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Mgmt Inhibition Restores Er Alpha Functional Sensitivity To Antiestrogen Therapy, George C. Bobustuc, Joshua S. Smith, Sreeram Maddipatla, Sheila Jeudy, Arati Limaye, Beth Isley, Maria-Lourdes M. Caparas, Susan M. Constantino, Nikita Shah, Cheryl H. Baker, Kalkunte S. Srivenugopal, Said Baida, Santhi D. Konduri Jan 2012

Mgmt Inhibition Restores Er Alpha Functional Sensitivity To Antiestrogen Therapy, George C. Bobustuc, Joshua S. Smith, Sreeram Maddipatla, Sheila Jeudy, Arati Limaye, Beth Isley, Maria-Lourdes M. Caparas, Susan M. Constantino, Nikita Shah, Cheryl H. Baker, Kalkunte S. Srivenugopal, Said Baida, Santhi D. Konduri

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Antiestrogen therapy resistance remains a huge stumbling block in the treatment of breast cancer. We have found significant elevation of O-6 methylguanine DNA methyl transferase (MGMT) expression in a small sample of consecutive patients who have failed tamoxifen treatment. Here, we show that tamoxifen resistance is accompanied by upregulation of MGMT. Further we show that administration of the MGMT inhibitor, O-6-benzylguanine (BG), at nontoxic doses, leads to restoration of a favorable estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) phosphorylation phenotype (high p-ER alpha Ser167/low p-ER alpha Ser118), which has been reported to correlate with sensitivity to endocrine therapy and improved survival. We …

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Were Multiple Stressors A 'Perfect Storm' For Northern Gulf Of Mexico Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In 2011?, Ruth H. Carmichael, William M. Graham, Allen Aven, Graham Worthy, Stephan Howden Jan 2012

Were Multiple Stressors A 'Perfect Storm' For Northern Gulf Of Mexico Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) In 2011?, Ruth H. Carmichael, William M. Graham, Allen Aven, Graham Worthy, Stephan Howden

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

An unusual number of near term and neonatal bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) mortalities occurred in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM) in 2011, during the first calving season after two well documented environmental perturbations; sustained cold weather in 2010 and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill (DWHOS). Preceding the stranding event, large volumes of cold freshwater entered the nGOM due to unusually large snowmelt on the adjacent watershed, providing a third potential stressor. We consider the possibility that this extreme cold and freshwater event contributed to the pattern of perinatal dolphin strandings along the nGOM coast. During the 4-month period starting …

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Inferring Foraging Areas Of Nesting Loggerhead Turtles Using Satellite Telemetry And Stable Isotopes, Simona A. Ceriani, James D. Roth, Daniel R. Evans, John F. Weishampel, Llewellyn M. Ehrhart Jan 2012

Inferring Foraging Areas Of Nesting Loggerhead Turtles Using Satellite Telemetry And Stable Isotopes, Simona A. Ceriani, James D. Roth, Daniel R. Evans, John F. Weishampel, Llewellyn M. Ehrhart

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

In recent years, the use of intrinsic markers such as stable isotopes to link breeding and foraging grounds of migratory species has increased. Nevertheless, several assumptions still must be tested to interpret isotopic patterns found in the marine realm. We used a combination of satellite telemetry and stable isotope analysis to (i) identify key foraging grounds used by female loggerheads nesting in Florida and (ii) examine the relationship between stable isotope ratios and post-nesting migration destinations. We collected tissue samples for stable isotope analysis from 14 females equipped with satellite tags and an additional 57 untracked nesting females. Telemetry identified …

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Nadph Oxidase 1 Mediates Alpha-Synucleinopathy In Parkinson's Disease, Ana Clara Cristóvão, Subhrangshu Guhathakurta, Eugene Bok, Goun Je, Seung Don Yoo, Dong-Hee Choi, Yoon-Seong Kim Jan 2012

Nadph Oxidase 1 Mediates Alpha-Synucleinopathy In Parkinson's Disease, Ana Clara Cristóvão, Subhrangshu Guhathakurta, Eugene Bok, Goun Je, Seung Don Yoo, Dong-Hee Choi, Yoon-Seong Kim

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Accumulation of misfolded alpha-synuclein is the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). Nevertheless, little is known about the mechanism contributing to alpha-synuclein aggregation and its further toxicity to dopaminergic neurons. Since oxidative stress can increase the expression and aggregation levels of alpha-synuclein, NADPH oxidases (Noxs), which are responsible for reactive oxygen species generation, could be major players in alpha-synucleinopathy. Previously, we demonstrated that Nox1 is expressed in dopaminergic neurons of the PD animal models as well as postmortem brain tissue of PD patients, and is responsible for oxidative stress and subsequent neuronal degeneration. Here, using paraquat (PQ)-based in vitro and …

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Exogenous Erythropoietin Administration Attenuates Intermittent Hypoxia-Induced Cognitive Deficits In A Murine Model Of Sleep Apnea, Ehab A. Dayyat, Shelley X. Zhang, Yang Wang, Zixi Jack Cheng, David Gozal Jan 2012

Exogenous Erythropoietin Administration Attenuates Intermittent Hypoxia-Induced Cognitive Deficits In A Murine Model Of Sleep Apnea, Ehab A. Dayyat, Shelley X. Zhang, Yang Wang, Zixi Jack Cheng, David Gozal

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Background: In rodents, exposure to intermittent hypoxia (IH), a hallmark of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), is associated with neurobehavioral impairments, increased apoptosis in the hippocampus and cortex, as well as increased oxidant stress and inflammation. Such findings are markedly attenuated in rodents exposed to sustained hypoxia 9SH) of similar magnitude. The hypoxia-sensitive gene erythropoietin (EPO) has emerged as a major endogenous neuroprotectant, and could be involved in IH-induced neuronal dysfunction. Methods and Results: IH induced only transiently increased expression of EPO mRNA in hippocampus, which was continued in (SH)-exposed mice. IH, but not SH, adversely affected two forms of spatial …

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Rafts, Nanoparticles And Neural Disease, Vishal Gulati, Ron Wallace Jan 2012

Rafts, Nanoparticles And Neural Disease, Vishal Gulati, Ron Wallace

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

This review examines the role of membrane rafts in neural disease as a rationale for drug targeting utilizing lipid-based nanoparticles. The article begins with an overview of methodological issues involving the existence, sizes, and lifetimes of rafts, and then examines raft function in the etiologies of three major neural diseases-epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease-selected as promising candidates for raft-based therapeutics. Raft-targeting drug delivery systems involving liposomes and solid lipid nanoparticles are then examined in detail.

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Overexpression Of Timp-1 In Embryonic Stem Cells Attenuates Adverse Cardiac Remodeling Following Myocardial Infarction, Carley Glass, Dinender K. Singla Jan 2012

Overexpression Of Timp-1 In Embryonic Stem Cells Attenuates Adverse Cardiac Remodeling Following Myocardial Infarction, Carley Glass, Dinender K. Singla

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Transplanted embryonic stem (ES) cells, following myocardial infarction (MI), contribute to limited cardiac repair and regeneration with improved function. Therefore. novel strategies are still needed to understand the effects of genetically modified transplanted stem cells on cardiac remodeling. The present study evaluates whether transplanted mouse ES cells overexpressing TIMP-1, an antiapoptotic and antifibrotic protein. can enhance cardiac myocyte differentiation, inhibit native cardiac myocyte apoptosis, reduce fibrosis, and improve cardiac function in the infarcted myocardium. MI was produced in C57BL/6 mice by coronary artery ligation. TIMP-1-ES cells, ES cells, or culture medium (control) were transplanted into the peri-infarct region of the …

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Oxidative Lipid Modification Of Nicastrin Enhances Amyloidogenic ?-Secretase Activity In Alzheimer's Disease, A-Ryeong Gwon, Jong-Sung Park, Thiruma V. Arumugam, Yong-Kook Kwon, Sic L. Chan, Seol-Hee Kim, Sang-Ha Baik, Sunghee Yang, Young-Kwang Yun, Yuri Choi, Saerom Kim, Sung-Chun Tang, Dong-Hoon Hyun, Aiwu Cheng, Charles E. Dann Iii, Michel Bernier, Jaewon Lee, William R. Markesbery, Mark P. Mattson, Dong-Gyu Jo Jan 2012

Oxidative Lipid Modification Of Nicastrin Enhances Amyloidogenic ?-Secretase Activity In Alzheimer's Disease, A-Ryeong Gwon, Jong-Sung Park, Thiruma V. Arumugam, Yong-Kook Kwon, Sic L. Chan, Seol-Hee Kim, Sang-Ha Baik, Sunghee Yang, Young-Kwang Yun, Yuri Choi, Saerom Kim, Sung-Chun Tang, Dong-Hoon Hyun, Aiwu Cheng, Charles E. Dann Iii, Michel Bernier, Jaewon Lee, William R. Markesbery, Mark P. Mattson, Dong-Gyu Jo

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

The cause of elevated level of amyloid beta-peptide (A beta 42) in common late-onset sporadic [Alzheimers disease (AD)] has not been established. Here, we show that the membrane lipid peroxidation product 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) is associated with amyloid and neurodegenerative pathologies in AD and that it enhances ?-secretase activity and A beta 42 production in neurons. The ?-secretase substrate receptor, nicastrin, was found to be modified by HNE in cultured neurons and in brain specimens from patients with AD, in which HNEnicastrin levels were found to be correlated with increased ?-secretase activity and A beta plaque burden. Furthermore, HNE modification of …

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Beta-Microseminoprotein Endows Post Coital Seminal Plasma With Potent Candidacidal Activity By A Calcium- And Ph-Dependent Mechanism, Anneli M. L. Edstrom Hagerwall, Victoria Rydengard, Per Fernlund, Matthias Morgelin, Maria Baumgarten, Alexander M. Cole, Martin Malmsten, Birthe B. Kragelund, Ole E. Sorensen Jan 2012

Beta-Microseminoprotein Endows Post Coital Seminal Plasma With Potent Candidacidal Activity By A Calcium- And Ph-Dependent Mechanism, Anneli M. L. Edstrom Hagerwall, Victoria Rydengard, Per Fernlund, Matthias Morgelin, Maria Baumgarten, Alexander M. Cole, Martin Malmsten, Birthe B. Kragelund, Ole E. Sorensen

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

The innate immune factors controlling Candida albicans are mostly unknown. Vulvovaginal candidiasis is common in women and affects approximately 70-75% of all women at least once. Despite the propensity of Candida to colonize the vagina, transmission of Candida albicans following sexual intercourse is very rare. This prompted us to investigate whether the post coital vaginal milieu contained factors active against C. albicans. By CFU assays, we found prominent candidacidal activity of post coital seminal plasma at both neutral and the acid vaginal pH. In contrast, normal seminal plasma did not display candidacidal activity prior to acidification. By antifungal gel overlay …

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Monocropping Cultures Into Ruin: The Loss Of Food Varieties And Cultural Diversity, Peter J. Jacques, Jessica Racine Jacques Jan 2012

Monocropping Cultures Into Ruin: The Loss Of Food Varieties And Cultural Diversity, Peter J. Jacques, Jessica Racine Jacques

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

The loss of genetic diversity of thousands of plants and crops has been well documented at least since the 1970s, and has been understood as a result of epistemological and political economic conditions of the Green Revolution. The political economic arrangement of the Green Revolution, alongside a post-war focus on economies of scale and export-oriented growth, replace high-yield single varieties of crops for a diverse array of varieties that may not have the same yield, but may be able to resist pests, disease, and changing climatic conditions. Also, the harvest does not flow in all directions equally: Whereas small holder …

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Borrelia Burgdorferi Harbors A Transport System Essential For Purine Salvage And Mammalian Infection, Sunny Jain, Selina Sutchu, Patricia A. Rosa, Rebecca Bryam, Mollie W. Jewett Jan 2012

Borrelia Burgdorferi Harbors A Transport System Essential For Purine Salvage And Mammalian Infection, Sunny Jain, Selina Sutchu, Patricia A. Rosa, Rebecca Bryam, Mollie W. Jewett

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Borrelia burgdorferi is the tick-borne bacterium that causes the multistage inflammatory disease Lyme disease. B. burgdorferi has a reduced genome and lacks the enzymes required for de novo synthesis of purines for synthesis of RNA and DNA. Therefore, this obligate pathogen is dependent upon the tick vector and mammalian host environments for salvage of purine bases for nucleic acid biosynthesis. This pathway is vital for B. burgdorferi survival throughout its infectious cycle, as key enzymes in the purine salvage pathway are essential for the ability of the spirochete to infect mice and critical for spirochete replication in the tick. The …

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Rapid And Sensitive Detection Of An Intracellular Pathogen In Human Peripheral Leukocytes With Hybridizing Magnetic Relaxation Nanosensors, Charalambos Kaittanis, Hamza Boukhriss, Santimukul Santra, Saleh A. Naser, J. Manuel Perez Jan 2012

Rapid And Sensitive Detection Of An Intracellular Pathogen In Human Peripheral Leukocytes With Hybridizing Magnetic Relaxation Nanosensors, Charalambos Kaittanis, Hamza Boukhriss, Santimukul Santra, Saleh A. Naser, J. Manuel Perez

Faculty Bibliography 2010s

Bacterial infections are still a major global healthcare problem. The quick and sensitive detection of pathogens responsible for these infections would facilitate correct diagnosis of the disease and expedite treatment. Of major importance are intracellular slow-growing pathogens that reside within peripheral leukocytes, evading recognition by the immune system and detection by traditional culture methods. Herein, we report the use of hybridizing magnetic nanosensors (hMRS) for the detection of an intracellular pathogen, Mycobacterium avium spp. paratuberculosis (MAP). The hMRS are designed to bind to a unique genomic sequence found in the MAP genome, causing significant changes in the sample's magnetic resonance …

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Is Selective Mutism An Emotion Regulation Strategy For Children With Social Phobia? A Single Case Design Investigation, Samantha L. Scott Jan 2012

Is Selective Mutism An Emotion Regulation Strategy For Children With Social Phobia? A Single Case Design Investigation, Samantha L. Scott

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To determine whether children with selective mutism (SM) withhold speech to regulate their emotional arousal and decrease automatic distress, the current study examines the behavioral and physiological responses of children with SM in comparison to children with social phobia (SP) and children with no psychiatric disorder (TD) as they participate in two social situations. A single case design strategy is used to compare behavioral and physiological responses both within and across groups. Examining the temporal sequencing of behaviors and physiology provides a direct test of the utility of emotion regulation theory as it pertains to children with social phobia/selective mutism. …

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Amelioration Of Amyloid Burden In Advanced Human And Mouse Alzheimer's Disease Brains By Oral Delivery Of Myelin Basic Protein Bioencapsulated In Plant Cells, Neha Kohli Jan 2012

Amelioration Of Amyloid Burden In Advanced Human And Mouse Alzheimer's Disease Brains By Oral Delivery Of Myelin Basic Protein Bioencapsulated In Plant Cells, Neha Kohli

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

One of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the amyloid plaque deposition in aging brains by aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides. In this study, the effect of chloroplast derived myelin basic protein (MBP) fused with cholera toxin subunit B (CTB) was investigated in advanced diseased stage of human and mouse AD brains. The CTB-fusion protein in chloroplasts facilitates transmucosal delivery in the gut by the natural binding ability of CTB pentameric form with GM1 receptors on the intestinal epithelium. Further, bioencapsulation of the MBP within plant cells confers protection from enzymes and acids in the digestive system. Here, …

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Escape Artist, Alejandro Mujica Jan 2012

Escape Artist, Alejandro Mujica

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

My thesis, Escape Artist, is a composite novel written as a fictitious memoir, similar in style to Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, that describes my experiences between the years 2001 and 2011. During that time I went through Marine Corps Boot Camp, became a military police officer, patrolled Yuma, AZ, was sent to Iraq for a sevenmonth tour as a security detail just before the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and made it back home four years later. The novel also looks into my struggles with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms, how they affected the people around me, and what …

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The Quadripartite Badge: Narratives Of Power And Resurrection In Maya Iconography, Victoria Ingalls Jan 2012

The Quadripartite Badge: Narratives Of Power And Resurrection In Maya Iconography, Victoria Ingalls

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ancient Maya iconography primarily depicted elite individuals in idealized states of being and rationalized their power and authority through ideological concepts and otherworld beings. This study aims to reexamine previous assumptions made concerning the Quadripartite Badge. This motif is examined based on iconographic associations and contexts, as well as temporal and spatial distributions. The dataset was created from currently identified examples of the Quadripartite Badge, although only a select group is extensively examined. The spread of this motif is demonstrated through time and its spatial dispersals are noted for their political consequences. Indicating the liminal status of its user, the …

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Influencing Students To Become Stewards Of The Earth's Ocean, Jenifer Trimble Jan 2012

Influencing Students To Become Stewards Of The Earth's Ocean, Jenifer Trimble

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research study was to document 8th grade students' experiences at a residential marine learning facility as they discovered the interconnections between life on Earth and its dependency on ocean health. My goal was for students to take their new knowledge and share it with others in a quest to become educated and caring stewards of the Earth's ocean. Students in this study participated in open peer and instructor discussions, performed full and guided inquiry activities, and snorkeled among the shallow water habitats that transition from mangroves toward coral reefs to discover the interconnections among shallow …

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Livelihoods Support Programs, Conservation Attitudes, And Tropical Biodiversity: An Evaluation Of Biocomplexity In Southeastern Ghana, Edem Kodzo Ekpe Jan 2012

Livelihoods Support Programs, Conservation Attitudes, And Tropical Biodiversity: An Evaluation Of Biocomplexity In Southeastern Ghana, Edem Kodzo Ekpe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human activities are a major driver of biodiversity degradation and loss, especially in tropical forest areas, where forest-fringe towns and villages depend on the forests for their livelihoods. In order to reduce threats that human activities pose to biodiversity, livelihoods support programs are employed as economic incentives for biodiversity conservation. These programs support the livelihoods activities of local communities, with the aim of triggering favorable attitudes and behaviors towards conservation, and ultimately reduce biodiversity degradation. Their effectiveness as conservation tools has not been evaluated. I investigated the effects of livelihoods programs on conservation attitudes and the consequent effects on biodiversity …

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Genetic Interactions Between The Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor Gefmeso And Gtpase Signaling Components In The Drosophila Wing Reveal Microenvironment Dependent Variation Within Gtpase Signaling N, Ashley Megan Iketani Jan 2012

Genetic Interactions Between The Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor Gefmeso And Gtpase Signaling Components In The Drosophila Wing Reveal Microenvironment Dependent Variation Within Gtpase Signaling N, Ashley Megan Iketani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Ras superfamily of GTPases are important regulators of morphogenesis involved in control of cytoskeletal dynamics, intracellular trafficking, apical-basal polarity and cell migration. Mis-regulation of GTPase signaling interferes with development and is linked to pathogenesis. Traditionally, GTPase signaling has been depicted as a series of independent linear pathways. However, recently it has become apparent that multiple GTPases can interact to regulate a single cellular process, functioning in poorly understood networks of cross talk between pathways during development. Jim Fristrom (unpublished data) identified a mutation (18-5) that interacts with components of the GTPases Rho1, Rala, and Cdc42 signaling in multiple developmental …

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An Analysis Of Communication Anxiety And Reading Comprehension In Sixth, Seventh And Eighth Grade Students, Tami Mullens Davis Jan 2012

An Analysis Of Communication Anxiety And Reading Comprehension In Sixth, Seventh And Eighth Grade Students, Tami Mullens Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this research was to determine whether communication apprehension impacted reading comprehension in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students and to examine the impact of family socio-economic status. Many studies have demonstrated the negative relationship between communication apprehension and academic achievement, however, studies of elementary and middle school students have been conspicuously missing from this research. Findings of this study indicated that the levels of communication apprehension rose slightly as grade level increased. Results showed that females in the study had higher levels of communication apprehension than males. The study also found that those students receiving free and …

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It's Not All About The Animals: Veterinarians' Perspectives On Their Work, Nicole Owens Jan 2012

It's Not All About The Animals: Veterinarians' Perspectives On Their Work, Nicole Owens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines lived experiences of veterinarians. A common feature of being a veterinarian is curing and caring for nonhuman animals. It is the love and connection most veterinarians share for animals that ignite their journey to become an animal doctor. Data collected during semi-structured interviews with 17 veterinarians reveal that there are many more intricacies to the job than just animal medicine. These veterinarians suggest that they must treat animals as learning tools during veterinary training and once they complete school, they deal with people and business on a regular basis. Most veterinarians would like their jobs to be …

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Towards Evolving More Brain-Like Artificial Neural Networks, Sebastian Risi Jan 2012

Towards Evolving More Brain-Like Artificial Neural Networks, Sebastian Risi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An ambitious long-term goal for neuroevolution, which studies how artificial evolutionary processes can be driven to produce brain-like structures, is to evolve neurocontrollers with a high density of neurons and connections that can adapt and learn from past experience. Yet while neuroevolution has produced successful results in a variety of domains, the scale of natural brains remains far beyond reach. In this dissertation two extensions to the recently introduced Hypercube-based NeuroEvolution of Augmenting Topologies (HyperNEAT) approach are presented that are a step towards more brain-like artificial neural networks (ANNs). First, HyperNEAT is extended to evolve plastic ANNs that can learn …

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Setpad: A Sketch-Based Tool For Exploring Discrete Math Set Problems, Travis Cossairt Jan 2012

Setpad: A Sketch-Based Tool For Exploring Discrete Math Set Problems, Travis Cossairt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We present SetPad, a new application prototype that lets computer science students explore discrete math problems by sketching set expressions using pen-based input. Students can manipulate the expressions interactively with the tool via pen or multi-touch interface. Likewise, discrete mathematics instructors can use SetPad to display and work through set problems via a projector to better demonstrate the solutions to the students. We discuss the implementation and feature set of the application, as well as results from both an informal perceived usefulness evaluation for students taking a computer science foundation exam in addition to a formal user study measuring the …

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Investigation Of Tactile Displays For Robot To Human Communication, Daniel Barber Jan 2012

Investigation Of Tactile Displays For Robot To Human Communication, Daniel Barber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Improvements in autonomous systems technology and a growing demand within military operations are spurring a revolution in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). These mixed-initiative human-robot teams are enabled by Multi-Modal Communication (MMC), which supports redundancy and levels of communication that are more robust than single mode interaction. (Bischoff & Graefe, 2002; Partan & Marler, 1999). Tactile communication via vibrotactile displays is an emerging technology, potentially beneficial to advancing HRI. Incorporation of tactile displays within MMC requires developing messages equivalent in communication power to speech and visual signals used in the military. Toward that end, two experiments were performed to investigate the feasibility …

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An Assessment Of Ecological Processes In The Apalachicola Estuarine System, Florida, Daina Smar Jan 2012

An Assessment Of Ecological Processes In The Apalachicola Estuarine System, Florida, Daina Smar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The following is a compilation of field data collected in 2011 and 2012 in Apalachicola, FL as part of a five year study assessing the ecological effects of sea level rise in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Many coastal communities, both natural and developed, will soon be working to mitigate the effects of sea level rise, if they are not already doing so. This thesis investigates the natural patterns of the Apalachicola estuarine system through the collection and analysis of in situ water, sediment, and biomass samples. Additionally, results of the field samples are presented and recommendations for additional sampling …

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Algorithms For Rendering Optimization, Jared Johnson Jan 2012

Algorithms For Rendering Optimization, Jared Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores algorithms for rendering optimization realizable within a modern, complex rendering engine. The first part contains optimized rendering algorithms for ray tracing. Ray tracing algorithms typically provide properties of simplicity and robustness that are highly desirable in computer graphics. We offer several novel contributions to the problem of interactive ray tracing of complex lighting environments. We focus on the problem of maintaining interactivity as both geometric and lighting complexity grows without effecting the simplicity or robustness of ray tracing. First, we present a new algorithm called occlusion caching for accelerating the calculation of direct lighting from many light …

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A Retrospective Analysis And Field Study Of Nanotechnology Related Ergonomic Risk In Industries Utilizing Nanomaterials, Wanda Greaves-Holmes Jan 2012

A Retrospective Analysis And Field Study Of Nanotechnology Related Ergonomic Risk In Industries Utilizing Nanomaterials, Wanda Greaves-Holmes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The National Science Foundation estimates that two million skilled nanotechnology workers will be needed world wide by 2015 – one million of them in the United States (2001). In the absence of scientific clarity about the potential health effects of occupational exposure to nanoparticles, guidance in decision making about hazards, risk, and controls takes on new importance. Currently, guiding principles on personal protective equipment for workers who come in contact with nanomaterials have not been standardized universally. Utilizing the NASATLX, this dissertation investigates the adequacy and shortcomings of research efforts that seek to determine whether or not occupational exposure to …

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Evaporation, Precipitation Dynamics And Instability Of Acoustically Levitated Functional Droplets, Abhishek Saha Jan 2012

Evaporation, Precipitation Dynamics And Instability Of Acoustically Levitated Functional Droplets, Abhishek Saha

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Evaporation of pure and binary liquid droplets is of interest in thermal sprays and spray drying of food, ceramics and pharmaceutical products. Understanding the rate of heat and mass transfer in any drying process is important not only to enhance evaporation rate or vapor-gas mixing, but also to predict and control the final morphology and microstructure of the precipitates. Acoustic levitation is an alternative method to study micron-sized droplets without wall effects, which eliminates chemical and thermal contamination with surfaces. This work uses an ultrasonic levitation technique to investigate the vaporization dynamics under radiative heating, with focus on evaporation characteristics, …

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Evaluation Of Biosorption Activated Media Under Roadside Swales For Stormwater Quality Improvement And Harvesting, Andrew Charles Hood Jan 2012

Evaluation Of Biosorption Activated Media Under Roadside Swales For Stormwater Quality Improvement And Harvesting, Andrew Charles Hood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Stormwater runoff from highways is a source of pollution to surface water bodies and groundwater. This project develops a bio-detention treatment and harvesting system that is incorporated into roadside swales. The bio-detention system uses Bold & Gold™, a type of biosorption activated media (BAM), to remove nutrients from simulated highway runoff and then store the water in underground vaults for infiltration, controlled discharge, and/or irrigation and other non-potable applications. In order to design a bio-detention system, media characteristics and media/water quality relationships are required. Media characteristics determined through testing include: specific gravity, permeability, infiltration, maximum dry density, moisture content of …

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Construction And Demolition Debris Recovery And Recycling In Orange County, Fl, Michael Stephen Toth Ii Jan 2012

Construction And Demolition Debris Recovery And Recycling In Orange County, Fl, Michael Stephen Toth Ii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2008, the State of Florida established a recycling goal of 75% to be achieved by 2020. In response to the Florida goal Orange County (OC), Florida has made the development and implementation of an efficient strategy for landfill diversion of its solid waste a top priority. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) estimated that 23 % of municipal solid waste was generated by construction and demolition (C&D) activities in 2009, with only 30 percent of C&D debris being recycled. Therefore, OC decided to create a solid waste integrated resource plan (SWIRP) initially focused on the recovery and recycling …

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