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Studies Of Air Pollutants And Their Impact On Respiratory And Cardiovascular Diseases In The El Paso Del Norte Region With Emphasis On Mobile Emissions, Juan Gustavo Arias Ugarte

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Air pollution may cause different diseases, such as cardiovascular and lung diseases. Traffic is a major source of mobile emissions causing air pollution. Exhaust emissions from mobile sources (Emissions of Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Oxides and Hydrocarbons) and Non-exhaust (Brake and Tire) are complex mixtures of gases and dust, including a large number of ultrafine particles, especially in areas with high traffic density. Recent studies have shown high rates of morbidity and mortality in people exposed to these types of emissions because the fine and ultrafine particles can be transported from the respiratory airways to the organs, thus contributing to increase …

Computational Methods For Prediction And Classification Of G Protein-Coupled Receptors, Khodeza Begum

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) constitute the largest group of membrane receptor proteins in eukaryotes. Due to their significant roles in many physiological processes such as vision, smell, and inflammation, GPCRs are the targets of many prescribed drugs. However, the functional and structural diversity of GPCRs has kept their prediction and classification based on amino acid sequence data as a challenging bioinformatics problem. As existing computational methods to predict and classify GPCRs are focused on mammalian (mostly human) data, the ultimate goal of our project is to establish an ensemble approach and implement a web-based software that can be used reliably …

Aquí Se Habla Español: Cultural Identity And Language In Post-World War Ii Puerto Rico, Joanna Marie Camacho Escobar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The following study seeks to understand the process in which language and culture were linked together in order to institutionalize Puerto Rican cultural nationalism. In the decades after 1898, Puerto Ricans went through a U.S.-imposed process of Americanization. What the U.S. originally had in mind was that Puerto Ricans would become American colonial subjects through U.S. control over the curriculum that made English the language of instruction in public schools. With a vague explanation from the U.S. of what Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans meant to the U.S. American nation, Puerto Ricans from various backgrounds debated Americanization practices. However, after …

Do Event Boundaries Influence Processing Of Concurrently Presented Information?, Omar Carrasco

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

During our everyday experiences, working memory representations of the current situation are updated at event boundaries, where meaningful perceptual or conceptual changes occur. These event boundaries lead to increases in perceptual processing, attention, activation of semantics and event schemas to generate a more accurate representation of what is currently happening. Previous literature has demonstrated that information embedded within an elapsing experience that is presented at event boundaries receives a processing advantage that leads to better memory for that information compared to information presented at non-boundary locations. However, it is not clear whether information presented concurrently but outside of the elapsing …

4-Nonylphenol Induces Neurodegeneration By Altering Cytoskeleton, Cynthia Carreon

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

4-nonylphenol (4-NP), an endocrine-disrupting compound (EDC), has been shown to affect brain development and may cause neurodegeneration. In the environment, 4-NP arises as a degradation product of alkylphenol polyethoxylates, compounds widely used as nonionic surfactants in commercial production, as well as in herbicides, pesticides, polystyrene plastics, and paints and has been shown to undergo a high level of accumulation in biological tissues. However, the mechanism by which 4-NP exerts its effect is not understood. Recent results from our laboratory indicate that Gβγ, an important component of the G protein-signaling pathway, induces neuronal outgrowth and differentiation by modulating microtubule (MT) assembly, …

Influence Of Overlay Thickness On Interface Bonding, Aliasghar Dormohammadi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Overlaying is an efficient and proven pavement preservation approach for flexible pavements. The overlay thickness varies from 1 in. to 4 in. depending on the conditions of the existing pavement, financial resources, etc. In the recent decade, financial constraints in conjunction with the push for pavement preservation, the overlay thickness is being reduced to less than an in. The ultra-thin overlay is a new cost-effective method that can be used to preserve functional pavement problems and provide satisfactory ride quality. Although studies have been conducted to evaluate pavement systems using numerical simulation, the research in the area of evaluating existing …

Ac Susceptibility And Epr Investigations Of Superspin Dynamics In Manganese Oxide Nanoparticles, Mahesh Koirala

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

We have investigated the superspin dynamics of 5 nm and 10 nm mixed state Mn3O4 nanoparticles utilizing ac-susceptibility and electron paramagnetic resonance measurements. The out of phase component of the ac-susceptibility measurements show a magnetic anomaly below (T

Gypsum, Calcite, And Dolomite Caprock Fabrics And Geochemistry From The Gypsum Valley Salt Diapir, Paradox Basin, Southwestern Colorado, Kevin Lerer

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Caprocks are found on top of or in a lateral position relative to salt diapirs. The caprocks predominantly comprise sulfate minerals such as anhydrite or gypsum, which presumably accreted during the dissolution of salt from evaporite sediments. In some cases, the sulfate minerals are replaced by carbonate minerals, referred to as "carbonate caprock". Carbonate caprocks associated with salt diapirs are important because they can act as reservoirs or conduits for hydrocarbons, and because they can be easily misidentified as carbonate lithologies belonging to the stratigraphy of the sedimentary sequences adjacent to the diapir, which can jeopardize the accurate interpretation of …

Identification And Characterization Of Tumor-Associated Antigens (Taas) And Anti-Taas Autoantibodies As Biomarkers In Immunodiagnosis Of Human Osteosarcoma By Serological Proteome Analysis (Serpa), Jitian Li

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common highly malignant primary solid bone-tumor. Despite its relatively low incidence rate among overall cancers, it remains one of the most harmful primary malignant tumors in childhood and adolescence. Although some tumor markers like mutant p53 can be potentially used as biomarker to detect OS, its extensive association with the clinical outcome is poorly understood. The establishment of a methodology to identify patient with early stage of OS remains to be investigated. It is now evident that serum autoantibodies against tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) could be used as serological cancer biomarkers in types of cancers, which …

Structural And Mechanical Characterization Of Nanocrystalline Tungsten And Tungsten-Based Alloy Thin Films For Extreme Environment Applications, Gustavo Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Extreme environments associated with nuclear applications often results in degradation of the physical, mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of the materials. Tungsten (W) exhibits unique physical and mechanical properties, which makes tungsten a good candidate for nuclear applications; however, intrinsic W exhibits low fracture toughness at all temperatures in addition to a high ductile to brittle transition. In the present work, nanocrystalline W, W-Y and W-Mo alloys were nanoengineered for nuclear applications. Nanocrystalline tungsten coatings with a thickness of ~1 µm were deposited onto Silicon (100) and Sapphire (C-plane) using RF and DC sputtering techniques under various growth conditions. Yttrium content …

Agent Of Social Capital: An Autoethnographic Study Of A First Time Superintendent, Juan I. Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This autoethnography analyzes how my experiences growing up on the Mexico-United States border influenced my superintendency. My particular focus was on my role as an agent of social capital for all students, including low-socioeconomic, at-risk and minority students. Collectively, over fifty percent of school-aged children in the United States are now from a minority ethnic group, of which Hispanic/Latino students constitute the vast majority. Research on academically successful minority students suggests that the social capital students receive from institutional agents at school expands opportunities for academic and lifelong success. Traditionally, however, institutional agents are teachers, counselors, and social workers, not …

Evaluation Of Cryptic Sulfur Cycling In Marine Sediments, Michael Ngari Mathuri

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Despite the importance of marine sediments as a carbon sink and many efforts to integrate microbiological with geochemical and geological data, the understanding of microbial organic carbon mineralization processes in marine sediments remains incomplete. There is growing evidence for the existence of an unrecognized oxidative sulfur cycling (cryptic sulfur cycling) above, within and below of the main sulfate reduction zone. For example, sulfate exists in supposedly sulfate-free methanogenic marine sediments from the Aarhus Bay and Black Sea. This implies that sulfur cycling is an ongoing process in the deep biosphere. Quantification of cryptic sulfur cycling is a major challenge because …

New Black Boxes: Technologically Mediated Intercultural Rhetorical Encounters On The U.S.-Mexico Border, Beau Scott Pihlaja

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Activity theory (AT) and actor-network theory (ANT) as theoretical frameworks begin their analysis of the world with the concept of "actors" engaged in activity towards some objective and with other actors in the human and non-human world. In this project, I use AT and ANT to analyze the mediating effect of communication technologies in intercultural rhetorical contexts, in this case a binational small business, and address two questions: 1.) How do common communication technologies (email, phone, IM chat, texting applications) define and transform intercultural rhetorical encounters? And 2.) How do individuals rhetorically engage perceived cultural others using common communication technologies …

Report Card On Sustainable Natural Resource Use In The Rangelands: Status And Trend In The Pastoral Rangelands Of Western Australia, Department Of Agriculture And Food, Western Australia

Books & book chapters

This report card provides a regional overview of the status and trend of the natural resource base of the pastoral rangelands in Western Australia (WA). It covers the pastoral lease areas of the 2.2 million square kilometres of rangelands in WA (87% of the state). Pastoral leases cover 857 833km² or 40% of the rangelands, based on active leases as at June 2016.

The drivers of change in the rangelands — seasonal quality, grazing pressure and fire — interact and their effect is expressed in the condition and trends of natural resources used in pastoralism. The natural resource themes …

Characterization Of The Immune Stimulating Properties Of Type Iii Secretion System Needle Protein Bscf From Bordetella Pertussis: Towards The Development Of A New Acellular Pertussis Vaccine, Travis Douglas Alvine

Theses and Dissertations

Despite widespread vaccination, Bordetella pertussis, the causative agent of whooping cough, is still a threat to global health. One cause of pertussis reemergence observed in many countries is ineffective immunity generated by the current acellular pertussis (aP) vaccines. Interestingly, recent studies have shown that TLR stimulating agents can enhance aP vaccine induced immunity. Type III secretion (T3S) system needle proteins from many gram-negative bacteria have been shown to be strong TLR agonists that induce NF-B/AP-1 signaling and promote inflammatory cytokine release from innate cells in vitro. In this study, we investigated the immune modulating properties of BscF, a purified T3S …

A Phenomenological Study Of Bullying Experienced By Graduate Students And Faculty Through The Lens Of Power, Anne Bodensteiner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of graduate students and faculty members who experienced bullying as a result of their role in higher education. Phenomenological exploration of this topic involved interviews with 14 participants; seven graduate students and seven faculty members. Power as described by Foucault (1994) was used as theoretical framework for this research. Findings from the study revealed institutions of higher education exploit power through differentiation, institutionalization, instrumental modes, types of objectives, and rationalization. Age, gender, life experiences, and positional rank were differentials found between the subject and aggressor. Institutionalization was expressed through …

Investigating Cloud Condensation Nuclei Activity And Particle Growth Of Aging Diesel Exhaust Particles, Humphrey Chigozie Chukwuto

Theses and Dissertations

Soot particles are an essential atmospheric constituent because of their effects on human

health, regional and global climate. The impact of soot on climate and human health depends on

their ability to interact with water vapor. Freshly emitted soot particles are hydrophobic but the

chemical and physical transformations (aging) they undergo while airborne can make them hydrophilic

enough to retain water and act as nuclei for cloud formation. The aging of soot is a

complicated process and represents a significant uncertainty in quantifying the net radiative forcing

of soot particles. In this study, the cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) activity and …

Special And General Education Partners Co-Teaching Through The Structural Lens Of Complexity Theory, Shirley Ann Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Inclusive education is one of the most complex and demanding reforms in schools today. How school systems are structured may account for the many difficulties schools are having in strengthening, sustaining, and expanding inclusive education. Co-teaching is an instructional delivery method that offers a promising practice towards successful inclusive education. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to examine the perspectives of co-teachers actively engaged in expanding the practice of co-teaching to help leaders strengthen, sustain, and expand effective inclusive education for students with disabilities.

Complexity theory provided the theoretical framework to explore how the co-teachers interacted and self-organized when …

Study Of Two-Phase And Single-Phase Flow Behavior In Channels Of Sudden Area Change Using Experimental And Computational Approach, Ashish Pramod Kotwal

Theses and Dissertations

It is well recognized in continuum mechanics that the theoretical origination for single-phase flows fundamentally based on the beginning of field equations paraphrasing the conservation laws of mass, momentum, and energy. These equations are accompanied by the appropriate constitutive associations for thermodynamic state and energy transfer, which specify the thermodynamic and transport of a specific fundamental material. Nevertheless, the multi-phase flows equations derivation is, in general, considerably more convoluted than for single-phase flows. This is predominantly due to the presence of significant discontinuities of the fluid properties through the interfaces and complicated flow characteristics approximating the interfaces, separating the individual …

Functionalization Of Cyclopalladated Ligands Using Secondary Phosphines And Meta-Chloroperoxybenzoic Acid, Jonathan Kukowski

Theses and Dissertations

Cyclopalladation of organic ligands followed by reactions at the C–Pd bond with MPR2 (M = Li, K, or H) or other reagents (e.g. oxidants) is a desirable strategy for the synthesis of hemilabile bidentate ligands due to the large library of known cyclopalladated complexes (CPCs). This dissertation is composed of three projects on the functionalization of cyclopalladated ligands.

In the first study, a new method for (sp3)C–P bond formation using diphenylphosphine was studied. Conditions for the synthesis of aminophosphines were optimized for the reactions of dinuclear chloro-bridged (sp3)C–Pd CPCs and HPPh2. The best yields were obtained with 9 equivalents of …

Dual-Detachment: The Plight Of Young Black Males Alienated From Work And School, Tšooane Molapo

Theses and Dissertations

In looking at the plight of young Black males who drop out of school or leave school without adequate skills to compete in the local and global labor markets, scholarship has overemphasized the likelihood of this population’s entrance into the juvenile justice system. Hence, many studies of these males have concentrated on their schooling experiences in the school-to-prison pipeline. While of crucial importance, prison is not the only danger for these young men. In time, some young Black males do end up in the juvenile justice system, but some remain stuck between school and employment. I term this “dual-detachment”—youth neither …

Failure Analysis Of Rotating Equipment Using Vibration Studies And Signal Processing Techniques, Ashkan Nejadpak

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on failure analysis of rotating machines based on vibration analysis and signal processing techniques. The main objectives are: identifying machine’s condition, determining the faults specific response, creating methods to correct the faults, and investigating available statistical analysis methods for automatic fault detection and classification. In vibration analysis, the accelerometer data is analyzed in time and frequency domain which will determine the machine’s condition by identifying the characteristic frequencies of the faults. These fault frequencies are specific for each type of machine’s faults. Therefore, they are referred to as faults’ signatures. The most common faults of the rotating …

Lightcurve Study Of V-Type Asteroids, Matt Nowinski

Theses and Dissertations

A massive impact event on (4) Vesta is believed to have created the Vesta family of asteroids (Asphaug, 1997). The rotational characteristics of the Vesta family provide important clues about this event, including its timing, the make-up of the resulting debris, the subsequent migration of members of the family into Earth-crossing orbits, and the deposition of the Howardite-Eucrite-Diogenite meteorites on the Earth’s surface. This study conducted lightcurve measurements of ten Vp-type asteroids, drawn from an asteroid taxonomy defined by Carvano et al. (2010) and based on the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Moving Object Catalogue (MOC4). These measurements identified a …

Stigma And Restoration Of Civil Rights To Felons, Kimberly Paige Pithey

Theses and Dissertations

Millions of people in the United States are banned from basic civil rights including participation in voting, jury duty, applying for government assistance, and owning a firearm because they have had a felony conviction. There is limited research on attitudes regarding the restoration of civil rights to felons. This thesis uses Goffman’s theory of stigma to examine whether public support for the restoration of rights to felons is associated with knowledge of felony convictions and whether an individual knows someone with a felony conviction. This study used an online survey of college undergraduates (N = 362) to explore two hypotheses …

Developmental Factors And Maladjustment Indicators Of Specific Sexual Interests, Victoria Charlotte Mary-Rose Pocknell

Theses and Dissertations

Human sexual expression appears to be freer to vary past the need to procreate. This study explores the variability in the cues that elicit sexual arousal in the general population. It aims to better understand the developmental factors and negative outcomes of having a specific sexual interest. A sample (N = 1069) was gathered using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk in which participants indicated sexual interests based on themes: Age, Physical Appearance, Clothing, Power, Risk, and Extrapersonal. The results suggest significant effects of sex, age, and hypersexuality on sexual interests. Therefore, analyses were run separately for men and women and age and …

Immune Regulatory Mechanism And Myeloid Cells Functions In Brain Parasite Infection, Fredice Quenum Zangbede

Theses and Dissertations

Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is the most common parasitic infection of the central nervous system (CNS) caused by the helminth parasite Taenia solium (T. solium) and affects 50-100 million people worldwide. Its clinical symptoms include headache, seizures, hydrocephalus, epilepsy and stroke. These clinical symptoms can have life-long detrimental effects. As many as half of the total adult-onset seizures and 10% of the stroke cases in the endemic areas are attributed to NCC, whereas 20% to 30% of symptomatic patients display hydrocephalus. Treatment of NCC remains a major challenge as the severity of the symptoms is thought to be elicited by the degenerating …

Effect Of Bio-Binders On Binder And Mix Properties With High Rap Content, Rajib Chandra Saha

Theses and Dissertations

The use of Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) has significantly increased in construction and rehabilitation of flexible pavements to ensure proper utilization of limited natural resources. Recycling also provides a greater environmental benefits and energy conservations. It saves the lands from being the dumping site, conserves energy, and reduces the emission of greenhouse gases. But high RAP in the HMA mix increases the stiffness and may result in cracking. Bio-binders could reduce the stiffness of binder and mixes with high RAP content. Two oils, namely Waste Cooking Oil (WCO), and Soy Oil are potential sources of bio-binder that are abundant and …

Quantification Of Lignin Hydroxyl Containing Functional Groups Via 31p{1h} Nmr Spectroscopy And Synthesis Of Lignin Degradation Standards, Joshua E. Schumaker

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this thesis is on the structural characterization of lignin, a complex phenol-based heteropolymer. In the first part of the study, functionalization of lignin and its known degradation products by 2-chloro-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3,2-dioxaphospholane (TMDP) and analysis by 31P NMR spectroscopy was investigated. Chemical shifts of derivatized alcohols, phenols, and carboxylic acids were determined that allowed for qualitative characterization of lignin. This approach was further applied for the quantitative analysis of OH-containing groups present in lignin employing the internal standard. Lignin samples, fractionated by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) based on molecular weights, were derivatized by TMDP and characterized by 31P NMR …

Impacts Of Cattail Management Techniques On Plant, Bird, Amphibian, And Invertebrate Communities In Shallow Wetlands Of Northwestern Minnesota, Joshua John Bruggman

Theses and Dissertations

Wetlands in the United States have been considered both an impediment to progress and a valuable asset for ecosystem services. As a result, rapid loss and degradation of wetlands has occurred and many attempts to protect and restore wetlands are now occurring. However, invasive species continue to challenge wetland management efforts. Cattails (Typha spp.) are invasive plants that can dominate a wetland once they become established. There are two species of cattails in the Northern Great Plains, broad-leaf (Typha latifolia) and narrow-leaf (Typha angustifolia) cattail. These two species can cross to produce a robust, hybrid cattail (Typha x glauca) that …

Determining Glacier Drift Ages Using Multispectral Remote Sensing Data, Paula Crock

Theses and Dissertations

Determining the ages of glacier drifts in Antarctica can help paleoclimatologists determine

the changes Earth’s climate has gone through and thereby inform models for future climate

change prediction. However, many of these drifts are difficult to reach for sample collection

necessary to determine their ages. This research attempts to use multispectral remote sensing

data to expand the mapping of drift ages from known point measurements regionally. This

research is based on existing drift ages from Ong Valley, Transantarctic Mountains. Two

methods were used to determine a combination of the image band data that would sufficiently

distinguish the three age-distinct drift …