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Ribosome Maturation In Yeast Models Of Diamond-Blackfan Anemia And Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome., Joseph Brady Moore 1981- May 2010

Ribosome Maturation In Yeast Models Of Diamond-Blackfan Anemia And Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome., Joseph Brady Moore 1981-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The inherited bone marrow failure syndromes (IBMFS) encompass a heterogeneous collection of rare disorders characterized by hematological abnormalities, generalized growth delays, and an increased incidence of malignant transformation. These disorders include: Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA), Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS), cartilage-hair hypoplasia (CHH), and dyskeratosis congenita (DC). Despite sharing overarching similarities, each of these disorders manifests distinct clinical phenotypes. Similar to their clinical features, the molecular underpinnings of the IBMFS have characteristics that are both shared and distinctive. Aberrations in ribosome synthesis have been associated with each of the IBMFS providing a common molecular target for pathogenic mutations in disease related genes. In …

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Predictors Of Risk For Child Neglect Among Expectant First-Time Mothers And Their Partners., Bertha M. Mucherera May 2010

Predictors Of Risk For Child Neglect Among Expectant First-Time Mothers And Their Partners., Bertha M. Mucherera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study purpose was three-fold: finding a point of entry for primary prevention of child neglect, assessing for child neglect risk level for both first-time mothers and their partners, and individuals opinions about establishing and administering a multi-dimensional family assessment tool prior to birth. This study utilized a non-experimental, cross-sectional design to survey 250 first-time expectant mothers and their partners, attending Lamaze Classes at a public hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. Participants completed a 97-item questionnaire comprised of eleven different measures identifying individual personal (Attachment Theory) and situational characteristics (Ecological Theory). Results indicated that this particular population was predominately White Caucasian …

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Health Promotion Self-Efficacy Of Belizean Nurses : Variables Influencing Condom Use Promotion To Women To Prevent Hiv/Aids., Whitney A. Nash May 2010

Health Promotion Self-Efficacy Of Belizean Nurses : Variables Influencing Condom Use Promotion To Women To Prevent Hiv/Aids., Whitney A. Nash

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a descriptive, correlational study that explores how a nurse's personal sexual relationship power, vicarious experience, and other interpersonal and socio-cultural variables are related to her self-efficacy to promote and teach condom use to women to reduce the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. How these variables are related among a specific subset of nurses with lower sexual relationship power is also examined. Self-efficacy theory, specifically portions of Dr. Albert Bandura's work is used to guide this exploration. Chapter 1 introduces the problem of HIV/AIDS in Belize; the role of power, and selected issues surrounding women and HIV/AIDS. Chapter 1 …

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A Phase Ii Two Stage Clinical Trial Design To Handle Latent Heterogeneity For A Binary Response., Christopher Noel Barnes May 2010

A Phase Ii Two Stage Clinical Trial Design To Handle Latent Heterogeneity For A Binary Response., Christopher Noel Barnes

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Phase II clinical trial are generally single arm trial where a homogeneity assumption is placed on the response. In practice, this assumption may be violated resulting in a heterogeneous response. This heterogeneous or overdispersed response can be decomposed into distinct subgroups based on the etiology of the heterogeneity. A general classification model is developed to quantify the heterogeneity. The most common Phase II trial design used in practice is the Simon 2-stage design which relies on the assumption of response homogeneity. This design is shown to be flawed under the assumption of heterogeneity with errors exceeding the target trial errors. …

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Reading Aloud In The Writing Center : A Comparative Analysis Of Three Tutoring Methods., Rebecca Ryan Block 1979- May 2010

Reading Aloud In The Writing Center : A Comparative Analysis Of Three Tutoring Methods., Rebecca Ryan Block 1979-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reading aloud in writing center sessions is a common practice, one that is both under-studied and under-theorized. In an attempt to begin to address this gap, this dissertation conducts an empirical analysis of three different methods of reading aloud in the writing center: client-read, tutor-read, and point-predict. Client-read and tutor-read are traditional approaches to reading in writing centers; point-predict was adapted into a tutoring method from a peer-review method by Barbara Sitko. In order to examine these methods, a study of 24 writing center sessions—eight of each method—was conducted. Sessions were recorded, transcribed, and coded for initiator and writing issues …

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Bum Hunters : The Simulations And Neutralizations Of Negative Actions Taken Against The Homeless On Youtube., Elizabeth Anne Griffith 1986- May 2010

Bum Hunters : The Simulations And Neutralizations Of Negative Actions Taken Against The Homeless On Youtube., Elizabeth Anne Griffith 1986-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to of the rise in numbers of persons experiencing homelessness, communities are working to restrict access that homeless individuals have to public spaces. Many cities across the nation have criminalized aspects of homelessness in attempts to 'beautify' the areas. Starting in 2001, four videos were created and sold illustrating "bum fighting" in which homeless people were depicted fighting or performing stunts in return for alcohol and/or drugs (NCH, 2007). The National Coalition for the Homeless directly links the release of these videos to the increase of attacks against the homeless, many videotaping the ordeal, imitating the original videos. In …

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Difference As Identity In "The Other Story" And The 1993 Whitney Biennial., Vanessa Faye Johnson May 2010

Difference As Identity In "The Other Story" And The 1993 Whitney Biennial., Vanessa Faye Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This paper explores issues of identity and difference in art and its institutions through a historiographic study of two landmark exhibitions, "The Other Story: Afro-Asian Artists in Post-War Britain" (1989) and the 1993 Whitney Biennial. These exhibits intended to bring recognition to a marginalized group of artists, but were largely seen in critical literature to have perpetuated the binary distinctions and terms of difference that originated and maintained that marginalization. In order to fully understand the historical significance of these two exhibitions, in terms of their critical aims and reception, this thesis examines the specific social contexts in which they …

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Context Matters : A Multilevel Analysis Of Patterns Of Mobility To Non-Poor Neighborhoods For Poor Renter Households., Stacy M. Deck May 2010

Context Matters : A Multilevel Analysis Of Patterns Of Mobility To Non-Poor Neighborhoods For Poor Renter Households., Stacy M. Deck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this longitudinal, multilevel study was to develop a better understanding of poor renter households' mobility patterns by identifying the relative importance of individual and contextual variables. Variability in neighborhood poverty rates (NPR) was analyzed for 1564 poor, renter households living in 179 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) across the continental U.S. during the 1990s. Household heads were typically black (73%), middle age (mean=37 years) females (59%) who had 12 or fewer years of education (77%). Each household completed three to nine Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) surveys. Using geocodes, census data were linked with survey data to …

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Representational Crisis In Psychiatry : Corporate Hegemony And Postmodern Knowledge, James Andrew Whitaker May 2010

Representational Crisis In Psychiatry : Corporate Hegemony And Postmodern Knowledge, James Andrew Whitaker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I have undertaken a sociology of knowledge study pertaining to the corporate construction of psychiatric knowledge in relation to biomedicalization. I have conceptually connected the “crisis of representation” in psychiatry with the larger alteration of knowledge within postmodernity. I have defined postmodernity as itself a more general “crisis of representation.” Both of these representational crises are viewed as emerging from the transformation of political economic realities in the course of the twentieth-century. A discussion is undertaken to explicate the nature of this transformation and its relation to previous analogous transformations. I have undertaken a content analysis study …

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In Vitro Detection Of Mesio-Buccal Canals In Maxillary Molar Cross-Sections Using Three Different Resolutions With Kodak 9000 3d Cbct., Jolanta Nowicka Sauer May 2010

In Vitro Detection Of Mesio-Buccal Canals In Maxillary Molar Cross-Sections Using Three Different Resolutions With Kodak 9000 3d Cbct., Jolanta Nowicka Sauer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

CBCT in endodontics demonstrates anatomic features in 3D that intraoral, panoramic, and cephalometric images cannot. CBCT units reconstruct the projection data to provide interrelational images in three orthogonal planes (axial, sagittal, and coronal). In addition because reconstruction of CBCT data is performed natively using a personal computer, data can be reoriented in their true spatial relationships. Aims: To investigate accurate detection of the correct number of root canals in the mesio-buccal root of the maxillary molar teeth using 3D imaging with cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) at different spatial resolution (isotropic voxel) settings. Methods: With IRB approval, 31 extracted maxillary …

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The Second Year Itch: An Examination Of Pre-Entry Factors That Contribute To Second-Year College Persistence., Nora Allen Scobie 1967- May 2010

The Second Year Itch: An Examination Of Pre-Entry Factors That Contribute To Second-Year College Persistence., Nora Allen Scobie 1967-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The persistence of second-year college students is gaining attention nationally. Vast resources have been dedicated to the retention of first-year students only to lose them at some point during the second year. Much of the research about the second-year experience is qualitative and focused on institutional inputs. This study examined pre-entry variables that predict second year attrition. The pre-matriculation factors and background characteristics as outlined by Tinto (1993) served as the focus of this study. The participants of this study were first-time, full-time freshmen that attended the University of Louisville 2004 summer orientation, participated in the College Student Inventory Form-B …

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"Upside Down From The Word Go" : Kentucky's Black Farmers Speak Out On The Issue Of Land Loss., Willie Jamaal Wright May 2010

"Upside Down From The Word Go" : Kentucky's Black Farmers Speak Out On The Issue Of Land Loss., Willie Jamaal Wright

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The decline of black farmers and black-owned farmlands is an ever worsening problem. Though their numbers neared one million at the start of the 20th century, the most recent account of black farmers states that there are only 30599 left in America (Census of Agriculture, 2007). The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences and perspectives of black farmers in Kentucky regarding factors that contribute to land loss. Participants in this exploratory study were gathered using convenience and snowball sampling techniques. Each farmer owned land in Central and Eastern Kentucky counties. This study discovered that contrary to popular …

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"Still I Rise!" Public Discourse Surrounding The Development Of Public Schools For African Americans In Louisville, Kentucky, 1862--1872., Michelle Bachelor Robinson May 2010

"Still I Rise!" Public Discourse Surrounding The Development Of Public Schools For African Americans In Louisville, Kentucky, 1862--1872., Michelle Bachelor Robinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I conducted my dissertation research in the national, state, and local archives. Using Deborah Brandt's "Sponsors of Literacy" as a conceptual framework and Critical Race Theory as a theoretical framework, I offer Louisville, Kentucky as a historical case study for how an established and empowered community of free blacks can serve as a catalyst to bring about social and political change through the acquisition of literacy. This dissertation is divided into four chapters. Chapter One explains the scholarly context of my dissertation. I argue that post-emancipation African Americans had a sense of urgency for the acquisition of literacy, and that …

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Teaching Efficacy, Innovation, School Culture And Teacher Risk Taking., Margaret Elizabeth Taylor May 2010

Teaching Efficacy, Innovation, School Culture And Teacher Risk Taking., Margaret Elizabeth Taylor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is an exploratory study of teacher risk taking. The risk-taking literature in education and other types of organizations is lacking in studies exploring the concept of healthy risk taking and how that risk taking is related to other concepts such as organizational culture, innovation, and efficacy. The purpose of this study was to explore the concept of teacher risk taking as it relates to teaching efficacy, school culture, and organizational support for innovation. The research design of this study utilized a five-section survey administered to 740 public and private school teachers from 53 schools in 9 Midwestern states. …

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Application Of Temporal Difference Learning To The Game Of Snake., Christopher Lockhart May 2010

Application Of Temporal Difference Learning To The Game Of Snake., Christopher Lockhart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The game of Snake has been selected to provide a unique application of the TD( ) algorithm as proposed by Sutton. A reinforcement learning technique for producing computer controlled players is documented. Using value function approximation with multilayer artificial neural networks and the actor-critic architecture, computer players capable of playing the game of Snake can be created. The adaptation to the standard neural network backpropagation procedure will be documented. Not only does the proposed technique provide reasonable player performance, its application is unique; this approach to Snake has never been documented. By performing sets of trials, the performance of the …

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Computational Fluid Dynamic Analysis Of A Coulter Counting Microcytometer., Kyle Anthony Schmidt May 2010

Computational Fluid Dynamic Analysis Of A Coulter Counting Microcytometer., Kyle Anthony Schmidt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis looks at the optimization of fluid flow and mass transfer using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in a micro fluidic coulter counter. CFD will be used to solve equations of fluid flow and mass transfer to see how molecules within the microchannel will react with different flow ratios. Choosing a sheath stream to sample stream flow ratio will optimize the channel by increasing the concentration level of the sample stream near the electrodes; resulting in a clearer and more precise signal. Optimization will provide cell separation between each passing cell to improve counting efficiency. Analysis of the microcytometer shows …

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Synthesis Of A Directionally-Conductive Polyaniline Hydrogel Composite By Vapor Deposition., Eric W. Reed 1987- May 2010

Synthesis Of A Directionally-Conductive Polyaniline Hydrogel Composite By Vapor Deposition., Eric W. Reed 1987-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electroactive polymers (EAPs), including conducting polymers (CPs) such as polyaniline (PAn), and hydrogels are exciting areas of research in disciplines such as biomedical engineering, with the goal of creating low-cost, lightweight, non-toxic artificial muscles with characteristics similar to natural muscle. Such a material could be used to create more natural prosthetic limbs or artificial heart muscle, which could be implanted in the left ventricle to assist patients with congestive heart failure. Currently, however, electroactive polymers are not a viable replacement for natural muscles for a variety of reasons, including insufficient applied force and lack of robustness [1]. Hydrogels suffer from …

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Black And White On Black: Whiteness And Masculinity In The Works Of Three Australian Writers - Thomas Keneally, Colin Thiele, And Patrick White., Matthew Israel Byrge May 2010

Black And White On Black: Whiteness And Masculinity In The Works Of Three Australian Writers - Thomas Keneally, Colin Thiele, And Patrick White., Matthew Israel Byrge

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

White depictions of Aborigines in literature have generally been culturally biased. In this study I explore four depictions of Indigenous Australians by white Australian writers. Thomas Keneally's The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1972) depicts a half-caste Aborigine's attempt to enter white society in a racially-antipathetic world that precipitates his ruin. Children's author Colin Thiele develops friendships between white and Aboriginal children in frightening and dangerous landscapes in both Storm Boy (1963) and Fire in the Stone (1973). Nobel laureate Patrick White sets A Fringe of Leaves (1976) in a world in which Ellen Roxburgh's quest for freedom comes only through …

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The Effects Of Betadine®, Polyvinylpyrrolidone (Pvp), And Iodine On Regeneration In The Planarian Dugesia Tigrina., Traci R. Shaffer May 2010

The Effects Of Betadine®, Polyvinylpyrrolidone (Pvp), And Iodine On Regeneration In The Planarian Dugesia Tigrina., Traci R. Shaffer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The freshwater planarian has a great capacity to regenerate and is an ideal animal model in the study of stem cell and regeneration biology. In this study planarian regenerating new tails were exposed to nonlethal doses of Betadine®, Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and Iodine. Betadine® is a topical antiseptic commonly used in the healthcare setting and may have a detrimental effect on wound healing. PVP is linked to iodine to create povidone-iodine, the active ingredient in Betadine®. Initially, a preliminary test was performed on the worms to determine the nonlethal concentrations of these chemicals . After this nonlethal concentration was determined, tails …

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Development Of Eeg Gama Indicies Of Cue Reactivity To Assess Functional Outcomes Of Neurofeedback Training In Substance Use Disorder., Timothy Joseph Horrell Apr 2010

Development Of Eeg Gama Indicies Of Cue Reactivity To Assess Functional Outcomes Of Neurofeedback Training In Substance Use Disorder., Timothy Joseph Horrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In 2006 it was estimated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA, 2007) that 19.9 million Americans used illicit drugs, computing to roughly 8.0 % of the United States population. In 2007, there were 2.1 million active cocaine users, comprising 0.8 percent of the population. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) estimates that the total expenditure of drug-related complications is greater than 500 billion dollars when healthcare, legal procedures and job loss are considered. Research has shown that prolonged drug use has a profound effect on the EEG recordings of drug addicts when compared to controls …

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Addressing Relational Aggression: Assessing The Merits Of Coeducational And Gender-Specific Bullying Prevention Programs, Rena Dulberg Mar 2010

Addressing Relational Aggression: Assessing The Merits Of Coeducational And Gender-Specific Bullying Prevention Programs, Rena Dulberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Interviews with eight bullying prevention program directors from around the country reveal the extent to which research findings are reflected in bullying prevention programs currently in operation. Framed as a list of best practices for coeducational and gender-specific bullying prevention curricula, the purpose of the present thesis was to document the most positive contributions made by various approaches to bullying prevention programs to the overall field, and to highlight practices of programs that reflect insight into what is known about gender differences in bullying. Best practices included new approaches to empathy-building, service-learning, confidentiality, cyberbullying, positive reinforcement, reporting systems and youth-driven …

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The Expressed Emotion Of Mothers Of Children With Fragile X Syndrome, Jeanine M. Coleman Mar 2010

The Expressed Emotion Of Mothers Of Children With Fragile X Syndrome, Jeanine M. Coleman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A review of the literature revealed that mothers with children with fragile X syndrome (FXS) face many challenges, including managing their child's behavior which is a defining characteristic of children with FXS (Epstein, Riley, & Sobesky, 2002). Parents and professionals have become increasingly aware through research and everyday experiences that children with FXS are often overly sensitive to multiple stimuli (Hagerman, 1999; Hagerman & Hagerman, 2002; Miller et al., 1999). This overstimulation often leads to behavioral challenges that are characterized by tantrums, angry outbursts, and other forms of aggression. Additionally, mothers of children with FXS have their own personal challenges …

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Innervation, Distribution And Morphology Of Calcitonin Gene Related Peptide And Substancep Immunoreactive Axons In The Whole-Mount Atria Of Fvb Mice, Liang Li Jan 2010

Innervation, Distribution And Morphology Of Calcitonin Gene Related Peptide And Substancep Immunoreactive Axons In The Whole-Mount Atria Of Fvb Mice, Liang Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Degeneration of nociceptive afferent axons and terminals in the heart is associated with painless sudden cardiac death. However, innervation, distribution and morphological structures of sympathetic cardiac nociceptive afferent axons and terminals have not yet been fully characterized. The aim of the present study is to characterize the density, arrangement, and structural features of differentiated sympathetic afferent axons and terminals in whole-mount FVB mouse atria. FVB mice (3-6 months old) were perfused and the tissues were fixed. The right and left atria were processed with immunohistochemistry. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP) are two neuropeptides which have been widely …

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Feminist, Linguistic, And Rhetorical Perspectives On Language Reform, William Dorner Jan 2010

Feminist, Linguistic, And Rhetorical Perspectives On Language Reform, William Dorner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As people become aware that society treats women unfairly, they also perceive related shortcomings in the way that Modern English references women. For example, many have objected to the so-called generic he, the third-person masculine pronoun employed to refer to a person of unknown gender, and provided several alternatives, few of which have been widely adopted. Nonetheless, change is evident in the case of they becoming an increasingly common solution to refer to a person of unidentified gender. The intentional reform of the Modern English language, both in the past and present, has been a result of people's reactions to …

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(Un)Natural Bodies, Endangered Species, And Embodied Others In Margaret Atwood's Oryx And Crake, Marcy Galbreath Jan 2010

(Un)Natural Bodies, Endangered Species, And Embodied Others In Margaret Atwood's Oryx And Crake, Marcy Galbreath

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The developing knowledge of life sciences is at the crux of Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake as she examines human promise gone awry in a near-future dystopia. This thesis examines aspects of posthumanism, ecocriticism, and feminism in the novel's scientific, cultural, and environmental projections. Through the trope of extinction, Atwood's text foregrounds the effects of human exceptionalism and instrumentalism in relation to the natural world, and engenders an analysis of human identity through its biological and cultural aspects. Extinction thus serves as a metaphor for both human development and human excesses, redefining the idea of human within the context of …

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Expression And Characterization Of Antimicrobial Peptides Retrocyclin-101 And Protegrin-1 In Chloroplasts To Control Viral And Bacterial Infections, Baichuan Li Jan 2010

Expression And Characterization Of Antimicrobial Peptides Retrocyclin-101 And Protegrin-1 In Chloroplasts To Control Viral And Bacterial Infections, Baichuan Li

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Retrocyclin-101 (RC101) and Protegrin-1 (PG1) are two important antimicrobial peptides that can be used as therapeutic agents against bacterial and/or viral infections, especially those caused by the HIV-1 or sexually-transmitted bacteria. Because of their antimicrobial activity and complex secondary structures, they have not yet been produced in microbial systems and their chemical synthesis is prohibitively expensive. Therefore, we created chloroplast transformation vectors with the RC101 or PG1 coding sequence, fused with GFP to confer stability, furin or Factor Xa cleavage site to liberate the mature peptide from their fusion proteins and a His-tag to aid in their purification. Stable integration …

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Potential Energy, Edward Bull Jan 2010

Potential Energy, Edward Bull

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Potential Energy. (Under the direction of Pat Rushin.) Potential Energy is a collection of sixteen short stories. They range from the fictional to the autofictional to the entirely non-fictional. In all of them, characters both real and imagined struggle to live and define themselves in a world that is outside their control. They cope with the inevitability of loss, dangers both internal and external, and the passing of their own greatness. Some of these characters become lost while others learn to embrace life on its own terms'to accept 'without hope or expectation.' More often, they are not lost or enlightened, …

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Competitive Actions Of New Technology Firms The Red Queen Effect And New Firm Performance, Robert L. Porter Jan 2010

Competitive Actions Of New Technology Firms The Red Queen Effect And New Firm Performance, Robert L. Porter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The competitive strategy used by a new firm may be the most important strategy it ever employs (Covin & Slevin, 1989; Ferrier, 2001). A well-chosen and executed firm strategy is essential for a firm to realize its potential competitive advantage (Porter, 1981). A firm‘s strategic intent and resulting competitive actions are especially important when firms are new and vulnerable as they strive to learn which strategic actions help them adapt to their rivals actions and to their environment (Stinchcombe, 1965). Further, the competitive actions that new firms choose to take with rival firms affects the overall competitive dynamics of their …

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Trends In International Compulsory Licensing Of Pharmaceuticals Since The Institution Of The Trade-Related Aspects Of Intellectual Property Protection (Trips) Agreement, Reed F. Beall Jan 2010

Trends In International Compulsory Licensing Of Pharmaceuticals Since The Institution Of The Trade-Related Aspects Of Intellectual Property Protection (Trips) Agreement, Reed F. Beall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement went into effect for World Trade Organization (WTO) members in 1995. The agreement defines minimum standards of patent protection that must eventually be observed by all signatories. TRIPS includes "compulsory licensing", a policy that allows for states under certain conditions to permit the use of a patented innovation without the consent of the patent holder. This paper considers instances of compulsory licenses (CLs) aimed to increase access to pharmaceuticals during urgent public health scenarios. The WTO maintains no registry of CLs; therefore, this research is an effort to catalog as many …

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Toward A Distributed Actuation And Cognition Means For A Miniature Soft Robot, Xiaoting Yang Jan 2010

Toward A Distributed Actuation And Cognition Means For A Miniature Soft Robot, Xiaoting Yang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents components of an on-going research project aimed towards developing a miniature soft robot for urban search and rescue (USAR). The three significant contributions of the thesis are verifying the water hammer actuation previous work, developing an estimator of water hammer impulse direction from hose shape, and creating the infrastructure for distributed cognitive networks. There are many technical issues in designing soft robots, in terms of perception, actuation, cognition, power, physical structure and so on. We are focusing on actuation and cognition issues in this thesis. We investigated water hammer actuation as an alternative system which provides a …

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