Chickpea is one of the most important leguminous crops grown in regions of southern Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the United States. Ascochyta blight, caused by Ascochyta rabiei, is the most important foliar disease of chickpea. In favorable conditions, this disease can destroy the entire chickpea field within a few days. In this project the secreted proteins of Ascochyta rabiei have been characterized through one and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This is the first proteomic study of the A. rabiei secretome, and a standardized technique to study the secreted proteome has been developed. A common set of proteins secreted by this pathogen and two isolates that exhibit the maximum and minimum number of secreted proteins when grown in modified Fries and Czapek Dox media have been identified. Population genetic studies of Ascochyta rabiei populations in North Dakota have been conducted using microsatellites and AFLP markers. Population genetic studies have shown that the ascochyta population in North Dakota has not changed genetically in the years 2005, 2006 and 2007, but the North Dakota population is different from the baseline population from the Pacific Northwest. The ascochyta population in North Dakota is a randomly mating population, as shown by the mating type ratio.

Master of Science / Department of Computing and Information Sciences / Mitchell L. Neilsen / Windows[superscript TM] Dam Analysis Modules (WinDAM) is a set of modular software components that can be used to analyze overtopped earthen embankments and internal erosion of embankment dams. Sandia National Laboratories’ DAKOTA (Design Analysis Kit for Optimization and Terascale Applications) toolkit provides algorithms to perform iterative analysis with the help of built-in algorithms for uncertainty quantification with sampling and parameter study methods. This software integrates Sandia National Laboratories’ DAKOTA software suite with WinDAM. It provides a user-interface for input and manipulation of parameters and performs various (centered and multi-dimensional) parameter studies on a wide range of parameters. This software takes advantage of the various algorithms present in DAKOTA to perform parameter studies on the various properties of WinDAM and provides users with detailed output on the changes caused by these variations.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Southern California, 1979. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 290-307). Also issued in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Southern California, 1979. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 290-307).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--University of Nebraska, 1977. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 226-238).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Iowa, 2007. / Supervisor: Robert L. Brenner Includes bibliographical references (leaves 129-133).

Introduction: Although colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men and women combined in the United States, only 61% of eligible adults are up-to-date with current screening recommendations. Effective screening is hindered by numerous barriers and underutilization of evidence-based interventions. The purpose of this clinical dissertation project was to increase CRC screening in the rural community of Elgin, North Dakota, determine the efficacy of providing targeted educational handouts and endorsement letters, and to identify screening barriers and facilitators. Methods: Educational handouts and screening endorsement letters were developed and distributed to 75 average risk patients (without personal or family history of CRC or certain types of polyps, personal history of inflammatory bowel disease, personal history of receiving radiation to the abdomen or pelvic region, and confirmed or suspected hereditary CRC syndrome). Additional handouts were placed around the community of Elgin. Patients who presented for CRC screening were sent a questionnaire to determine the impact of the interventions. These 75 patients were also contacted via telephone and completed a questionnaire to identify barriers and facilitators and to highlight the effectiveness of the educational handout and the endorsement letter. Results: Five patients contacted the clinic to receive CRC screening. Ninety-seven percent of patients who recalled receiving the endorsement letter and educational handout (n=32) found the material to be informative, 91% of patients appreciated being contacted on behalf of the clinic, and 59% found the handwritten signature on the endorsement letter to be influential. Fifty-one patients identified screening barriers including (in descending order) lack of awareness/knowledge, cost, unpleasant previous experience, embarrassment, lack of motivation, and fear of abnormal findings. Forty-one patients identified screening facilitators including (in descending order) recommending during office visits, providing education on different screening options, sending letter reminders, calling patients, utilizing social media, and sending email reminders. Conclusion: The clinical dissertation project increased CRC screening compliance in Elgin, ND, identified barriers, and highlighted screening facilitators that can be utilized. Future projects should focus efforts on alleviating these barriers via targeted patient education and provider recommendation in order to decrease CRC morbidity and mortality.

A mixed integer programming model is developed to determine a logistical design for maximizing rates of return to harvest, storage, transportation, and bioreflning of herbaceous crop residue for production of biofuels and feed for ruminant animals. The primary objective of this research is to identify the optimal location, scale, and number of pretreatment and biorefinery plants in northeastern North Dakota. The pretreatment and biorefinery plants are modeled under the assumption that they utilize recent technological advancement in AFEX and Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation, respectively. Potential feedstocks include wheat straw, barley straw, Durum straw, and com stover. Results indicate that the minimum ethanol rack price that will effectively trigger the production of cellulosic ethanol is $1.75 per gallon.