Digital Commons Network^™

Indirect Costs Associated With Surgery For Low Back Pain-A Secondary Analysis Of Clinical Trial Data., Reginald Fayssoux, Neil I Goldfarb, Alexander R Vaccaro, James Harrop

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

This study examines the indirect costs associated with surgery for axial low back pain using data obtained from a prospective multicenter clinical trial that compared Charité artificial disc replacement with anterior lumbar interbody fusion using iliac crest bone graft. While 75% of study subjects reported full- or part-time employment prior to surgery, this percentage dropped to 45% at 6 weeks postoperatively. Return to preoperative employment levels occurred at approximately 6 months postoperatively. Two years after surgery, employment levels were 16% higher than preoperative levels. Lost productivity related to absenteeism resulted in lost wages averaging $2884 per patient during the first …

Asset Protection In A Limited Swarm Environment Utilizing Artificial Potential Fields, Dieter Laskowski

Theses

Asset protection is a behavior in which a team of robots establishes a formation around a resource marked as an asset in a hostile environment in order to protect the asset from threats. The robots are assumed to be homogeneous and run a decentralized control algo- rithm and possess a repulsive quality to the threats. Previous works in this area have used centralized control or considered the use of many robots. This work aims at developing an algorithm that is both decentralized, and able to protect assets using only a few robots. In order to provide this behavior an algorithm …

Selection Ratios On Community Aggregated Traits To Estimate Ecological Filters Imposed On Species By Sites, Nathanael I. Lichti, Michael T. Murphy

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Variation in community structure is mediated by interactions between species traits and a site's environmental characteristics. Previously, data on community composition at sites has been employed to correlate trait and environmental variables (e.g., RLQ analysis) and to predict community-level expression of quantitative traits (i.e., community aggregated traits). Here, we demonstrate that the selection ratio, a method originating in animal resource selection studies, can estimate the ecological filters that site conditions impose on species traits by combining observed community aggregated traits with null models of species availability. This flexible, nonparametric approach expresses the filter at each site as a probability density …

Effects Of A Single Sickling Event On The Mechanical Fragility Of Sickle Cell Trait Erythrocytes, Tennille D. Presley, Andreas S. Perlegas, Lauren E. Bain, Samir K. Ballas, James S. Nichols, Hernan Sabio, Mark T. Gladwin, Gregory J. Kato, Dany B. Kim-Shapiro

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Hemolysis contributes to the pathology associated with sickle cell disease. However, the mechanism of hemolysis or relative contribution of sickling due to hemoglobin (Hb) polymerization vs. oxidative damage remains unknown. Earlier studies aimed at deciphering the relative importance of these two mechanisms have been complicated by the fact that sickle red cells (SS) have already been affected by multiple rounds of sickling and oxidative damage before they are collected. In our study, we examine the mechanical fragility of sickle cell trait cells, which do not sickle in vivo, but can be made to do so in vitro. Thus, our novel …

The Real Problem: Avatars, Metaphysics, And Online Social Interaction, David J. Gunkel

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

It is often assumed that the problem with ‘virtual reality’ – the concept, its various technological deployments and the apparently oxymoronic phrase itself – has been our understanding, or perhaps misunderstanding, of the virtual. The real problem, however, is not with the virtual; it is with the real itself. This article investigates the undeniably useful but ultimately mistaken and somewhat misguided concept of the real that has been routinely operationalized in investigations of new media technology. The specific point of contact for the examination is the avatar. What is at issue here is not the complicated structures and articulations of …

Emissions Of Anaerobically Produced Methane By Trees, Andrew L. Rice, Christopher Lee Butenhoff, Martha J. Shearer, Doaa Teama, Todd N. Rosenstiel, M. A. K. Khalil

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent studies indicate that plants may be a previously overlooked but significant source of atmospheric CH₄, though there is considerable disagreement on the mechanism of production. Our work sought to verify that woody deciduous trees grown under inundated conditions had the capacity for transporting CH₄ from an anaerobic subsurface to the atmosphere and to consider if such a source could be important globally. Here, we report results from a greenhouse mesocosm study that indicate significant emissions of anaerobically produced CH₄ transmitted to the atmosphere through broadleaf riparian tree species grown under flooded conditions. Using a leaf area normalized mean emission …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of The Roaring Branch Bmp Retrofit Using Macroinvertebrate Bioassessment, James L. Banning

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using benthic macroinvertebrates to measure stream health has been widely used and accepted around the world. Macroinvertebrates are resident monitors of chronic impairment in a stream since they are relatively sessile and most commonly respond to disturbance by drift but can recolonize a restored stream reach very quickly. This study tested the effectiveness of macroinvertebrate metrics developed through the Rapid Bioassessment Protocol (RBP) to detect changes in stream integrity as the result of placement of a best management practice (BMP), installed on a tributary of Roaring Branch, located in Columbus, Georgia. The BMP was designed to attenuate flow to reduce …

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet February 2010, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The February 2010 Monthly packet includes the April agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held January 2010

Algorithms In Comparative Genomics, Satish Chikkagoudar

Dissertations

The field of comparative genomics is abundant with problems of interest to computer scientists. In this thesis, the author presents solutions to three contemporary problems: obtaining better alignments for phylogeny reconstruction, identifying related RNA sequences in genomes, and ranking Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in genome-wide association studies (GWAS).

Sequence alignment is a basic and widely used task in bioinformatics. Its applications include identifying protein structure, RNAs and transcription factor binding sites in genomes, and phylogeny reconstruction. Phylogenetic descriptions depend not only on the employed reconstruction technique, but also on the underlying sequence alignment. The author has studied and established a …

Safe Haven Infant Protection : Incidence Of Use And Characteristics Of Surrendered Infants And Relinquishing Users, Sallie Anne Porter

Dissertations

Background: Safe Haven Infant Protection (SHIP) laws are variously-titled state-level laws that permit infants to be surrendered to designated persons and/or places in a generally anonymous fashion with prescribed limits on prosecution.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the number of infants surrendered under SHIP laws in the United States, detail the characteristics of surrendered Safe Haven (SH) infants and relinquishing users, and directly compare the SH infant/relinquishing user population and the discarded infant/discarding mother populations.

Methods: Non-profit reports and communications, government documents and communications, and media reports provided the basis of the national SH estimate. Data …

Inter-Relationship Of Mechanical And Bio-Chemical Processes Governing The Settlement Of Municipal Solid Waste (Msw) Using The (C +H)/L Ratio, Joseph John Lifrieri

Dissertations

This research discusses the results of experimentation that determines the rates and magnitudes of consolidation and settlement of solid waste materials dependent upon their actual state of biodegradation decomposition and time in place. The state of decomposition of waste is determined by measuring its cellulose plus hemicellulose to lignin ratio ((C + H)/L). The samples were collected from bioreactors, at consecutive time intervals, to simulate states of decomposition.

Each sample was tested in consolidation to determine the value of the primary compression index C' _c, the secondary compression index "the inorganic creep rate" coefficient, C' _α, and the …

End-Of-Life Analysis Of Nanotechnology Products, Sun Olapiriyakul

Dissertations

Previous research has shown that thermodynamic properties including melting point and specific heat capacity of nanomaterials may be higher than that of their corresponding bulk materials. The melting point elevation and specific heat capacity enhancement of nanomaterials may result in increased energy consumption and waste gases emission at the end-of-life (EOL) stage where the products containing nanomaterials are recycled by high temperature metal recovery (HTMR) process.

In this dissertation, the effect of physical characteristics of nanomaterials, referred to as physicochemical parameters, on their melting temperature and specific heat capacity was investigated. In addition, physical, chemical, and thermodynamic properties of nanomaterials …

The University Of San Francisco Fact Book And Almanac 2009, University Of San Francisco Office Of Institutional Research

USF Fact Book and Almanac

No abstract provided.

Medical School Watercooler Newsletter - January 31, 2010, Lindsey Lyle

Watercooler Newsletter

This is the January 31, 2010 edition of the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine's newsletter - Watercooler.

Contents include:

• University of South Alabama Scientists Awarded $14.5 Million for Infectious Disease Research Lab
• Internationally Renowned Trauma Surgeon to Present Mitchell Endowed Lecture in Traumatology and Surgical Care
• "Surgical Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes"

Stiffness Of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells From Aged Primates Measured Using Reconstituted Tissue Model, Shilpa Nagendra

Theses

Increased stiffness of the aorta is an important detrimental change that occurs with aging. Most previous research has implicated stiffening of the extracellular collagen matrix with age. The study reported in this thesis focused instead on the potential contribution from stiffening of the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) with age.

VSMCs previously obtained from young and old monkeys (macaca fascicularis) were seeded into a collagen gel to form a reconstituted tissue. The aim of this study was to quantitatively characterize the mechanical properties of this reconstituted tissue model via uniaxially stretching each ring to defined levels of strain. The total …

Development Of Pharmacophore And Comfa Study Of Rigid And Flexible Sigma 2 Receptor Ligands, Hemantbhai Patel

Theses

In the present study a pharmacophore and CoMFA model was derived for sigma 2 (62) receptors by using Sybyl 7.2 Software Package. The CoMFA studies used 22 bioactive molecules as a training set and 4 molecules as a test set for the o2 receptor ligands. The geometries and electrostatic charges of all molecules were calculated using various levels of calculations. The geometry optimization and electrostatic charges of all 26 molecules were performed by using semiemprical AM1, ab initio HF/6-31G* and density functional B3LYP/6-31G* in Gaussian 98. The pharmacophore model was derived by using Distance Comparisions (DISCOtech) from 4 partially to …

A Comparative Analysis Of Haptic And Eeg Devices For Evaluation And Training Of Post-Stroke Patients Within A Virtual Environment, Gregory Nicholas Ranky

Theses

Virtual Rehabilitation benefits from the usage of interfaces other than the mouse and keyboard, but also possess disadvantages: haptic peripherals can utilize the subject's hand to provide position information or joint angles, and allow direct training for specific movements; but can also place unneeded strain on the limbs; brain-machine interfaces (BMI) can provide direct connections from the user to external hardware or software, but are currently inaccurate for the full diversity of user movements in daily life and require invasive surgery to implement. A compromise between these two extremes is a BMI that can be adapted to specific users, can …

Gpsa Council Meeting, 1/30/2010, Graduate And Professional Student Association

GPSA Meeting Agendas and Minutes

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Post Restoration Conditions At Little River Marsh In North Hampton, New Hampshire, David M. Burdick, Chris Peter, Rober Vincent

Natural Resources & the Environment

The goals of the restoration project at Little River were two-fold: 1) restore ecological function of the marsh by reestablishing regular tidal flooding; and 2) reduce the frequency and severity of local flooding to surrounding landowners. Our report documents substantial progress toward the first goal using regional monitoring protocols to assess four functional areas: hydrology, soils, vegetation and nekton. Installation of two large box culverts (each 1.8 by 3.6 m in cross-section) greatly enhanced tidal flow and freshwater drainage. The tide range increased from 0.5 to 1.4 m during spring tides and now even neap high tides flood most of …

January 30, 2010 (Pages 579-692), Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau

Volume 40 (2010)

No abstract provided.

Interactive Whiteboard Technology: Impacts On Teachers, Teaching, And Students, Taylor Edward Yost Pettis

Theses and Graduate Projects

To investigate interactive whiteboards and their impact on teachers, teaching, and students, a research review along with a qualitative case study on interactive whiteboards was performed. The purpose of this study is to learn more about the use of interactive whiteboards and specifically examine how one high school has implemented the technology. The research concludes that interactive whiteboards have had an overall positive impact on teachers, teaching, and students. Influences were noted in the areas of classroom practice, teacher collaboration, teacher preparation, and communication with students outside of the classroom. The examples listed in the case study are exclusive to …

Identification And Quantitation Of 3,4-Methylenedioxy-N-Methylamphetamine (Mdma, Ecstasy) In Human Urine By 1h Nmr Spectroscopy. Application To Five Cases Of Intoxication, Jonathan Liu, John Decatur, Gloria Proni, Elise Champeil

Publications and Research

Identification of 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methylamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) in five cases of intoxication using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy of human urine is reported. A new water suppression technique PURGE (Presaturation Utilizing Relaxation Gradients and Echoes) was used. A calibration curve was obtained using spiked samples. The method gave a linear response (correlation coefficient of 0.992) over the range 0.01–1 mg/mL. Subsequently, quantitation of the amount of MDMA present in the samples was performed. The benefit and reliability of NMR investigations of human urine for cases of intoxication with MDMA are discussed.

컬러 불일치가 브랜드 태도에 미치는 영향, Sang Eun Lee, Sang Yong Kim

Asia Marketing Journal

In this research, through experiments, we show that incongruity of color between mediums has positive influence on brand attitude in terms of integrated management of brand. We also present that self-image congruence of `brand-consumer` has moderating effect on such influence of color incongruity. Mediums were limited to the ones that magnifying visual influence in order only to observe influence of color. With the same reason, visual factors other than color were coherently set or held constant and we chose brands with either low familarity or no previous knowledge. As a result, we find that brand attitude by the incongruity of …

Mrs. Sarah Ayers Smith

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

Ncuwm Poster Abstracts 2010

Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics

Twelfth Annual Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate Women in Mathematics

Poster Abstracts

January 29-31, 2010

Holly Arrowood, Furman University

Kristen Bretney, Loyola Marymount University

Suzanne Carter, University of Iowa

Nicole Casella, Ithaca College

Morgan Chatham, University of Montevallo

Lilith Ciccarelli, Bellarmine University

Amber Clinton, Clarkson University

Jalonda Coats, Tougaloo College

Natalie Coston, Northern Arizona University

Belinda Cruz, University of Texas Pan American

Anita Doerfler, Northern Arizona University

Clarice Dziak, Clarkson University

Terra Fox, Hope College

Samantha Fuller, Penn State University

April Harry, Xavier University of Louisiana

Anne Ho, Regis University

Rachel Keyser, Bellarmine University

Hannah Kolb, Illinois Institute of Technology

Lauren …

The Tiger Vol. 104 Issue 3 2010-01-29, Clemson University

Tiger Newspapers

No abstract provided.

The Bison, January 29, 2010

The Bison Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Ego Defense Mechanisms In Pakistani Medical Students: A Cross Sectional Analysis, Maria A. Parekh, Hina Majeed, Tuba R. Khan, Anum B. Khan, Salman Khalid, Nadia M. Khwaja, Roha Khalid, Mohammad A. Khan, Ibrahim M. Rizqui, Imtiaz Jehan

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background: Ego defense mechanisms (or factors), defined by Freud as unconscious resources used by the ego to reduce conflict between the id and superego, are a reflection of how an individual deals with conflict and stress. This study assesses the prevalence of various ego defense mechanisms employed by medical students of Karachi, which is a group with higher stress levels than the general population. Methods: A questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted on 682 students from five major medical colleges of Karachi over 4 weeks in November 2006. Ego defense mechanisms were assessed using the Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40) individually …

The Current Volume 20 : Issue 19, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Volume Cxxvii, Number 12, January 29, 2010, Lawrence University

The Lawrentian

No abstract provided.