Digital Commons Network^™

When Church Teachings And Policy Commitments Collide: Perspectives On Catholics In The U.S. House Of Representatives, William E. Hudson, Elizabeth A. Oldmixon

Political Science Faculty Publications

This article investigates the influence of religious values on domestic social policy-making, with a particular focus on Catholics. We analyze roll call votes in the 109^th Congress and find that Catholic identification is associated with support for Catholic Social Teaching, but both younger Catholics and Republican Catholics are found less supportive. In followup interviews with a small sample of Catholic Republicans, we find that they justify voting contrary to Church teaching by seeing its application to domestic social issues as less authoritative than Church moral teachings on issues like abortion.

Annual Report Of The Officers Of The Town Of Warren, New Hampshire For The Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 2007., Warren Town Representatives

Warren, NH Annual Reports

This is an annual report containing vital statistics for a town/city in the state of New Hampshire.

Dna Damage Assessment Of Human Lymphocytes After Whole Body Exposure To A Sinusoidal 60 Hz, 200 Pt Magnetic Field, Genevieve C. Albert

Digitized Theses

Introduction: Due to electricity production, transmission and commercial and residential uses, humans are exposed to extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (ELF- EMF). Based on results from human epidemiological reports, animal in vivo and cell in vitro studies on the chronic exposure to ELF-EMF, adverse health effects of ELF-EMF remain controversial. Objective and Methods: The aim of this pilot project was to examine and compare DNA damage and clastogenic effects detected by the alkaline comet assay and the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay, respectively, in peripheral human blood lymphocytes collected from healthy adult volunteers before and after (whole-body) exposure to a 200 pT, …

Design Of A Transceive Coil Array For Parallel Imaging At 9.4t, Samuel Oluwagbemiga Oduneye

Digitized Theses

The main goal of this thesis is to design and develop a transmit/receive (transceive) coil array for small animal imaging at 9.4T. The goal is achieved by following basic RF design principles with a methodical construction approach and demonstrating viable applications. As operational frequencies increase linearly with higher static fields, the wavelength approaches the size of the sample being imaged. The resulting standing wave mode deteriorates image homogeneity. Fortunately, with multi-channel coil arrays, the produced Bi field can be tailored to produce a homogeneous excitation in the region of interest, thus overcoming the so called dielectric resonance effect. We examined …

Auditory Cortex Projections Target The Peripheral Field Representation Of Primary Visual Cortex, Amee Joy Hall

Digitized Theses

The purpose of the present study was to identify projections from auditory to visual cortex and their organization. Retrograde tracer wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase was used to identify the sources of auditory cortical projections to primary visual cortex (areas 17&18) in adult cats. Two groups of animals were studied. In the first group, large deposits were centered on the lower visual field representation of the vertical meridian located along the area 17&18 border. Following tissue processing, characteristic patterns of cell body labeling were identified in extrastriate visual cortex and the visual thalamus. In auditory cortex, of the …

Causes And Consequences Of Roost Switching By The Bat Myotis Formosus (V Espertilionidae), Ying-Yi Ho

Digitized Theses

Group living is widespread among animals. Theory predicts that animals should aggregate if the benefits associated with group living outweigh the costs. Benefits associated with group living could arise passively (e.g. aggregate independently to exploit a patchily distributed resource) or actively (e.g. cooperation). Some forest-dwelling bat species switch roosts frequently, but maintain an association among specific individuals, and therefore are fission-fusion societies, the temporary splitting of colonies into several subgroups. Normally, movements between alternative roosts are costly. Fission-fusion societies might overcome the costs by providing benefits associated with large subgroup size or cooperation. In addition, sociality could influence the movements …

“Strange Similes”: The Faerie Oueene And Renaissance Natural History, Sean Gordon Henry

Digitized Theses

Animals appear in every canto of every book of The Faerie Queene. This dissertation seeks to accentuate the strangeness of Spenser’s animals as well as to counter it. By placing Spenser’s epic in dialogue with early modem natural history, with which it shares a constant didacticism, I argue that the strangeness of his animals must first be recognized and then remedied by learning what was “meant” by those animals in the culture Spenser inhabited and helped make. Chapter One proposes ways in which Spenser, inhabiting a particular cultural time, place, and position, could have learned natural history as part of …

Effects Of Atorvastatin On The Regeneration Of Pancreatic Beta Cells After Streptozotocin Treatment In The Neonatal Rodent, Kelly C. Weese

Digitized Theses

In order to investigate the role of statins in beta (β)-cell regeneration, we used a model of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced β-cell injury, and attempted to affect neovascularization using atorvastatin (AT), in order to aid in β-cell recovery. The recruitment of EPCs, which readily home to sites of injury, would contribute to new blood vessel formation and deliver appropriate signals for β-cell regeneration. We hypothesized that the rate and capacity of the β-cell growth and regenerative processes would increase with AT. β-cell mass was expanded by postnatal day (PD) 44 and we observed a better glucose tolerance in STZ animals treated with …

Exercise Induces Hsp70 In The Vascualture Of The Myocardium, Steven M. Wolff

Digitized Theses

Exercise (EX) and heat-shock (HS) both lead to increased myocardial content of the cardioprotective inducible isoform of the 70 kDa heat shock protein, (Hsp70). Twenty- four hours after HS, myocardial Hsp70 is localized within blood vessels, indicating a cell-type specific response to this stress. The objective of the current study was to determine whether a similar localization of myocardial Hsp70 occurs post-EX. Adult male Sprague Dawley rats were randomized into control (CON), EX (60 min treadmill running, 30 m∕min) or HS (42°C, 15 min) groups. EX group was further divided into an acute exercise bout and a 5 day training …

Non-Invasive Assessment Of Disease Progression In Transgenic Murine Models Of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Nabeel Ahmad

Digitized Theses

Introduction: Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe X-linked neuromuscular disease which arises from the mutation of the cytoskeletal structural protein, dystrophin. Currently, no established non-invasive method exists to assess disease progression. In the present study we have used dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (DCE-CT), positron emission tomography (PET) and high frequency ultrasound (HFU) imaging to non-invasively measure changes in muscle perfusion, metabolism and architecture starting at 6 weeks of age for 16 weeks in two dystrophie murine models, mdx (mutated dystrophin) and udx (mdx:utrophin-null). Methods: Mice were divided into 4 groups by genotype and exercise treatment to induce muscle damage: …

Micro-Ct Material Interpretation By Segmentation And Multi-Energy Data Acquisition, Patrick V. Granton

Digitized Theses

Micro-CT is a 3-D non-invasive high-resolution imaging tool, which is often used for visualizing anatomical features in small animals. Micro-CT generates 3-D grey-scale anatomical images based on X-ray attenuation differences between tissues. The rapid growth in micro-CT imaging systems and recent advances in micro-CT technology have made it an excellent tool for quantifying tissues, based on their CT image intensity alone. In this thesis we have imaged entire rats and quantified their whole-body composition of adipose tissue (fat), lean tissue (organs), and bone using a rapid cone-beam flat-panel micro-CT system. However, this technique is limited in situations where exogenous contrast …

Modal Characterization Of Micron-Scale Structures, Pakeeza Hafeez

Digitized Theses

This thesis is mainly concerned with the application of Stochastic Subspace Identification algorithms to extract dynamic characteristics of smaller-scale structural elements. It also emphasizes the development of a suitable identification procedure for extracting modal characteristics of insect’s sensory systems, which are typically of the order of microns in length. The traditional way of extracting modal parameters by forming a transfer function is not practical for micron-scale structures owing to the practical limitations in applying a quantifiable input to excite such structures. Output-only identification and Stochastic Subspace Identification (SSI) methods attempt to extract modal parameters from the output response data and …

The Effects Of Chromatin Regulators On Somatic Dna Double-Strand Break Repair, Kelly A. Weedmark

Digitized Theses

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) occur frequently in mitotically-dividing cells and require appropriate repair. DSB are repaired by two conserved mechanisms in eukaryotes: non-homologous end-joining and homologous recombination. These pathways compete to repair a DSB, and proper modulation of the non-homologous end-joining and homologous recombination pathways is critical to ensure cell survival, maintain genome integrity, and prevent carcinogenesis. Recent evidence indicates that the chromatin context can influence DSB repair, yet many aspects remain unclear. Candidate chromatin regulator genes affecting somatic DSB repair in Drosophila melanogaster were identified using ionizing radiation challenge. Animals heterozygous for chromatin regulator gene mutations were exposed to …

The Use Of Intramuscular Temperature As An In-Vivo Proxy Measure Of Skeletal Muscle Force Production In Rat Gastrocnemius Muscle, Marie Claire Bourque

Digitized Theses

There is currently no feasible way to directly quantify in-vivo force production in individual skeletal muscles. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the use of intramuscular temperature (IMT) as a proxy measure for muscle force production. The hind-limbs of ten anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats were fixed to immobilize the knee joint and allow the foot to dorsi/plantarflex about the ankle joint. An intramuscular temperature probe (IT-18, Woodland Hills, California) was implanted into the lateral gastrocnemius muscle. In each animal, IMT and muscle force production were collected during 22 contractions of varying stimulation intensities and externally applied loads. …

The Effects Of Nmda And Dopamine Antagonists In A Novel Propionic Acid Rodent Model Of Autism, Jennifer N. Martins

Digitized Theses

Propionic acid (PPA) is an enterically produced short chain fatty acid and also a common food preservative. PPA can affect a variety of processes including cellular metabolism, gene expression, and neurotransmitter synthesis and release. Intracerebrocventricular (ICV) infusions of PPA in adult Long-Evans rats have been used to model ASDs. Pharmacological agents affecting glutamatergic and dopaminergic systems have been suggested as treatments for ASDs. In the present studies, adult male Long-Evans rats were habituated for 3 days in the locomotor activity system. Rats were then pretreated with intraperitoneal (IP) injections of either the NMDA antagonist MK- 801 (0.03 mg/kg), the dopamine …

Tests Of Spatial Memory In Domestic Dogs (Canisfamiliciris) Using A Radial Maze, Krista Macpherson

Digitized Theses

While the social cognitive abilities of the domestic dog (Canisfamiliaris) have received increasing amounts of attention in psychological research over the past 10 years, other aspects of cognition in domestic dogs have remained relatively unexplored. The present studies were designed to determine the spatial memory abilities of domestic dogs. This was accomplished through the use of an 8-arm radiai maze. While radiai mazes are well known in studies of spatial memory in rats and pigeons, obvious size constraints have typically limited its use to small animals. A large maze (4.6 meters in diameter) was constructed for use with dogs. When …

Robotic Telesurgery: An Investigation Of Utility, Human Adaptation, And Performance, Reiza Rayman

Digitized Theses

Robotic surgery is a powerful, new method for performing minimally invasive surgery (MIS). The method allows complex procedures through incisions which are 10 mm or less. Robotic surgery has grown rapidly because small MIS incisions result in rapid patient recovery compared to conventional methods. Although surgical robots have the potential of long distance control, insufficient data is available to determine whether long distance robotic surgery, or telesurgery, is practical. Telesurgery could provide multiple benefits, including dissemination of expertise, widespread patient care, cost savings, and improved community care. We describe a series of experiments to investigate telesurgery using a one of …

Synthesis Of Peptides And Small Molecules For The Imaging Of Cancer And Disease, Daniel Breadner

Digitized Theses

Non-invasive imaging techniques are playing an increasingly important role in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The membrane protein αvβ3 integrin is selectively expressed by angiogenic blood vessels and is now established as a viable target for the molecular imaging of tumours. Previous work has demonstrated that optimal binding to αvβ3 is achieved with cyclic RGD pentapeptides. In addition, recent evidence has suggested that dimer or tetramer analogues of the cyclic RGD motif provide improved tumour uptake. RGD cyclic pentapeptides were used to target the over expression of RGD binding integrins. This was done by first imaging angiogenesis using a …

Causes And Consequences Of Roost Switching By The Bat Myotis Formosus (Vespertilionidae)), Ying-Yi Ho

Digitized Theses

Group living is widespread among animals. Theory predicts that animals should aggregateifthebenefitsassociatedwithgrouplivingoutweighthecosts. Benefits associated with group living could arise passively (e.g. aggregate independently to exploit a patchily distributed resource) or actively (e.g. cooperation).

Some forest-dwelling bat species switch roosts frequently, but maintain an association among specific individuals, and therefore are fission-fusion societies, the temporary splitting ofcolonies into several subgroups. Normally, movements between alternative roosts are costly. Fission-fusion societies might overcome the costs by providingbenefitsassociatedwithlargesubgroupsizeorcooperation. Inaddition, sociality could influence the movements of individuals within and between social groups andaffectthegeneflow. However,ourunderstandingabouttheunderlyingcausesand effects of fission-fusion behaviour is still lacking.

I used both direct …

Real-Time Segmentation Of Curved Needles For 3d Ultrasound Image Guidance, Hamid Reza Sadeghi Neshat

Digitized Theses

Three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound-guided needle insertion has recently received much attention in minimally invasive percutaneous procedures specifically in needle steering techniques. 3D ultrasound provides limited spatial perception due to the distorted appearance of tissue and needles. The low quality imaging when combined with the curvature in the needles makes accurate targeting difficult for clinicians or surgical robots. In this thesis a novel technique for real-time segmentation and tracking of curved needles in 3D ultrasound images is presented. A minimally invasive test-bed which includes software and hardware components to capture and reconstruct 3D volumetric images from 2D cross-sectional laparoscopic ultrasound images and …

On Neurovascular Regulation Of Primary Visual Cortex: Neuronal Activity And Hemodynamics, Zheng Wang

Digitized Theses

Modem brain functional imaging techniques like functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) mostly infer alterations of neuronal activities by mapping local changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) or metabolism. The understanding of the relationship between neuronal activity and the hemodynamic responses, the so called neurovascular coupling, is critical for the interpretation of signals like the blood-oxygenation-level- dependent (BOLD) effect. The neurovascular regulation is modeled by a linear transform model in the fMRI experiments, which allows making an inverse inference from BOLD to neuron. Some recent reports suggest that the BOLD response is a nonlinear function in the time domain. Because changes …

Internav2.0: Minimally Invasive Robot-Assisted Tumour Ablative Therapies, Shiva Mohan

Digitized Theses

Canadian Surgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics has undertaken a major initiative in the field of lung cancer treatment. A platform is being developed for tumour ablative therapies using minimally invasive robotic sys­ tems. As a proof-of-concept for the platform, a system has been built for Brachytherapy as a treatment for lung cancer. This system uses a navigational software, InterNAVl.O, to consolidate ultrasound imaging and electromagnetic positioning.

Early work on InterNAVl.O looked to develop a research tool to handle imaging information obtained through ultrasound imaging. It was not de­ signed as a navigation and control environment for clinical use. The objective …

Internav2.0: Minimally Invasive Robot-Assisted Tumour Ablative Therapies, Shiva Mohan

Digitized Theses

Canadian Snrgical Technologies & Advanced Robotics has undertaken a major initiative in the field of lung cancer treatment. A platform is being developed for tumour ablative therapies using minimally invasive robotic sys­ tems. As a proof-of-concept for the platform, a system has been built for Brachytherapy as a treatment for lung cancer. This system uses a navigational software, InterNAVl.0, to consolidate ultrasound imaging and electromagnetic positioning.

Early work on InterNAVl.0 looked to develop a research tool to handle imaging information obtained through ultrasound imaging. It was not de­ signed as a navigation and control environment for clinical use. The objective …

Mechanisms Of Inkt Cell Protection Against Type 1 Diabetes, Dalam Ly

Digitized Theses

Autoimmune Type 1 diabetes (TlD) results from the T cell-mediated destruction of insulin-producing islet β cells of the pancreas. The most widely investigated pre- clinical animal model for the study of TlD is the nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse, which spontaneously develops T1D with an immunological profile similar to the human disease. It is well accepted that T1D arises in part from functional deficiencies in regulatory T cell populations, including CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ (Treg) cells and iNKT cells. We and other investigators have shown that activation of iNKT cells by alpha-galactosylceramide (α- GalCer) can protect NOD mice from T1D. As iNKT cells represent …

Espousing Interactions And Fielding Reactions: Addressing Laypeople's Beliefs About Genetic Determinism, David S. Moore

Pitzer Faculty Publications and Research

Although biologists and philosophers of science generally agree that genes cannot determine the forms of biological and psychological traits, students, journalists, politicians, and other members of the general public nonetheless continue to embrace genetic determinism. This article identifies some of the concerns typically raised by individuals when they first encounter the systems perspective that biologists and philosophers of science now favor over genetic determinism, and uses arguments informed by that perspective to address those concerns. No definitive statements can yet be made about why genetic determinism has proven so resilient in the face of empirical evidence pointing up its deficiencies, …

Reliability And Validity Of The Dallas Threat Of Violence Risk Assessment, Dyke Russell Van

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Several high-profile, multiple-victim school shootings between 1996 and 1999 dramatically shook the public's perception of the safety of our schools. In response to public concern, the Dallas Independent School District (DISD) developed a district-wide policy for responding to threats of violence and implemented the Dallas Threat of Violence Risk Assessment (DTVRA). The DTVRA is designed to help school personnel assess the likelihood of a student following through with a threat and to provide guidance for appropriate interventions for students who threaten violence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the inter-rater reliability and construct-related validity of the DTVRA. Ratings …

Wordsworth And The Life Of A Subject, Richard Thomas Eldridge

Philosophy Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

The Logic Of Life: Hegel’S Philosophical Defense Of Teleological Explanation Of Living Beings, James Kreines

CMC Faculty Publications and Research

Hegel accords great philosophical importance to Kant’s discussions of teleology and biology in the Critique of the Power of Judgment, and yet also disagrees with Kant’s central conclusions there. More specifically, Kant argues for a generally skeptical view of teleological explanation of living beings; Hegel responds that Kant should instead defend such explanation—and that the defense of teleology should lead Kant to different conclusions throughout his theoretical philosophy.

I aim to avoid the sort of interpretive charity that would begin with a currently popular philosophical view and then seek to find that view in historical texts. This approach would …

Chronicon, Isidore Of Seville, C. 616, Kenneth Baxter Wolf

Pomona Faculty Publications and Research

A particularly concise example of the "universal chronicle" genre of Christian historical writing made famous by Eusebius of Caesarea, Isidore's Chronicon provides a summary of history from the Creation to the reign of the Visigothic King Sisebut (612-21). Of particular interest is the way in which Isidore grafts post-biblical history onto royal chronologies drawn from the bible, thus extending the concept of "chosen people" well beyond the demise of the Jewish kingdoms.

Adaptive Technology Catalog, Cisr

CISR Studies and Reports

By design, the purpose of this Adaptive Technology Catalog is to provide a resource for governments, survivor-assistance and other agencies to help victims of landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) and other disabled workers get back to self-sufficiency and paid work.

Landmine and ERW injuries have a devastating impact on the economic security of individuals, families and communities. Most often, these circumstances exist in countries that lack the basic social welfare infrastructure that might otherwise keep this at-risk population from poverty.

Designing, developing and identifying simple and inexpensive tools and programs that assist with survivor work reintegration is …