Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Sodium/Glucose Co-Transporter Inhibitors On Contractility And Ca2+ Signalling In Ventricular Myocytes From Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats., Norin Nabil Fathalla Hamouda

Theses

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide. Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. The search for new treatments has led to developing alternative insulin-independent treatment strategies such as sodium/glucose co-transporter (SGLT) inhibitors. Inhibition of intestinal SGLT1 impairs dietary glucose absorption, while inhibition of renal SGLT2 promotes glucose excretion leading to calorie loss and improved glycemic control. In this study, we hypothesized that inhibiting cardiac SGLTs may alter Ca²⁺ mobilization in myocytes. The effects of Phlorizin (PHLOR) (non-selective SGLT1 and 2 inhibitor), Quercetin-3-O-glucoside (QUER-3-G) (selective SGLT1 inhibitor), …

Study The Quality Of Groundwater Of Al-Zoroup Area In Mahdah State, The Sultanate Of Oman, Fahad Khalifa Rashid Al-Shidi

Theses

The groundwater is the most important source of water in the Sultanate of Oman. Accordingly, the Oman Government has paid great attention commensurate with the importance of water resource in terms of their sources, quality, and ways to rationalize consumption to remain under the term of sustainability and validity of present and future generations. This study was conducted in Al Buraymi at Mahdah State in Al-Zoroub area targete a groundwater quality for 20 wells in private farms. The water samples were taken from these wells and subjected to analysis for microbial and geochemical aspects. For this analysis, the assorted devices …

Extending The Sensing Of Online Social Networks – A Healthcare Perspective, Asma’ Wasfi Fayez Mustafa

Theses

Obesity is a rising health concern in the United Arab Emirates. Obesity leads to health risks such as diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions. It may also lead to eating disorders, depression, and low self-esteem. Regular exercising helps to protect from obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and better manage stress. Despite all the benefits of exercising, people are doing less of it. In this research, an effort is made to encourage people to exercise by extending the prevalent sensing abilities of Online Social Networks (OSNs). Sensors are used to collect and generate data to be processed, clustered and …

Cyberdemocracy: Assessing The European Parliament, Maria Cataldo

Theses

New information technologies have been widely predicted to change the nature of governance. The Internet has made the ideal of cyberdemocracy more attainable as the world grows smaller and more connected. Although the ideal no longer seems so distant a destination, nagging questions remain: Where is this place? Are we there yet? How much longer? This paper evaluates the website of one of the most powerful legislatures in the world, the European Parliament, to determine where we are, how far we have come, and what remains to be done to achieve the ideal of cyberdemocracy. Five criteria are used in …

An Overview Of The Rochester Drug Free Streets Initiative: A Developing Strategy That Addresses The Open-Air Marijuana Market Located In The Conkey & Clifford Neighborhood, Pedro O. Vazquez Gonzalez

Theses

Because low-level marijuana possession is not illegal in New York State, the police have difficulty intervening and eliminating the open-air marijuana markets in the City of Rochester. Project HOPE, a non-profit organization, is trying to find another way to intervene in the Conkey and Clifford neighborhood, and bring to an end the open-air marijuana market in that neighborhood. The object of this research is to identify the problems that are caused by the open- air marijuana market in the Conkey and Clifford neighborhood. I will also examine the process of project HOPE's new initiative that addresses the issues of the …

Mood Watcher: Interactive Visual Guide To Increasing Awareness Of Mood Disorders, Ziyan Han

Theses

Mood disorders are the extremely negative situations of mood that cause dysfunction in people's lives. There are a number of guides currently on the market (E.g., mood disorder self-help books, websites...) to help people with this problem, but their content is usually not customized enough to deal with each user's particular situation. In addition, the formats include content that is often text-dense and overwhelming. While there are great resources of personal mood disorder tests, suggested actions, and information about professional help, there is an opportunity to create a guide that connects these resources with a better designed format so that …

Ultrasound Guided Robot For Human Liver Biopsy Using High Intensity Focused Ultrasound For Hemostasis, Viraj Reddy Adduru

Theses

Percutaneous liver biopsy is the gold standard among clinician's tool to diagnose and guide subsequent therapy for liver disease. Ultrasound image guidance is being increasingly used to reduce associated procedural risks but post–biopsy complications still persist. The major and most common complication is hemorrhage, which is highly unpredictable and may sometimes lead to death. Though the risk of mortality is low, it is too high for a diagnostic procedure. Post-biopsy care and additional surgical intervention to arrest hemorrhage make liver biopsy a costly procedure for health care delivery systems. Non-invasive methods to stop bleeding exist like electro–cautery, microwave, lasers, radio …

Probability Of Small Business Innovation Research (Sbir) Commercialization As A Result Of Participating In The Navy's Transition Assistance Program, Erick W. Littleford

Theses

Commercialization (private sector or Non-SBIR federal funding) of federally sponsored innovations is a key congressionally mandated goal of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. While much attention has focused on quantifying and assessing the commercial outputs of the SBIR program, limited research exists on the impact that business advisory support initiatives have on project commercialization. These programs, such as the Navy's Transition Assistance Program (TAP), seek to augment the business capacity of SBIR/STTR award recipients by providing information and resources focused on facilitating the commercialization process. I hypothesize that these programs increase the …

Shear Inducing Device For The Testing Of Cell Fragility, Ramnath Raghunathan

Theses

Most blood pumps are designed to boost the pumping abilities of the heart by mechanical energy transfer using a rotor. Due to the nature of blood contacting devices, the various components of blood are subjected to shear stresses caused by the device. The accurate analysis and prediction of blood damage during the design phase of a device has been difficult to achieve. This has been complicated by both the inaccuracy of computer tools used to model the blood flow and the large uncertainty in the reported values of stress that damage blood components. Different components of blood, such as red …

The Effects Of Cannabidiol On The Electrical And Contractile Properties Of Cardiomyocytes, Ramez Ali Mansour

Theses

In earlier studies, cannabidiol (CBD), a major nonpsychotropic cannabinoid found in cannabis plant, has been shown to influence cardiovascular functions under various physiological and pathological conditions. In the present study, the effects of CBD on contractility and electrical properties of rat ventricular myocytes were investigated. Video edge detection was used to measure myocyte shortening. Intracellular Ca2+ was measured in cells loaded with the fluorescent indicator fura-2 AM. CBD (1 μM) caused a significant decrease in the amplitudes of electrically-evoked myocyte shortening and Ca2+ transients. However, the amplitudes of caffeine-evoked Ca2+ transients and the rate of recovery of electrically-evoked Ca2+ transients …

Genotypes Frequencies Of Rs9923231 And Rs7294 Snps In The Vkorci Gene Among Emiratis And Their Implications For Warfarin Dosage, Hayat Saad Al-Jaibeji

Theses

Warfarin is the most commonly used oral anticoagulant medication given as a prophylaxis and/or treatment of venous and arterial thromboembolic disorders. Warfarin doses vary up to 10-fold among patients due to pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacogenomics factors. In addition, Warfarin has a low therapeutic index with the risk of developing serious side effects such as severe bleeding or failure of therapy. Therefore, the main challenge to achieve the therapeutic goal in warfarin treatment is estimating the appropriate dose for each patient. It is estimated that pharmacogenomics factors contribute to more than 60% of dose variability. The gene encoding for the target …

Genotypes Frequencies Of Rs9923231 And Rs7294 Snps In The Vkorc1 Gene Among Emiratis And Their Implications For Warfarin Dosage, Hayat Saad Al-Jaibeji Al-Jaibeji

Theses

Warfarin is the most commonly used oral anticoagulant medication given as a prophylaxis and/or treatment of venous and arterial thromboembolic disorders. Warfarin doses vary up to 10-fold among patients due to pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacogenomics factors. In addition, Warfarin has a low therapeutic index with the risk of developing serious side effects such as severe bleeding or failure of therapy. Therefore, the main challenge to achieve the therapeutic goal in Warfarin treatment is estimating the appropriate dose for each patient. It is estimated that pharmacogenomic factors contribute to more than 60% of dose variability. The gene encoding for the target …

A Methodological Framework For Evaluating The Environmental Performance Of Large-Scale Sanitation Systems In Developing Countries, Pedro Cruz-Diloné

Theses

It is 2014 and approximately 40% of the world population still has no access to adequate sanitary toilets. For these 2.6 billion people the problem is not only finding a safe and dignified place to defecate, but also trying to combat deadly diseases associated with the exposure to pathogens in feces left on the ground or near waterways. Improving sanitation is not only favorable to health, but also promotes dignity, economic benefits and environmental conservation. Although there have been numerous efforts to improve sanitation systems in the developing world, adoption rates and long term use are relatively low due to …

Metacognition And Decision-Making Style In Clinical Narratives, Limor Hochberg

Theses

Clinical decision-making has high-stakes outcomes for both physicians and patients, yet little research has attempted to model and automatically annotate such decision-making. The dual process model (Evans, 2008) posits two types of decision-making, which may be ordered on a continuum from intuitive to analytical (Hammond, 1981). Training clinicians to recognize decision-making style and select the most appropriate mode of reasoning for a

particular context may help reduce diagnostic error (Norman, 2009).

This study makes preliminary steps towards detection of decision style, based on an annotated dataset of image-based clinical reasoning in which speech data were collected from physicians as they …

A Brain Computer Interface For Interactive And Intelligent Image Search And Retrieval, Shitij P. Kumar

Theses

This research proposes a Brain Computer Interface as an interactive and intelligent Image Search and Retrieval tool that allows users, disabled or otherwise to browse and search for images using brain signals. The proposed BCI system implements decoding the brain state by using a non-invasive electroencephalography (EEG) signals, in combination with machine learning, artificial intelligence and automatic content and similarity analysis of images. The user can spell search queries using a mental typewriter (Hex-O-Speller), and the resulting images from the web search are shown to the user as a Rapid Serial Visual Presentations (RSVP). For each image shown, the EEG …

The Photophysics Properties Of Lanthanide Luminescent Probes, Ke Li

Theses

A detailed study of the luminescence quantum yield, lifetimes and the number of water molecules coordinated to lanthanide luminescent probes based on biphenylyl-7-amino-4- methyl-2(1H)-quinolinon (Bi-cs124) derivatives have been carried out using a time- resolved fluorescence assay (TRFA). Bi-cs124 was conbined with different chelating agents, specifically diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA), ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA), and 3,6,9,12-Tetrakis carboxymethyl)-3,6,9,12-tetraazatetradecane-1,14-dioic acid (TTHA). The results indicate that Bi-cs 124-TTHA has a longest lifetime and smallest number of coordinated water molecules because TTHA has larger number of chelating groups. The dependence of the luminescence lifetimes on the probes concentrations …

Toward Image-Based Three-Dimensional Reconstruction From Cubesats: Impacts Of Spatial Resolution And Snr On Point Cloud Quality, Jordyn Stoddard

Theses

The adoption of cube-satellites (cubesats) by the space community has drastically lowered the cost of access to space and reduced the development lifecycle from the hundreds of millions of dollars spent on traditional decade-long programs. Rapid deployment and low cost are attractive features of cubesat-based imaging that are conducive to applications such as disaster response and monitoring. One proposed application is 3D surface modeling through a high revisit rate constellation of cubesat imagers. This work begins with the characterization of an existing design for a cubesat imager based on ground sampled distance (GSD), signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and smear. From this …

Data Driven Approach To Non-Stationary Ema Fault Detection And Investigation Into Remaining Useful Life, William S. Craig

Theses

Growing interest in using Electromechanical Actuators (EMAs) to replace current hydraulic actuation methods on aircraft control surfaces has driven significant research in the area of prognostics and health management. Non- stationary speeds and loads in the course of controlling an aircraft surface make fault identification in EMAs difficult. This work presents a time- frequency analysis of EMA thrust bearing vibration signals using wavelet transforms. A relatively small EMA system is designed and built to allow for simple, quick, and repeatable component replacement. A simulated signal is developed to test four potential faults in the system. Classification is performed using an …

Anna Karenina: A Full Length Play, Serena Mccarthy

Theses

Anna Karenina: A Full Length Play brings Leo Tolstoy’s classic novel to life on the theatrical stage. This classic addresses issues of gender roles, social hierarchies, and the nature of love in the Russia of the 1860’s. The unforgettable themes in Anna Karenina such as love and destiny have thrilled readers and audiences for years.

An Empirical Analysis Of The Role Of Geography In Sustainability Education, Makayla Jane Bonney

Theses

Many within and outside of the discipline of geography see it as a highly appropriate home for sustainability studies. Despite a history of human-environment education within geography and support from professional research or education organizations, some studies show that geography has not developed a lead role in sustainability education. This study examines the role of geography in offering "Sustainability Focused" courses as reported by AASHE STARS institutions with geography programs. The results show that although geography departments are highly utilized when available at an institution -offering the highest proportion of sustainability courses, averaging 14% of "Sustainability Focused" curriculum- there is …

Putting Men Back In The Menstrual Cycle: A Qualitative Analysis Of Men's Perceptions Of Menstruation, Katherine Fishman

Theses

Although menstruation is typically regarded as an indication of health (Kissling, 1996), strong cultural messages about menstruation perpetuate the belief that it is dirty, disgusting and a state that must be managed (Ussher, 2006). Many women internalize this belief and go to great lengths to hide their menstrual status (Chrisler, 2007). Negative attitudes toward menstruation have been linked to decreased body satisfaction (Schooler, Ward, Meriwether, & Caruthers, 2005), perceptions of decreased competence and likability (Roberts, Goldenberg, Power, & Pyszynski, 2002), and the belief that menstruating women are more emotional, less attractive, and more irritable than non-menstruating women (Forbes, Adams-Curtis, White, …

Monitoring Drought Intensity In Illinois With A Combined Index, Guanling Feng

Theses

Many traditional drought assessments are conducted based on climate and hydrologic data. The availability and precision of data limit the spatial and temporal resolution and accuracy of derived drought indices. In this study, Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) and Temperature Condition Index (TCI) were generated from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products. The VCI was derived from Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) that was calculated with near infrared and visible red band reflectance from MOD09Q1. The TCI was derived from land surface temperature (LST) product MOD11A2. The VCI and TCI were then combined with reference to the vegetation coverage information from …

Regulation Of Glucose Metabolism By Alox8, Rabindra Karki

Theses

Type II diabetes is one of the leading cause of morbidity in the U.S. and other parts of the world. Insulin resistance which precedes Type II diabetes is a complex state of the body where the body fails to respond to insulin. Its complexity lies in its multifactorial origin that is to say various environmental and polygenic components come into play. Here we try to dissect one of these components - `Alox8' in transgenic mice and try to see if it affects blood glucose homeostasis. Comparison of glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity among sixteen mice comprising of six wild type, …

Teachers' Attitude Toward Behavior Management In Residential Schools For Students With Visual Impairment In Thailand, Manisara Palawat

Theses

Behavior management is arguably the cornerstone of good teaching and this is particularly so in traditional educational school settings. In Thailand, the most common strategy for managing problem behavior is the use of the Ministry of Education's Code of Conduct for all children. However, reactive strategies produce negative side effects in terms of student prognosis, inclusion, and also teacher stress. There is currently no data regarding the types of problem behaviors experienced by teachers working in special residential schools for students with visual impairments. Therefore, the goals of this thesis are to examine teacher perceptions regarding the types of problems …

The Undertow, Rachel Foley

Theses

The Undertow is the story of Jessa, an ambitious girl with a wry sense of humor, who is living with her single mother. She is a 17-year-old high school swimmer with the potential for a career as a professional swimmer. As the film opens Jessa discovers that she is pregnant. As a young woman and a star athlete, this is one of the worst personal circumstances that Jessa can find herself in. She quickly learns that she has been accepted to a great school on a swimming scholarship, and the decision about whether to keep the baby weighs heavily upon …

Managing End-Of-Life Lithium-Ion Batteries: An Environmental And Economic Assessment, Xue Wang

Theses

The growing market for lithium-ion batteries raises concerns about sustainable management of those batteries at end of life. Launching relevant policies requires a comprehensive understanding of potential economic values as well as environmental performance of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries. However, both recyclers and policymakers are facing a number of unanswered questions, including 1) how battery technology trajectory would affect the incentives for recycling? 2) what strategies are available to improve material recovery efficiency? and 3) what is the potential for nanoparticle release during end-of-life processing, particularly for next-generation lithium-ion batteries who contain nano-scale cathode materials? This dissertation aims to fill these …

Iterative Methods For The Elasticity Imaging Inverse Problem, Brian C. Winkler

Theses

Cancers of the soft tissue reign among the deadliest diseases throughout the world and effective treatments for such cancers rely on early and accurate detection of tumors within the interior of the body. One such diagnostic tool, known as elasticity imaging or elastography, uses measurements of tissue displacement to reconstruct the variable elasticity between healthy and unhealthy tissue inside the body. This gives rise to a challenging parameter identification inverse problem, that of identifying the Lamé parameter μ in a system of partial differential equations in linear elasticity. Due to the near incompressibility of human tissue, however, common techniques for …

Lubrication And Wear Analysis Of A Novel Squeeze Film Artificial Hip Joint, Sean A. Coots

Theses

Conventional artificial hip joints are characterized by inadequate `wedge film' lubrication due to cyclic non-reversing loading and low frequency oscillatory ball motion. A novel `squeeze film' design concept is presented which employs elastic restoring action and ellipsoidal cup geometry to enact separation of the bearing surfaces and improve lubrication behavior. Lateral and in-line design configurations were developed and analyzed using established finite element lubrication models with realistic gait cycle and bearing design specifications likely to be found in practice. An Archard-based wear formulation that relates contact pressure and sliding distance to linear wear depth was applied to the design configurations …

Impact Of An Academic Success Class On Probationary Students, Nathan Hendrickson

Theses

One of the primary the missions of colleges and universities is dedicated to student success. Traditionally, helping academically probationary students has been challenging for all educational institutions, because there are a multitude of factors involved for the schools and the students including, for example, demographics, socioeconomic issues, student motivation, and student time-management skills. The complexity introduced by these various factors creates obstacles in developing effective programs to aid and assist these students. At the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), there exists a course entitled Insights on Success that is designed as an intervention step to improve individual academic performance through …

Traps In Plain Sight, Nathan Garrett Doyle

Theses

A collection of stories I stole, and some I didn't steal [Poetry]