Anthropology, Archaeology

This study examines the role of prehistoric subsistencechange and its impact upon settlement systems in EasternKentucky. Eastern Kentuckys rockshelters are well-known for theirpreservation of normally perishable organic plant remains.Archaeobotanical remains from rockshelter contexts have played akey role in the establishment of the region as an independentcenter of agricultural origins. By 4,000 to 3,000 years beforethe present (B.P.), prehistoric populations along the westernedge of the Appala...

History, Latin American

This dissertation considers the question of Jewishethnic politics in Argentina under the Peronist regime from1946-1955. Like other Latin American populists, Peron combined acorporatist conception of the state with ideals of populardemocracy and social mobilization throughout most of his firsttwo terms as President of Argentina. As such, his regimeattempted to integrate a number of traditionally excluded groups,including Argentina

History, European

Over the course of Louis XIV s fifty-four year reign(1661-1715), Western Europe witnessed thirty-six years ofconflict. Siege warfare figures significantly in this accounting,for extended sieges quickly consumed short campaign seasons andprevented decisive victory. The resulting prolongation of warsand the cost of besieging dozens of fortresses with tens ofthousands of men forced "fiscal-military" states to continue toelevate short-term financial considerations above long-termpolitical ...

The Sec complex is the major translocase to mediatemembrane protein insertion in bacteria, but there exists someproteins whose insertion is independent of the Sec complex. Inyear 2000, YidC was discovered that is essential for insertion ofproteins into membranes in bacteria, especially for theSec-independent proteins. Chapter 1 is an in-depth review aboutYidC in membrane protein assembly. In Chapter 2, we found YidCinteracts with leader peptidase during its membrane insertionusing crosslinking t...

Economics, Theory

This dissertation is comprised of three essays inmonetary economics motivated by the lost decade of Japan, a longstagnation of the Japanese economy in the 90s.The first essay (Chapter 2) provides useful tools incharacterizing value functions of a certain class of dynamicoptimization problem, which are widely applicable to analyzingeconomic agent s decision making. I apply the tools developed inthe essay to characterize the optimal monetary policy whennominal interest rate is bounded by zero or n...

Biology, Genetics

Growth and carcass traits are economically importanttraits of beef cattle and are under the control of multiplegenes. Genetic markers for these candidate genes may be useful inmarker-assisted selection. Three genes, Pit-1, growth hormonereleasing hormone receptor (GHRH-R), and insulin-like growthfactor II (IGF-II), were analyzed in this study. Pit-1 is apituitary specific transcription factor and is able to positivelyregulate the expression of growth hormone, prolactin, andthyrotrophin b subunit...

The politics of fresh water in international contextsare becoming increasingly contentious. This study analyzes theeffects of development, demographics and ecological factors oninternational disputes over water. From a human ecology approach,I develop a model of water conflict that examines the extent towhich population growth and density, urbanization, water scarcityand degradation, social organization, inequitable distribution ofwater, social inequality, and trade affect the likelihood ofconfl...

This dissertation analyzes the public interestdiscourse that accompanies the implementation oftelecommunication institutional reforms in developing countries.Whereas previous research has focused on interpretations of thepublic interest concept by policymakers, this dissertationaddresses the point of view of consumers affected by suchreforms. Telecom reforms are often accompanied by officialdiscourse emphasizing benefits in price, quality of service, andaccess that consumers expect to receive; t...

The objective of this dissertation is to developcontrol and estimation methods for electric machines based onsliding mode control theory. Major attention is paid to two typesof AC machines, i.e. the induction machine (IM) and thesynchronous machine, including the permanent magnet synchronousmachine (PMSM). This choice may be explained by the fact that ACdrives are gradually superseding DC ones for many dynamic plantsin modern industrial applications. The mothod proposed in thisdissertation for b...

Bacillus thuringiensis mosquitocidal toxin Cry4Ba hasno significant natural activity against Culex quinquefasciatus orCx. pipiens (LC50 >80,000 ng/ml and LC50 >20,000 ng/ml,respectively). We introduced into Cry4Ba amino acid substitutionsto mimic the loop residues of domain II of Cry4Aa and created anengineered Cry4Ba toxin with high Culex toxicity (LC50 = 365ng/ml and LC50 = 95 ng/ml for Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx.pipiens, respectively). The mutant proteins were tested on 4differ...

Health Sciences, Nutrition

Although various factors are involved in the woundhealing process, malnutrition may be a major factor that can leadto tissue damage and delay wound healing. It is well known thatmalnutrition triggers compromised immune functions and decreasedantioxidant defense in many studies. Moreover, immune responseand antioxidant defense are critical facets of the inflammatorystage that can be the rate-limiting step of later stages of woundhealing. Thus, nutritional modulation of immune function andantioxid...

Chemistry, Organic

This dissertation comprises of two projects: Project Idescribes the synthesis of conjugates of L-fucose andortho-carborane as potential agents for Boron Neutron CaptureTherapy. Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is a form of binarycancer therapy that proposes the destruction of cancer cells bycompounds decorated with boron atoms. When such cells areirradiated with slow moving (thermal) neutrons, a nuclearreaction generates localized high-energy gamma radiation alongwith very short-lived Helium...

Developmental; Speech Communication

A considerable amount of speech research conducted overthe last five decades has attempted to explain how the humanperceptual system so accurately and efficiently perceives speech.Although scientists have made great strides toward understandingthe mechanisms of speech production and perception, the complexrelationships between the acoustic structures of speech and theresulting psychological percepts have yet to be fully andadequately explained. In particular, there is a limited amount ofknowledg...

Education, Early Childhood

This microethnography, situated within an interpretiveframework of qualitative, educational research, focuses on agroup of kindergartners in a large, urban city school system inthe Midwest as they co-construct a learning community with theirteacher/researcher. Using photographs, field notes,transcription, and multiple perspectives from teacher andchildren, a cycle of interpretation emerges that helps bothparties reflect on their community as it is co-constructed.Drawing on social constructivist ...

Research has also shown that the Office of theSolicitor General, the chief attorneys on behalf of the UnitedStates government, is significantly more successful before theCourt than the average attorney. This success may requiremodification of the current understanding of the decision-makingof the Supreme Court to include an element of influence outsidethe justices ideological preferences. Previous research hasfocused on the success of the Office of the Solicitor Generalwithout delving into wheth...

Environmental Sciences

The purpose of this study was to design a regulatorypolicy to solve a nonpoint source (NPS) water pollution problem,.Cost-sharing programs of various kinds have dominated NPS policysince the 1980

Biology, Genetics

The first objective of this study was to obtain(co)variance component estimates for reproductive traits of beefcattle. Heritabilities for insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I)concentration of three blood samples collected at d 28, 42, and56 of the 140-d postweaning test, which are abbreviated as IGF28,IGF42, and IGF56, espectively, and mean IGF-I were 0.32, 0.34,0.30, and 0.32, respectively. Heritabilities for scrotalcircumference, percent sperm motility, percent normal spermcells, age of heifers...

Education, Vocational

In spite of the growing interest in vocationalrehabilitation (VR) services for those with psychiatricdisabilities, there still remains a large group of individuals,those with a dual diagnosis (D2) of a psychiatric disability andcomorbid substance abuse problem, whose needs are not being metwithin the VR community. VR professionals are not prepared totreat the special needs of this group. Consequently, unemploymentfigures are likely to be even higher for those diagnosed with aD2. D2 is a large pr...

Engineering, Materials Science

As thin films are reduced in thickness, allotropicphase transformations to structures that are not the equilibriumphase in the standard state can be stabilized. These polymorphicphase transformations have been referred to as pseudomorphism.Many of these pseudomorphic phases have been serendipitouslydiscovered. For the first time, the use of a classicalthermodynamic model has been developed in the prediction of phasestability in Zr/Nb and Ti/Nb multilayered thin film structures.The classical ther...

Business Administration, General

The strategic use of management information systems(MIS) can convey competitive value. For this reason, it isimportant to understand which antecedents are associated withsystem success. By utilizing theoretical assumptions from severalfields: strategic management, MIS, and hospitality, this studydevelops a model of Restaurant Management Information System(RMIS) success for the foodservice industry. The purpose of thisstudy was to identify current information technology (IT) trendsin the foodserv...

Science

The goal of this dissertation was to study and develop hightemperature solid-state sensors for combustion based gases.Specific attention was focused on NOxgases (NO and NO2) as they are of significant importance with respect to theenvironment and the health of living beings.This work is divided into four sections with the firstchapter being an introduction into the effects of NOxgases and current regulations, followed by an introduction tothe field of high temperature NOxsensors and finally wher...

Five experiments were conducted to determine the effectof castration status, age at feedlot entry, and energyrestriction on protein and fat accretion in early-weaned cattle.Bulls in experiment 1 were heavier and had to stay in the feedlotlonger than implanted steers to achieve a similar fat depth.Bulls deposited intramuscular fat more favorably than steers,possibly due to a gradual increase in IGF-I concentration astesticles grew rather than the large fluctuations in IGF-Iconcentration observed ...

Atmospheric Science; Statistics

Current numerical weather prediction models experiencegreat difficulty in forecasting tropical cyclogenesis, primarilybecause of limitations of cloud parameterizations andobservations. Forecasters have also struggled with the problemsince they rely on the numerical models as an objective source ofinformation. This research was performed with the aim of fillingthe void of objective guidance for tropical cyclogenesis. A newdataset of cloud clusters is created through the examination ofinfrared (IR...

Economics, General

Residential time-of-use (TOU) rates have been inpractice in the U.S. since the 1970s. However, for institutional,political, and regulatory reasons, only a very small proportionof residential customers are actually on these schedules. In thisthesis, I explore why this is the case by empiricallyinvestigating two groups of questions. (1) On the "supply" side:Do utilities choose to offer TOU rates in residential sectors ontheir own initiative if state commissions do not order them to doso?...

Biology, Molecular

During Drosophila embryogenesis, tight coordinationbetween cell proliferation and terminal differentiation isrequired to ensure the proper formation of the nervous system.However, little is known regarding the mechanism coordinatingcell cycle proliferation and terminal differentiation. The maingoal of my research was to analyze the transcriptional regulationof the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (CKI) dacapo (dap) geneexpression during Drosophila melanogaster neurogenesis. dap isthe only ident...

Biology, Entomology

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and tall fescue(Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) contain symbiotic fungi(Neotyphodium spp.) that provide several ecological advantages tohost plants: enhanced resistance to drought, disease, and insectherbivory. The resistance to insect herbivory is the result offungus-produced alkaloids that are toxic to most herbivores.However, black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon, is a generalistherbivore that is able to feed and develop on endophyticperennial ryegrass. As some in...

Chemistry, Inorganic

PART I: Low valent, paramagnetic titanocene (Ti(III)) cyclicorganohydroborates Cp2Ti{(

; Health Sciences, Oncology

The Na+/I- symporter (NIS) is a membrane proteinmediating iodide uptake in thyrocytes. It can be upregulated bythyrotropin and facilitates 131I uptake in differentiated thyroidcancers (DTC) to ablate the tumors. Therefore, it has beenproposed that NIS expression in surgical samples may serve as apredictor for effectiveness of 131I therapy in DTC. However, itspredictive value can be compromised by the difference in serumthyrotropin levels between when surgical samples are obtained andwhen radioac...

What factors appear influential to U.S. decisions ofarmed humanitarian intervention and nonintervention? Utilizingthe

Chemistry, Organic

Synthetic methods have been used to assemblecarabasugar analogues of methyl alpha-D-arabinofuranoside andmethyl beta-D-arabinofuranoside. Through the use of NMRspectroscopy and ab initio molecular orbital and densityfunctional computational methods, we have probed the conformationof these molecules and showed that there are conformationaldifferences between these carbasugars and their glycosideparents. To gain a better understanding of computational studieson strongly hydrogen bonded systems, we...

Biology, Microbiology

Atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamine-6-isopropylamino-1,3,5triazine) is a commonly applied herbicide in corn fields.Although the fate of atrazine in agricultural systems has beenwell studied, the environmental fate of atrazine in wetlandsystems is less well characterized. The majority of research inthis area has focused on aerobic mineralization of atrazine,although anaerobic conditions are commonly found in wetlandsediments and bulk soils associated with agricultural fields. Thehypothesis for this w...

Political Science, General

One of the most important phenomena in contemporaryAmerican politics has been the development of the politicalChristian Right. Many scholars have made significantcontributions to our understanding of both the origin anddevelopment of the national movement and the unique situations inindividual states and their Republican parties. However, few havesought a theoretical explanation for the variation we see acrossstates. My dissertation develops and tests, using quantitativeand qualitative data, a t...

In this research, I explore the association betweennon-standard work hours and marital quality for dual-earnercouples with children. I focus on one main question: Do thenon-standard work hours of one spouse increase relationshipconflict and decrease positive relationship interaction? Iexamine this question critically by addressing a number ofadditional questions: 1) Do specific types of non-standard workhours make couples more vulnerable? 2) Do non-standard workschedules cause specific types of ...

The two piano sonatas of Carl Vine (b.1954) written in1990 and 1997, respectively, are an important contribution to thepiano literature. Marked by virtuosity, the sonatas utilize theentire range of the keyboard to express emotions varying fromquiet solitude to rhythmically charged exuberance.1 They alsopresents the pianist with technical difficulties and someinteresting use of the pedals. My intention in this document,after enjoying performance experience with the first sonata inparticular, is t...

Agriculture, General

Skeletal muscle myogenesis is a series of highlyorganized processes that are precisely regulated by the extrinsicenvironment of muscle cells. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2)involves in the regulation of myogenesis by stimulating cellproliferation but inhibiting differentiation. As the cell surfaceheparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG), syndecans and glypicans,are the low-affinity receptors of FGF2 and regulate the bindingof FGF2 to its high-affinity fibroblast growth factor receptors(FGFR), diff...

Health Sciences, Immunology

Human monocytes have an average lifespan of 24-72hours. In the absence of growth factors, such as MacrophageColony-Stimulating Factor (M-CSF), monocytes undergo apoptosis.Upon encountering M-CSF, monocytes undergo a series of cellularsignaling events, including phosphorylation of the M-CSF-Receptor(M-CSF-R) and the activation of Akt. However, the regulation ofthese events is not completely understood. Akt activation hasbeen linked to increased levels of PIP3 that occur as a result ofcellular act...

Chemistry, Physical

Alkoxy radicals were produced in a supersonic free-jetexpansion and probed via laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy.Over 20 alkoxy radicals containing from 3-12 carbon atoms wereinvestigated at moderate resolution by probing the B-X electronictransition to obtain vibrationally resolved spectra. Theinterpretation of these spectra in terms of serving as adiagnostic for detection and excited state vibrations and/ordifferent conformations is discussed. The diagnostics for thealkoxy radicals was f...

Physics, Condensed Matter

Small Josephson junctions are fascinating quantum systemswith numerous potential applications, especially in the stillinfant field of quantum computation. In the first part of thethesis, I have studied some of the quantum aspects of thesesystems. Specifically, I have investigated their interactionswith a resonant cavity, the Berry phase of a superconductingnanocircuit, and some properties of small Josephson junctionarrays. I found that at specific values of the gate voltage ofa Cooper pair box, ...

Psychology, Clinical

Concerns have been raised regarding the definitions ofbody image and how it is measured in psychosocial oncology. Thisstudy conceptualized the surgical treatment for breast cancer asa potential traumatic stressor on a female

Immunology; Health Sciences, Oncology

Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-1) is a Ctype retrovirus that is the causative agent of an aggressiveT-cell malignancy, adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). Thevirus is also implicated in a number of inflammatory disorders,the most prominent among them being HTLV-1 associated myelopathyor tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). HTLV-1, like manyviruses that cause chronic infection, has adapted to persist inthe face of an active immune response in infected individuals.The viral tra...

Using 13.7 fb^{-1} from the CLEO II and II.V detectors,we measure the branching ratios for two singly Cabibbo-suppresseddecay modes: BR(D -> pi+ pi0) = (1.3 +/- 0.2)*10^{-3} andBR(D+ -> Ks K+) = (5.2 +/- 0.6)*10^{-3}. We also determine anupper limit on the branching ratio of the doublyCabibbo-suppressed decay mode BR(D+ -> K+ pi0) <4.2*10^{-4}.

Education, Administration

The accountability and standards movements in educationhave intensified pressure on school administrators to raise theachievement levels of their students. The purpose of this inquirywas to develop a path model to explain the connections among keyorganizational variables and student achievement. One of thedifficulties in predicting student achievement is that thesocioeconomic status generally overwhelms all otherorganizational variables in explaining the variance. Thus, it isimportant to find sc...

Improvements in obserational techniques havetransformed cosmology into a field inundated with ever-expanding,high-quality data sets and driven cosmology toward a standardmodel where the classic cosmological parameters are accuratelymeasured. I briefly discuss some of the methods used to determinecosmological parameters, particularly primordial nucleosynthesis,the magnitude-redshift relation of supernovae, and cosmicmicrowave background anisotropy. I demonstrate how cosmologicaldata can be used t...

Biology, Genetics

Signaling through the EGF receptor (EGFR) family ofreceptor tyrosine kinases is important in both normal developmentand in disease processes. In Drosophila, there is a single EGFreceptor and multiple ligands. I show that EGFR signalingstimulated by its activating ligand, Vein, has a fundamental rolein regulating two of these cell fate choices: 1) Vn/EGFRsignaling directs cells to become notum by antagonizing wingdevelopment and by activating notum-specifying genes. 2) Vn/EGFRsignaling directs ce...

Music

Italian composer Francesco Santoliquido (b. 1883; d.1971) wrote approximately twenty-six songs, or Liriche da camera,and numerous other compositions throughout the first threedecades of the twentieth century. Santoliquido

In my dissertation I study the traditional rhetoric ofMexican cultural history that interprets post-revolutionaryartistic manifestations as a

Political Science, General

My dissertation focuses on the activities of the humanrights organization LBH (Lembaga Bantuan Hukum, the Legal AidInstitute) in Indonesia as a case study to assess its role in therise of civil society, and possibly democratization. I argue thatthe academic foci on democratization so far have been upon, ingeneral, the importance of large macro-structures and politicalelites. Although the macro-level variables and political elitesare important, there are critical links between the macro-levelvari...

Unfortunately, Paulina Crusat (Barcelona 1900

The objective of this study was to identify theconditions (i.e. inhibiting and facilitating factors) andstrategies which affect the ability to progress from theinceptive efforts in the development of a multi-agency criticalincident stress management (CISM) program through that of anestablished program. A qualitative cross case study design wasused to examine 16 CISM programs across the state of Ohio. Datawere gathered via a focus group interview and 23 telephone keyinformant interviews. Polivka

Mathematics

Celebrated work of G. Margulis on the conjecture ofOppenheim has established that for a real nondegenerateindefinite quadratic formQin dimensiond≥3, which is not a scalar multiple of a rational form, the setQ(Zd)is dense inR. We extend this result to the case of a pair consisting of aquadratic formQand a linear formL. Namely, we show that the set{(Q(x),L(x)):x∈Zd}⊂R2is dense inR2provided that some natural algebraic conditions aresatisfied.We also consider a similar,...