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Rhodococcus Opacus Pd630 Genetic Tool Development To Enable The Conversion Of Biomass, Drew Michael Delorenzo

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The discovery of fossil fuels facilitated a new era in human history and allowed many firsts, such as the mass production of goods, the ability to travel and communicate long distances, the formation of population dense cities, and unprecedented improvements in quality of life. Alternative sources of energy and chemicals are needed, however, as hydrocarbon reserves continue to deplete and the effects of burning fossils on the planet become better understood. Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant raw material in the world and a viable alternative to petroleum-derived products. The pre-treatment of lignocellulose (e.g., thermocatalytic depolymerization, enzymatic hydrolysis, pyrolysis, etc.) …

A Microfluidic Platform To Investigate The Mechanism By Which Gdnf Overexpression In Schwann Cells Causes Neuronal Axon Entrapment, Ze Zhong Wang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Twenty million Americans suffer from peripheral nerve injury (PNI) caused by trauma and medical disorders, with approximately $150 billion spent in annual health-care dollars in the United States. Even with proper surgical reconstruction, less than 50% of the patients achieve satisfactory functional recovery. The gold standard surgical repair for long gaps (>3cm) is the autologous nerve graft, despite its disadvantages such as donor site morbidity, risk of infection, and increased cost. Alternative methods, such as acellular nerve grafts (ANA), are ineffective for large lesion gaps because of the lack of cells and regeneration factors. Recent efforts have been focused …

The Role Of Multi-Charged Responses: Construction And Application Of A Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (Tdma), Christopher Ray Oxford

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Atmospheric aerosols impact health outcomes, visibility, and the energy balance of the earth. The atmosphere contains a variety of compounds, and the volatility (phase change enthalpy and vapor pressure) of each compound determines its partitioning between the gas phase and the particle phase. The hygroscopicity (an aerosol’s affinity for water) of an atmospheric aerosol particle is determined by the many compounds present in the particle, and thus, the volatility impacts hygroscopicity. Changes in hygroscopicity alter the fraction of the aerosol deposited in the lungs and the fraction of the aerosol activated into cloud droplets. Thus, understanding the volatility and hygroscopicity …

Structural And Tissue-Level Adaptations Of Lumbar Intervertebral Discs In Humans With Inducible Low Back Pain Symptoms, Christian Isaiah Weber

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Low back pain (LBP) is a devastating musculoskeletal ailment that impacts majority of the global population. Up to 95% of cases are considered nonspecific where the origin is unclear. Although there is a diagnosis with these cases, there lacks specificity that would help individuals with treatment and pain management. Imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are primarily utilized in the diagnosis of LBP as it illuminates internal structures of the spine. One important structure clearly identified with MRI is the intervertebral disc (IVD) that is susceptible to injury and disease. Further, diagnostic imaging is performed lying down where …

Wheelchair Propulsion For Everyday Manual Wheelchair Users: Repetition Training And Machine Learning-Based Monitoring, Pin-Wei Chen

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Upper limb pain and injuries are prevalent among manual wheelchair users and can restrict their participation and daily activities. Due to the high repetition and force in wheelchair propulsion, chronic wheelchair propulsion has been linked to the risk of upper limb pain and injury. Prevention of upper limb pain and injury is a high priority in wheelchair-related research. Decades of research in wheelchair propulsion biomechanics have led to clinical practice guidelines (CPG). Unfortunately, a decade after the publication of the CPG, CPG-recommended propulsion is still uncommon. Hence, for the first aim, a randomized controlled trial pilot study with two groups …

Transcriptional Regulation Of Adipose Tissue Development By Pexrap And Med19, John Dean

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Targeting adipose tissue function to decrease adiposity and improve insulin sensitivity could treat obesity and diabetes. How the nuclear receptor PPARγ regulates the development of two functionally distinct types of adipose tissue, brown and white fat (BAT and WAT), as well as the browning of white fat, remains unclear. Our previous studies suggest that PexRAP, a peroxisomal lipid synthetic enzyme, regulates PPARγ signaling and white adipogenesis.Here, we show that PexRAP is an inhibitor of brown adipocyte gene expression. PexRAP inactivation promoted adipocyte browning, increased energy expenditure, and decreased adiposity. Identification of PexRAP-interacting proteins suggests that PexRAP function extends beyond its …

Crip Time In Fin-De-Siècle Spain: Disability, Degeneration, And Eugenics, Erika Rodriguez

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

A period of intense nation-building, the late nineteenth century was marked by the search for medical and legal solutions to the increasing number of bodies that did not align with culturally constructed expectations of productivity and reproduction in Spanish modernity. Authors of this time used representations of disability to engage in urgent political questions about population control and the rights of individuals in the face of increasing medical intervention. In carrying out this analysis, I raise the question of how representations of disability created a space to reconfigure the social values that determined what lives matter. Focusing on canonical realist …

Generation And Utilization Of Diverse Memory B Cells After Flavivirus Challenges, Rachel Wong

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Over the course of an effective immune response to an infection, two distinct B cell populations are generated to provide protection against reinfection, long-lived plasma cells (LLPCs) and memory B cells (MBCs). LLPCs and MBCs originate from germinal center (GC) B cells that have undergone B cell receptor (BCR) affinity maturation through iterative rounds of somatic hypermutation, proliferation, and selection. Thus, LLPCs and MBCs can bind to their antigen with higher affinity than their naïve B cell precursors. LLPCs constitutively secrete antibodies and can provide sterilizing immunity that pre-exists subsequent infections. MBCs, on the other hand, are quiescent and provide …

Development And Application Of Mass Spectrometry-Based Protein Footprinting In Structural Proteomics, Ming Cheng

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Integral mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as an important tool for protein structural characterization. It readouts are a broad range of structural information, including stoichiometry, interactions, conformations and conformation change, and dynamics. Protein footprinting is a pivotal component in the intergral MS toolkit.My dissertation centers around the development and application of protein footprinting to characterize protein structure. It is divided into seven chapters.Chapter 1 serves as the introduction for integral mass spectrometry in structural proteomic.In Chapter 2, we extended the fast-photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP) platform by adding the trifluoromethyl radical (•CF3) as a new reagent. We discovered that •CF3 …

Genomic Contributors To Individual Differences In Reward-Related Neural Activity, Lindsay Jane Michalski

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Aberrant reward-related behavior, including impulsive and risk-taking behaviors, is a common feature of externalizing psychopathology (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and substance-use disorders). Through imaging studies, these behaviors have been linked to dysregulated reactivity within a diffuse reward-related corticostriatal neural network, including the striatum, frontal regions (namely orbital, ventromedial, and dorsolateral cortices), the insula, and the hippocampus. Because variability in risk-taking behavior and related psychopathology is moderately-to-largely heritable (i.e., with estimates ranging from 40 – 80%), a genetically-informed approach is well-positioned to provide valuable insight into the etiology of reward-related neural and behavioral phenotypes that characterize externalizing …

Group E: Improved Greens Harvester, Paige Grittner, Paul Harding, Ned Curran, Jennifer Mata

Mechanical Engineering Design Project Class

The Improved Greens Harvester is a project designing an improved machine that will be used to harvest crops by our client, EarthDance Organic Farm School in Ferguson, MO. The goal of our design was to provide a simple, easy-to-use, and easyto-fix machine that would cut and collect baby green leaves as the user walks along the plant bed. We first sought to address issue with the client’s current machine including low cutting accuracy, strain on the user’s body, frequent jamming, and low efficiency. Our initial design was a cart design that included: an oscillating blade for cutting, a rotating rope-shaft …

Galena Creek Bridge Structural Health Monitoring Instrumentation And Modeling, Leopold Falkensammer

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Structural health monitoring (SHM) of an instrumented structure provides numerous benefits when assessing the long-term condition of the structure against degradation, or the short-term condition after an extreme event, such as an earthquake. The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) has an interest in expanding the use of SHM for such assessments. Accordingly, the objective of the current study is to develop and implement a permanent SHM system for the Galena Creek Bridge, the largest concrete cathedral arch bridge in the world, to monitor its response to routine traffic and seismic activity. Completed in 2012, the bridge connects Reno and Carson …

Consequences Of Math Anxiety And Stereotype Threat: An Intersectional Perspective, Jennifer E. John Buck

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Individuals with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills are highly valued for their contribution to the U.S. workforce and society. However, women and some people of color enter STEM fields at lesser rates than do White men. Math anxiety and stereotype threat have been found to cause math performance decrements for women and some people of color. Presently, it is not clear how math anxiety and stereotype threat might work together to dually influence math performance and subsequent STEM participation. The current study focuses on a diverse sample of 295 undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to one of …

Effect Of Bundled Payments As A Care Improvement Initiative On Hospital Care Of Total Joint And Sepsis: A Perspective On Organizational Effectiveness, Pearl Kim

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study investigates the potential impact of the Bundled Payments for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative from Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services on hospital performance and behavior related to effectiveness and efficiency. The BPCI is under the Affordable Care Act and provides hospitals with a fixed amount of reimbursement for a total episode of care. Building on the agency theory, I argue that the BPCI initiative has the potential to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of hospital care. This quasi-experimental study examines the changes in hospital care outcomes of patients with replacement of the lower extremity or sepsis in BPCIparticipating …

Visually Impaired Access To Library Services: The Role Of Library Infrastructure, Paulina Kwafoa

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Globally it is estimated that there are 285 million persons living with some sort of vision related difficulties. In Ghana, about 737,743 Ghanaians living with disabilities (Ghana Statistical Service, 2012). The United Nations and other international organizations have always emphasized the importance making education and educational services accessible to all. In recent times, there have been advocates for inclusive education where children with disabilities have been educated together with ‘able bodied’ colleagues. The purpose of this study was to examine library infrastructure for the visually impaired in the public universities in Ghana. The study adopted both qualitative and quantitative …

Nurse-Driven Protocol To Reduce Urinary Catheter Infections: A Quality Improvement Project, Sara Burrington

Master's Projects and Capstones

Costs of healthcare are astronomical, not only in the financial sense, but in many aspects of life for both patients and healthcare providers. Costs include those accompanying healthcare associated infections (HAI), where as a result of environmental factors, a patient acquires an infection during their admission. Since 2008, Medicare and Medicaid no longer reimburse hospitals for infections deemed ‘reasonably preventable.’ The biggest offender of this type of HAI is overwhelmingly, catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) (Kennedy, Greene & Saint, 2013). With approximately 31% of the inpatient population requiring an indwelling catheter at some point throughout their stay, risk of …

Coulombic And Non-Coulombic Effects Of Single And Overlapping Electric Double Layers With Surface Charge Regulation, Raviteja Vangara

Chemical and Biological Engineering ETDs

The physical origin of charged interfaces involving electrolyte solutions is in the thermodynamic equilibrium between the surface reactive groups and certain dissolved ionic species in the bulk. This equilibrium is very strongly dependent on the precise local density of these species, also known as potential determining ions in the solution. The latter, however, is determined by the overall solution structure, which is dominated by the large number of solvent molecules relative to all solutes. Hence, the solvent contribution to the molecular structure is a crucial factor that determines the properties of electric double layers. Models that explicitly account for the …

Urinary Excretion Of Mimosine Derivatives By Cows With And Without Experience In Consumption Of Leucaena Leucocephala, N. E. Ruz-Ruiz, Eduardo G. Briceño-Poot, A. J. Ayala-Burgos, C. F. Aguilar-Pérez, Francisco J. Solorio-Sánchez, Luis Ramírez-Avilés, Juan C. Ku-Vera

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Leucaena leucocephala is a leguminous tree widely distributed in the tropical regions of the world. In Mexico, it has been incorporated into silvopastoral systems and is highly regarded, owing to its high content of crude protein. Nonetheless, L. leucocephala contains secondary metab-olites, such as mimosine, a non-protein free amino acid, which may induce toxic effects in unadapted ruminants that consume the forage (Hammond 1995). Although Synergistes jonesii, an anaerobic bacterium, has the ability to degrade 3,4-DHP and 2,3-DHP to non-toxic compounds (Allison et al. 1992), in Mexico its presence has not yet been confirmed. Recent work has suggested …

Urinary Excretion Of Mimosine Metabolites By Hair Sheep Fed Foliage Of Leucaena Leucocephala, L. M. Contreras-Hernández, N. E. Ruz-Ruiz, Eduardo G. Briceño-Poot, Luis Ramírez-Avilés, A. J. Ayala-Burgos, C. F. Pérez-Aguilar, Francisco J. Solorio-Sánchez, Juan C. Ku-Vera

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Leucaena leucocephala is an adapted legume widely distributed in the tropical regions of Mexico. The high crude protein content of leucaena leaves renders it appropriate for ruminant feeding under commercial conditions. However, the foliage contains the non-protein amino acid mimosine, which, if consumed in high amounts, may induce toxicity in animals which have not previously consumed the legume or without microorganisms capable of degrading mimosine and its derivatives 2,3-DHP (dihydroxypyridine) and 3,4-DHP (Hammond 1995, Palmer et al. 2010, Dalzell et al. 2012). Barros-Rodríguez et al. (2012) found that dry matter intake and weight gain were reduced when …

Status Of Animal Feed Resources In Rwanda, M. Mutimura, A. B. Lussa, J. Mutabazi, C. B. Myambi, R. A. Cyamweshi, C. Ebong

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Animal feed resources remain a major constraint for livestock development in tropical Africa. In Rwanda, grazing lands are shrinking sharply because crop cultivation is progressively encroaching on grazing areas with increasing human pressure (Mutimura and Everson 2011). Therefore, over 60% of households cultivating less than 0.7 ha, and owning livestock, practise zero-grazing, where farmers cut-and-carry forage and crop residues to feed animals that are kept exclusively under sheds (MINAGRI 2009). In general, the main feed for dairy cattle under a zero-grazing system is Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum). For more than a decade, efforts to improve the feed resource …

Leucaena Toxicity: A New Perspective On The Most Widely Used Forage Tree Legume, Michael J. Halliday, Jagadish Padmanabha, Chris S. Mcsweeney, Graham L. Kerven, H. Max Shelton

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The tree legume Leucaena leucocephala (leucaena) is a high quality ruminant feed, vitally important for livestock production in the tropics despite the presence of mimosine in the leaves. This toxic non-protein amino acid has the potential to limit productivity and adversely affect the health of animals. The discovery and subsequent distribution in Australia of the ruminal bacterium Synergistes jonesii as an oral inoculum was shown in the 1980s to overcome these toxic effects. However, recent surveys of the status of toxicity worldwide; improved understanding of the chemistry and mode of action of the toxins; new techniques for molecular sequencing; and …

The Formation Of Ecology And Economic Model Of The Minerals Complex In Globalization, Abduvali Isadjanov Dsc

The Light of Islam

The purpose of the research is considers a role of complex of mining industry in economy of Uzbekistan, problems of the formation of ecology and economic model of the minerals complex, influence of the complex of mining industry on the country’s economic development. In order to achieve the purpose the following tasks were set out: study of sustainable development of mineral complex of Uzbekistan; assessment of the current situation of mineral complex on the base of the systematic research of the influence of the factors of economic growth, modernization of production; assessment of the potential for perspective development of the …

A Comparison Of Some Of The Fatwas Issued By The Medical Affairs, Baxrom Mamadiyev Mr

The Light of Islam

In history and nowadays, in a constantly globalizing world, Islamic religion and medicine have provoked numerous heated debates, especially at critical moments in life and death, transplantation of human organs, abortion and other issues.

All Islamic law schools consider a woman’s life threat as an acceptable cause of abortion, and some allow abortion to preserve a woman’s health. Islam favors abortion under strict conditions, such as a risk to the mother’s life, a birth defect, and fetal deformity, or if pregnancy is the result of sin. Some ulema do not allow abortion to maintain a woman’s health.

An analysis of …

A Phenomenological Study Into How Early Childhood Educators Experience Gamification As An Employee Motivational Tool, Marlene C. Cooper

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore how early childhood educators (ECE) experience gamification as a motivational tool. The study was grounded in self-efficacy theory and used the transcendental phenomenological methodology to uncover the lived experiences of the participants. The researcher used questionnaires, journals, and interviews to gather data from respondents. The interview utilized open-ended questions to provide respondents the opportunity to give a detailed account of their shared experiences while operating the gamified technology used in their program. Data was collected from 8 ECE teachers working at a private preschool in a mid-Atlantic state. Participant accounts described a …

Building Literacy Skills In Preschoolers Through Play, Tami Jahnke

Graduate Teacher Education

Abstract

Research in the field of Early Childhood Education supports that young children learn best through play. Many schools in America have taken away play in classrooms and replaced it with academic-based, sedentary learning. The removal of play has resulted in young children displaying more challenging behaviors such as aggression, running, and impulsivity. One challenge facing early childhood educators today is finding ways to incorporate play-based learning in an increasingly academic-based system. This paper synthesized current research on the effects of play-based learning on the development of preschoolers and incorporating play-based teaching methods into literacy instruction for preschoolers. The studies …

Practice-Based Coaching And Early Childhood Professional Standards In A Diverse Field, Julie Betthauser

Graduate Teacher Education

Abstract

The field of early childhood education has long relied on professional development strategies to support teachers with varying degrees of education who enter the field from a variety of disciplines. Research indicated educators needed intensive and individualized professional development efforts that were integrated into daily practice (Rodgers, Kennedy, VanUitert, & Myers, 2019). Practice-based coaching has been used as a professional development strategy in early childhood classrooms to develop educators’ knowledge and skills in best practices for young children. Thirty-two empirical studies conducted since 2011 on the process, effectiveness, and assessment of practice-based coaching were reviewed to identify coaching components, …

City Of New Smyrna Beach Solar Feasibility Assessment, Florida Solar Energy Center, Charles Withers, Jr.

FSEC Energy Research Center®

At the request of the City of New Smyrna Beach, the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) assessed rooftop solar and building energy efficiency improvement potential for 17 city-owned facilities. The intent has been to assist City leaders in identifying opportunities to reduce the City's overall electricity consumption and increase its use of renewable energy.

The FSEC team conducted Level 1 energy audit activities and site assessments including:

On-site assessment

• Solar feasibility measurements and characterization including orientation, roof shading (adjacent structures, encroaching trees, etc.), available roof area, system output, annualized savings
• HVAC characterization
• Lighting survey
• Occupancy density, schedule, thermostat settings

Post …

Commencement Program 2019 December, Gcsu Special Collections

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

2019 Fall - Commencement Program, Office Of The Registrar, East Tennessee State University

ETSU Commencement Ceremonies and Programs

No abstract provided.

Estimating The Economic Impact Of Vacation Home Rentals In Florida, Robertico R. Croes, Manuel A. Rivera, Kelly J. Semrad, Jorge Ridderstaat, Valeriya Shapoval, Mehmet Altin

Dick Pope Sr. Institute Publications

This report takes an in-depth look at the economic impact of the Florida vacation rental home industry and its ripple effects across the state. It includes an estimate of the magnitude of the industry's impact on Florida's economy as well as profiles of the main stakeholders who generate this impact.

The report focuses on the economic impact of the vacation rental home industry in 25 Florida counties selected by the client, Florida Realtors® (Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin, Nassau, Duval, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, Lee, Collier, Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Orange, Osceola, Brevard, Volusia, and …