelet (GNP) are synthesized by hydrothermal and chemical precipitation and characterized by XRD, FT-IR, EDAX, …

An Analysis Of Conjunctive Relations In The Translation Of Animal Farm From English To Hausa / Muhammad Sulaiman Abdullahi, Abdullahi Muhammad Sulaiman

Student Works (2010-2019)

The aim of this study is to find out what kind of shifts exist in the translation of inter-sentential conjunctive relations in the novel, Animal Farm, from English to Hausa based on Catford‘s (1965) notion of shifts in translation. The two novels used as the sources of data for this study were the source text in English, Animal Farm and its target language translation in Hausa, Gandun Dabbobi. Two hundred and fifty-two sentences containing inter-sentential conjunctive relations were extracted from each text, making the total number of five hundred and four sentences from both texts. Halliday and Hasan‘s (1976) Table …

A Teacher’S Written Corrective Feedback : Beliefs And Practices / Nilaasini A/P Rajagopal, Nilaasini Rajagopal

Student Works (2010-2019)

In the English language classroom, writing is a necessary skill for the English as a second language (ESL) learners but it appears to be a very difficult skill to master. However, the writing skills could be mastered if teachers give good written corrective feedback to the students. This study investigated a teacher’s written corrective feedback in responding to students’ English written compositions in a private school in Subang Jaya, Selangor. It examines a teacher’s beliefs and practices towards written corrective feedback. The theoretical framework that underlined this study is the ‘noticing hypothesis’ where teacher’s feedback is intended to trigger noticing …

Misuse Of English Morphology In Writing Among Tesl Students / Nur Ilyani Binti Idris, Nur Ilyani Idris

Student Works (2010-2019)

This paper studies about the misuse of English Morphology in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) students’ writing from KPTMKL. This study is design to find out the morphological errors in students’ writing using the Surface Strategy Taxonomy proposed by Dulay (1982). There are three objectives of the study; firstly is to identify the types of morphological errors used by TESL students in journal writing such as omission, addition, miss formation or miss ordering, secondly is to examine the most dominant type of morphological errors in journal writing, and finally to analyze the interference of the mother tongue resulting …

Pemikiran Masyarakat Tamil Awal Dalam Kesusasteraan Tamil Klasik / Seiva Subramaniam A/L Ramiah, Ramiah Seiva Subramaniam

Student Works (2010-2019)

Kajian ini bertajuk ‘Pemikiran Masyarakat Tamil Awal Dalam Kesusasteraan Tamil Klasik’, dan ia mengkaji tentang pemikiran masyarakat Tamil Awal yang dipaparkan dalam hasil kesusasteraan Tamil klasik. Kesusasteraan Tamil klasik merangkumi lapan belas teks yang digolongkan dalam dua antologi iaitu antologi Eṭṭuttokai dan antologi Pattuppāṭṭu. Kedua-dua antologi tersebut yang dicipta antara 350SM hingga 300 masihi, mencerminkan budaya purba, emosi halus dan aspirasi mulia masyarakat Tamil Awal. Tujuan asas kajian ini ialah untuk mengenal pasti dan mendedahkan pemikiran masyarakat Tamil awal yang dipraktikkan dalam kehidupan seharian. Kajian ini berbentuk penyelidikan kualitatif yang menjurus kepada penyelidikan perpustakaan di mana kaedah interprestasi kesusasteraan digunakan. …

Development Of Solid Acid Catalysts For Biodiesel Production From High Free Fatty Acid Feedstock / Yahaya Muhammad Sani, Muhammad Sani Yahaya

Student Works (2010-2019)

Numerous energy crises have been confronting the world due to excessive utilization of the world's depleting oil reserves by the ever-increasing human population. Concerns such as deteriorating health standards and environmental degradations have led to the search for sustainable biofuel alternatives. However, the recent nose-diving of the Brent crude oil price makes the search for sustainable catalysts more arduous. Consequently, the present study investigated two distinct catalytic routes for producing biodiesel from a cheap feedstock, which could have competitive edge with fossil diesel. Firstly, the study explored the potentials of converting wastes from oil palm biomass such as empty fruit …

Development Of Spiritual Intelligence Model For Adolescents In Malaysia / Shamsiah Banu Mohamad Hanefar, Mohamad Hanefar Shamsiah Banu

Student Works (2010-2019)

Education in Malaysia is undergoing a transformation period from knowledge based education to value based (holistic) education which is being clearly objectified in the National Philosophy of Education (NPE), but there is a gap between the current practices in our education industry with the NPE. Many social problems among adolescents are being reported that are alarming and could be the hindrance factor for Malaysia in achieving its Vision 2020. This study is focused on developing a spiritual intelligence model for adolescents (SIMA) in Malaysia with the objectives to identify the need for designing the model, to develop the SIMA from …