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Enhancing Cognitive Algorithms For Optimal Performance Of Adaptive Networks, Hector Lugo-Cordero Jan 2018

Enhancing Cognitive Algorithms For Optimal Performance Of Adaptive Networks, Hector Lugo-Cordero

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research proposes to enhance some Evolutionary Algorithms in order to obtain optimal and adaptive network configurations. Due to the richness in technologies, low cost, and application usages, we consider Heterogeneous Wireless Mesh Networks. In particular, we evaluate the domains of Network Deployment, Smart Grids/Homes, and Intrusion Detection Systems. Having an adaptive network as one of the goals, we consider a robust noise tolerant methodology that can quickly react to changes in the environment. Furthermore, the diversity of the performance objectives considered (e.g., power, coverage, anonymity, etc.) makes the objective function non-continuous and therefore not have a derivative. For these …

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Biomechanical Models Of Human Upper And Tracheal Airway Functionality, Don Nadun Kuruppumullage Jan 2018

Biomechanical Models Of Human Upper And Tracheal Airway Functionality, Don Nadun Kuruppumullage

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The respiratory tract, in other words, the airway, is the primary airflow path for several physiological activities such as coughing, breathing, and sneezing. Diseases can impact airway functionality through various means including cancer of the head and neck, Neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, and sleep disorders and all of which are considered in this study. In this dissertation, numerical modeling techniques were used to simulate three distinct airway diseases: a weak cough leading to aspiration, upper airway patency in obstructive sleep apnea, and tongue cancer in swallow disorders. The work described in this dissertation, therefore, divided into three biomechanical …

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Relating First-Person And Third-Person Vision, Shervin Ardeshir Behrostaghi Jan 2018

Relating First-Person And Third-Person Vision, Shervin Ardeshir Behrostaghi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Thanks to the availability and increasing popularity of wearable devices such as GoPro cameras, smart phones and glasses, we have access to a plethora of videos captured from the first person (egocentric) perspective. Capturing the world from the perspective of one's self, egocentric videos bear characteristics distinct from the more traditional third-person (exocentric) videos. In many computer vision tasks (e.g. identification, action recognition, face recognition, pose estimation, etc.), the human actors are the main focus. Hence, detecting, localizing, and recognizing the human actor is often incorporated as a vital component. In an egocentric video however, the person behind the camera …

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A Methodology On Weapon Combat Effectiveness Analytics Using Big Data And Live, Virtual, Or/And Constructive Simulations, Won Jung Ii Jan 2018

A Methodology On Weapon Combat Effectiveness Analytics Using Big Data And Live, Virtual, Or/And Constructive Simulations, Won Jung Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Weapon Combat Effectiveness (WCE) analytics is very expensive, time-consuming, and dangerous in the real world because we have to create data from the real operations with a lot of people and weapons in the actual environment. The Modeling and Simulation (M&S) of many techniques is used for overcoming these limitations. Although the era of big data has emerged and achieved a great deal of success in a variety of fields, most WCE research using the Defense Modeling and Simulation (DM&S) techniques were studied without the help of big data technologies and techniques. The existing research has not considered various …

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Environmental Physical-Virtual Interaction To Improve Social Presence With A Virtual Human In Mixed Reality, Kangsoo Kim Jan 2018

Environmental Physical-Virtual Interaction To Improve Social Presence With A Virtual Human In Mixed Reality, Kangsoo Kim

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Interactive Virtual Humans (VHs) are increasingly used to replace or assist real humans in various applications, e.g., military and medical training, education, or entertainment. In most VH research, the perceived social presence with a VH, which denotes the user's sense of being socially connected or co-located with the VH, is the decisive factor in evaluating the social influence of the VH—a phenomenon where human users' emotions, opinions, or behaviors are affected by the VH. The purpose of this dissertation is to develop new knowledge about how characteristics and behaviors of a VH in a Mixed Reality (MR) environment can affect …

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Bio-Inspired Visual Servo Control Of A Picking Mechanism In An Agricultural Ground Robot, Sinem Gozde Defterli Jan 2018

Bio-Inspired Visual Servo Control Of A Picking Mechanism In An Agricultural Ground Robot, Sinem Gozde Defterli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For a recently constructed disease detection agricultural ground robot, the segregation of unhealthy leaves from strawberry plants is a major task of the robot's manipulation subsystem in field operations. In this dissertation, the motion planning of a custom-designed picking mechanism in the ground robot's subsystem is studied in two sections. First, a set of analytical, suboptimal semi-analytical and numerical algorithms are studied to solve the inverse kinematics problem of the handling mechanism in firm circumstances. These premeditated approaches are built on the computation of the joint variables by an identified 3D position data of the target leaf only. The outcomes …

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Evaluating Hydrologic Fluxes Through Stormwater Treatment Systems: Implication To Freshwater Springs In A Karst Environment, Nyle Rice Jan 2018

Evaluating Hydrologic Fluxes Through Stormwater Treatment Systems: Implication To Freshwater Springs In A Karst Environment, Nyle Rice

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, concentrations of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus have increased in surface and groundwater resources, due in part to non-point source pollution associated with stormwater runoff. The elevated nutrient concentrations found in stormwater runoff have prompted the design of best management practices (BMP's) to mitigate the problem. The overall objective within this thesis is to analyze the performance of innovative surface BMPs and investigate connections between the BMPs and groundwater flows to freshwater springs within a karst environment. The performance of two stormwater BMPs, blanket filters and vertical reactors containing Bio-sorption Activated Media (BAM), are assessed in …

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Analysis Of Driver Behavior Modeling In Connected Vehicle Safety Systems Through High Fidelity Simulation, Ahura Jami Jan 2018

Analysis Of Driver Behavior Modeling In Connected Vehicle Safety Systems Through High Fidelity Simulation, Ahura Jami

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A critical aspect of connected vehicle safety analysis is understanding the impact of human behavior on the overall performance of the safety system. Given the variation in human driving behavior and the expectancy for high levels of performance, it is crucial for these systems to be flexible to various driving characteristics. However, design, testing, and evaluation of these active safety systems remain a challenging task, exacerbated by the lack of behavioral data and practical test platforms. Additionally, the need for the operation of these systems in critical and dangerous situations makes the burden of their evaluation very costly and time-consuming. …

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Counter Clockwise Culture Shock, Matthew Mercer Jan 2018

Counter Clockwise Culture Shock, Matthew Mercer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Counter Clockwise Culture Shock is a memoir focused the narrator's return to his hometown, a place he barely escaped: drug addiction, incarceration, bad relationships, alienation, an Oedipal mother, and suicidal threats. It is reflection on both culture and self, after I gained an outside perspective from Japan. The narrator is forced to relive nihilism and monotony, and face the troubles of his younger years. It describes the difficult journey of today's youth, in an evermore technologically dynamic world - with few role models able to plot a course through. This is a meditation on past actions that ended in survival. …

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Behavioral And Disease Ecology Of Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus Polyphemus) Post Exclusion And Relocation With A Novel Approach To Homing Determination, Johnathan Napier Jan 2018

Behavioral And Disease Ecology Of Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus Polyphemus) Post Exclusion And Relocation With A Novel Approach To Homing Determination, Johnathan Napier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the wake of human expansion, relocations and the loss of habitat can be stressful to an organism, plausibly leading to population declines. The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is a keystone species that constructs burrows it shares with 362 commensal species. Frequent exclusions and relocations and long generation times have contributed to G. polyphemus being State-designated as Threatened in Florida. Prior studies have indicated that G. polyphemus may possess homing behavior and thus be able to counteract stressors due to relocation and exclusion. I radiotracked a cohort of G. polyphemus for 11 months following excavation, relocation, and exclusion due to …

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Narrative Transportation And Virtual Reality: Exploring The Immersive Qualities Of Social Justice In The Digital World, Sara Raffel Jan 2018

Narrative Transportation And Virtual Reality: Exploring The Immersive Qualities Of Social Justice In The Digital World, Sara Raffel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the potential applications for virtual reality (VR) stories in support of social justice causes, examining whether digital games historically been successfully leveraged for social justice purposes, and determining which components of VR technology can most encourage narrative transportation of participants in VR stories. The first chapter examines theories of simulation, virtual reality, narrative, and interactivity, as well as concepts of immersion from various disciplines and settles on narrative transportation, a theory from cognitive psychology, as the most useful in measuring the effect of VR stories on participants. The second chapter examines ethnographic practices, activist games, and modes …

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A Multisystem Approach For The Characterization Of Bacteria For Sustainable Agriculture, Briana Lee Jan 2018

A Multisystem Approach For The Characterization Of Bacteria For Sustainable Agriculture, Briana Lee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The chemical, physical, and biological properties of bacteria developing resistance have been explored in animal based bacteria while plant bacteria have been largely neglected. Thus, the ability to probe changes in stiffness, adhesion, binding interactions and molecular traits of bacteria causing plant diseases is of great interest to develop a new generation of more potent, yet sustainable, pesticides. Our study aims to investigate the physical and chemical properties of bacterial systems, in particular their cell walls. Building upon this fundamental understanding of the cells, we also investigate the physicochemical responses associated to multivalent nanoparticle-based bactericide treatments on bacterial systems identified …

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Seeing Living Things: Observations Of Figures From The Outside In, Forrest Deblois Jan 2018

Seeing Living Things: Observations Of Figures From The Outside In, Forrest Deblois

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This writing accompanies the outcomes of my studio practice over the last three years, focusing on two bodies of work of paintings and drawings. In it I describe and analyze multiple influences tied to the progression and change in my studio practice. I began the process of my work with images and subjects from my home state of Florida, frequently juxtaposing the wildlife and humans, now I see this pattern as a byproduct of a studio practice functioning as a introspective reflection of what I experience, the things that I understand and the things that I don't. I deconstruct elements …

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Investigations Of Possible Cases Of Scurvy In Juveniles From The Kellis 2 Cemetery In The Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Through Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis Of Multiple Tissues, Georgina Chasse Jan 2018

Investigations Of Possible Cases Of Scurvy In Juveniles From The Kellis 2 Cemetery In The Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, Through Stable Carbon And Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis Of Multiple Tissues, Georgina Chasse

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Vitamin C deficiency, or scurvy, is a disease that can occur in humans at any age and has been seen throughout time. Scurvy affects the production of connective tissues, including collagen, which leads to the many symptoms of the disease, including fatigue, anemia, bleeding gums and lost teeth, skeletal changes, and even death. The Kellis 2 cemetery in the Dakhleh Oasis, Egypt, in use from approximately AD 50-360, contains the remains of many juveniles who exhibit skeletal indicators of scurvy. Tissue samples from juveniles who did (n=31) and did not (n=117) exhibit skeletal indicators of scurvy were analyzed isotopically, with …

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Poems, Shelley Stocksdale Jan 2018

Poems, Shelley Stocksdale

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature

No abstract provided.

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Pride And Privacy: Cason V. Baskin And Cross Creek's Loss Of Innocence, Randy Noles Jan 2018

Pride And Privacy: Cason V. Baskin And Cross Creek's Loss Of Innocence, Randy Noles

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature

No abstract provided.

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Breaking Prejudice: A New Historicist Critique Of Rawlings's Cross Creek, Laina Sweetney Jan 2018

Breaking Prejudice: A New Historicist Critique Of Rawlings's Cross Creek, Laina Sweetney

The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Journal of Florida Literature

No abstract provided.

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Role Of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (Bdnf) In Stimulating Strength Improvements Induced By Short-Term Resistance Training, David Church Jan 2018

Role Of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (Bdnf) In Stimulating Strength Improvements Induced By Short-Term Resistance Training, David Church

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Strength adaptations from short-term resistance training are thought to be related primarily to neurological adaptations. Considering brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) role in the nervous system, it is possible that BDNF has a role in these adaptations. Fourteen untrained males were randomized into either a resistance training (RT; n =8) or control (CON; n=6) group. Motor unit (MU) recruitment at 50% and 80% of each participant's maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), muscle cross sectional area (CSA) and thickness (MT), as well as one-repetition maximum (1RM) of the squat (SQT), leg press (LP), and leg extension (LE) were performed before (PRE) and …

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Broken Toys, Robin Eliot Jan 2018

Broken Toys, Robin Eliot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This novel is about a character, Felicity Gourd. She's Cinderella, but she lives in twenty-first century Boston and knows the Cinderella story as well as anyone else. She's also one of a small number of people who are able turn into the creatures represented by their childhood toys. Felicity's toy was a mouse. Her godmother's was, of course, a fairy. Through her godmother, Felicity enters the community of Toys, where she finally finds a home. But the Toys are the only people who stand in the way of Clarity, a secret organization that wants to place humanity under the rule …

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Dynamically Tunable Plasmonic Structural Color, Daniel Franklin Jan 2018

Dynamically Tunable Plasmonic Structural Color, Daniel Franklin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Functional surfaces which can control light across the electromagnetic spectrum are highly desirable. With the aid of advanced modeling and fabrication techniques, researchers have demonstrated surfaces with near arbitrary tailoring of reflected/transmitted amplitude, phase and polarization - the applications for which are diverse as light itself. These systems often comprise of structured metals and dielectrics that, when combined, manifest resonances dependent on structural dimensions. This attribute provides a convenient and direct path to arbitrarily engineer the surface's optical characteristics across many electromagnetic regimes. But while many of these plasmonic systems struggle to compete with the efficiency of pre-existing technologies, the …

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Neuromuscular Junction Defects In A Mouse Model Of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Type 2o, Thywill Sabblah Jan 2018

Neuromuscular Junction Defects In A Mouse Model Of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Type 2o, Thywill Sabblah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Charcot Marie Tooth disease (CMT) represents the most common inheritable peripheral group of motor and sensory disorders; affecting 1 in 2500 people worldwide. Individuals with CMT experience slow progressing weakness of the muscle, atrophy, mild loss of motor coordination and in some cases loss of sensory function in the hands and feet which could ultimately affect mobility. Dynein is an essential molecular motor that functions to transport cargos in all cells. A point mutation in the dynein heavy chain was discovered to cause CMT disease in humans, specifically CMT type 2O. We generated a knock-in mouse model bearing the same …

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Pg-Vtv Biogenesis Requires Atp To Facilitate Phosphorylation Of Syntaxin 17, Anika Saxena Jan 2018

Pg-Vtv Biogenesis Requires Atp To Facilitate Phosphorylation Of Syntaxin 17, Anika Saxena

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The uptake of cytotoxic free fatty acids (FFA) and their conversion to physiologically expedient triglycerides (TAG) which are later on assimilated to very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) is of utmost value among the multifarious tasks performed by the liver. Inflated concentration of VLDL in the blood stream directly correlates with the reinforcement of atherosclerosis. VLDL is synthesized in the hepatic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and transported to the Golgi where it encounters several alterations. It is then enclosed in distinct post-Golgi VLDL transport vesicles (PG-VTVs) and released into the blood. The data generated in our lab has proved the requirement of …

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Touching The Unreal: The Definition, Narrative Strategies, And Aesthetics Of 3d Cartoon Narratives., Nathan Snow Jan 2018

Touching The Unreal: The Definition, Narrative Strategies, And Aesthetics Of 3d Cartoon Narratives., Nathan Snow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

"Touching the Unreal" follows the structure set out by Scott McCloud in Understanding Comics to argue that understanding cartoons is serious business and requires that we define the art form, outline its basic tenets, and theorize how the mind understands it. The dissertation argues for a new definition of 3D computer generated cartoons, beginning with the most basic definition applicable to all forms of animation and taking into account new technological developments before arriving at the 3D cartoon narratives of today. The dissertation outlines the basic facets of 3D cartoon narratives in terms of narrative and aesthetics, arguing that, in …

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Whetting Their Appetite: A Spatial Analysis Of Seasonal Flooding And Raised Field Agriculture In The Llanos De Mojos, Bolivia, Samuel A. Martin Jan 2018

Whetting Their Appetite: A Spatial Analysis Of Seasonal Flooding And Raised Field Agriculture In The Llanos De Mojos, Bolivia, Samuel A. Martin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Llanos de Mojos, a region of the southwestern Amazon, is a seasonally flooded savannah located in the Beni department of Bolivia. The area sustained a significant pre-Columbian population up to the arrival of Jesuit missionaries in the late 17th century. Local communities constructed agricultural landscape modifications to help cultivate crops such as maize, manioc, and sweet potato. Raised fields contributed to soil nutrient intensification and helped to manage flooding. This study examines the relationship between 40,766 raised agricultural fields which were digitized by the Proyecto SIG Arqueologico del Beni using Google Earth and maps of surface flood coverage. Flood …

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I'M Not Your Waifu: Sexual Harassment And Assault In Cosplay, Anime & Comic Conventions, Alexandria Ellsworth Jan 2018

I'M Not Your Waifu: Sexual Harassment And Assault In Cosplay, Anime & Comic Conventions, Alexandria Ellsworth

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women face sexual harassment and sexual assault far too often with one in every six women sexually assaulted during their life (Tjaden & Thoennes, 1998). In the anime and comic community, women face sexual assault and harassment, often in open public spaces, due to these spaces being labeled as men's (Cote, 2015; Fox & Potocki 2015; Rodriguez 2015; Schott & Horrell 2000). Policies such as Cosplay is not Consent (Facebook, 2018) are not upheld or enforced by anime and comic conventions. Policies that are enforced, have clear and concise wording, and are enforced by staff and volunteers, who have been …

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Development Of A Functional In Vitro 3d Model Of The Peripheral Nerve, Wesley Anderson Jan 2018

Development Of A Functional In Vitro 3d Model Of The Peripheral Nerve, Wesley Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Peripheral neuropathies, affect approximately 20 million people in the United States and are often a complication of conditions such as diabetes that can result in amputation of affected areas such as the feet and toes. In vitro methodologies to facilitate the understanding and treatment of these disorders often lack the cellular and functional complexity required to accurately model peripheral neuropathies. In particular, they are often 2-D and functional readouts, such as electrical activity, are limited to cell bodies thereby limiting the understanding of axonopathy which often characterizes these disorders. We have developed a functional 3-D model of peripheral nerves using …

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Anti-Capitalism In The Contemporary Age: The Case Of The United Socialist Party Of Venezuela, William Maddens Jan 2018

Anti-Capitalism In The Contemporary Age: The Case Of The United Socialist Party Of Venezuela, William Maddens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the popularity of anti-capitalist parties around the world has fallen. However, there are still surviving anti-capitalist political parties that survived this fall. In examining these parties, it must be determined whether they have any fresh ideas to overcoming the challenges of transitioning to a socialist society, and if they have any answers to the problems that plagued past attempts at socialism. One such party that has enjoyed much electoral success is the United Socialist Party of Venezuela. When taking a look at party programs, platforms, and statements made by party leaders, …

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Altruistic Punishment Theory And Inter-Group Violence, Clayton Besaw Jan 2018

Altruistic Punishment Theory And Inter-Group Violence, Clayton Besaw

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the role of altruistic punishment, the act of punishing outsiders perceived to harm members of one's group at a personal cost, in explaining individual motivations to participate in inter-group violence. It first develops a social theory of this type punishment. This theory argues that an egalitarian social logic may be key to understanding motivations of parochial altruism, and that one's social environment may influence thresholds of anger needed to induce punishment behavior. Empirically, it conducts two survey-experimental studies. The first experiment utilizes subject partisan identity in the context of American politics and hypothetical acts of violence to …

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A Bioarchaeological Study Of Osteoarthritis Of Agro-Pastoralists From Mistihalj, Bosnia And Herzegovina: A Lifestyle Set In Time, Zorina Manoni Jan 2018

A Bioarchaeological Study Of Osteoarthritis Of Agro-Pastoralists From Mistihalj, Bosnia And Herzegovina: A Lifestyle Set In Time, Zorina Manoni

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Activity stresses are an important factor in the development, patterning, and severity of osteoarthritis. This bioarchaeological thesis explores the prevalence and patterning of osteoarthritis between individuals buried at a Late Medieval Necropolis and a church Crypt built in the 19th century at the Mistihalj site in Bosnia and Herzegovina to understand the physiological effects of their peasant agro-pastoralist lifestyle. Composite scores of osteoarthritis were generated for visual observations of upper limb joints (shoulder, elbow, and wrist) and lower limb joints (hip, knee, and ankle) of 37 female and 39 male adult (between 20 and 50 or more years of age) …

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Deciphering The Role Of Adrenergic Hormones In Embryonic Cardiac Calcium Signaling And Metabolism, Jessica Peoples Jan 2018

Deciphering The Role Of Adrenergic Hormones In Embryonic Cardiac Calcium Signaling And Metabolism, Jessica Peoples

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The adrenergic hormones norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine (EPI) are critical regulators of mammalian cardiovascular physiology. NE and EPI mediate stress responses to enhance cardiovascular function, however dysregulation of adrenergic signaling leads to heart failure, congenital heart malformations, and sudden cardiac death. Adrenergic hormone-expressing cells were found in the early embryonic heart, and NE has been determined essential for embryonic cardiac development. Despite extensive work in adults, the regulatory roles and adrenergic targets of these hormones during embryonic cardiac development have not yet been fully determined. Prior transcriptomic studies from our lab showed that expression of signal transduction and metabolic genes …

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