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2016

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On The Origin Of Modern Horse Breeds From Four Distinct Subspecies Of Equus Caballus, Margaret Turkish Brady Jan 2016

On The Origin Of Modern Horse Breeds From Four Distinct Subspecies Of Equus Caballus, Margaret Turkish Brady

Biological Sciences

Although the evolution and domestication of the horse has been extensively studied, many mysteries remain. No other animal has been as influential on the development of human societies and cultures as the horse. Horses have been used for milk, meat transportation, riding, plowing, transportation of goods, and recreation. Over the course of the domestication of the horse, specific traits were selected for or against depending on the intended use of the animal. A variety of types of horses appeared in different regions of the world and it has been theorized that several indigenous subspecies of wild horses were used to …

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Structural Studies Of Becn1, A Key Autophagy Protein, And Intrinsically Disordered Regions In Autophagy Proteins, Yang Mei Jan 2016

Structural Studies Of Becn1, A Key Autophagy Protein, And Intrinsically Disordered Regions In Autophagy Proteins, Yang Mei

Cellular and Molecular Biology

Autophagy, a conserved catabolic process required for cellular homeostasis in eukaryotes, is regulated by many proteins. The central goal of my doctoral research is to investigate conformational flexibility of autophagy proteins, with a special focus on BECN1, a core component of the class III phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase autophagosome nucleation complex that may serve as an autophagy interaction hub. Our rigorous bioinformatics analysis predicts that 57% of 59 key human autophagy proteins contain intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs), which lack stable secondary and tertiary structure. The prevalence of IDRs suggests that IDRs play an important, yet hitherto uninvestigated, role in autophagy. We confirm …

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Historical And Modern Hard Red Spring Wheat Comparison: Analysis Of Proximate, Enzyme Activity, Phenolic Acid, And Starch Properties, Catherine Suzanne Schwebach Jan 2016

Historical And Modern Hard Red Spring Wheat Comparison: Analysis Of Proximate, Enzyme Activity, Phenolic Acid, And Starch Properties, Catherine Suzanne Schwebach

Cereal Science

Some claim modern wheat is biochemically different from historic wheat and contributes to chronic diseases. This research was necessary to determine if any significant differences existed between historic and modern hard red spring (HRS) wheat in several physical and chemical components. Thirty HRS cultivars were grown in the same year and location and underwent laboratory analysis. In relation to release year, significant (P<0.05) differences were found for ash content (AC), phosphorous, potassium, zinc, arabinose-to-xylose ratio, enzyme activities, and phenolic acids in whole wheat, AC, and α-amylase and xylanase activities in white flour, and total starch in bread. The remaining parameters displayed no significant (P>0.05) differences in correlation to release year, including starch digestibility. The majority of results indicate no significant biochemical variations between the historic and modern HRS cultivars. Parameters that demonstrated differences have the potential to affect consumer health …

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Phenolic Antioxidant-Linked Bioactive Enrichment In Black Beans (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) To Screen For Health Benefits And Enhancement Of Salinity Resilience, Jordan Orwat Jan 2016

Phenolic Antioxidant-Linked Bioactive Enrichment In Black Beans (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) To Screen For Health Benefits And Enhancement Of Salinity Resilience, Jordan Orwat

Cereal Science

Dietary consumption of black bean has diverse human health benefits which can be targeted as part of dietary strategies for chronic disease management. A gap in knowledge currently exists regarding how to advance the efficient production of black bean under abiotic stress conditions with the potential to simultaneously enrich human health-relevant bioactives in harvested beans. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the effects of seed and foliar elicitation treatments on metabolic regulation and health-relevant bioactive markers in dark-germinated sprouts and field-grown black beans using in vitro assays. Further, a study was designed to evaluate the combined effects of salinity stress, …

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Late Transition Metal-Catalyst Development For Alkyne Coupling Reactions, Rajith Singh Manan Jan 2016

Late Transition Metal-Catalyst Development For Alkyne Coupling Reactions, Rajith Singh Manan

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Alkynes are versatile and valuable synthetic precursors in a variety of organic transformations and have found tremendous applications in materials science and pharmaceutical chemistry. In recent years, there has been a tremendous growth in the development of transitionmetal catalyzed organic transformations by alkynes coupling reactions such as ring constructions (carbocycles and heterocycles), hydroarylation and hydroamination. This thesis describes the development of new transition metal catalyst for alkyne coupling reactions. The results are highlighted by chemoselective coupling between internal alkynes and N-H aromatic ketimines to synthesize indenamine, dihydroisoquinoline, and 2-aza-1,3-butadiene derivatives. Chapter 1 introduces background for alkyne coupling reactions towards hydrometalation, …

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Ligand Binding And Catalysis In Selected Sirtuin Isozymes, Junru Yu Jan 2016

Ligand Binding And Catalysis In Selected Sirtuin Isozymes, Junru Yu

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Due to their intimate roles in survival, longevity as well as pathogenesis via “epigenetic” and “metabolic” regulatory mechanisms, sirtuins have gained considerable interest toward undertaking detailed biochemical/biophysical studies. The present study was designed to ascertain the mechanistic details of ligand binding and catalysis in selected sirtuin isozymes (viz., SIRT1 and SIRT5) from the point of view of designing isozyme selective inhibitors as potential therapeutics. By screening of the in-house synthesized compounds, two barbiturate derivatives were identified as the SIRT5 selective inhibitors. These, along with some of known inhibitors of SIRT1 and SIRT5, namely, MH5-75, nicotinamide, suramin were investigated by a …

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Structural Studies Of The Mechanism By Which Bcl-2 And Beclin Proteins Regulate Autophagy And Apoptosis, Minfei Su Jan 2016

Structural Studies Of The Mechanism By Which Bcl-2 And Beclin Proteins Regulate Autophagy And Apoptosis, Minfei Su

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Autophagy and apoptosis are catabolic pathways essential for homeostasis in all eukaryotes. While autophagy usually promotes cell-survival by enabling degradation and recycling of damaged macromolecules, apoptosis is the canonical programmed cell death pathway. Dysfunction of autophagy and apoptosis is implicated in diseases like cancers, cardiac disease, and infectious disease. Beclin homologs are key for autophagy as they are core components of class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase autophagosome nucleation and maturation complexes. Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2s inhibit apoptosis through binding and antagonizing pro-apoptotic Bcl-2s. Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2s also down-regulate autophagy by binding to the Bcl-2 homology domain 3 (BH3D) of Beclin homologs, thereby enabling crosstalk …

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Photons In Action: Asymmetric Synthesis And Polymer Degradation, Ramya Raghunathan Jan 2016

Photons In Action: Asymmetric Synthesis And Polymer Degradation, Ramya Raghunathan

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Light is an environmentally benign and renewable source of energy that finds wide application in the field of science. This dissertation explores two areas of chemistry that utilizes light extensively viz., asymmetric phototransformations and photodegradation of polymers. Phototransformation is an elegant method to construct structurally complex and diverse organic scaffolds. However, controlling the excited state in phototransformation to manipulate its stereochemical outcome is a challenge. This dissertation discloses a unique method employing atropisomeric chromophore to tackle asymmetric induction from the excited state. Photodegradation is a safe method to breakdown polymers that pose huge environmental and ecological concerns. Apart from designing …

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The Role Of Algal Species On Phosphorus Bioavailability In Secondary Wastewater Effluents, Mitchell Thomas Swanson Jan 2016

The Role Of Algal Species On Phosphorus Bioavailability In Secondary Wastewater Effluents, Mitchell Thomas Swanson

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Phosphorus (P) is a limiting nutrient responsible for the eutrophication of surface waters and marine coasts. Wastewater treatment technologies are being stressed to achieve low P effluents and national effluent P limits are expected in the coming years. This research investigates how different algae, as individual species and a mixed culture, utilize bioavailable phosphorus (BAP) when examined by the standard algal species Raphidocelis subcapitata along with Chlorella vulgaris and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii as additional test species. It also investigates how different P-species contribute to BAP using the standard algal species. Results show there is no significant difference in %(BAP/total dissolved P) …

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Valuation Of Licensing Agreements In Agriculture Biotechnology, Jason Churchill Jan 2016

Valuation Of Licensing Agreements In Agriculture Biotechnology, Jason Churchill

Agribusiness and Applied Economics

As demand for agricultural commodities expands throughout the world, competitors are finding it advantageous to form strategic partnerships. Firms seek to collaborate in an organized effort to advance technology as quickly as possible. This thesis develops a discounted cash flow model embedded with real options and Monte Carlo simulation to value the most common rights, restrictions, and options found in agriculture biotechnology license agreements. Due to the complexity and uncertainty involved in the incubation of new technology, the incorporation of flexibility provided through real options is paramount to the analysis. Implications from changes in critical variables are analyzed as to …

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A Chronosequence Of Scale-Dependent Vegetation And Soil Properties On A Surface Coal Mine Over 40 Years Of Reclamation, Stefanie Bohrer Jan 2016

A Chronosequence Of Scale-Dependent Vegetation And Soil Properties On A Surface Coal Mine Over 40 Years Of Reclamation, Stefanie Bohrer

Range Science

Surface coal mining has taken place in North Dakota for many decades. Upon the mining process, the mined lands need to be reclaimed to a better state than pre-mining. The reclamation process is a timely and costly procedure. Currently, most reclamation strategies focus only on above ground biomass. Our research entailed two different studies, the first looking into vegetative species composition and canopy cover of reclaimed mine lands, and the second focuses on belowground properties affected by soil compaction over a 40 year reclamation gradient. Species composition and canopy cover did not increase over 40 years (p> 0.05). Soil compaction …

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Quantification And Characterization Of Particulate Matter Generated From Unpaved Roads In The Oil Development Area Of Western North Dakota, Sumon Datta Jan 2016

Quantification And Characterization Of Particulate Matter Generated From Unpaved Roads In The Oil Development Area Of Western North Dakota, Sumon Datta

Agribusiness and Biosystems Engineering

Western North Dakota, USA is experiencing particulate matter (PM) emissions, especially coarse (PM10) and fine (PM2.5), due to heavy traffic on unpaved roads from rapid oil development. Particulate matters may affect human and animal health, as well as soil quality. Thus, the purpose of this research was to quantify and characterize PM. Particulate matter samples were collected using miniVOL™ portable air samplers in the pre-conditioned quartz filters which were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Electron Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS). The pooled average PM¬10 concentrations varied between 30.84 ± 14.19 to 70.42 ± 38.37 µg/m3 and PM2.5 concentrations varied between 14.08 …

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Does Beef Inclusion In A Modern American Diet Influence Risk Factors For Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders Via A Swine Biomedical Model, Alexis Michelle Siomka Jan 2016

Does Beef Inclusion In A Modern American Diet Influence Risk Factors For Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders Via A Swine Biomedical Model, Alexis Michelle Siomka

Animal Sciences

Using swine as a model for humans, this study was conducted to determine if replacing the sugar present in the average American diet (SUG) with ground beef (GB) would alter developmental body composition, onset of puberty, and risk factors for obesity-related metabolic disorders. Twenty-four Berkshire gilts of common age and sire line were obtained at weaning, assigned to one of two dietary treatments (SUG vs. GB), and pair-fed at an average of 3.7 % body weight for 93 d. Over time, GB gilts had superior body weight gain (P < 0.01), larger cross-sectional longissimus muscle area (P < 0.0001), less subcutaneous fat depth (P = 0.0005), and greater percentage lean body mass (P < 0.0001) than SUG. Reproductive tracts were prepubertal across treatments; however, follicular development was observed in GB gilts. Sodium, hematocrit, hemoglobin, and insulin-like growth factor 1 were higher and ionic calcium lower for GB compared to SUG gilts.

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Counterfeit Industry And The Link To Terrorism, Holly Barbara Holt Jan 2016

Counterfeit Industry And The Link To Terrorism, Holly Barbara Holt

Apparel Design and Hospitality Management

The purpose of this research study is to explore whether consumers would be complicit in the purchase of counterfeit goods once becoming aware of the counterfeit industry being linked to terrorism. Counterfeit goods are defined as identical copies of authentic products and they are produced without the permission of the registered owner (Carpenter & Lear, 2011). Almost any product can be counterfeited from clothing, shoes, jewelry, handbags and even medicines. Counterfeit products are sold at a fraction of the cost of the authentic product. This study identifies the ‘why’ to consumer complicity to purchase the counterfeit items. There are legalities …

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