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A Physics-Based Modeling And Real-Time Simulation Of Biomechanical Diffusion Process Through Optical Imaged Alveolar Tissues On Graphical Processing Units, Ilhan Kaya

Link Foundation Modeling, Simulation and Training Fellowship Reports

Tissue engineering has broad applications fro1n creating the much needed engineered tissue and organ structures for regenerative medicine to providing in vitro testbeds for drug testing. In the later, application domain, creating alveolar lung tissue and simulating the diffusion process of oxygen and other possible agents front the air into the blood stream as well as modeling the removal of carbon dioxide and other possible entities-from the blood stream are of critical importance to simulating lung functions in various environments. In this paper, we propose a physics-based model to simulate the alveolar gas exchange and the alveolar diffusion process. Tissue …

Identification And Characterization Of Host Factors Involved In Tombusvirus Replication, Yi Jiang

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Positive strand RNA viruses are intracellular parasites, and their genome replication and infection involves complex virus-host interactions. Therefore, identification of host factors and dissection of their functions during virus replication could facilitate our understanding of the mechanism of virus infection. Those host factors may also provide new targets for viral disease control. Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) has recently become one of the model viruses to study positive strand RNA virus replication and hostvirus interactions. To identify host factors involved in TBSV replication we used yeast as a model host. Co-expression of the replication proteins and a replicon RNA (DI …

Determining Personality In Sanctuary Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes), Rebecca S.A. Brittain, Judith A. Corr

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of Individual Identification Of Bobcats Using Automatically Triggered Cameras In Michigan, Karen Ickes, Paul Keenlance

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

Through the research of bobcat (Lynx rufus) populations a better understanding of their range in lower Michigan can be found. The use of automatically triggered cameras is an effective way to obtain bobcat range and status information. Automatically triggered cameras allow for population studies to be executed without having to trap any animals.

Review: The Underneath, Rachel Schwedt, Janice A. Delong

All Children's Book Reviews

No abstract provided.

Substrate And Regulation Of Mitochondrial Μ-Calpain, Aashish Joshi

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

μ -Calpain is localized to the mitochondrial intermembrane space. Apoptosisinducing factor (AIF), which executes caspase-independent cell death, is also localized to the mitochondrial intermembrane space. Following processing at the N-terminus, AIF becomes truncated (tAIF) and is released from mitochondria. The protease responsible for AIF processing has not been established. The same submitochondrial localization of mitochondrial μ-calpain and AIF gives support to the hypothesis that mitochondrial μ-calpain may be responsible for processing AIF. Atractyloside-induced tAIF release in rat liver mitochondria was inhibited by cysteine protease inhibitor MDL28170, but not by calpain inhibitors PD150606 or calpastatin. Moreover, μ-calpain immunoreactivity was difficult to …

New And Unimproved: Atheism's Brash But Ineffectual Makeover, Karen Swallow Prior

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Mixed-Effects Modeling Techniques For The Analysis Of Longitudinal Data Collected From Pk-Pd And Efficacy Clinical Trials, Rajesh Narwal

Open Access Dissertations

Linear and non-linear mixed effects modeling techniques are of great importance for the analysis of repeated measure data collected from various pharmacokinetic (PK)-pharmacodynamic (PD) and efficacy clinical trial during drug development. Monte-Carlo simulations were used to evaluate and compare the properties of mixed-model for repeated measure (MMRM) to fixed-effects ANOVA. The methods were compared using three different response profiles, four types of correlation structures (unstructured, compound symmetry, autoregressive and Toeplitz) and three types of missing mechanisms (MCAR (missing completely at random), MAR (missing at random) and MNAR (missing not at random). The MMRM methods adequately controlled type-I error and provided …

Interface Dosimetry For Electronic Brachytherapy Xoft Axxent Intracavitary Breast Balloon Applicators, And, Fluorescence Anisotropy Imaging Of Quantum Dots, James J. Segala

Open Access Dissertations

In this thesis two topics in biological physics are explored. These are presented as manuscripts which have been submitted to scientific journals. The first topic deals with administering radiation therapy to cancer patients using a miniature x-ray source that can be inserted through a catheter into a body cavity at the tumor site. The manuscript investigates how ionizing radiation deposits its energy for the special case where there is additional attenuating material in the path between the radiation source and patient. It was previously speculated that a global correction factor can be applied to account for the attenuating substance. However, …

Magical American Jew: The Enigma Of Difference In Contemporary Jewish American Short Fiction And Film, Aaron Tillman

Open Access Dissertations

Efforts to define contemporary Jewish American identity often reveal more questions than concrete articulations, more statements about what Jewish Americans are not than what they are. Such ambiguities pervade many works of Jewish American literature. Magical American Jew explores how certain writers and filmmakers have used magical realist techniques to portray the enigma of Jewish American difference. What I am characterizing as enigmatic is the indefinite yet undeniable difference that informs how many Jewish Americans envision themselves. In a felicitous way, magical realism also resists categorization. Marked by a "co-presence" of the natural and supernatural, magical realism allows past and …

Adolescent Gender Differences In Risk Of Alcohol Use, Jessica E. Nargiso

Open Access Dissertations

A significant amount of research has examined the complex set of ecological factors that are associated with alcohol use and abuse during adolescence. Much of this research has focused exclusively on males or failed to report differences by gender. Shifting trends towards earlier age of onset and earlier development of problems among girls highlights the need to explore these factors in both adolescent males and females. Three hundred and seventy middle school students completed self-report assessments of several ecological domains of risk (e.g., peer, family management, community) at two different time points (beginning of sixth grade, end of seventh grade). …

Pathways For Synthesis, And Possibilities For Genetic Modification Of Sugar Ester Acyl Groups Produced By Trichomes Of Solanaceous Species, Antoaneta B. Kroumova, George J. Wagner

Plant and Soil Sciences Faculty Publications

Glandular trichomes of many plant species synthesize and secrete a variety of phytochemicals that play an important protective role against pathogens and pests. Acyl sugars, in particular, are powerful natural insecticides. We demonstrated the existence of the α-ketoacid elongation (αKAE) pathway, an alternative to the fatty acid synthase (FAS) pathway, for the extension of carbon chains of acyl groups in sugar esters (SE). The α-KAE pathway utilizes one carbon elongation per cycle in contrast to two carbons per cycle in FAS, and it was found to function in a variety of tobaccos and petunia. FAS-mediated elongation was confirmed to participate …

Evaluation Of Selected Physical Activities On Maintenance Of Target Heart Rate In Hispanic Middle School Students, Christopher Ray Estrada

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Exogenous Leptin On Murine Dendritic Cell Morphology And Function, Christine Delgado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Leptin is a pleiotropic hormone primarily secreted by white adipose tissue. Although originally found to regulate food intake and energy expenditure, it is now known to also significantly affect the immune system. In this study we assessed the effect of leptin on bone marrow derived dendritic cell (BM-DC) cytoskeletal structure and functionality. Our preliminary data demonstrates that the addition of physiological concentrations of exogenous leptin to BM-DC causes cytoskeletal rearrangement specifically that of actin as evidenced by increased number of llamelopodia/dendrites and increased staining for actin within the llamelopodia/dendrite region. This suggests that leptin is a necessary component of DC …

Exploring Antarctica: Analyzing The Outcomes Of A Minority Focused Field Research Program, Claudia Vanessa Garcia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

With the need to increase minority representation in science, specifically in polar research, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) developed an innovative field research experience entitled International Polar Year- Research and Educational Opportunities in Antarctica for Minorities (IPY-ROAM). Supported by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, twenty-eight participants including undergraduate students, graduate students and teachers completed a semester long online course and performed field research in Antarctica within the areas of ecology, physical science, policy or education. The purpose of this Thesis consists in determining the outcomes that individuals experienced through their participation in IPY-ROAM. Four outcome areas …

Autonomous Vehicle Navigation: A Comparative Study Of Classical Logic And Neural Network Technique, Javier Alejandro Flores

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Today is an era in which humans need the help of automated machines to facilitate their hectic lives. Over the past few decades, robotics has been one of the most researched areas in the world. One area of this research is obstacle avoidance for autonomous vehicles. In order to avoid an obstacle, the system may include two important characteristics: obstacle detection and avoidance control. In this Thesis a classical logic system and artificial neural network approach is presented. With the help of an Integrated Development Environment, a virtual robot was able to negotiate a maze and avoid obstacles according to …

Nondestructive Testing For Finding Out The Displacement Of Crack In Silicon Nitride, Sriharsha Kurra

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Nondestructive testing (NDT) has become an increasingly vital factor in the effective conduct of research, development, design and manufacturing. Only with the appropriate use of nondestructive testing techniques, the benefits of advanced materials science can be fully realized. NDT has a wide range of industrial applications and various methods and techniques are employed to perform the nondestructive testing. The current work aims to demonstrate the nondestructive testing technique applied to determine the damage in silicon nitride. Ceramics are brittle materials and non destructive evaluation methods are required to assess the quality and reliability of them. A nondestructive evaluation technique has …

Detection Of Gas/Odor Based On Quartz Crystal Microbalance Sensors And Fuzzy Similarity Measure, Yi-Chen Lo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this research, an array of six Quartz Crystal Microbalance sensors (QCM) using fuzzy similar measurement is proposed to recognize different gases and the percentage of those gases in a mixed gas. The experiment suggests three different gases, oxygen, helium, and argon as test gases and the nitrogen as the reference gas. Six QCMs in this array are coated respectively with six different specific polymers that are selected based on Linear Solvation Energy Relationship (LSER) method, in order to absorb gas molecules so as to recognize responses of resonant frequency changes from QCMs. Testing with different gases results in different …

Characterization Of The Behavioral And Neurochemical Effects Of Nicotine Withdrawal In Adolescent And Adult Rats., Luis Alberto Natividad

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Previous studies have demonstrated that the behavioral effects of nicotine withdrawal are lower in adolescent versus adult rats. However, the neurochemical mechanisms that mediate these developmental differences are presently unclear. Much work has shown that nicotine reward is mediated via enhanced dopamine neurotransmission in the mesolimbic pathway which originates in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and terminates in several forebrain structures including the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). More recently, studies have shown that nicotine withdrawal produces a decrease in NAcc dopamine transmission, an effect that is believed to serve as a neurochemical marker of withdrawal in adult rodents. The goal of …

Claiming The Discursive Self: Mestiza Rhetoric Of Mexican Women Jouranlists, 1876-1924, Cristina Devereaux Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In the last two decades, scholars in Rhetoric and Writing Studies have been calling for a greater representation of voices of those from other cultures who participated in rhetorical practices. As Jacqueline Jones Royster contends, rhetoric has been framed as mostly white, male, and elite, and that these positions distort the democratic perspective of our discipline. Claiming the Discursive Self: Mestiza Rhetoric of Mexican Women Journalists, 1876-1924 presents women rhetors who were participating in not only creating a national identity, but also in constructing a public identity that would insure women's contribution and participation for future generations. It closely examines …

Implication For The Role Of Leptin-Induced Signaling As A Negative Regulator Of Dendritic Cell Function, Oscar Ramirez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The incidence of obesity among the distinct world populations has become an ever growing concern. Central to the regulation of obesity is the adipocyte-derived hormone, and in more recent years cytokine, leptin. Leptin plays a central role in the maintenance of food consumption as well as the efficient use of peripheral energy stores. Leptin exerts its physiological role in energy homeostasis by regulating the expression of orexigenic peptides in the central nervous system. However, recent research has implicated leptin in other physiological roles including those of the immune system. As a pleiotropic cytokine, the absence of leptin has been shown …

Three Essays On The Quantification, Validation, And Application Of Gray's Accounting Values, Ramon P. Rodriguez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This doctoral Dissertation creates, validates and uses a quantification of country-level accounting values based on Gray's (1988) framework. This Dissertation consists of three essays. The first essay reports the theoretical foundation and method for the quantification of the accounting values. The quantification results in reported scores for each of Gray's (1988) four accounting values - Professionalism versus Statutory Control, Uniformity versus Flexibility, Conservatism versus Optimism, and Secrecy versus Transparency. Accounting values scores are reported for 58 countries. The second essay reports the method and results of validation testing preformed on the accounting values scores. The primary validation method, Multi-Trait Multi-Method …

Career Pathways And Demographic Profiles Of University Presidents In The U.S.: 2000-2008, Lourdes Sanchez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to obtain a better understanding of the career paths and profiles of contemporary university presidents. The study provided a broad perspective in terms of what institutions and governing boards are looking for when searching for a new president. It also helped to know the trends in those accepting these positions, namely education, career path, gender, and age. I I used the following questions to guide the focus of this study:

* RQ1. What are the demographic characteristics of current university presidents (e.g., gender, age, ethnicity, marital status, and geography)?

* RQ2. What academic and …

Revision Of The Ant Genus Procryptocerus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae: Cephalotini), Francisco Serna

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Ants of the genus Procryptocerus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) are characterized by the protrusion of the clypeus forming a broad nasus and antennal scrobes over the eyes. The toruli are located directly posterior to the flanks of the nasus opposite to each other. The vertex is deflexed in most species. I present an in-group comparison of the external morphology focusing on the workers. I also present a general morphology for gynes and males. I analize previously mentioned characters as well as new ones, and clarify their character states in different species. For the metasoma I propose a new system of ant metasomal …

Computational Modeling Studies Of The Structures And Properties Of Organotin(Iv) And Stannyl-Thioether Systems With Comparisons To X-Ray Crystallography, Michelle R. Stem Joseph

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Controlling the toxic effects of organotin(IV) compounds involves engineering the structure of the molecules to optimize their properties. Molecular engineering, coupled with improved capabilities to generate reliable computational optimization models (COMs), will enable researchers to have greater success at harnessing the highly specific cytotoxicity of organotins. For example, as the thio_n ligand phenyl groups were replaced with Cl atoms, the S-Sn intramolecularity was strengthened, the bond distance decreased, and the stannyl tetrahedral structure was deformed from its triphenyl conformation. With each substitution, conformation deformations lowered the damaging bioactivity levels of thio_n. Bonding various ligands to organotin(IV) compounds …

Zinc And Copper Isotopes As Tracers Of Anthropogenic Contamination In A Sediment Core From An Urban Lake, Anita Thapalia

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Concentration data alone are often insufficient to resolve metal sources. This study applies stable Zn and Cu isotopes to fingerprint and track the sources of these metals in a sediment core from Lake Ballinger near Seattle, Washington, USA. The base of the Lake Ballinger core pre-dates settlement in the region, while the upper sections record the impact of atmospheric emissions from the nearby Tacoma smelter, as well as Cu and Zn inputs from urban sources. δ⁶⁶Zn and δ⁶⁵Cu varied by 0.42 / and 0.29 /, respectively, over the >300 year core record. Isotopic changes were correlated …

By-Product Synergy In The Textile Industry: Indigo Waste Recovery In The Denim Finishing Process, Dennis Wambuguh

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Textile dyeing effluents present a substantial environmental problem, primarily because such effluents contain high concentrations of waste dyes, dye-products, and variable salts. The stonewashing process for the degradation of blue indigo to create a `faded' look in blue denim results in high concentrations of indigo dye waste in the resulting effluent and because indigo is very difficult to decompose biologically, the effluent ends up in the environment, raising aesthetic concerns and damaging the integrity of the rceiving streams. Wastewater containing indigo is characterized by a moderate amount of chemical oxygen demand (COD), pH, suspended solids, dissolved solids and a dark …

Exploring Poly(Ethylene Glycol) As A Suitable Material For Peripheral Nerve Regeneration Scaffolds Manufactured By Stereolithography, Nubia Zuverza

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

One of the challenges in tissue engineering is to have spatial and temporal control over the biological elements within a scaffold used to guide regeneration for example of transected nerves. Some of the physical and chemical characteristics to regulate include incorporation of bioactive domains and release of chemical signals. This study presents the use of stereolithography (SL) to incorporate localized domains for cell adhesion in addition to include releasable nerve growth factor (NGF) in the process of building poly(ethylene glycol)diacrylate (PEGda) hydrogel scaffolds. Besides providing sites for cell attachment, an ideal nerve guidance conduit (NGC) should be able to release …

The Influence Of Diagnostic Labels, Gender, And Ethnicity On Teacher Perceptions, Expectancies, And Attributions: A Consideration Of Closure, Acceptance, And Stigmatization, Deanna Rae Voisine

Open Access Dissertations

The present study sought to determine the impact of diagnostic labels, gender, and ethnicity on teachers' perceptions, expectancies, and attributions. Following a pilot study to determine if the measure had adequate reliability, approximately 3630 instructional letters were distributed to 65 schools in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The Teacher Attitude and Attribution Scale (TAAS; Voisine, 2008), a 42 item questionnaire, measured teachers' perceptions, expectancies, and attributions (for parent/family factors, student factors, and teacher/school factors) for a hypothetical student. Vignettes at the start of the questionnaire detailed the student's behavioral problems and had the student's gender (male/female), ethnicity (Hispanic/Caucasian), and diagnostic …

The Effects Of Background Stress On Cardiovascular Responses To Acute Stress, Christine Malishka Jean Bocek

Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to investigate further the nature of the relationship between background stress and cardiovascular response to relationships between mood and background stress, and background stress and psychological distress were also explored. The background stress levels of 59 undergraduate students were measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Measures of psychological distress were taken using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), mood was assessed with the Brief Mood Induction Scale (BMIS), and other relevant data were collected. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and heart rate were measured through three 8-minute test periods, an 8-minute Mood Induction …