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Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

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Evaluating The Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test Ii As A Diagnostic Screening Instrument Among Clinically Referred Children And Adolescents, Linda R. Marnic Dec 2010

Evaluating The Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test Ii As A Diagnostic Screening Instrument Among Clinically Referred Children And Adolescents, Linda R. Marnic

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research was designed to investigate the diagnostic utility of the Bender Gestalt II (BGII) test using the Bender Global Scoring System (BGSS) and the Koppitz 2 scoring systems. The scores from these two systems were correlated with scores derived from the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Aged Children, Present and Lifetime Edition (KSADS-PL+), a semistructured interview along with Longitudinal Evaluation of all Available Data (LEAD) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Of the 115 children and adolescents who initially participated in the study to assess the validity of the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt II test …

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Exploring The Utility Of A Giscience Approach To Modeling Invasive Species: A Case Study Of Ailanthus Altissima, Arthur Elmes Dec 2010

Exploring The Utility Of A Giscience Approach To Modeling Invasive Species: A Case Study Of Ailanthus Altissima, Arthur Elmes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis investigated the potential for integration of remotely sensed and GIS data into an agent-based modeling environment in order to model seed dispersal and subsequent establishment of windborne seeds. In order to explore the applicability of agent-based modeling to predicting seed dispersal, a case study was carried out using the representative example species Ailanthus altissima, an invasive tree found throughout North America's temperate regions. Seed movement was modeled in two stages, primary and secondary dispersal; primary dispersal was calibrated using existing field data, while secondary dispersal was calibrated only qualitatively. Establishment potential was accounted for probabilistically, based on landuse …

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Ecology Of Trifolium Stoloniferum (Muhl. Ex A. Eaton), A Federally Endangered Vascular Plant, At The Fernow Experimental Forest In West Virginia, John Q. Burkhart Dec 2010

Ecology Of Trifolium Stoloniferum (Muhl. Ex A. Eaton), A Federally Endangered Vascular Plant, At The Fernow Experimental Forest In West Virginia, John Q. Burkhart

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis presents work addressing the ecology of Trifolium stoloniferum, a federally endangered vascular plant species, in the Fernow Experimental Forest, West Virginia. In this thesis, I describe the historical ecology of this species and make a case that at one time it occurred in great abundance in association with trails created by large mammals and humans that intersected rich, open forests. Similar conditions exist at the Fernow Experimental Forest in West Virginia, but instead of large mammals, the requisite soil disturbance, control of competing vegetation, and canopy perforation are created by timber-harvesting related disturbances, particularly gap creation by tree …

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Pot Heat Balance Analysis In Continuous Galvanizing Lines, Quang Minh Phuong Dec 2010

Pot Heat Balance Analysis In Continuous Galvanizing Lines, Quang Minh Phuong

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Galvanizing is an energy intensive industry. Knowing how much energy is consumed when producing a certain product will help the company in determining which products can be produced to maximize profits. E-GEPDSS was built to explore the potential of saving energy in galvanizing lines by utilizing heat balance analysis. Heat transfer mechanisms of the heat losses for the pot presented in the heat balance are basic heat transfer concepts (i.e. radiation, convection, conduction, and specific heat.;The pot heat balance model was built and applied using the data collected from a host company during the plant visit. Sensitivity analyses were done …

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Developing A Cellular Assay For Screening Inhibitors Of Stat4 Phosphorylation, Vivian Marcela Suarez Dec 2010

Developing A Cellular Assay For Screening Inhibitors Of Stat4 Phosphorylation, Vivian Marcela Suarez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In order to design better therapeutic strategies, scientists work on understanding the interactions that take place at cell level and have an effect on the immune system. In order to identify a few possible inhibitors that may be up-regulated in tumor environment and that may affect T-cell action, a cellular assay was designed. An Interleukin-12 (IL-12)-responsive murine Th1 cell clone called 2D6 was used as cellular model to study the effects of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), insulin, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) on the phosphorylation of Signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4), a key element in IL-12 signaling. Cells were …

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Hardware, Software, And Low-Level Control Scheme Development For A Real-Time Autonomous Rover, Brenton K. Wilburn Dec 2010

Hardware, Software, And Low-Level Control Scheme Development For A Real-Time Autonomous Rover, Brenton K. Wilburn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this research is to develop a low-cost autonomous rover platform for experiments in autonomous navigation. This thesis describes the design, development, and testing of an autonomous rover platform, based on the commercial, off-the-shelf Tamiya TXT-1 radio controlled vehicle. This vehicle is outfitted with an onboard computer based on the Mini-ITX architecture and an array of sensors for localization and obstacle avoidance, and programmed with Matlab/SimulinkRTM Real-Time Workshop (RTW) utilizing the Linux Real-Time Application Interface (RTAI) operating system.;First, a kinematic model is developed and verified for the rover. Then a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) feedback controller is developed for translational …

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Community College Department Chairs' Leadership Styles And Faculty Utilization Of Instructional Technology, Anastasia (Stacey) L. Boggs Dec 2010

Community College Department Chairs' Leadership Styles And Faculty Utilization Of Instructional Technology, Anastasia (Stacey) L. Boggs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study explores the relationship between faculty utilization of instructional technology and the leadership style of mathematics and English academic department chairpersons in associate degree-granting community colleges in the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The degree to which instructional technology was utilized in teaching courses was determined through self reporting surveys answered via mail by the selected faculty and chairs in the study. The academic department chairpersons in mathematics and English departments at the selected community colleges were rated by their faculty to determine their leadership style, using the Bolman and Deal Leadership Orientations survey. The leadership styles consisted …

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Emissions Characterization And Particle Size Distribution From A Dpf-Equipped Diesel Truck Fueled With Biodiesel Blends, Idowu O. Olatunji Dec 2010

Emissions Characterization And Particle Size Distribution From A Dpf-Equipped Diesel Truck Fueled With Biodiesel Blends, Idowu O. Olatunji

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Biodiesel may be derived from either plant or animal sources, and is usually employed as a compression ignition fuel in a blend with petroleum diesel (PD). Emissions differences between vehicles operated on biodiesel blends and PD have been published previously, but data do not cover the latest engine technologies. Prior studies have shown that biodiesel offers advantages in reducing particulate matter, with either no advantage or a slight disadvantage for oxides of nitrogen emissions. Literature also suggests that diesel engine exhaust particle number emissions are dominated by nucleation mode particles (NMPs) if present, while the mass emissions are dominated by …

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The Effects Of Resveratrol On Oxidative Stress And Muscle Atrophy, Janna Renee Jackson Dec 2010

The Effects Of Resveratrol On Oxidative Stress And Muscle Atrophy, Janna Renee Jackson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Resveratrol (3,5,4,trihydroxystilbene) is a naturally occurring polyphenol found in over seventy plant species that has been shown to have anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic and anti-aging properties. Resveratrols' capacity to enhance the endogenous anti-oxidant system, upregulate anti-apoptotic proteins and improve mitochondrial function, presumably through the activation of the N AD+ dependent deacetylase Sirtuin1, suggests that supplementation with resveratrol may potentially protect skeletal muscle from the detrimental effects of increases in oxidative stress and the subsequent increase in apoptotic signaling that are present in many atrophic conditions. Therefore, the major goals of this dissertation are to further understand the interplay between oxidative stress and …

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Spectral Approaches To Natural Mesh Processing, Takamitsu Kawai Dec 2010

Spectral Approaches To Natural Mesh Processing, Takamitsu Kawai

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Mesh design is a major bottleneck in the creation of computer games and animation. Therefore simplifying the process of mesh editing is an important problem. Natural mesh processing is generally difficult to perform since natural meshes often have nontrivial surface shapes and high degrees of freedom. In this study I present novel approaches to natural mesh processing utilizing spectral methods based on the manifold harmonic basis.;Geometric scaling transformations do not respect the biological processes which govern the size and shape of living creatures. I describe an approach to scaling which can be related to biological function. Known biological laws of …

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Sense Of Community, Collective Efficacy, And Perceived Police Efficacy: Research From A Social Cognitive Perspective, Ellen Belchior Rodrigues Aug 2010

Sense Of Community, Collective Efficacy, And Perceived Police Efficacy: Research From A Social Cognitive Perspective, Ellen Belchior Rodrigues

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research investigates the relationship between two aspects of social cohesion on perceived police efficacy: (1) Sense of community, which is related to individual belonging and attachment to a place, as well as and trust and influence among residents; and (2) Collective efficacy, which is defined as cohesion among residents, combined with shared expectations for the social control of public spaces. Based in social disorganization theory and social cognitive theory, this study analyzes to what extent sense of community and collective efficacy affect perceptions of police work. This study was conducted in with residents from four neighborhoods from Wilmington, DE. …

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Investigation Of Hdde Exhaust Flow Mixing Devices To Enhance Scr Performance, Venkata Reddy Sathi Aug 2010

Investigation Of Hdde Exhaust Flow Mixing Devices To Enhance Scr Performance, Venkata Reddy Sathi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The 2010 regulations implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) require significant reduction in Oxides of Nitrogen (NO x) and Particulate Matter (PM). These regulations have driven a significant amount of research and development into more advanced engine combustion strategies and after-treatment systems. This study focuses on NOx reduction in Heavy Duty Diesel Engines (HDDE) equipped with Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalyst by optimizing the mixing of DPF out exhaust gas with urea injected upstream of the SCR. Proprietary wired mesh substrates were installed between the DPF and SCR system at three locations and …

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Feasibility And Implementation Of Self - Consolidating Concrete, Kyle B. Baranowski Aug 2010

Feasibility And Implementation Of Self - Consolidating Concrete, Kyle B. Baranowski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study focused on the construction and placement issues that are common among the production and utilization of self-consolidating concrete (SCC). Six distinct areas were looked at. Robustness and loss of passing ability were related to the change in water and high range water content. Mixes were batched and altered in such a way to determine the point when lack of robustness becomes unacceptable. The compaction, by vibration, of an SCC mix is not normally necessary, however may be needed under certain scenarios. A standard test for determining the static segregation resistance of SCC was altered to determine the effects …

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The Influence Of Nursing Curriculum In Associate Degree Nursing Programs On The Development Of Nursing Professionalism In Graduating Nursing Students, Cristina M. Riter Aug 2010

The Influence Of Nursing Curriculum In Associate Degree Nursing Programs On The Development Of Nursing Professionalism In Graduating Nursing Students, Cristina M. Riter

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nursing professionalism is assumed to develop during the educational process, with the model of the baccalaureate degree program. There have been few studies on the development of professionalism in beginning nursing students, especially those in a two-year associate degree nursing program. This research study explored the concept of professional development in reaction to the increased number of associate degree registered nurses in this country since the inception of the associate degree nursing programs in the 1950s. The impact of the registered nursing shortage on the nursing profession and the educational preparedness of future registered nurses was also explored. The research …

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Resurgence Of Temporal Patterns Of Responding, Carlos Renato Xavier Cancado Aug 2010

Resurgence Of Temporal Patterns Of Responding, Carlos Renato Xavier Cancado

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The resurgence of temporal patterns of key pecking by pigeons was studied in two experiments. In Experiment 1, positively accelerated and linear patterns of responding were established under a discrete-trial multiple fixed-interval (FI) variable-interval (VI) schedule. Subsequently, responding on a different key produced reinforcers according to a VI schedule. When extinction was in effect, resurgence of previously established temporal patterns was observed for each pigeon. That is, positively accelerated and linear patterns recurred in the presence of the stimuli previously correlated with the FI and VI components of the multiple schedule, respectively---suggesting that these temporal patterns, although not directly reinforced, …

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Changes In Body Mass Index And Short-Term Healthcare Expenditures In A Medicare Population, Tricia Lee Wilkins Aug 2010

Changes In Body Mass Index And Short-Term Healthcare Expenditures In A Medicare Population, Tricia Lee Wilkins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Purpose. The main objective of the study was to estimate the short-term changes in healthcare expenditures that result from weight gain or loss in a population of Medicare patients using longitudinal data. Changes in total healthcare expenditures and its components (inpatient, outpatient, prescription, dental and other) by changes in body mass index (BMI) categories were analyzed.;To examine the relationship between BMI changes and expenditures, three specifications of expenditures were used. The primary measure of expenditures was relative changes in expenditures transformed into log-ratio. Under the log-ratio approach positive values indicate increased expenditures, and negative values indicate decreased expenditures. Other measures …

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Optimized Trusted Information Sharing, Joseph M. D'Alessandro Aug 2010

Optimized Trusted Information Sharing, Joseph M. D'Alessandro

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As the digital world expands the building of trust and the retention of privacy in information sharing becomes paramount. A major impediment to information sharing is a lack of trust between the parties, based on security and privacy concerns, as well as information asymmetry. Several technological solutions have been proposed to solve this problem, including our's: a trusted enclave with a Continuous Compliance Assurance (CCA) mechanism. Of the work surrounding these proposed solutions, no attention has been directed toward studying the issues of performance surrounding processing of this nature. Studies have shown that ignoring the performance of a system can …

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Selective Placement Of Actin Filaments On Protein Patterned Surfaces, Lenin J. Leon Aug 2010

Selective Placement Of Actin Filaments On Protein Patterned Surfaces, Lenin J. Leon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Motors proteins are used by living organisms to convert chemical energy into mechanical energy. The human body uses such motors proteins to transport materials through cells and, in the case of the biomolecular motor system of actin and myosin, to contract muscle. By understanding how these biological motors work, artificial motors with improved function may be possible and may be engineered to work in complex biological and non-biological environments. Recent research efforts have focused on understanding how to harness the power of, and manipulate the functioning of biological motors for integration into useful nanoscale systems. One important step towards this …

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Correlation Between Flexural Strength And Denture Base Acrylic Thickness Overlaying Implant Stud Attachments, Khaled N. Alawadhi Aug 2010

Correlation Between Flexural Strength And Denture Base Acrylic Thickness Overlaying Implant Stud Attachments, Khaled N. Alawadhi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Objectives. To investigate the effect of acrylic resin thickness and the stud attachment housings on the maximum breaking load, flexural strength and flexural modulus of denture base acrylic resins overlying implant overdenture attachments.;Methods. Fifty-two rectangular specimens were fabricated from high impact denture acrylic resin (Lucitone 199). Forty specimens contain 2.00 mm height Locator attachment titanium denture caps with black processing males, 12 specimens did not include the denture cap. All specimens were fabricated according to ANSI/ADA SPECIFICATION NO. 12-2002 for testing denture base resin with constant measurements of 64 mm in length, 10 mm in width, and variable testing thickness. …

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Passive Thermal Management Of Solar Heat Flux Through Building Roof Structures, Emily Deanna Pertl Aug 2010

Passive Thermal Management Of Solar Heat Flux Through Building Roof Structures, Emily Deanna Pertl

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The impact of rising energy prices on household costs and the overall economy has increasingly become a focal point of public concern. During a typical summer day, solar radiation heats up a building for the majority of the day through the windows, walls, doors, and especially the roof. To maintain comfort in summer, the heat gained must be removed by a cooling system and similarly in winter, the heat lost must be replaced by a heating system. Heating and cooling are both major contributors to energy expenditures in most building structures, and as a result, energy savings focused on these …

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Reovirus As A Probe To Study Induction Of Anti-Viral Immunity And Modulation Of Peanut Allergy, Ronald J. Fecek Jr. Aug 2010

Reovirus As A Probe To Study Induction Of Anti-Viral Immunity And Modulation Of Peanut Allergy, Ronald J. Fecek Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Infectious diarrheal diseases are a major burden to human health worldwide. A proportion of those diarrheal diseases are caused by enteric viruses that gain access through the gastrointestinal tract. Consequently, the human gastrointestinal mucosa represents an important route of entry for enteric viruses. Enteric viruses are taken up by gastrointestinal mucosal dendritic cells (DCs) that induce and shape adaptive immunity, however, activation of mucosal DCs by enteric viruses is poorly understood. The research presented in this dissertation is focused on deciphering the requirements for activation of murine DCs in response to an enteric virus as well as the subsequent generation …

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Linking Tourism Resources And Local Economic Development: A Spatial Analysis In West Virginia, David Dyre Aug 2010

Linking Tourism Resources And Local Economic Development: A Spatial Analysis In West Virginia, David Dyre

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Tourism has proven to be a major contributor to West Virginia's economy after much of the states agricultural, mining, and chemical manufacturing have ceased. This study created a database of cultural tourism resources (battlefields, historic sites, festivals, and museums) and tourism businesses (camping sites, lodging, and restaurants) and created a location map of each resource type, determined their spatial distribution across the state, categorized counties based on cultural tourism resources, tourism businesses and travel spending, and examined the relationship of the tourism resources and travel spending at the county level. Two large portions of the state were found to rank …

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Synthesis Of A Basket-Shaped C56h38 Hydrocarbon As A Precursor Toward An End-Cap Template For (6,6) Carbon Nanotubes, Hu Cui Aug 2010

Synthesis Of A Basket-Shaped C56h38 Hydrocarbon As A Precursor Toward An End-Cap Template For (6,6) Carbon Nanotubes, Hu Cui

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A basket-shaped C56H38 hydrocarbon (70) possessing a 30-carbon difluorenonaphthacenyl core that can be mapped onto the surface of C78 was synthesized from 4-bromo-1-indanone. The first stage of the synthesis involved the preparation of tetraketone 3 as a key intermediate.;The use of cascade cyclization reactions of benzannulated enyne-allenes as key features in the next stage of the synthetic sequence provides an efficient route to 70 from 4-bromo-1-indanone in 12 steps. The all- cis relationship among the methyl groups and the methine hydrogens causes the two benzofluorenyl units in 70 to be in an essentially perpendicular orientation to each other. Hydrocarbon 70 …

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Calcium/Magnesium Ratio And Water Potential Effects On Forage Quality And Pectin Concentration, Rishi Prasad Aug 2010

Calcium/Magnesium Ratio And Water Potential Effects On Forage Quality And Pectin Concentration, Rishi Prasad

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Forage quality is an important parameter in animal nutrition and depends partly on soil fertility and moisture. Acidic soil pH and low soil moisture are known to decrease forage yield and quality. Liming is a common practice to correct the soil pH. Addition of lime not only improves the availability of nutrients but at the same time adds to the native calcium and magnesium present in the soil. Calcium and magnesium are identified as essential secondary macronutrients known to influence plant's physiological process. The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of molar combinations of Ca:Mg ratio in …

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The Role Of Autonomy In Suicidal Ideation Among Older Adults, Alisa A. O'Riley Aug 2010

The Role Of Autonomy In Suicidal Ideation Among Older Adults, Alisa A. O'Riley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although rates of death by suicide in older adults in the United States appear to be decreasing, older adults remain at higher risk for completed suicide than any other age group (Center for Disease Control, 2005). In looking at suicidal behavior in particular, several researchers (e.g. Caine & Conwell, 2001) have suggested that one important way one might begin to understand risk factors for suicide in late life is to identify distal factors that put older adults at risk for suicidal behavior. This study explicitly set out to examine one possible distal risk factor. That is, a strong emphasis on …

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Roosting Ecology Of Bats In A Disturbed Landscape, Joshua B. Johnson Aug 2010

Roosting Ecology Of Bats In A Disturbed Landscape, Joshua B. Johnson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In 2007 and 2008, I examined roost selection of forest-interior dwelling northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis) maternity colonies in stands treated with prescribed fire (hereafter, fire) and in unburned (hereafter, control) stands on the Fernow Experimental Forest, West Virginia. Using radio telemetry, I tracked 36 female northern myotis to 69 roost trees; 25 in the fire treatment and 44 in the control treatment. Using logistic regression and an information-theoretic model selection approach, I determined that within the fire treatment, northern myotis maternity colonies were more likely to use cavity trees that were smaller in diameter, higher in crown class, and located …

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Mitochondrial Dysfunction In The Diabetic Heart: Cardioprotection From A Novel Mitochondrially-Targeted Therapeutic, Erinne Rose Dabkowski Aug 2010

Mitochondrial Dysfunction In The Diabetic Heart: Cardioprotection From A Novel Mitochondrially-Targeted Therapeutic, Erinne Rose Dabkowski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cardiovascular complications leading to heart failure are the leading cause of death amongst both type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients. Increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation due to hyperglycemia and an enhanced fatty acid environment has been suggested to lead to mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria are particularly susceptible to oxidative damage because the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) is the main site of ROS generation. Mitochondrial dysfunction is complicated by the fact that two spatially-distinct subpopulations of mitochondria reside in the heart. The subsarcolemmal mitochondria (SSM) are located at the cell periphery, while the interfibrillar mitochondria (IFM) situate along the myofibrils. …

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Escape From Stimuli Correlated With Transitions Across Lean And Rich Schedules Of Reinforcement, August F. Holtyn Aug 2010

Escape From Stimuli Correlated With Transitions Across Lean And Rich Schedules Of Reinforcement, August F. Holtyn

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

On a multiple-schedule of reinforcement, when a rich component is followed by a relatively lean component, responding is interrupted by extended pausing. The present experiment examined whether the discriminative stimulus correlated with this rich to lean transition acquired aversive properties. Four pigeons were exposed to a compound schedule with two fixed-ratio components programmed on the center key. One component ended with the delivery of a rich reinforcer (7-s access to grain) and the second with a lean reinforcer (1-s access). Each component was correlated with a distinctive key color. At the beginning of some components, a side key was activated. …

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Jimmy Choos Vs. Ariats: The Presentation Of Masculinity In The Online Sex Ads Of Men Who Have Sex With Men, Adam Thomas Babich Aug 2010

Jimmy Choos Vs. Ariats: The Presentation Of Masculinity In The Online Sex Ads Of Men Who Have Sex With Men, Adam Thomas Babich

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The concept of masculinity should be understood in terms of its fluidity. One cannot say that there is a specific "white" masculinity or a specific "straight" masculinity; rather, masculinity is constantly changing. The inherent problem of defining masculinity has not deterred researches but has fueled a large and growing body of literature dedicated to studying masculinity's dynamic process of change. For a long time, gay men have been regarded as a group who is incapable of possessing masculinity; indeed according to hegemonic masculinity, gay men must be excluded. However, research has shown that gay men are rejecting this notion and …

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Ethnicity, Boundaries, And Nationalism In A "European" Croatia, Jennifer L. Titanski Aug 2010

Ethnicity, Boundaries, And Nationalism In A "European" Croatia, Jennifer L. Titanski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Despite the E.U.'s attempts to create a sense of European homogeneity between its members, issues of nationality and identity continue to play a vital role in both its function and expansion. This research examines the shifting role that the nation plays in Croatia's transition to the European Union. Employing discourse analysis of state documents and online surveys of Croatian youth, this study analyzes the role of the state in perpetuating an image of stability and westward thinking toward greater Europe; identifies the perspective young Croatian adults have on European integration; gauges the importance of nationalism for a post-socialist generation; and …

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