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2006

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Tuple Board: A New Distributed Computing Paradigm For Mobile Ad Hoc Networks, Chaithanya Bondada Jan 2006

Tuple Board: A New Distributed Computing Paradigm For Mobile Ad Hoc Networks, Chaithanya Bondada

Theses

In this project, we introduce a new distributed computing paradigm called "tuple board" which is based on the tuple space abstraction originated by Gelernter and the blackboard architecture popular in distributed artificial intelligence. Most prominent implementations of tuple space systems including JavaSpaces and T-Spaces follow a centralized architecture where the space itself resides on a server, akin to a database server. Recently, researchers have attempted to develop decentralized architectures for tuple space systems. Some work includes LIME and PeerSpaces. In our opinion, the traditional implementation of tuple spaces is not well suited for ad hoc networks where devices frequently lose …

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R(W5 , K5) = 27, Joshua Stinehour Jan 2006

R(W5 , K5) = 27, Joshua Stinehour

Theses

The two-color Ramsey number R(G , H) is defined to be the smallest integer n such that any graph F on n vertices contains either a subgraph isomorphic to G or the complement of F contains a subgraph isomorphic to H. Ramsey numbers serve to quantify many of the existing theorems of Ramsey theory, which looks at large combinatorial objects for certain given smaller combinatorial objects that must be present. In 1989 George R. T. Hendry presented a table of two-color Ramsey numbers R(G , H) for all pairs of graphs G and H having at most five vertices. This …

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Development Of The Postsecondary Student Survey Of Disability-Related Stigma (Ssdrs), John K. Trammell Jan 2006

Development Of The Postsecondary Student Survey Of Disability-Related Stigma (Ssdrs), John K. Trammell

Theses and Dissertations

Qualitative interviews of college students with disabilities indicated that students were reporting significant discrimination and disability stigma effects. Until recently, however, no formal instruments had been developed specifically to measure disability stigma in college students. The purpose of this study was to develop the Postsecondary Student Survey of Disability-Related Stigma (SSDRS), a Likert-type scale that measured amount of perceived stigma in college students with disabilities. The SSDRS was patterned after similar instruments developed to measure race-related stigma and other forms of perceived social discrimination, and was designed to be administered through disability support service offices. The SSDRS consisted of five …

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Drawing Through A Linear Temperament, Jorge Miguel Benitez Jan 2006

Drawing Through A Linear Temperament, Jorge Miguel Benitez

Theses and Dissertations

I am a draftsman, painter and printmaker. This first person statement is a written extension of the art that constitutes my thesis. It discusses the links between my work and the Enlightenment, Humanism, Catholicism, ethics and the Western canon as well as my use of perspective and other classical techniques in relation to history, language, high art, popular culture, propaganda, contemporary upheavals, Christian and Islamic Fundamentalism, globalization and the digital revolution. Furthermore, the main arguments draw upon my Cuban origin and European ancestry, the Cuban Revolution, my Belgian early education and eventual American hybrid identity. The overriding theme, however, concerns …

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Reflecting The Past And Shaping The Future: A Study Of Adolescent Schemas And Exposure To Community Violence, Monique Vulin Reynolds Jan 2006

Reflecting The Past And Shaping The Future: A Study Of Adolescent Schemas And Exposure To Community Violence, Monique Vulin Reynolds

Theses and Dissertations

Exposure to community violence is a pervasive problem among urban youth and has been associated with both internalizing and externalizing disorders. The mechanisms through which exposure to community violence impacts adolescent adjustment are unclear. A change in adolescent schemas has been proposed as a mechanism through which the impact occurs. The goals of this study were to develop a measure of relevant adolescent schemas and examine their relation to exposure to community violence. A sample of 320 5th and 8th graders were assessed and confirmatory factor analyses of the measure supported a three factor model, including self-schemas, world schemas and …

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Impact Of Terrorism On Migration Patterns In Turkey, Yilmaz Simsek Jan 2006

Impact Of Terrorism On Migration Patterns In Turkey, Yilmaz Simsek

Theses and Dissertations

This study is among the first studies that evaluate the social impacts of terrorism in a specific country for a 10 year period. It tests the effects of terrorism on domestic net-migration in Turkey, especially in the terror infected provinces of the Eastern and South Eastern regions of the country between the years 1992 and 2001. Terrorism has impacted people not only physically, but also psychologically. When faced with "future uncertainty" or the "fear of terrorism," it is natural for people to leave their home towns, and to migrate to somewhere else where they feel safe. In order to explore …

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Social Change, Gender And Education: Exceptional Swedish Immigrant Women At North Park College, 1900-1920, Sofia A.T. Hiort Wright Jan 2006

Social Change, Gender And Education: Exceptional Swedish Immigrant Women At North Park College, 1900-1920, Sofia A.T. Hiort Wright

Theses and Dissertations

The present study focused on the educational and career experiences of four selected Swedish immigrant women at North Park College in Chicago from 1900-1920. There is a gap in the extant literature with regard to the Swedish immigrant women experiences, and this study attempted to shed some light on this fascinating topic.The study examined the lives of three selected Swedish immigrant women students at the College and their lives afterwards as missionaries in China. It also examined the life of Lena Sahlstrom, a faculty member at North Park College during the same period. The four women were exceptional individuals, each …

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Choice And Chance: Thoughts On My Journey, Leann Sasamoto Jan 2006

Choice And Chance: Thoughts On My Journey, Leann Sasamoto

Theses and Dissertations

My love of learning, teaching, and providing creative spaces for people to connect informs my work and my life. For me, art is like life: messy, physical, and, if done with intent, beautiful. It is more about the process than the result; it is about recognizing that although we make choices, there are many things we cannot control; it is about being so present in the moment that everything else fades away. How I live, what I do, what I believe, and my art are all the same.

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Foliage And Fabrication, Carrie Rosicky Garvey Jan 2006

Foliage And Fabrication, Carrie Rosicky Garvey

Theses and Dissertations

In my photographic work, I contrast natural and man-made objects abstracted by manipulation of scale. Details of the objects are blown up to proportions larger than life. By distorting the scale, I aim to allow the audience to view the image out of context, enabling the viewer to see it for its aesthetic value rather than the object's functional purpose.

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Glutamate Excitotoxicty Activates A Novel Calcium Permeable Ion Channel In Cultured Hippocampal Neurons, Laxmikant Sudhir Deshpande Jan 2006

Glutamate Excitotoxicty Activates A Novel Calcium Permeable Ion Channel In Cultured Hippocampal Neurons, Laxmikant Sudhir Deshpande

Theses and Dissertations

Glutamate excitotoxicity is the predominant mechanism implicated in neuronal cell death associated with neurological disorders such as stroke, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury and ALS. Excessive stimulation of NMDA subtypes of glutamate receptors leads to protracted intracellular calcium elevations triggering calcium mediated neurotoxic mechanisms culminating in delayed neuronal cell death. In addition, glutamate excitotoxicity induces a NMDA dependent extended neuronal depolarization mediated by continuous calcium influx that correlates with delayed neuronal death. Attempts to prevent neuronal death by blocking calcium entry into the neurons using calcium channel blockers or NMDA receptor antagonists have failed to provide any beneficial effects in clinical …

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K X N Trust-Based Agent Reputation, Christopher Alonzo Parker Jan 2006

K X N Trust-Based Agent Reputation, Christopher Alonzo Parker

Theses and Dissertations

In this research, a multi-agent system called KMAS is presented that models an environment of intelligent, autonomous, rational, and adaptive agents that reason about trust, and adapt trust based on experience. Agents reason and adapt using a modification of the k-Nearest Neighbor algorithm called (k X n) Nearest Neighbor where k neighbors recommend reputation values for trust during each of n interactions. Reputation allows a single agent to receive recommendations about the trustworthiness of others. One goal is to present a recommendation model of trust that outperforms MAS architectures relying solely on direct agent interaction. A second goal is to …

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What Cost Hospital Quality: Performance Uncertainty Under Market Reform, Ronald L. Fisher Jan 2006

What Cost Hospital Quality: Performance Uncertainty Under Market Reform, Ronald L. Fisher

Theses and Dissertations

Healthcare is an organizational field that has undergone profound change in the last few decades, an era characterized by market reform. Healthcare production has revealed both economic and quality problems in past eras, and reporting on these problems can be seen to have contributed to pressures for social reform. Yet, the move toward more market-oriented governance structures and design solutions also reflects a wider isomorphic institutional tendency for organizing social order.The conceptual frame work of this study takes a pessimistic stance on whether the market reform has achieved the intended goals with respect to advancing organizational quality performance. The framework …

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Modulation Of The Serotonin Reuptake Transporter In Raw264.7 Macrophages, Sienna Marie Arenas Malubay Jan 2006

Modulation Of The Serotonin Reuptake Transporter In Raw264.7 Macrophages, Sienna Marie Arenas Malubay

Theses and Dissertations

Serotonin (5-HT) plays an important role as both a neurotransmitter and animmune modulator. The serotonin reuptake transporter (SERT) clears the extracellular space of 5-HT, which decreases the effects of 5-HT on target cells. This study demonstrated that the RAW264.7 macrophage cell line expresses SERT function, measured by assays of 3H-5HT uptake. The 5-HT uptake in RAW264.7 macrophages was more than 10-fold that of peritoneal macrophages, indicating that these cells are an excellent model for studying regulation of the SERT. Activation of macrophages with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increased SERT activity in a time- and concentration-dependent manner and Western blots indicate that the …

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Discovery Of Lignin Sulfate As A Potent Inhibitor Of Hsv Entry Into Cells, Jay N. Thakkar Jan 2006

Discovery Of Lignin Sulfate As A Potent Inhibitor Of Hsv Entry Into Cells, Jay N. Thakkar

Theses and Dissertations

The herpes virus family consists of more than hundred members that infect organisms, of which eight, differing markedly in the biology are known to infect humans. HSV- I is the most common one, causing oral lesions and sporadic encephalitis. These infections are highly prevalent affecting at least one in three individuals in the United States.The entry of the herpes virus into the cell is a two-step process. The initial step involves the cell surface heparan sulfate and glycoproteins in the viral envelope which enables the virus to penetrate into the cell. The second step is the fusion step. Depending on …

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R. Walton Moore And Virginia Politics, 1933-1941, Daniel Gregory Tulli Jan 2006

R. Walton Moore And Virginia Politics, 1933-1941, Daniel Gregory Tulli

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a chronicle of the efforts of R. Walton Moore and the Roosevelt Administration to liberalize the conservative Virginia Democratic Party during the 1930's. Moore was an elderly politician and amateur historian who had been in and out politics in the state for over forty years. He was opposed at every turn in his efforts by state Democratic Party organization leader Senator Harry F. Byrd, and his conservative colleague Senator Carter Glass. Both Glass and Byrd opposed most New Deal legislation throughout the decade. Moore served officially as Assistant Secretary of State and Counselor to the State Department, …

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Sec Regulation Of Corporate 10k Filing Dates: The Effect On Earnings Management And Market Recognition, Robert W. Russ Jan 2006

Sec Regulation Of Corporate 10k Filing Dates: The Effect On Earnings Management And Market Recognition, Robert W. Russ

Theses and Dissertations

In November 2002, the Securities and Exchange Commission released a final ruling regarding a filing requirement change. The proposed requiredment change was for domestic companies to file annual and quarterly reports within 60 and 30 days, respectfully. This requirement was recommended for companies with a market value of at least $75 million and would reduce by 30 days the time allowed to file these reports. The Wall Street Journal article announcing this proposal stated the change was an effort to address some of the problems arising from accounting scandals such as the Enron scandal of 2001. A potential added benefit …

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Panic Disorder, Trait Anxiety, And Risk Drinking In Pregnant And Non-Pregnant Women, Sarah Meshberg-Cohen Jan 2006

Panic Disorder, Trait Anxiety, And Risk Drinking In Pregnant And Non-Pregnant Women, Sarah Meshberg-Cohen

Theses and Dissertations

Anxiety disorders, including Panic Disorder, and alcohol problems co-occur at greater rates than chance in the general population. It has also been suggested that alcohol is used to cope with anxiety symptoms, such as trait anxiety. While pregnancy may be a protective period against Panic Disorder and panic symptoms, trait anxiety remains relatively stable during pregnancy. The purpose of the present study was to examine differences in rates of current Panic Disorder, panic attacks, and trait anxiety in pregnant and non-pregnant women receiving care at an urban OB/GYN clinic. The study also examined correlates and differences in alcohol use and …

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Genetic Variation Among Geographically Disparate Yellow Perch Broodstock Populations, Chandler Brooke Givens Jan 2006

Genetic Variation Among Geographically Disparate Yellow Perch Broodstock Populations, Chandler Brooke Givens

Theses and Dissertations

As a prelude to strain selection for domestication and future marker assisted selection, genetic variation revealed by microsatellite DNA was evaluated in yellow perch, Perca flavescens, from four wild North American populations collected in 2003-2004 (Maine, ME; New York, NY; North Carolina, NC; and Pennsylvania, PA), and two captive populations (Michigan, MI; Ohio, OH). For the loci examined, levels of heterozygosity ranged from He = 0.04 to 0.88, genetic differentiation was highly significant among all population pairs, and effective migration ranged from low (Nem = 0.3) to high (Nem = 4.5). Deviation from Hardy-Weinberg 1equilibrium was regularly observed indicating significant …

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Isolation Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived From Adult Bone Marrow And Umbilical Cord Blood And Their Potential To Differentiate Into Osteoblasts, Andrew P. Pacitti Jan 2006

Isolation Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived From Adult Bone Marrow And Umbilical Cord Blood And Their Potential To Differentiate Into Osteoblasts, Andrew P. Pacitti

Theses and Dissertations

The demand for treatment strategies of musculoskeletal tissues is continuously growing, especially considering the increasing number of elderly people with degenerative diseases of the skeletal system. Despite major strides in the field of bone regenerative medicine during the years, current therapies, such as bone grafts, still have several limitations. Multipotent stem cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising candidates for tissue repair because of their differentiation potential and their capacity to undergo extensive replication. However, isolating a homogeneous population of MSCs from multiple sources is an area that needs to be addressed. Also, the knowledge regarding the mechanisms …

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Den Of Thieves: Appropriating And Applying The Collaborative Ideals Of The Labyrinth Theater Company, Timothy Michael Bambara Jan 2006

Den Of Thieves: Appropriating And Applying The Collaborative Ideals Of The Labyrinth Theater Company, Timothy Michael Bambara

Theses and Dissertations

My goal was to successfully appropriate the collaborative ideals of the LAByrinth Theater Company and incorporate them into my directorial process while working on a collegiate production. I gathered a large amount of information from my visit and contact with the LAB and through personal interviews with the Co-Artistic Director and the Developmental Director. I had seen two of their shows and I was familiar with the quality of production that I had to uphold. I played a lead role in Guirgis' Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train and I was familiar with the rhythm, the dialect and the seriocomic matters …

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The Impact Of Relational Model Bases On Organizational Decision Making: Cases In E-Commerce And Ecological Economics, Elizabeth White Baker Jan 2006

The Impact Of Relational Model Bases On Organizational Decision Making: Cases In E-Commerce And Ecological Economics, Elizabeth White Baker

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores reifying the management science concept of organizations as a collection of decisions. Organizational management entails resource allocation activities that can be formulated in terms of elementary relational functions. All elasticity-type formulations, most generic "production" functions, and various projection models that organizations might require (such as sales forecasts) can all be represented by elementary relational functions. Therefore, information systems in organizations can be representative of relationships between decision requirements, as theorized in relational model bases. A relational model-base structure acts as an integrative device by relating an organization's elementary relational functions to each other, with all that is …

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Construct Validity Evidence Based On Internal Structure: Exploring And Comparing The Use Of Rasch Measurement Modeling And Factor Analysis With A Measure Of Student Motivation, Mary Angela Coleman Jan 2006

Construct Validity Evidence Based On Internal Structure: Exploring And Comparing The Use Of Rasch Measurement Modeling And Factor Analysis With A Measure Of Student Motivation, Mary Angela Coleman

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined and compared the use of Rasch measurement, common factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in establishing construct validity evidence based on internal structure with multi-item scales measuring middle and secondary students' achievement goal orientation and academic self-efficacy. 1054 complete responses were received to 18 items measuring mastery, performance-approach, performance-avoidance, and self-efficacy. Items in each subscale were first analyzed by each method as a unidimensional unit. Items were then analyzed by each method as a multidimensional unit. Results showed that when scales were analyzed individually, all three methods corroborated unidimensionality; however, when all items were …

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Detection, Identification And Classification Of Suck, Swallow And Breathing Activity In Premature Infants During Bottle-Feeding, Fedra Adnani Jan 2006

Detection, Identification And Classification Of Suck, Swallow And Breathing Activity In Premature Infants During Bottle-Feeding, Fedra Adnani

Theses and Dissertations

Prematurity, especially if extreme, is one of the leading causes of problems and/or death after delivery. Among all the problems encountered by premature infants, feeding difficulties are very common. Many premature infants are fed intravenously at first, and they progress to milk feedings provided by a tube passed into the stomach. At around 34 weeks of gestation, premature infants should be able to breastfeed or take a bottle. At the same time such premature infants are usually faced with difficulty making the transition from tube-feeding to full oral feeding. In this study three physiological measurements of premature infants including sucking, …

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The Impact Of No Child Left Behind On Charter School Legislation And Practices - Policy Implications, Joice Eaddy Conyers Jan 2006

The Impact Of No Child Left Behind On Charter School Legislation And Practices - Policy Implications, Joice Eaddy Conyers

Theses and Dissertations

The charter school movement is considered one of the fastest growing education reform efforts in the United States today, serving over 1 million children nationwide. The demand to improve the quality of education in the United States has been paramount over the last twenty years.In December 2001, Congress approved a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and renamed it the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), P.L. 107-ll0, H.R. 1. Although ESEA was enacted in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson to supplement state and local efforts to provide all children with high-quality education, NCLB has …

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Implicit Theories Of Weight Management: A Social Cognitive Approach To Motivation, Jeni L. Burnette Jan 2006

Implicit Theories Of Weight Management: A Social Cognitive Approach To Motivation, Jeni L. Burnette

Theses and Dissertations

Just as scientists develop general conceptual explanations of the phenomena they investigate, individuals also develop intuitive theories about such human characteristics as intelligence, personality, and athletic ability. These theories, unlike scientist's theories, are not explicitly articulated or documented, and so they are termed implicit theories. Implicit theories, in achievement motivation, distinguish between the belief that human attributes are fixed (entity theory) or malleable (incremental theory) and have been shown to have far-reaching consequences for motivation, goal-orientations, and regulatory strategies in an array of domains. This dissertation extended implicit theories research to the domain of body-weight management. Drawing from an elaborate …

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Hospitals' Decision To Vertically Integrate Skilled Nursing Units Before And After The Balanced Budget Act, Betty C. Lucente Jan 2006

Hospitals' Decision To Vertically Integrate Skilled Nursing Units Before And After The Balanced Budget Act, Betty C. Lucente

Theses and Dissertations

The decision to vertically integrate services and deliver care has both management and policy concerns for healthcare in the United States. The change in reimbursement, which was enacted with the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, influenced the availability of post acute services for acute hospital inpatients. Prior to this change, post acute services were reimbursed based on cost similar to the pre DRG era of Medicare reimbursement. The change in payment had the potential to make discharging patients more difficult resulting in a prolonged length of stay without additional payment and at increased costs for hospitals. As a result of …

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Degenerate Oligonucleotide Primed-Pcr: Thermalcycling Modifications And Comparison Studies, Denise N. Rodier Jan 2006

Degenerate Oligonucleotide Primed-Pcr: Thermalcycling Modifications And Comparison Studies, Denise N. Rodier

Theses and Dissertations

Degenerate Oligonucleotide Primed-PCR (DOP-PCR) can potentially enhance analysis of low copy number DNA samples. Theoretically, this procedure replicates fragments of the genome that can then be used for downstream multiplex STR analysis. The objective of this study is to optimize DOP-PCR by examining ramplelongation times and cycle numbers in the non-specific amplification portion of DOP-PCR, and by modifying the degenerate primer. Additionally, other methods such as Multiple Displacement Amplification (MDA) and Low Copy Number PCR (LCN PCR) were examined for their ability to create accurate DNA profiles from low DNA input amounts. Increasing the ramplelongation times showed no effect on …

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Relationships Among Stress, Blood Pressure, And Heart Rate Variability In Meditators, Sangthong Terathongkum Jan 2006

Relationships Among Stress, Blood Pressure, And Heart Rate Variability In Meditators, Sangthong Terathongkum

Theses and Dissertations

PROBLEM STATEMENT: Growing evidence indicates that psychological stress contributes to cardiovascular diseases through complex neuroendocrine mechanisms. Psychological stress leads to several physiological responses including increased heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) as well as decreased heart rate variability (HRV) through alterations in the autonomic nervous system (ANS), specifically increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity and decreased parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity. Meditation is thought to induce an innate relaxation response leading to reduced psychological stress. Findings from past studies have provided inconclusive evidence regarding the direction and strength of relationships among stress, BP, HRV, and meditation practice. PROCEDURES: A …

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An Exploration Of How And Why Primary Care Providers Educate Infant Caregivers About Positioning, Amy Greenspon Choffin Jan 2006

An Exploration Of How And Why Primary Care Providers Educate Infant Caregivers About Positioning, Amy Greenspon Choffin

Theses and Dissertations

A review of the literature indicates that how infants are positioned is related to the risk of SIDS, the incidence and severity of plagiocephaly, torticollis, and developmental delays. A quantitative approach with survey methodology was used with 66 pediatric primary care providers responding to 26 questions. Overall, PCPs are educating caregivers about sleep positioning with a high frequency. There was a relationship between practice site, and the frequency of sleep positioning education is provided. While the participants provide education about awake positioning, and the use of positioning devices, it was with less frequency than they do about sleep positioning; there …

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Chemometric Analysis Of Multivariate Liquid Chromatography Data: Applications In Pharmacokinetics, Metabolomics, And Toxicology, Sarah Elizabeth Graham Porter Jan 2006

Chemometric Analysis Of Multivariate Liquid Chromatography Data: Applications In Pharmacokinetics, Metabolomics, And Toxicology, Sarah Elizabeth Graham Porter

Theses and Dissertations

In the first part of this work, LC-MS data were used to calculate the in-vitro intrinsic clearances (CLint) for the metabolism of p-methoxyrnethamphetamine (PMMA) and fluoxetine by the CYP2D6 enzyme using a steady-state (SS) approach and a new general enzyme (GE) screening method. For PMMA, the SS experiment resulted in a CLint of 2.7 ± 0.2 µL pmol 2D6-1min-1 and the GE experiment resulted in a CLint of 3.0 ± 0.6 µL pmol 2D6-1min-1. For fluoxetine, the SS experiment resulted in a CLint of 0.33 ± 0.17 µL pmol 2D6-1min-1 and the GE experiment resulted in a CLint of 0.188 …

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