The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus: hereafter; sage-grouse) population in Modoc County California is geographically isolated and has been subsidized by translocation to prevent inbreeding depression since 2005. Despite significant efforts to increase the population through translocations and habitat improvement by cutting encroaching western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis), only a single lek...
The purpose of this honors thesis research project is to investigate the molecular causes of childhood and infant T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias. T-cells are the work horses of the immune system, and like any organ, must develop properly to be fully functional. Improper development of thymocytes into T-cells can lead...
Vaccinia virus (VV) is a large double-stranded DNA virus that is a prototypic member of the orthopoxvirus family. Previous works has showed that three of the major structural proteins found within the mature VV virion core 4a, 4b, and 25K are produced from higher molecular weight precursors at late times...
Conservation is, among other things, the expression of a relationship between humans and nonhuman nature. This relationship can be described empirically using the methods of social science, but it can also be prescribed in the form of philosophical arguments. Scholars in the field of environmental ethics have discussed and debated...
Student conduct has become increasingly significant in higher education as demands to address campus safety, student behaviors, and classroom management are increasingly prominent. Existing research focuses on the efficacy of student conduct policies and practices, but has not established how individuals understand student conduct as a myth, or a concept...
Although science is widely accepted as a fundamental source of information underlying decisions about forest management and conservation, considerably less attention has been paid to the inevitable role that normative values and beliefs play in such decisions. This thesis highlights the normative dimensions of "ecological forestry," a strategy of forest...
Innovative nanoelectromechanical switches (NEMS) have the prospects to reduce device actuation voltages as compared to traditional semiconductor devices. Current research on NEMS seeks to avoid irreversible adhesion at the nanoscopic level, which results in device failure. Minimizing leakage currents and increasing device longevity are additional goals of this approach. The...
As more wind farms are connected to the grid, the variable nature of wind energy begins to influence grid stability. Energy storage could help smooth the variable nature of wind energy. Laboratory demonstration and exploration of the interaction between different energy storage devices and wind energy could help improve and...
On January 8th, 2011 tragedy struck in Tucson, Arizona. A gunman opened fire on Representative Gabrielle Giffords' "Congress on Your Corner" event, wounding thirteen and killing six ("Arizona Shooting"). Four days later, President Obama spoke to a grieving crowd at the University of Arizona's McKale Memorial Center. This study seeks...