Digital Commons Network^™

Galapagos Hawk: Demographic And Social Effects In A Changing Environment, Jose Luis Rivera

Theses

The Galapagos Hawk (Buteo galapagoensis) is endemic to the Galapagos Islands, where it is the top predator and only resident diurnal raptor. On most islands, Galapagos hawks form polyandrous breeding groups with one female with up to eight males. Before entering a breeding group, individuals spend 3-4 years as non-breeding floaters. I studied the hawks on Santiago Island, where introduced goats had been recently eradicated, leading to drastic changes in the ecology of the island. Using mark-recapture procedures, we assessed the size of the juvenile component of the population over time. In addition, using software MARK with a 12-year demographic …

A Virtue Theoretic Solution To The Problem Of Moral Luck, Jonathan Trevor Spelman

Theses

At the beginning of his famous paper “Moral Luck,” Thomas Nagel notes that it is intuitively plausible that people cannot be morally assessed for what is beyond their control. He then argues that most, if not all, of what people do is beyond their control. Thus, Nagel concludes that individuals must deny that people cannot be morally assessed for what is beyond their control, alter the way they think about morality, or abandon the belief that moral assessment is possible. I contend that one’s best option is to alter the way one thinks about morality and therefore draw from the …

Categorial Intentions, James Leo Virtel

Theses

Hypothetical intentionalism splits artistic intentions into two types: semantic intentions—which are concerned with the meaning of an artwork—and categorial intentions—which are concerned with how an artwork should be classified. Categorial intentions are a necessary condition for properly interpreting an artwork; without them, an artwork can have an infinite number of interpretations. Jerrold Levinson argues that categorial intentions are extrinsic to the artwork while Mark Rollins argues that microintentions—small scale representations that are intrinsic to paintings and other visual forms of art—are intrinsic to the artwork and sufficient to determine the artwork’s category. I argue against Rollins by showing that microintentions …

Reading, Color, And Coherent Motion, Teresa Narayan

Theses

Dyslexia is surrounded by much uncertainty over its cause and its treatment. While many view dyslexia as a purely phonological deficit, some have proposed a visual deficit as a cause in at least some poor readers. Several treatments have been have used to increase visual processing as a means of overcoming such visual deficits. Using a blue colored filter to increase magnocellular processing has seen the most successful outcomes. Tests of coherent motion under different background color conditions were completed on a group of 16 highly educated subjects who also underwent several tests of reading ability. There were no significant …

Production Of A Plasmid To Facilitate Gene Interruption Of The Nitric Oxide Synthase Gene From Bacillus Subtilis, Andrew S. Clugston

Theses

A genetic interruption of Bacillus subtilis 168's native nitric oxide synthase enzyme (bsNOS) is to be created by inserting a gene for kanamycin resistance (KAN) into the center of the gene. To accomplish this, a plasmid has been constructed (pUC19[delta]bsNOS) which includes the bsNOS gene separated into 5' and 3' halves with a KAN gene from p34S between them. The plasmid vector was isolated by digesting Escheria coli plasmid pUC19 with KpnI and PstI, and the KAN gene was cut from Escheria coli plasmid p34S using XbaI. The 5' and 3' halves of the bsNOS gene were amplified using the …

Regional Target Surveillance With Cooperative Robots Using Apfs, Jessica Larocque

Theses

Target surveillance in a bounded environment has been a growing focus in the past few years, particularly with recent world events prompting the need for environmental monitoring using automated surveillance. Scenarios exist where the goal is to be able to track targets within a certain distance and yet maintain a proper distribution of the surveillance units to provide field coverage. Previous works in this area using mobile robots as the surveillance units have made assumptions of a global awareness capability provided by a central controller. Artificial Potential Fields (APFs) have been used in cooperative robots and swarm research for applications …

Locomotion Of Circular Robots With Diametrically Translating Legs: Design, Analysis, And Fabrication, Eric R. Steffan

Theses

This work develops an analytical basis for designing the locomotion of mobile robots with a circular core and equispaced diametral legs which actuate linearly. Two elementary regimes of motion are first developed using the intrinsic geometry of the mechanism, then combined for fluid motion. The first and primary gait has a path trajectory defined by its kinematic constraints. Dynamics are explored to assist actuator design and understand the mechanism's constraint forces. Simulation results are provided in support of the design concept and geometric optimization. The proposed robot, or Locomotive Amoebic Device (LAD), bears resemblance with certain cellular locomotion, and thus …

Vegetation Characterization For The Lake Ontario Stopover Project, Erin E. Strobl

Theses

Avian conservation is imperative because birds provide many beneficial ecosystem services. Bird mortality is highest during the migratory period due to habitat loss from anthropogenic land cover change. On the way to and from breeding grounds, migrants make many stopovers to refuel and rest for the next leg of their journey. The abundance, distribution, and quality of the stopover habitat are important for a successful migration. The southern shore of Lake Ontario in Western New York has received attention for conservation, because it provides critical stopover habitats for migrants. Performing vegetation and bird surveys, at specific stopover locations, provides useful …

Taxonomic Revision Of Passiflora Section Xerogona (Raf.) Killip (Passifloraceae), Tatiana Erika Boza Espinoza

Theses

Passiflora subgenus Decaloba section Xerogona is a group of herbaceous vines found in subtropical and tropical regions of America. The 15 species, including two subspecies, recognized here are primarily distributed in Central America, with a few also found in South America. The species of the section are recognized by their very unusual dehiscent capsular fruit, absence of bracts and laminar nectaries and their transversely grooved seeds. The section contains two problematic species complexes; P. capsularis and P. rubra. The morphological variation among and within these two complex species are examined in this study using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) based on …

Asset Protection In A Limited Swarm Environment Utilizing Artificial Potential Fields, Dieter Laskowski

Theses

Asset protection is a behavior in which a team of robots establishes a formation around a resource marked as an asset in a hostile environment in order to protect the asset from threats. The robots are assumed to be homogeneous and run a decentralized control algo- rithm and possess a repulsive quality to the threats. Previous works in this area have used centralized control or considered the use of many robots. This work aims at developing an algorithm that is both decentralized, and able to protect assets using only a few robots. In order to provide this behavior an algorithm …

Application Of The B-Spline Collocation Method To A Geometrically Non-Linear Beam Problem, Jason Magoon

Theses

Engineers are researching solutions to resolve many of today's technical challenges. Numerical techniques are used to solve the mathematical models that arise in engineering problems. A numerical technique that is increasingly being used to solve mathematical models in engineering research is called the B-spline Collocation Method. The B-spline Collocation Method has a few distinct advantages over the Finite Element and Finite Difference Methods. The main advantage is that the B-spline Collocation Method efficiently provides a piecewise-continuous, closed form solution. Another advantage is that the B-spline Collocation Method procedure is very simple and easy to apply to many problems involving partial …

Stiffness Of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells From Aged Primates Measured Using Reconstituted Tissue Model, Shilpa Nagendra

Theses

Increased stiffness of the aorta is an important detrimental change that occurs with aging. Most previous research has implicated stiffening of the extracellular collagen matrix with age. The study reported in this thesis focused instead on the potential contribution from stiffening of the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) with age.

VSMCs previously obtained from young and old monkeys (macaca fascicularis) were seeded into a collagen gel to form a reconstituted tissue. The aim of this study was to quantitatively characterize the mechanical properties of this reconstituted tissue model via uniaxially stretching each ring to defined levels of strain. The total …

Development Of Pharmacophore And Comfa Study Of Rigid And Flexible Sigma 2 Receptor Ligands, Hemantbhai Patel

Theses

In the present study a pharmacophore and CoMFA model was derived for sigma 2 (62) receptors by using Sybyl 7.2 Software Package. The CoMFA studies used 22 bioactive molecules as a training set and 4 molecules as a test set for the o2 receptor ligands. The geometries and electrostatic charges of all molecules were calculated using various levels of calculations. The geometry optimization and electrostatic charges of all 26 molecules were performed by using semiemprical AM1, ab initio HF/6-31G* and density functional B3LYP/6-31G* in Gaussian 98. The pharmacophore model was derived by using Distance Comparisions (DISCOtech) from 4 partially to …

A Comparative Analysis Of Haptic And Eeg Devices For Evaluation And Training Of Post-Stroke Patients Within A Virtual Environment, Gregory Nicholas Ranky

Theses

Virtual Rehabilitation benefits from the usage of interfaces other than the mouse and keyboard, but also possess disadvantages: haptic peripherals can utilize the subject's hand to provide position information or joint angles, and allow direct training for specific movements; but can also place unneeded strain on the limbs; brain-machine interfaces (BMI) can provide direct connections from the user to external hardware or software, but are currently inaccurate for the full diversity of user movements in daily life and require invasive surgery to implement. A compromise between these two extremes is a BMI that can be adapted to specific users, can …

Poisonous Heritage: Pesticides In Museum Collections, Leslie Omstein

Theses

No abstract provided.

A Different Mind: Developing Museum Programs For Children With Autism, Elise A. Freed-Brown

Theses

No abstract provided.

" Lu-Li-Lunacy And Sorrow:" The Grotesque In John Irving's The World According To Garp, Nicole J. Homer

Theses

No abstract provided.

" Poisoned By A Book": Aesthic Decadence And Plagiarism In The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Jill C. Veltri

Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Insulin And Glutathione On In Vitro Spermatogenic Cyst Maturation, Peta-Gay A. Ricketts

Theses

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Poly (C) Binding Protein 1-Interact Proteins By Screening Cdna Library, Hamidah N. Sultan

Theses

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Open Reading Frames 58 And 27, Jennifer L. Quiceno

Theses

No abstract provided.

A Power Systems Transients Controller Using Transient Analysis Of Control Systems (Tacs) Modules., Shonique L. Miller

Theses

In the electrical power industry one of the most challenging tasks is to produce and provide electrical energy in a safe, reliable, efficient and economically sound manner under stressed conditions such as: (i) harmonic variation, (ii) frequency variation, (iii) voltage magnitude variation, (iv) transient overvoltages and inrush currents after a disturbance to the power system occurs. There are many disturbances that occur that provoke transients in power systems including: (i) lightning, (ii) capacitor switching events, (iii) faults, (iv) startup of motors and generators. Although they last for very short periods of time, the appearance of these transient overvolatges and inrush …

Identifying Opportunities And Obstacles For The Use Of Solar Energy In Commercial Office Buildings In The Northeastern Region Of United States, Anju Ann Mathew

Theses

The aim of this research was to find the existing challenges to and opportunities for the use of solar energy, in commercial office buildings in the northeastern region of the United States. Although solar energy is an abundant source of energy, it is still not the number one source of energy when compared to other renewable sources of energy. This research explored some of the hindrances or hurdles associated with it and any new opportunities available. The research tried to analyze the various solar energy utilization strategies or other renewable energy strategies employed in a Leadership in Energy and Environmental …

Production Of Activated Carbon From Fermentation And Pyrolysis Residues, Dan Cheng

Theses

The objective of this study is to produce activated carbon from fermentation and pyrolysis residues. It was found that both fermentation and pyrolysis residues are highly appropriate as precursors for activated carbon production because of their high carbon content and low ash content. The effects of activation temperature, activation time and phosphoric acid concentration on the yield and quality of activated carbon were investigated. Increased activation temperature, activation time and acid concentration have similar effect of decreasing the yield of activated carbon. Increased activation temperature and activation time decreases the BET surface area and pore volume of activated carbon while …

Growth Mechanism Of Titanium Nitride Nanowires And Their Physical, Structural And Biological Properties, Mainul Kader Faruque

Theses

Nanowires have attracted wide-spread attention from researchers around the world due to their enormous potential for basic studies and applications in materials and biological science and engineering. In this work, titanium nitride nanowires have been grown on a magnesium oxide substrate using a pulsed laser deposition technique. The selection of titanium nitride as a material of interest has been made due to its stellar properties of high melting point, good diffusion barrier, high hardness, good electrical conductivity, and scattered reports in the literature about its biocompatibility. In this work, gold has been used as a catalyst. The most critical parameters …

Pretreatment And Fractionation Of Biomass For Biological Production Of Transportation Fuels And Value Added Chemicals, Samuel Asomaning Agyemang

Theses

Lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant renewable material from hardwood, softwood, grasses and agricultural residues for ethanol production. Pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials has been a main technical challenge to a cellulosic ethanol production process. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate four pretreatment methods and conduct comparative analyses among pretreatment methods, chemicals used and biomass species to determine the best process in terms of glucan to ethanol conversion efficiencies. The separation of hemicellulose fractions to be used as precursors for the production of high value chemicals after pretreatment of biomass samples is also investigated. Pretreatment methods including Accelerated Solvent Extraction …

Bovine Colostrum And Gene Expression In E. Coli., Savanna Love Schepis

Theses

Escherichia coli cause mastitis upon entry into the mammary gland. Colostrum is the first milk produced by the lactating mother and provides immune nutrients for protection of the newborn. Bacterial pathogenesis may be modulated by exposure to colostral components. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of host immune factors in colostrum on E. coli K-12 growth, RNA transcription, and gene expression. Samples of E. coli K-12 were grown to mid-log in LB (Luria Bertani) broth and colostrum-treated LB broth. One of each culture was heat shocked to create one control and three different treatments. Growth was …

Museum Education And Professional Development Partnerships: How The Educational Programs Of Museums Enhance Career Goals And Professional Development Skills In Adults, Victoria A. Jensen

Theses

No abstract provided.

Isolation And Molecular Characterization Of Mycobacterium Avium Subsp. Paratuberculosis In Ireland, Pierre Emmanuel Douarre

Theses

MAP is a proven animal pathogen causing Johne's disease, one of the most widespread and economically important diseases of ruminants. Since 1992 and the opening of the European market, the prevalence of MAP in Ireland has increased considerably. Improvements in diagnostic strategies for Ireland and elsewhere are urgently required. MAP infects a wide host range and has emerged as a potential threat to human health and has been associated with Crohn's disease. The control of paratuberculosis infection requires a better understanding of the genetic diversity of the pathogen. The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize this enteric …

The Rapid Identification Of Novel Anti-Mycobacterial Drugs And The Transporters Involved In Their Resistance, James Carroll

Theses

Despite the success of anti-mycobacterial drugs over the past 70 years, mycobacterial disease, particularly tuberculosis is still responsible for millions of deaths worldwide. Additionally, the emergence of Multidrug Resistant (MDR-TB) and Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR-TB) Tuberculosis throughout the world has motivated calls by the World Health Organization for novel mycobacterial drugs, vaccines and diagnostic tests. Consequently, this study sought to identify and evaluate the efficacy of a range of anti-mycobacterial compounds against a representative cohort of pathogenic mycobacterial species. The development and employment of the rapid, robust and inexpensive microtitre alamarBlue assay (MABA) facilitated the assessment of a vast array …