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On A Saturday, Thoughts And Revelations, Maria Pithara

Theses and Dissertations

A favorite poet, a strange woman on the beach, pictures I love to look at. Back yard voyeurism, some thoughts on portraiture and why I couldn’t be a photographer. Strange rituals that make sense. Unexpected revelations. Two kinds of light. This essay presents part of the constellation of thoughts, images and ideas that have informed my most recent video installation, Saturday.

Elastic Guided Wave Dispersion In Layered Piezoelectric Plates: Application To Ultrasound Transducers And Acoustic Sensors, Daniel H. Cortes Correales

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Elastic wave propagation in layered media has been of interest in many disciplines including non-destructive material characterization, acoustic sensors and medical ultrasound imaging. A great variety of devices are based on the propagation of electromechanical waves in piezoelectric plates. Despite the diversity of applications, the principles and characteristics of wave propagation are the same regardless the design or configuration of the device. The aim of this study is to develop numerical and analytical tools to model and design devices based on the wave propagation in piezoelectric layered media; particularly, ultrasound transducers for medical imaging and acoustic sensors for biological applications.;Single-element …

Test Re-Test Reliability Of The Unc Functional Performance Test, N. Regina Hash

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Context. Football is a high risk contact sport in which many injuries are sustained to the lower extremity. Functional screening tests exist for football, but it is unknown if they are specifically used as criteria for return to play. The UNC Functional Performance Test has been used as criteria for return to play but reliability for this test is unknown. Objective . The purpose of this study was to establish reliability for the UNC Functional Performance Test (UNCFPT), a battery of functional skills. Design. This study was conducted as a prospective test re-test design. Setting. One site was used with …

Cerulean Warbler Population And Habitat Changes Along Breeding Bird Survey Routes In The Central Appalachians, Patrick Michael Mcelhone

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Analysis of North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) data has identified the Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica cerulea) as a species of conservation concern with an annual population decline of 4.1% from 1966--2007. BBS data has shown persistent declines for Cerulean Warblers in their core breeding range of the Central Appalachians. No previous studies have examined the relationship between habitat change and Cerulean Warbler abundance at BBS stops, and/or whether BBS declines reflect changes occurring only at sampled routes or reflect regional Cerulean Warbler population declines. The objectives were to (1) quantify the effects of land cover and forest fragmentation metrics on …

Predictive Modeling Techniques With Application To The Cerulean Warbler (Dendroica Cerulea) In The Appalachian Mountains Bird Conservation Region, Matthew Buhrl Shumar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Many statistical approaches have been used for developing predictive models for wildlife presence/absence and abundance, each with varying levels of accuracy and complexity. As concerns for declining species intensify and anthropogenic impacts on habitats increase, the ability to quickly quantify and map species distributions and abundances over large regions will become increasingly important. To date, there is no set of best practices for modeling specific wildlife groups. My primary objectives with this thesis were to (1) compare model techniques for ease of use and accuracy, and (2) compare resolution of species occurrence data and its effect on model accuracy.;For the …

Efficacy Of Ultrasound Imaging To Detect Periodontal Bone Defects, Rajia Sebbahi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Objectives. Clinicians are always searching for a non-invasive method to diagnose periodontal defects. Two-dimensional radiographs are limited in the ability to describe a three-dimensional periodontal defect. Ultrasound has been used in dentistry for caries detection and enamel cracks diagnosis. Its non-ionizing radiation properties are attractive to clinical use in dentistry. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the efficacy of ultrasound imaging to accurately detect periodontal defects.;Methods. Twenty mandibles with simulated defects of specific dimensions were imaged using ultrasound and measured. The measurements were compared to the actual defects and to 2-D radiographs measurements. A panel of three …

The Effect Of Multiple Usages Of Nickel-Titanium Rotary Endodontic Files On Cutting Efficiency, Albert L. Tomsic Jr.

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Nickel-titanium rotary (NTR) files have been used in endodontic therapy to efficiently clean and shape root canals since the early 1990's. These files are the single most expensive disposable clinical supply used in non-surgical endodontics. When NTR files are new, they are being used in their sharpest state, with the least probability of breaking and their highest cutting efficiency (CE). As they are used in successive cases in order to contain clinical expenses, an increased risk of file separation occurs, possibly along with a decreased CE.;The purpose of this study was to determine the measurable changes in CE of NTR …

Predictors Of Anticipated Parenting Efficacy In Younger Adults, Danielle K. Tomczewski

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Prior research has indicated that anticipated parenting efficacy, the degree to which individuals perceive that they will be an effective parent, predicts their later parenting competency (Coleman et al., 2002; Teti & Gelfand, 1991). Although additional correlates of parenting efficacy have been identified, such as knowledge of childhood development (Conrad, Gross, Fogg, & Ruchala, 1992) and prior contact with children (Coleman & Karraker, 2000; Williams et al., 1987), little research has examined the predictors of anticipated parenting efficacy. The current study examined anticipated parenting efficacy in a sample of 481 younger adults. Participants completed self-administered on-line surveys related to their …

The Introduction Of Forgiveness Into A Path Analytical Model Of The Association Between Parental Divorce And Adult Attachment, Amanda L. Wheat

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Several factors (i.e., parental divorce, parent-child relationship quality, interparental conflict, individual forgiveness) that have been investigated separately in relation to adult romantic attachment were examined alongside family forgiveness, which has not previously explored in relation to attachment. Undergraduate students (N = 299) completed several surveys online for the current study. Several significant findings emerged when factors were considered in path models individually, and in an overall path model built on the basis of those individual model findings. Maternal and paternal social support, maternal negative interactions, and family forgiveness were moderators of parental divorce---romantic attachment relations. Based upon these findings, it …

The Identification Of Molecular Guidance Cues Necessary For Development Of The Central Auditory System, David M. Howell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Developing neurons utilize multiple guidance cues to reach their appropriate destination. Although much is known about the anatomy and electrophysiology of auditory brainstem neurons, the molecular factors directing migration of these cells and the targeting of their axons are only beginning to be explored. Ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN) neurons have axons that project bilaterally to the superior olivary complex (SOC) in the ventral acoustic stria (VAS). The circumferential trajectory taken by developing VCN axons is similar to the path of spinal commissural neurons (SCNs). Therefore, we reasoned that netrin-DCC and slit-robo signaling systems may function, similar to SCNs, in the …

Asymmetric Synthesis Of Sl0101, Cyclitol And Jadomycin, Mingde Shan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The carbohydrate portion of natural products plays a crucial role in biology, such as target binding, solubility, tissue targeting, and membrane transportation. The O'Doherty group has developed a de novo methodology to build the desired functionality and stereochemistry within each sugar, in contrast to the traditional approach using known carbohydrates as starting materials. This methodology relies on a highly diastereoselective palladium(0)-catalyzed glycosylation reaction to control the stereochemistry at the anomeric center and post-glycosylation transformation to introduce the corresponding functionality in the sugar moiety.;Continuing our investigations on the utility of this strategy, we turned our attention to the syntheses of the …

Elemental Speciation Using Pulsed Glow Discharge Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry, Na Zhang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Elemental speciation analysis is very important because the toxicity of the elements is dependent on their chemical structures. The coupling of Gas Chromatography (GC) with pulsed Glow Discharge Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (GDToFMS) provides real time speciation of volatile organic selenium compounds. The millisecond pulsed glow discharge is a versatile ion source for the determination of elemental composition, molecular structure, and molecular identification. The utility of this ion source to monitor a mixture of the selenium compounds dimethyl selenide (DMeSe) and dimethyl diselenide (DMeDSe) is illustrated in this work. Following the separation by GC, the compounds are readily characterized by pulsed …

Behavioral Inhibition And Behavioral Activation In College Students: The Effects Of Aversive Control, Chad S. Brice

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Negative reinforcement is utilized in many contexts in our society but its differential effects in relation to individual differences are rarely studied. It is very similar in form to punishment in that they are both forms of aversive control, and only differs in the sense that negative reinforcement is a technique utilized to increase rather than reduce a behavior. Researchers, starting with Gray, have shown that individuals higher in inhibition and anxiety are more responsive to punishment, while individuals who are more impulsive are more sensitive to rewards. The positive relation between anxiety and sensitivity to punishment suggests that individuals …

How Influential Are They? The Role Of Parents, Social Support, Attachment, And Autonomy In College Students' Likelihood To Experience Social Anxiety, Andrea M. Jones

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Previous research has found that parental control predicts social anxiety and is moderated by parental proximity, as measured by the amount of contact one has with their parent; however there have been no studies examining how levels of parental proximity may change over the course of a young adult's life. The purpose of the current study was to examine how variables previously associated with social anxiety change across a semester of college. The current study examined parental proximity, autonomy, social support and social anxiety at three points across the semester. Thirty-nine undergraduate students at West Virginia University participated in the …

State Supervisors Roles In Agricultural Education Curriculum: A National Study, Becky L. Ridgeway

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to examine state supervisors roles in agricultural education curriculum. A census survey, plus Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands were used to collect data for this study. The population included all head state supervisors employed during the spring of 2009. Of the 52 surveys sent out 36 were returned (69%). The study found that responsibility for developing and communicating career development events (CDE) and information varied by state, with the head state supervisor, executive secretary, state supervisor with FFA responsibilities or university faculty managing the events. State supervisors identified email, listserv (group email), telephone calls, …

A Wireless Sensor Data Fusion Framework For Contaminant Detection, Joshua Kiepert, Sin Ming Loo

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In recent years, much research has been done on wireless sensor networks and sensor data fusion, however there has been limited work regarding implementation of real systems that are capable of providing a highly connected sensor network for data logging and data fusion applications. This paper describes the design and implementation of a wireless, portable, and reconfigurable sensor network framework. This sensor node design has proven to be effective for monitoring environmental conditions of aircraft cabins and is well suited to environmental monitoring and detection of contaminants in large areas when utilizing sensor data fusion features.

Synthesis And Evaluation Of Stimulatory Properties Of Glycolipids For Natural Killer T Cells, Xiangtian Long

Theses and Dissertations

Natural killer T cells (NKT cells) are a subset of T cells. They regulate a wide range of diseases including infection, tumor growth, and autoimmune diseases, through recognizing glycolipid antigens in the context of CD1d. An understanding of the scope of glycolipid antigens would facilitate use of this cell type in controlling immune responses. Till today, a lysosomal glycolipid, isoglobotrihexosylceramide (iGb3), is the only natural glycolipid that has been found to be recognized by both human and mouse NKT cells. To elucidate the molecular basis of this specific recognition, iGb3 variants were designed and prepared: i) replacement of the C26 …

Monitor Newsletter May 11, 2009, Bowling Green State University

Monitor

Official Publication of Bowling Green State University for Faculty and Staff

Today - May 11, 2009, Loma Linda University

TODAY

Inside this issue:

-- LLU Heart & Surgical Hospital reaches important landmark
-- Loma Linda 360° correspondent nominated for Emmy Award
-- Pharmacy professor receives cardiac life support advanced instructor certification
-- Association asks SAHP dean emeritus to give deans’ memorial lecture
-- How Lisa Robinson celebrates Better Hearing and Speech Month
-- School of Nursing holds annual alumni homecoming weekend
-- Veterans turn Children’s Hospital patients into honorary submariners
-- Telehealth expert speaks to LLU campus
-- Printing services wins award of excellence
-- Big Hearts for Little Hearts Desert Guild hosts luncheon at Rattlesnake Café
-- Guild hosts …

Pivotal Role Of The A2a-Adrenoceptor In Producing Inflammation And Organ Injury In A Rat Model Of Sepsis, Michael Miksa, Padmalaya Des, Mian Zhou, Rongqian Wu, Weifeng Dong, Youxin Ji, Sanna M. Goyert, Thanjavur S. Ravikumar, Ping Wang

Publications and Research

Background: Norepinephrine (NE) modulates the responsiveness of macrophages to proinflammatory stimuli through the activation of adrenergic receptors (ARs). Being part of the stress response, early increases of NE in sepsis sustain adverse systemic inflammatory responses. The intestine is an important source of NE release in the early stage of cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis in rats, which then stimulates TNF-a production in Kupffer cells (KCs) through the activation of the a2-AR. It is important to know which of the three a2-AR subtypes (i.e., a2A, a2B or a2C) is responsible for the upregulation of TNF-a production. The aim of this …

Structure And Repetition, Jon Sutter

Theses and Dissertations

This work is the result of an exploration into the relationship of form and pattern. Its inspiration began as an experiment where certain two dimensional graphical patterns were interpreted as three dimensional elements in a lattice-like assembly. The resulting compositions are built entirely of MDF, and each piece is made from multiple copies of one or two identically shaped parts that are joined with shallow grooves. Some of the pieces resemble Asian architectural lattices as well as the scientific models of molecules in crystals. Often, the flat components seem to undulate in space or twist into impossible shapes. Although the …

Nutrient Criteria Recommendations For Eutrophication Management Of New Mexico Reservoirs, Heidi R. Henderson

Water Resources Professional Project Reports

Many of the lakes and reservoirs in the world are adversely affected by eutrophication. In order to counter this trend, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEP A) had developed numeric nutrient criteria for use by the States and Tribes. The USEP A has based their criteria on Level III ecoregions and their aggregated ecoregions. This project seeks to determine the validity of using these USEP A recommendations in the State of New Mexico to replace the State's current narrative nutrient criteria. This project will also offer nutrient criteria recommendations for four criteria variables: total nitrogen, total phosphorus, Secchi depth, and …

Can We Apply The Mendelian Randomization Methodology Without Considering Epigenetic Effects?, Ikechkwu U. Ogbuanu, Hongmei Zhang, Wilfried J. Karmaus

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Instrumental variable (IV) methods have been used in econometrics for several decades now, but have only recently been introduced into the epidemiologic research frameworks. Similarly, Mendelian randomization studies, which use the IV methodology for analysis and inference in epidemiology, were introduced into the epidemiologist's toolbox only in the last decade.

Analysis: Mendelian randomization studies using instrumental variables (IVs) have the potential to avoid some of the limitations of observational epidemiology (confounding, reverse causality, regression dilution bias) for making causal inferences. Certain limitations of randomized controlled trials, such as problems with generalizability, feasibility and ethics for some exposures, and high …

Is Volunteering During Adolescence Associated With A Delay In Pregnancy Until Adulthood?, Diane Bishop

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The objective of this study was to determine if regular volunteering during adolescence was associated with a delay in first pregnancy until adulthood. Method: Data for this analysis were drawn from Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Logistic regression was used, controlling for demographic characteristics and pregnancy intention, to estimate the independent contribution of volunteering during adolescence to a delay in first pregnancy until after age 18. Results: One-third of respondents reported regularly volunteering during adolescence. Volunteering significantly differed among those who had a teen pregnancy compared to those who delayed pregnancy until …

Independent Component Analysis (Ica) Applied To Ultrasound Image Processing And Tissue Characterization, Di Lai

Theses

As a complicated ubiquitous phenomenon encountered in ultrasound imaging, speckle can be treated as either annoying noise that needs to be reduced or the source from which diagnostic information can be extracted to reveal the underlying properties of tissue. In this study, the application of Independent Component Analysis (ICA), a relatively new statistical signal processing tool appeared in recent years, to both the speckle texture analysis and despeckling problems of B-mode ultrasound images was investigated. It is believed that higher order statistics may provide extra information about the speckle texture beyond the information provided by first and second order statistics …

Examining An Acute Environmental Trigger For Dysfunctional Eating: Measuring The Immediate Impact Of Fat Disparagement Media Exposure And Its Effects On Body Dissatisfaction, Negative Affect, Weight Control Practice Intentions, And Sub-Clinical Binge Eating Behavior In College Women, Susan Himes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Binge eating is a maladaptive eating practice associated with unhealthy weight control methods (vomiting, laxative abuse) and the development of weight gain and obesity. Isolating psychological and environmental variables that trigger binge eating can prevent or potentially moderate eating disturbance. Previous research implicates media exposure as an environmental contributor to psychological and eating disturbance. The current study sought to uncover whether fat stigmatization media exposure is an acute environmental trigger for psychological disturbance and binge initiation by dismantling fat media messages and experimentally manipulating messages. Undergraduate women (N=197) were assigned to one of four media message conditions: a fat negative …

Current Status Of The Pallid Sturgeon In The Middle Mississippi River: Habitat, Movement, And Demographics, James E. Garvey, Edward J. Heist, Ronald C. Brooks, David P. Herzog, Robert A. Hrabik, K. Jack Killgore, Jan Hoover, Catherine Murphy

Reports

No abstract provided.

The Effective Slip Length And Vortex Formation In Laminar Flow Over A Rough Surface, Anoosheh Niavarani, Nikolai V. Priezjev

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The flow of viscous incompressible fluid over a periodically corrugated surface is investigated numerically by solving the Navier–Stokes equation with the local slip and no-slip boundary conditions. We consider the effective slip length which is defined with respect to the level of the mean height of the surface roughness. With increasing corrugation amplitude the effective no-slip boundary plane is shifted toward the bulk of the fluid, which implies a negative effective slip length. The analysis of the wall shear stress indicates that a flow circulation is developed in the grooves of the rough surface provided that the local boundary condition …

Effects Of Estrogen On Muscle Damage In Response To An Acute Resistance Exercise Protocol, Megan R. Wolf

Honors Scholar Theses

Creatine Kinase (CK) is used as a measure of exercise-induced muscle membrane damage. During acute eccentric (muscle lengthening) exercise, muscle sarcolemma, sarcoplasmic reticulum, and Z-lines are damaged, thus causing muscle proteins and enzymes to leak into the interstitial fluid.

Strenuous eccentric exercise produces an elevation of oxygen free radicals, which further increases muscle damage. Muscle soreness and fatigue can be attributed to this membrane damage. Estradiol, however, may preserve membrane stability post-exercise (Brancaccio, Maffulli, & Limongelli, 2007; Carter, Dobridge, & Hackney, 2001; Tiidus, 2001). Because estradiol has a similar structure to Vitamin E, which is known to have antioxidant properties, …

Analysis Of The Phosphorylated Forms Of Protein Kinase R, Christine Quartararo

Honors Scholar Theses

Protein Kinase R (PKR) is induced by interferon and activated by dsRNA. Subsequent autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of eIF2alpha inhibits viral replication. In the latent state PKR exists as an unphosphorylated monomer. Work in the Cole laboratory has shown two additional states, a phosphorylated monomeric state (pPKRm) and a phosphorylated dimeric state (pPKRd). RNA serves as a scaffold bringing two PKRs together allowing dimerization and autophosphorylation to occur. The contribution of each state to the function of PKR remains unclear. Western blots were performed to examine the phosphorylation states of the essential residues,

T446 and T451. Activity assays have shown activation …