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2005

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Myocardial Perfusion Imaging With Rb-82 Pet, George Nittil Francis Jan 2005

Myocardial Perfusion Imaging With Rb-82 Pet, George Nittil Francis

Theses and Dissertations

Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is an effective technique used to study the left ventricular ejection function (LVEF), myocardial perfusion, wall motion, and wall thickening. Positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) are two modalities that can be used to quantify the left global and regional perfusion at rest and stress. While PET and SPECT rely on similar principles to produce images, important differences in instrumentation and experimental applications are dictated by inherent differences in their respective physics of radioactive decay. With a sensitivity > 90% in combination with a high specificity, PET is today the best available …

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Addiction And Recovery Experiences Of African American Women: A Phenomenological Study, Patricia Diana Hill Jan 2005

Addiction And Recovery Experiences Of African American Women: A Phenomenological Study, Patricia Diana Hill

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, substance abuse research has for the most part excluded African American women. The small body of existing substance abuse research regarding African American women does not examine gender and socio-cultural issues from African American women's perspectives. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to develop a deeper, contextual understanding of the experiences and perspectives of this marginalized population of women. The major goal of the study is to examine the perspectives of African American women about their substance abuse, treatment and recovery. The knowledge gained from this research with African American women regarding their experiences and specific needs in …

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Complementary And Alternative Medicine And Diet Change In Southern Rural Residents Enrolled In A Cancer Prevention Intervention Trial, Amanda Kracen Jan 2005

Complementary And Alternative Medicine And Diet Change In Southern Rural Residents Enrolled In A Cancer Prevention Intervention Trial, Amanda Kracen

Theses and Dissertations

Using data from The Rural Physician Cancer Prevention Project, a dietary intervention trial, this cross-sectional, longitudinal study explored predictors of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in a Southern, rural population (N = 375). Participants' dietary knowledge, stage of change, and dietary behavior were examined at baseline and 1 and 12 months after the intervention. More than half the participants (mean age = 48 years; 60% female; 60% Caucasian) reported using CAM. Logistic regression indicated that age, education, ethnicity and trust in physician affect the likelihood of CAM use. Hierarchical multiple regressions suggested that CAM use was associated with healthier …

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Investigation Of Surface States And Device Surface Charging In Nitride Materials Using Scanning Kelvin Probe Microscopy, Mohammed Shahriar Sabuktagin Jan 2005

Investigation Of Surface States And Device Surface Charging In Nitride Materials Using Scanning Kelvin Probe Microscopy, Mohammed Shahriar Sabuktagin

Theses and Dissertations

In this work Scanning Kelvin Probe Microscopy (SKPM) was used to characterize surface states and device surface charging in nitride materials. Samples grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE), Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) and Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy (HVPE) typically show a high surface band bending of about 1 eV. In an n-type sample with 3X1017 cm-3 carrier concentration, 1 eV upward band bending corresponds to 1.7X1012 cm-2 trapped charge density in the surface states. Under continuous ultraviolet (UV) illumination up to 0.6 eV surface photo voltage effect could be observed in some samples, which further indicates that surface …

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Relation Of Healthcare Provider-Patient Interpersonal Impacts And Health Related Control Appraisals To Patients' Satisfaction And Compliance With Treatment, Thomas A. Campbell Jan 2005

Relation Of Healthcare Provider-Patient Interpersonal Impacts And Health Related Control Appraisals To Patients' Satisfaction And Compliance With Treatment, Thomas A. Campbell

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined healthcare provider-patient interpersonal impacts and health related control appraisals to patients' satisfaction and compliance with treatment recommendations. Secondary outcomes such as patient satisfaction are becoming increasingly important, and compliance with treatment can have direct effects on primary outcomes. Eighty-one patients at a large, urban university student health center participated in the current study. Participants completed participatory style and interpersonal impact measures both before and after the visit with their provider, and completed satisfaction questionnaires immediately following the visit, and at the two-week follow-up along with a measure assessing compliance with treatment recommendations. Providers also completed interpersonal …

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The Effects Of Parkinson's On Fixational Stability, Erin L. Mallahan Jan 2005

The Effects Of Parkinson's On Fixational Stability, Erin L. Mallahan

Theses and Dissertations

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive, neurological movement disorder. The stability of eye movements in PD is not well understood but many patients report difficulty doing tasks that require stabilized fixation and gaze. The ability to stabilize an image on the retina is critical is acquiring visual information. The purpose of this study was to compare the stability of fixational eye movements of PD patients to those of age-matched controls. Eye movements during simple fixation tasks were recorded from 66 subjects (ages 52 to 84), and 36 age-matched controls (ages 58-85). The absolute velocity of the fixational eye movements were …

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Magic Mountain, Diana Al-Hadid Jan 2005

Magic Mountain, Diana Al-Hadid

Theses and Dissertations

My installations are propositions for an imaginary world that relies on its own internal logic, a world of believability without recognition. While the work references landscape it also emphasizes its contrivance, as it is automatically estranged in an "unnatural" gallery setting. I subvert or de-familiarize the materials and processes that I use in the service of creating a fictitious environment. My places are impossible places. They are irregular, illogical, and unstable. Our imagination can be one of most dangerous things to psychological stability as it is an inventory of all things possible, no matter how irrational or improbable. The irrational …

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Searching For The Transatlantic Freedom: The Art Of Valerie Maynard, Karen Berisford Getty Jan 2005

Searching For The Transatlantic Freedom: The Art Of Valerie Maynard, Karen Berisford Getty

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on an African-American female artist, Valerie Maynard, examining how she synthesizes African and American elements in her works. It provides detailed formal and iconographical analyses, revealing concealed meanings and paying special attention to those works with which the artist mirrors the Black experience in the United States and Africa on the other side of the Atlantic. In the process, the thesis sheds new light on the significance of Valerie Maynard's work and how she has used some of them to embody the Black quest for freedom and social justice during the Civil Rights struggle of the 1960s …

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Epileptogenesis Causes Long-Term Plasticity Changes In Calbindin D-28k In The Rat Pilocarpine Model Of Acquired Epilepsy, Anne Johnston Harrison Jan 2005

Epileptogenesis Causes Long-Term Plasticity Changes In Calbindin D-28k In The Rat Pilocarpine Model Of Acquired Epilepsy, Anne Johnston Harrison

Theses and Dissertations

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders, affecting more than 2% of children and 1% of adults in the U.S. Emerging research has demonstrated that calcium, as a major second messenger system, underlies many of these injury-induced plasticity changes associated with the development of epilepsy. Recent evidence has suggested that long term elevations in neuronal resting calcium levels play a role in initiating and maintaining epileptogenesis (the development of epilepsy). Collaborations between our lab and others have produced microarray data that suggests that a major calcium-binding protein, calbindin D-28k, mRNA levels are decreased in epileptic rats even up …

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Design, Fabrication And Performance Evaluation Of An Impedimetric Urea Biosensor System, Vandana Gupta Jan 2005

Design, Fabrication And Performance Evaluation Of An Impedimetric Urea Biosensor System, Vandana Gupta

Theses and Dissertations

An impedance bioanalyzer system comprising an in-vitro biotransducer, instrumentation and control software for the measurement of urea, potentially in blood dialysate, has been developed. The biotransducer comprises of a microlithographically fabricated interdigitated microsensor electrode (IME) onto which was cast a biorecognition layer conferred with the specificity of the enzyme urease. Urease hydrolysis of urea produces NH4+, HC03- and OH- ions that decrease the device's impedance. The temporal rate of change (kinetic) and the extent of change (equilibrium) of ion concentration were measured as the sensor's response. Five formats: [i) unPEGylated urease-containing poly(hydroxyethylmethacrylate) [p(HEMA)] hydrogel, ii) PEGylated urease-containing p(HEMA) hydrogel, iii) …

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Trends In Canine Lyme Disease On The Eastern Shore Of Virginia, 2000-2005, Ellen Garrett Hillyer Jan 2005

Trends In Canine Lyme Disease On The Eastern Shore Of Virginia, 2000-2005, Ellen Garrett Hillyer

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Lyme disease is caused by the tick-borne spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. Research has shown that dogs can be used as sentinels for human infection of Lyme disease. The purpose of this 5-year, retrospective study was to determine if there was any evidence that the incidence of canine Lyme disease has increased between 2000 and 2005 in Accomack and Northampton counties. An increased incidence in Lyme disease in dogs may indicate an increased present or future risk of Lyme disease in humans.Methods: Cases of canine Lyme disease were identified via practice invoicing systems and dogs that received doxycycline were entered into …

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Age At Sexual Assault And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Females Residents Of Virginia, Ahmed Gasmelseed Babiker Jan 2005

Age At Sexual Assault And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Females Residents Of Virginia, Ahmed Gasmelseed Babiker

Theses and Dissertations

Background Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric debilitating condition that can occur in individuals who experience extremely stressful or traumatic life events. Sexual assault is considered as one of the most traumatic stressor in life. Although few studies investigated the association between history of sexual assault and PTSD, no studies have examined the impact of age at sexual assault on PTSD.Method A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted among adult female residents of Virginia from November 2002 to February 2003. A total of 1,769 women aged 18 and older were interviewed using a random digit dialing method. Detailed screening …

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The Influence Of Lipid Composition On The Binding Of Ldl To Chondroitin 6-Sulphate, Wilma Espiritu Jan 2005

The Influence Of Lipid Composition On The Binding Of Ldl To Chondroitin 6-Sulphate, Wilma Espiritu

Theses and Dissertations

The interaction between low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and glycosaminoglycans is a key factor in atherosclerosis. The present study examines the characteristics of LDL and its binding properties with the main glycosaminoglycan of the vascular wall, chondroitin 6- sulphate (C6S). The compositional characteristics that were studied for each LDL sample were phase transition temperature, phospholipid content, free cholesterol content, cholesteryl ester content, triglyceride content, and size. Correlations of these characteristics with LDL-C6S binding were analyzed using a turbidity assay. Our results showed that there is no correlation between LDL-C6S binding and phase transition temperature, triglyceride content, or size. Strong correlations were present …

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One Is Concerned Because One Is A Human Being, Sayaka Suzuki Jan 2005

One Is Concerned Because One Is A Human Being, Sayaka Suzuki

Theses and Dissertations

I am a nomad. I have not had a place to call home in almost two decades. I wander around the world searching for a place to belong, only to discover the forgotten lives and silenced voices. I have come to realize that to find a "home," I need to first create a world in which to belong to. My recent works are investigations of possibilities for another world, a world of compassion, through a critique of our current society. I create as I rediscover the forgotten histories and lives. My work captures my process of remembering and celebrating while …

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Flight Signs, Flight Symbols, Margaret Mary Urban Jan 2005

Flight Signs, Flight Symbols, Margaret Mary Urban

Theses and Dissertations

I am investigating the significance of historic events of flight through image making; particularly incidents that captured the collective imagination and became part of our cultural memory. These events have surpassed mere entries in historical texts and become mythic. In the terms of Jungian psychology, they have become symbolic. In terms of Semiotics, they have become signs. Through photographs and installation, I seek to understand their presence in my, and our, unconscious mind.

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Attribute-Level Versioning: A Relational Mechanism For Version Storage And Retrieval, Charles Andrew Bell Jan 2005

Attribute-Level Versioning: A Relational Mechanism For Version Storage And Retrieval, Charles Andrew Bell

Theses and Dissertations

Data analysts today have at their disposal a seemingly endless supply of data and repositories hence, datasets from which to draw. New datasets become available daily thus making the choice of which dataset to use difficult. Furthermore, traditional data analysis has been conducted using structured data repositories such as relational database management systems (RDBMS). These systems, by their nature and design, prohibit duplication for indexed collections forcing analysts to choose one value for each of the available attributes for an item in the collection. Often analysts discover two or more datasets with information about the same entity. When combining this …

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A Nomogram For Valproic Acid And The Effect Of Missed Doses, Alaa M. Ahmad Jan 2005

A Nomogram For Valproic Acid And The Effect Of Missed Doses, Alaa M. Ahmad

Theses and Dissertations

Background. Clinicians are divided on dosing recommendations when a dose is delayed or missed. For a neuropsychiatric agent like valproic acid (VPA), rational dosing recommendations are of particular importance. VPA is subject to therapeutic monitoring using total concentrations. Due to non-linear binding of VPA to plasma proteins, current dose titration schemes for VPA are empirical. The objectives of this research were to 1- study the effect of missed/delayed doses on steady state concentrations of VPA and 2-design a nomogram that can be used for dose titration based on total VPA concentrations. Methods. 1- A simulation study was conducted to test …

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Educational Survey On Eating Disorders In Post-Graduate Pediatric Curriculum, Priya Jitendraprasad Patel Jan 2005

Educational Survey On Eating Disorders In Post-Graduate Pediatric Curriculum, Priya Jitendraprasad Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess if the topic of eating disorders is a part of post-graduate pediatric dental residency training curriculum. This study examined if there is a need for increased training of pediatric dental residents regarding the oral manifestations and treatment of patients with eating disorders.Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was used to compare data from all 66 post-graduate pediatric dental residency program directors. After thirty days a second emailing was conducted, with an additional thirty days to reply. Univariate distributions were obtained and percents for all items were based on the total number of …

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The Internet World Of Fan Fiction, Melissa Jean Herzing Jan 2005

The Internet World Of Fan Fiction, Melissa Jean Herzing

Theses and Dissertations

Fan fiction, the most popular creative outlet for fans, allows the amateur writer an opportunity to be published and receive immediate feedback from peers. As educators, we can learn from the fan communities as they participate in online activities, especially fan fiction. Students are more likely to embrace entertaining and creative assignments. And since much of the world is linked to the Internet in one way or another, we can allow students an opportunity to not only improve their writing skills, but also enhance their knowledge of the Internet and its capabilities. My study included online interviews with fan fiction …

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Effect Of Medicaid/Schip And Wic On Oral Health Of Low-Income Children, Dahlia Naqib Jan 2005

Effect Of Medicaid/Schip And Wic On Oral Health Of Low-Income Children, Dahlia Naqib

Theses and Dissertations

Oral caries is the most prevalent chronic disease among US children, and disproportionately impacts those of low socioeconomic status. Studies have shown that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC) improves access to dental care among Medicaid children. This study investigated the impact of WIC, Medicaid, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) on the prevalence of dental caries among low-income children. The 1999-2000 and 2001-2002 NHANES data were utilized for this analysis. Children 2-4 years old who participated in WIC, Medicaid, or SCHIP, or who were uninsured, and for whom both interview and complete …

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Vimentin Overexpression Contributes To The Biological Properties Of Metastatic Head And Neck Cancer Cells, Rachel J. Paccione Jan 2005

Vimentin Overexpression Contributes To The Biological Properties Of Metastatic Head And Neck Cancer Cells, Rachel J. Paccione

Theses and Dissertations

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition occurs in the later stages of epithelial tumor progression, with cells expressing mesenchymal markers. Of these, the intermediate filament protein vimentin is frequently upregulated in metastatic carcinomas. Previously, microarray studies showed that the gene encoding vimentin is highly upregulated in metastatic HN12 cells compared to a related primary tumor cell line. In this study, we confirmed this difference using real-time quantitative PCR, western blot analysis, and immunostaining. Furthermore, EGF and TGF-β, growth factors that induce migration and invasion of HN12 cells, produced synergistic increases in vimentin expression. To assess the contribution of vimentin to the biological …

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The Association Between Eating Habits And Hypertension Among African American Women Compared To Other Women, Anike N. Clark Jan 2005

The Association Between Eating Habits And Hypertension Among African American Women Compared To Other Women, Anike N. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Hypertension is a major public health concern for African American women. Many studies have shown a greater prevalence of hypertension, as well as physical inactivity, excess weight, and diabetes, in African Americans. Objective: To determine if differences in eating patterns, as measured by Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores, between African American women and other women in the United States are associated with hypertension. Methods: Data were extracted from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANESIII). The sample included 31,189,534 women aged 45 years or greater after survey weights were applied. The majority was White (86.1 %); minority …

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Analysis Of Perturbation-Based Testing Methodology As Applied To A Real-Time Control System Problem, Richard A. Stutler Jan 2005

Analysis Of Perturbation-Based Testing Methodology As Applied To A Real-Time Control System Problem, Richard A. Stutler

Theses and Dissertations

Perturbation analysis is a software analysis technique used to study the tail function of a program by inserting an error into an executing program using data state mutation. The impact of this induced error on the output is then measured. This methodology can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a given test set and in fact can be used as a means to derive a test set which provides coverage for a given program. Previous research has shown that there is a "coupling effect" such that test sets that identify simple errors will also identify more complex errors. Thus …

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Global Discontents, Priyadarshini A. Khatri Jan 2005

Global Discontents, Priyadarshini A. Khatri

Theses and Dissertations

My creative project explores toys as means to express economic issues of globalization. By exploiting the educational and imaginative aspects of toys for adults and children, I intend to reflect on the impact and pressures of globalization on employment, technology and environment. In creating these toys I hope to make a visual statement concerning critical issues of human survival, sustainability and the divisive side of globalization.

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Long-Term Consequences Of West Nile Virus In Virginia., Diana Cruz Ocampo Jan 2005

Long-Term Consequences Of West Nile Virus In Virginia., Diana Cruz Ocampo

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to describe the long-term effects and functional outcomes of patients in Virginia who were reported to the Virginia Department of Health with West Nile virus (WNV) non-neuroinvasive and neuroinvasive disease. The study identified the duration of symptoms after initial illness, the number of persons who fully recovered versus the number who continue to be symptomatic and how patients' quality of life differed after illness.Methods: The study population was drawn from 60 human cases that met the surveillance case definition for non-neuroinvasive and neuroinvasive WNV illness in Virginia between 2002-2004. Information was collected during …

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Type-5 Phosphodiesterase Inhibition In The Prevention Of Doxorubicin Cardiomyopathy, Patrick William Fisher Jan 2005

Type-5 Phosphodiesterase Inhibition In The Prevention Of Doxorubicin Cardiomyopathy, Patrick William Fisher

Theses and Dissertations

Prior studies have demonstrated the effect of diazoxide in protecting against apoptosis via mitochondrial KATP channel opening in vitro. The current investigations are designed to determine if sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor and known mitochondrial KATP channel opener, would protect against chronic doxorubicin cardiomyopathy both in vivo and in vitro.Male ICR mice were randomized to 1 of 4 treatments: saline, sildenafil (0.7 mg/kg IP), doxorubicin (5 mg/kg IP), and sildenafil (0.7 mg/kg IP)+doxorubicin. Apoptosis was determined using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick-end labeling and in situ oligo ligation methods. Desmin distribution was determined via immunofluorescence. Bcl-2 was analyzed by …

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Dual Mechanism Analgesia-Enhancing Agents, Shawquia Elithia Young Jan 2005

Dual Mechanism Analgesia-Enhancing Agents, Shawquia Elithia Young

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, there is an increasing need for novel analgesics that are potent but lack undesired side effects. Recent studies have shown that both 5-HT3 receptors and α2B- adrenoceptors play a role in antinociception. MD-354, N-(3-chlorophenyl)guanidine, has a high-affinity both for 5-HT3 and α2B- adrenoceptors and could be viewed as the first example of a rather selective 5-HT3/α2B- adrenoceptor ligand. MD-354, inactive by itself, potentiates the antinociceptive effects of an inactive dose of clonidine in the mouse tail- flick assay. An attempt to determine the underlying mechanism of this potentiating effect was the purpose of the present investigation. The studies focused …

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Analysis Of The Impact Of A Social Norms Campaign On The Alcohol Use Of Undergraduate Students At A Public, Urban University, Amanda B. Wattenmaker Jan 2005

Analysis Of The Impact Of A Social Norms Campaign On The Alcohol Use Of Undergraduate Students At A Public, Urban University, Amanda B. Wattenmaker

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To conduct a secondary analysis of survey data collected at a large, urban university assessing for change in students' alcohol use perceptions and behaviors between 2002 and 2004. After the baseline data collection in 2002, the campus launched an intensive media intervention to normalize low-risk drinking. Simultaneously, the campus shifted from being a primarily commuter to primarily residential. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis used data collected from students in randomly selected undergraduate classes in February 2002 (n= 662) and 2004 (n=1334). The survey instrument used was the National College Health Assessment. Variables were categorized as demographic, alcohol perception, and alcohol …

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Synthesis And Characterization Of Methylene Bis (P-Cyclohexyl Isocyanate)-Poly (Tetramethyl Oxide) Based Polyurethane Elastomers, Kennard Marcellus Brunson Jan 2005

Synthesis And Characterization Of Methylene Bis (P-Cyclohexyl Isocyanate)-Poly (Tetramethyl Oxide) Based Polyurethane Elastomers, Kennard Marcellus Brunson

Theses and Dissertations

This research concerns the development and characterization of methylene bis (p-cyclohexyl isocyanate/butanediol) (HMDI/BD) based polyurethanes used in connection with surface-active anti-microbial polyurethanes. Previously studied polyurethanes having an isophorone diisocyanate/butanediol (IPDI/BD) hard block contaminated water during dynamic contact angle (DCA) analyses. This contamination by unknown species confounds results from biocidal studies and jeopardizes the use of the polyurethane as a matrix polyurethane. By contrast, polyurethanes with methylene bis (p-cyclohexyl isocyanate)/butanediol hard block showed no contamination during DCA analysis. For this reason, further study of HMDI/BD/PTMO polyurethanes was conducted. HMDI/BD polyurethanes were synthesized with 15-50wt% hard block and a soft block of …

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Iterative Methods For The Reconstruction Of Tomographic Images With Unconventional Source-Detector Configurations, Abey Mukkananchery Jan 2005

Iterative Methods For The Reconstruction Of Tomographic Images With Unconventional Source-Detector Configurations, Abey Mukkananchery

Theses and Dissertations

X-ray computed tomography (CT) holds a critical role in current medical practice for the evaluation of patients, particularly in the emergency department and intensive care units. Expensive high resolution stationary scanners are available in radiology departments of most hospitals. In many situations however, a small, inexpensive, portable CT unit would be of significant value. Several mobile or miniature CT scanners are available, but none of these systems have the range, flexibility or overall physical characteristics of a truly portable device. The main challenge is the design of a geometry that optimally trades image quality for system size. The goal of …

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