Digital Commons Network^™

Effector Memory T Cell Responses Are Associated With Protection Of Rhesus Monkeys From Mucosal Simian Immunodeficiency Virus Challenge., Scott G. Hansen, Cassandra Vieville, Nathan Whizin, Lia Coyne-Johnson, Don C. Siess, Derek D. Drummond, Alfred W. Legasse, Michael K. Axthelm, Kelli Oswald, Charles M. Trubey, Michael Piatak, Jeffrey D. Lifson, Jay A. Nelson, Michael A. Jarvis, Louis J. Picker

School of Biomedical Sciences

The rapid onset of massive, systemic viral replication during primary HIV or simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection and the immune evasion capabilities of these viruses pose fundamental problems for vaccines that depend upon initial viral replication to stimulate effector T cell expansion and differentiation. We hypothesized that vaccines designed to maintain differentiated effector memory T cell (TEM cell) responses at viral entry sites might improve efficacy by impairing viral replication at its earliest stage, and we have therefore developed SIV protein-encoding vectors based on rhesus cytomegalovirus (RhCMV), the prototypical inducer of life-long TEM cell responses. RhCMV vectors expressing SIV Gag, …

Biblical Exposition And Faith, Steven M. Fettke

Syllabus Repository

No abstract provided.

Debunking Blackstonian Copyright, Shyamkrishna Balganesh

Faculty Scholarship

More than two decades ago, in attempting to make sense of the structural dissonance between copyright and free expression, the U.S. Supreme Court famously declared that copyright was intended to be “the engine of free expression.” Ironically, this characterization was at the time intended as little more than a rhetorical device. In that very case, the Court proceeded immediately thereafter to analyze copyright as a “marketable” property right and conclude that absent a showing of market failure, neither fair use nor the First Amendment would preclude a finding of infringement. Instead of injecting a new set of values into copyright …

Patterns Of Population Structure And Productivity In Saltmarsh Sparrows, Jennifer Walsh

Master's Theses and Capstones

The Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus) is one of the few species globally that is exclusively restricted to coastal wetlands. Despite the high vagility characteristic of avian species, the highly patchy distribution of tidal marshes can often lead to fine scale genetic structure in salt marsh obligates. To elucidate patterns of population structure, we investigated the degree of genetic differentiation among nine Saltmarsh Sparrow populations along the northeastern coastline of the United States. Although overall FST values were small (0.008), population substructuring was detected along with a positive correlation between geographic distance and genetic differentiation, suggesting that Ammodramus caudacutus follow an …

Enzymatic Reactions In Microdevices, Michael O'Connor

Master's Theses and Capstones

Enzyme reactions conducted in microdevices for diagnostic applications minimize the enzyme usage. In this research, polydimethylsiloxane microdevices were fabricated and used to study the well studied hydrogen peroxide decomposition reaction using bovine liver catalase. Soft lithography techniques were developed to fabricate custom-made microdevices in-house. High resolution photomasks and oxygen plasma treatment followed by baking for 2--3 hours yielded microdevices with vertical walls that did not leak easily. Flow experiments were conducted with free enzyme, enzyme immobilized on microdevice walls, and carrier-free enzyme aggregates. For free enzyme and carrier-free enzyme aggregate reactions, the average reaction rate showed a maxima at ∼80 …

Child Support And (In) Ability To Pay: The Case For The Cost Shares Model, Pamela Foohey

Scholarly Works

Currently enacted child support guidelines primarily focus on maintaining children's economic well-being when a single household is split into two. This article argues that this focus discounts another consideration which, when combined with the current analysis, could further advance children's well-being: the ability of parents to pay. An analysis of payment characteristics demonstrates that lower child support obligations may increase the amount of child support paid on average. Lowering presumptive obligations will make lower-income parents better able and more likely to pay their obligations, thereby increasing the amount of child support paid to lower-income children, while at most only marginally …

A Study Of Perceived Actual Versus Expected Roles Of Presidents Of Seventh-Day Adventist Senior Colleges And Universities In Eleven World Administrative Divisions, Sunith Kumar Das

Dissertations

Problem

To date no study has been undertaken with respect to Seventh-day Adventist senior college and university presidents’ actual and expected roles as perceived by the administrative team members and governing board chairs of these institutions. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences between presidents’ actual and expected roles.

Method

This descriptive, exploratory, survey study included a sample (n = 78) of board chairs, presidents, academic vice presidents, student service vice presidents, and finance vice presidents located in 27 senior colleges and universities operated by Seventh-day Adventists in 17 countries, including the U.S.A. Data were collected on …

Measurements Of Sea Surface Height Variability In The Eastern South Atlantic From Pressure Sensor–Equipped Inverted Echo Sounders: Baroclinic And Barotropic Components, Sheekela Baker-Yeboah, D. Randolph Watts, Deirdre A. Byrne

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Variability in sea surface height (SSH) can be decomposed into two contributions: one from changes in mass in the water column (barotropic) and the other from purely steric changes (baroclinic). Both contributions can be determined from data recorded by a pressure sensor–equipped inverted echo sounder (PIES). PIES data from the Agulhas South Atlantic Thermohaline Experiment (ASTTEX) were used, collected in the Cape Basin off South Africa, along 1000 km of an eddy corridor where Agulhas eddies carry cores of warm, salty Indian Ocean waters into the South Atlantic. The paper presents in detail the method used to convert PIES measurements …

Cultic Allusions In The Suffering Servant Poem (Isaiah 52:13-53:12), Kyesang Ha

Dissertations

This study investigates the Hebrew cultic allusions in the Suffering Servant Poem (Isa 52:13-53:12) in order to discover the nature or meaning of the suffering of Yahweh's Servant. The survey of literature reveals that the background of the Suffering Servant Poem is to be found in the Hebrew cultus. Thus the nature or meaning of the Servant's suffering is determined by a penetrating as well as comprehensive study of the text, specifically from the Hebrew cultic perspective. However, there has never been any careful, comprehensive study of the cultic allusions in the Poem in connection with the Suffering Servant. This …

Master Teachers’ Critical Practice And Student Learning Strategies: A Case Study In An Urban School District, Greg G. Paulmann

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Job embedded professional development in the K-12 education setting has long been discussed and debated. This study builds on standards of critical reflection and thinking using the National Institute for Excellence in Education’s Teacher Advancement Program’s master teacher model as a conduit between theory and practice. A study of professional development design based on student learning strategies became worthy of review. The master teacher, through field testing and critical reflection, isolates critical elements necessary to transform teaching practice around student learning strategies. The work of the master teacher is situated as a leader of change within a professional learning community. …

Mental Health Professionals’ Perceptions Of Voluntarily Childless Couples, Felizon C. Vidad

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Studies conducted in previous decades have examined attitudes toward and perceptions of voluntarily childless men and women. Participants in these studies were usually comprised of high school, college, and university students. The results showed that, compared to those who were parents, voluntarily childless men and women were mostly perceived in a less favorable light. This study sought to investigate how voluntarily childless heterosexual couples are currently viewed and whether attitudes toward the voluntarily childless have changed since the earlier research was conducted. Participants in this study consisted of individuals who were practicing in the field of mental health and who …

“Riding Bareback”: Factors Involved In The Development Of A Bareback Identity, Scott Charles Musgrove

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Researchers in the area of HIV prevention have long been aware of the rising incidence of unprotected sex among men who have sex with men (MSM). In recent years researchers have witnessed the emergence of the behaviors, attitudes and practices that discriminate between those of the MSM community who strictly and consistently adhere to safer sex practices, those who inconsistently practice safer sex, and those who eschew protected sex altogether. Understanding the factors that motivate the development and adoption of a "barebacker identity" in spite of serious potential for HIV infection may well help support the efforts of public agencies …

A Dynamic Insertion Approach For Multi-Dimensional Data Using Index Structures, Yong Shi

Faculty Articles

Nowadays large volumes of data with high dimensionality are being generated in many fields. Most existing indexing techniques degrade rapidly when dimensionality goes higher. A large amount of data sets are time related, and the existence of the obsolete data in the data sets may seriously degrade the data processing. In our previous work[7], we proposed ClusterTree⁺, a new indexing approach representing clusters generated by any existing clustering approach. It is a hierarchy of clusters and subclusters which incorporates the cluster representation into the index structure to achieve effective and efficient retrieval. It also has features from the …

Multi-Objective Network Reliability Optimization Using Evolutionary Algorithms, Franciso Oswaldo Aguirre

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This work presents a new multiple objective evolutionary algorithm to solve three well known network reliability allocation problems considering different conflicting objectives to be optimized simultaneously. The new algorithm is applied in the design of a telecommunication network that is formed for several stations or nodes interconnected by telecommunication links or paths. The problem presented in this work involves finding which links to activate in order to obtain connectivity in the nodes. The number of nodes that need to be connected depends of the case that is being evaluated. The three network reliability problems considered are: all-terminal, k-terminal, and two-terminal. …

Microstructure And Electrical Performance Of Sputter-Deposited Hafnium Oxide (Hfo2) Thin Films, Brandon Adrian Aguirre

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Hafnium oxide (HfO2) based dielectrics have been currently considered as the possible replacements for the traditional gate-oxide (SiO2) of the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices. The high dielectric constant, wide band gap, and thermal stability in contact with Si make HfO2 a potential material for application in CMOS devices. The performance of HfO2 as a gate oxide material, however, depends on its quality and interface structure with Si. In this work, HfO2 thin films have been deposited by rf sputtering onto Si(100) substrates under varying growth temperatures (Ts). The objective of the work is to understand the growth and microstructure …

Supporting Novice Application Users In Learning By Trial And Error And Using Help, Oscar Daniel Andrade

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines three related topics in analyzing user preferences for troubleshooting application usability problems and the kinds of issues that influence such preferences. The goal of this thesis is to propose (1) ways in which users can be supported to learn to use applications and (2) a model to rewrite help such that users are able to adapt its contents dynamically.

The consensus of documentation research is that users rarely use help, usually preferring to muddle through. To increase use of help, tutorials for novice users could be changed from guided presentations toward using the application's help system. To …

Symbiotic Effects Of The Fungus Glomus Sp. On Chromium(Iii), Chromium(Vi), And Lead(Ii) Uptake By Mesquite (Prosopis Sp.): A Novel Method To Remediate Heavy Metals, Jack A. Arias

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The indiscriminate disposal of lead (Pb) and chromium (Cr) containing wastes has resulted in a detrimental impact on environmental health. Lead and Cr are in the EPA priority list due to their degree of toxicity on humans, animals, plants, and other living organisms. The removal of toxic wastes involves technologies that are expensive, sometimes incomplete, and could represent health hazards. In addition, site restoration after contaminant removal encompasses time and technological resources. Phytoremediation, the use of plants alone or associated with microorganisms, represents a potentially cost-effective option in the long term management of contaminated sites. Various plants known as "hyperaccumulators" …

Failure Analysis And Materials Characterization Of Hip Implants, Amanda Marie Bastidos

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research focused on the microstructural characterization and failure analysis of hip implant components. The main hip components analyzed were the femoral heads and the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) liners. Previous research has shown that hip implants tend to fail by the PE liners due to adhesive and abrasive wear, delamination, and third body particles (metals, ceramics, and PE). The methods and procedures for analyzing the said failures consisted of non-destructive and destructive evaluations. Non-destructive evaluations included of techniques such as visual characterization and dye penetrant inspection (DPI)-which displayed macroscopic surface details and presented initial clues as to the …

Third Grade Students' Challenges And Strategies To Solving Mathematical Word Problems, Elizabeth Bernadette

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This project explores the difficulties and challenges that third grade students face solving mathematical word problems. Three students were asked to be participants and share their knowledge on this topic as well as their work. After extensive interviews it was concluded that the challenges of mathematical word problems include but are not limited to the level of reading comprehension, conceptual understanding of mathematical concepts, and the belief that math is a compilation of computations and unexplainable procedures. The participants provided insight as to what strategies are helpful to students. These strategies include group discussion on problem solving strategies, self-assessment, incorporating …

Uptake Of Pahs And Metals By Plants In Arid Environment, Zarhelia Carlo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Study of plant uptake of PAHs with the concurrent presence of metals in laboratory conditions was done with the aim to resemble specific combinations of natural environment. Toxicological response of seedlings was tested to define treatment conditions or possible interferences. The levels of PAHs and metals in the treatments were set up to have no toxic effect on plant growth. The complexity of concurrent contamination was demonstrated in a laboratory with soil. No visual differences were observed among various dose treatments of Cu and Zn with organics three PAHs, Phenanthrene (Phen), Acetoanthrancene, and Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). The metal analysis by ICP/OES …

Real-Time Image-Based Motion Detection Using Color And Structure, Manali Chakraborty

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Motion detection is an important problem in computer vision and has multiple applications in the real world, including surveillance-related activities, gaming, and human-robot interactions. These systems need to be robust enough to handle fluctuations in light intensity and other external factors like noise and compression artifacts. In this thesis a method is proposed for detecting the regions of motion from a video sequence in real time. The main idea of this work is to detect motion based on both structure and color. Structure-based detection is carried out using information from the Census Transform computed on gradient images obtained with Sobel …

Art In A New Light: Design And Assessment Of Illuminants To Reduce Photochemical Degradation Of Works Of Art, Monica Fabiola Delgado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to design the best lighting that will minimize long term photochemical degradation of Old Master Drawings and/or other works of art, while maintaining the patron's appreciation of the object's color and detail. The present approach is a technological refinement to the basic underlying earlier work on fluorescent lighting by W. A. Thornton, W.A. at General Electric1. Thin-film dielectric, multi-coating technology is used to create filters that eliminate ultraviolet light, near infrared light and significant unnecessary parts from the visible spectrum, thus maximizing the reduction in photochemical degradation, while maintaining optimal color rendering. Three interference …

A Study Of Possible Pre-Cognitive Advantages Of Bilingualism, Marisela Gutierrez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Past research has suggested that second language acquisition has a beneficial effect on the development of inhibitory control processes in children and adults. This has been referred to as the "bilingual advantage" and is most commonly quantified using the Simon task. Whether the bilingual advantage extends to precognitive mechanisms has not yet been examined. The goals of this study were to examine the bilingual advantage in university students; and to examine whether the bilingual advantage extends to the precognitive filtering mechanism of sensorimotor gating. It was predicted that, as compared to monolinguals, bilingual university students would have greater inhibitory control, …

Toxicity Of Zinc Oxide And Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles To Mesquite, Jose Angel Hernandez Viezcas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The impact of metal nanoparticles (NPs) in biological systems is still not well understood. Little is known about the response of plants, the first trophic level, to NP exposure; consequently, their possible role on the fate and transport of NPs in ecosystems is unknown. The aim of this research was to determine the response of mesquite (Prosopis juliflora-velutina), a native desert plant, to ZnO and CeO2 (nanoceria) NPs. Mesquite seedlings were grown for 15 days in hydroponics with of ZnO (10 nm) and CeO2 NPs (10 nm) at concentrations varying from 500 to 4000 mg L-1. In the present study, …

Reanalysis Of Some Effects Of The Mutual Exclusivity Constraint And Their Operation In Bilingual Children, Marina Kalashnikova

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study investigates the operation of the Mutual Exclusivity constraint in two groups of three-year-old children: monolingual Spanish speakers and bilingual Spanish-English speakers. Previous research has yielded controversial findings regarding the differences in the intra-lingual level operation of the constraint in monolingual and bilingual children. This investigation sheds light on the conflicting outcomes of previous studies by proposing that non-linguistic cognitive and processing abilities may account for the effects attributed to the constraint and that there may be observable differences in monolingual and bilingual children in the development of some--but not all--of these abilities. Although, this study yielded no significant …

The Exquisite Pain Of Sunny Afternoons, Jessica Jeanne Miller

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Exquisite Pain of Sunny Afternoons is a novella exploring one young woman's journey through mental illness. She struggles with many delusions and extreme emotional reactions to these delusions until she finds balance. She finds balance, if not total recovery, through the help of her mother and three young Canadian travelers. The novella begins with an escape from a psychiatric hospital to Oaxaca, Mexico.

Assessing Repeatability Of Four-Point Bending Method For Estimating Fatigue Cracking Of Hot Mix Asphalt, Sara -. Montazeri

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this thesis was to assess the repeatability of four-point bending method for estimating fatigue cracking of hot mix asphalt. This experimental research examined the influence of mix proportions, specifically asphalt and air void contents, on fatigue behavior of asphalt beam specimens in the laboratory tested with four-point bending method of loading. Following the relevant specifications, the strain-controlled mode of loading was selected. Fatigue failure is expected to occur at the cycle which the flexural stiffness of asphalt specimen reduced to 50% of initial amount. Up to a 1,000,000 cycles of loading were applied to each specimen.

Different …

High Temperature Oxidation Characteristics Of Nb-10w-Xcr Alloys, Maria Del Pilar Moricca

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The use of refractory metals in high temperature applications has been attractive for several years. Systems based on niobium represent a potential new generation of refractory materials systems because of their low density, high melting points, and strength at elevated temperatures. Despite these desirable characteristics, the widespread use of niobium-based alloys is limited because its oxidation resistance is still inadequate for structural applications. Understanding the oxidation kinetics of Nb-based alloys and the role of the different phases in the oxidation process is of crucial importance to improve the oxidation resistance of these materials.

The effect of Cr content on the …

Development Of The Video Suggestibility Scale For Children: Spanish-Language Version, Claudia Ornelas

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examined the psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the Video Suggestibility Scale (VSSC). A cross-cultural validation with a sample of 3-5 year old Spanish speaking children was performed to evaluate its psychometric properties (N = 79). The development of the VSSC Spanish language version (VSSC-S) is described. The new version was created using the translation-back-translation process to increase the instrument‟s equivalence. Internal consistencies were satisfactory. Construct validity was assessed by using factor analysis and the Varimax procedure. As expected, the VSSC-S items loaded on two separate factors. Overall, results suggest that the VSSC-S taps into similar constructs …

Design Of A Low Voltage Analog To Digital Converter, Praveen Kumar Palakurthi

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

For the past 40 years, the number of transistors per chip has been increasing at an exponential rate confirming Moore's Law regarding the growth of chip complexity. Increases in transistor count have led to enhancements in functionality and made possible products with features that were unimaginable ten years ago. Consequently, the resulting increase in digitization in all electronics, across a wide range of applications, requires the Analog-to-Digital Converters (ADCs) with a higher resolution and lower power consumption. The evolution of the integrated circuit technologies and scaling methodologies partially helps in providing faster circuits and allowing complex functionalities in a given …