Digital Commons Network^™

Forestry-Based Livelihoods In Central Vietnam: An Examination Of The Acacia Commodity Chain: A Case From Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam, Robert Pietrzak

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Forestry-based livelihoods in remote Vietnamese communities have been influenced in recent years by forest land allocation schemes, changes to property rights, and forest management devolution initiatives. Examples include the Five Million Hectare Reforestation Program, Project 327, and official “Red Books” that grant long-term land use rights and access rights to villagers. Major challenges to forestry-based livelihoods include disputes over land tenure, conflict between different levels of government, illegal logging practices and harvesting of NTFPs and competition over land for natural versus plantation forests. As a result, forest degradation and rural poverty continue to be debilitating obstacles to development in Central …

Spiritual Empowerment Through Buddhist Practice, Adam Mckenzie Hodgins

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The Buddhist practice of eight Waterloo, Ontario residents are explored in this study, highlighting the relationship between the reported outcomes of Buddhist practice and individual empowerment. By employing a heuristic research methodology, as described by Moustakas (1994), I use my own experience as a Buddhist practitioner to contribute to the research data and elicit detailed descriptions from the participants. The findings of the interviews reveal four common themes of the participants’ Buddhist practice: 1) increased awareness of unconscious habits; 2) peace from letting go of control; 3) a change in their perspective of self; and 4) enhanced connection with others. …

Does The Experimental-Use Defense To Patent Infringement Still Exist, Sonya J. Bible

SMU Science and Technology Law Review

No abstract provided.

Challenges Under Ocsla And The Future Of Offshore Drilling Under The Obama Administration, Jennifer Larson

SMU Science and Technology Law Review

No abstract provided.

Cooperative Institutions In Cultural Commons, Gregg P. Macey

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Neighborhood Factors Relevant For Walking In Older, Urban, African American Adults, N. A. Gallagher, Kimberlee A. Gretebeck, Jennifer C. Robinson, Elisa R. Torres, Susan L. Murphy, Kristy K. Martyn

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Focus-group and photo-voice methodology were used to identify the salient factors of the neighborhood environment that encourage or discourage walking in older, urban African Americans. Twenty-one male (n = 2) and female (n = 19) African Americans age 60 years and older (M = 70 ± 8.7, range = 61–85) were recruited from a large urban senior center. Photographs taken by the participants were used to facilitate focus-group discussions. The most salient factors that emerged included the presence of other people, neighborhood surroundings, and safety from crime, followed by sidewalk and traffic conditions, animals, public walking tracks …

A Review Of Sex Determining Mechanisms In Geckos (Gekkota: Squamata), Tony Gamble

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Geckos are a species-rich clade of reptiles possessing diverse sex determining mechanisms. Some species possess genetic sex determination, with both male and female heterogamety, while other species have temperature-dependent sex determination. I compiled information from the literature on the taxonomic distribution of these sex determining mechanisms in geckos. Using phylogenetic data from the literature, I reconstructed the minimum number of transitions among these sex determining mechanisms with parsimony-based ancestral state reconstruction. While only a small number of gecko species have been characterized, numerous changes among sex determining mechanisms were inferred. This diversity, coupled with the high frequency of transitions, makes …

Immobilization Of Motile Bacterial Cells Via Dip-Pen Nanolithography, Dorjderem Nyamjav, Sergey Rozhok, Richard C. Holz

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

A strategy to bind bacterial cells to surfaces in a directed fashion via dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) is presented. Cellular attachment to pre-designed DPN generated microarrays was found to be dependent on the shape and size of the surface feature. While this observation is likely due in part to a dense, well formed mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHA) monolayer generated via DPN, it may also simply be due to the physical shape of the surface structure. Motile Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial cells were observed to bind to DPN generated mercaptohexadecanoic acid/poly-L-lysine (MHA/PLL) line patterns, 'blocks' made up of eight lines with 100 nm spacings, …

Living On Breath And Spirit: Spiritual Intelligence And Spiritual Journey In The Christian Faith Tradition, Maria Zinsstag

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

In the last decade, one observes an increased interest in applied spirituality that takes into account the fact that spirituality has left the boundaries of religion. Psychologists and neuroscientists postulate a spiritual intelligence. As a scientific concept it adopts an etic perspective on spirituality. It is used in healthcare, management and education. It is interested in spirituality but not in religion. Christian spirituality on the other hand is rooted in a particular religion. Lytta Basset offers guidance for spiritual growth in the Christian faith tradition. Because spiritual growth is very personal, Basset adopts an emic perspective on spiritual experiences. This …

Are Health Care Professionals Addressing The Psychological Aspect Of Athletic Injury? A Survey Of Injured Athletes, Hayley C. Russell

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Millions of athletic injuries occur annually. Athletic injures involve not only physical distress but psychological distress as well. Nevertheless, injured athletes rarely see a mental health care professional. It has been suggested that health care professionals, such as physicians, physiotherapists, and athletic therapists, are well positioned to address the psychological aspect of injury. Health care professionals report that they sometimes address the psychological aspect of injury with the athletes they treat. There is limited research, however, on what injured athletes perceive to be the role of health care professionals in addressing the psychological aspect of injuries. Therefore the purpose of …

Isolation And Characterization Of Ligands For The Goldfish Testicular Androgen Receptor From Kraft Mill Chemical Recovery Condensates, Philip David Scott

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

An investigation of cause was started in the 1990s at a bleached Kraft mill (BKM), located in Saint John NB, Canada. The 5th effect chemical recovery condensates waste stream (derived from wastewater generated during the pulping process) was identified as having the greatest potential for affecting mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus), compared to the rest of the inmill waste streams. A solid phase extraction (SPE) protocol was utilized to isolate the causative chemicals in the condensate stream. Goldfish testicular androgen receptors (ARs) were exposed to five extracts: filter paper non-polar/polar, solid phase extraction nonpolar/polar, and residual condensates. The filter paper …

Carbon Dioxide Exchange In A Permafrost-Dominated Boreal Wetland In The Northwest Territories, Canada, Andrea J. Kenward

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Northern boreal wetland complexes are substantial reservoirs for carbon and play a crucial role in both regional and global carbon budgets but they are showing significant signs of impact by climate change. This study examined the carbon dioxide flux of a high boreal wetland during the snowmelt and growing season of 2008 in Scotty Creek Basin, located near Fort Simpson (61°18'N, 121°18'W), Northwest Territories. This basin is not only responding to shifts in atmospheric temperatures, but it is also under additional pressure from increasing permafrost degradation. A dynamic closed-system chamber was used to monitor and quantify mid-day total respiration (R …

Administration Of A Cannabinoid Receptor Antagonist Following Chronic ∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Induces Physical Withdrawal In The Absence Of A Dysphoric State, Brittany Ford

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The selective cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist SR141716 has been shown to precipitate physical signs of withdrawal in ∆⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-dependent rats; however, the affective state associated with this withdrawal state has not yet been well characterized. Thus, the aim of present study was to examine the physical and affective consequences of SR141716-precipitated THC withdrawal in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Rats were injected with THC (5 mg/kg, i.p.) or its vehicle twice daily for 13 consecutive days, and challenged with SRI 41716 (1 mg/kg, i.p.) or its vehicle 1 h later on days 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13. Consistent …

Mathematical Modeling And Control Of Nonlinear Oscillators With Shape Memory Alloys, Mohamed Bendame

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) belong to an interesting type of materials that have attracted the attention of scientists and engineers over the last few decades. They have some interesting properties that made them the subject of extensive research to find the best ways to utilize them in different engineering, biomedical, and scientific applications. In this thesis, we develop a mathematical model and analyze the behavior of SMAs by considering a one degree of freedom nonlinear oscillator consisting of a mass connected to a fixed frame through a viscous damping and a shape memory alloy device. Due to the nonlinear and …

Effects Of Chlorpromazine On Feeding And Wheel Running On Rats With Acute Wheel Access, Graham Gregory Parfeniuk

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is characterized by a self-imposed starvation and is often accompanied by excessive exercise that results in severe malnutrition and sometimes death. Behavioural and pharmacological treatments of AN need to be improved. In rats, acute 3 h daytime wheel access suppresses ad lib feeding over the subsequent night relative to no wheel controls, a phenomenon that has been suggested as an animal model of AN. This acute wheel induced feeding suppression (WIFS), can be induced reliably when rats are given limited wheel access exposure during the light cycle (Lattanzio & Eikelboom, 2003). The acute WIFS is useful because …

Insights Into The World Of Pea Nodulation Using The Low Nodulator R50, Scott Clemow

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Cytokinin oxidase (CKX) is the enzyme responsible for the degradation of cytokinin, a class of adenine-based plant hormones that stimulate cell division, among other physiological processes. The pea mutant R50 is characterized by having a pale leaf phenotype, dwarf stature, few lateral roots, low nodule formation, and elevated levels of endogenous cytokinins in its shoots, roots and nodules. When compared to that of the wild-type Sparkle, total CKX activity is low but the transcript levels of PsCKX1 are significantly higher. In this study, I investigated the expression of PsCKX1 throughout the development of a nodule and the localization of PsCKX1 …

The Pleiotropic Mutant R50 (Sym16): A Link Between Cytokinin And Starch Metabolism May Explain Its Seed Phenotype, Chengli Long

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Cytokinins are a class of adenine-based plant hormones that stimulate cell divisions and are therefore essential for organ growth and development. The role that cytokinin plays in nodulation and that of R50 (syml6) in particular is very complex. In this study, a cytokinin antagonist and a cytokinin oxidase (CKX) inhibitor were used as tools to study the effects of cytokinin perception or cytokinin degradation on nodulation in pea, the cytokinin transduction pathway, especially that induced by CRE1/AHK4, and CKX play a significant role in pea nodulation. Comparison of the full length sequences PsCKX2 cDNAs from Sparkle and R50 …

Spatial And Spatial-Temporal Analysis Of Grizzly Bear Movement Patterns As Related To Underlying Landscapes Across Multiple Scales, Barbara Lynn Carra

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Studying the movements of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in Alberta is imperative for scientifically informed management practices. To properly balance industry requirements with conservation imperatives, it is necessary to understand the spatial and spatial-temporal movement patterns of grizzly bears as they relate to underlying landscape properties. As part of the Foothills Research Institute Grizzly Bear Research Program, this dissertation explored both fine and largescale movement patterns generated from global positioning system (GPS) radiotelemetry data.

Between 1999 and 2005, grizzly bears were captured and radio-collared across western Alberta. The temporal resolution of GPS data collection had a large impact …

Bringing Medicine To The Hamlet: Exploring The Experiences Of Older Women In Rural Bangladesh Who Seek Health Care, Md. Abul Hossen

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of older women in rural Bangladesh who seek health care. Qualitative methods were used to collect data from 17 older women in Bibirchar Union, Sherpur District, Bangladesh in June 2006. The study is intended to generate findings to help policy makers plan appropriate strategies to improve the health of this highly vulnerable population group.

The findings reveal that women’s culturally and socially determined roles greatly impair their health and play an important role in health-seeking behaviour through a complex web of social, economic, religious/cultural and behavioural interrelationships and synergies that …

An Exploration Of Counselling Practices With Women Survivors Of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Should Therapists Ask About Thoughts Or Behaviour Involving Sex With Children?, Angela Karen Hovey

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Helping professionals and women, themselves, have been reluctant to recognize or acknowledge that females can and do sexually abuse children and adolescents. Research has also demonstrated that females most at risk to abuse children are those who were themselves victims of severe child sexual abuse (CSA) The purpose of this research was to explore whether or not current counselling practices with women survivors of CSA reflect the belief that women do not sexually abuse children. This study also focuses on whether or not therapists create space for discussion about thoughts and behaviour involving sexual abuse of children and adolescents with …

Intentionality, Responsibility, And Social Grouphood, Sherisse Webb

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This dissertation examines the theories of collectivity or social grouphood presupposed by accounts of collective intentionality, collective action and collective moral responsibility. I consider the intentionalist theories of social grouphood proposed by John Searle and Margaret Gilbert, Larry May’s conceptual account of social grouphood, and Paul Sheehy’s realist conception of social grouphoood. All three approaches are found to be problematic. The theories of Searle and Gilbert fail to adequately explain the causal relationship between collectives and their members, the heterogeneity of social groups and non-voluntary social groups; May’s theory is problematic insofar as it relies on sameness among individual group …

Destruction Of Α -Synuclein Based Amyloid Fibrils By A Low Temperature Plasma Jet, Erdinc Karakas, Agatha Munyanyi, Lesley Greene, Mounir Laroussi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Amyloid fibrils are ordered beta-sheet aggregates that are associated with a number of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer and Parkinson. At present, there is no cure for these progressive and debilitating diseases. Here we report initial studies that indicate that low temperature atmospheric pressure plasma can break amyloid fibrils into smaller units in vitro. The plasma was generated by the plasma pencil, a device capable of emitting a long, low temperature plasma plume/jet. This avenue of research may facilitate the development of a plasma-based medical treatment.

Analysis Of Models For Longitudinal And Clustered Binary Data, Weiming Yang

Mathematics & Statistics Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation deals with modeling and statistical analysis of longitudinal and clustered binary data. Such data consists of observations on a dichotomous response variable generated from multiple time or cluster points, that exhibit either decaying correlation or equi-correlated dependence. The current literature addresses modeling the dependence using an appropriate correlation structure, but ignores the feasible bounds on the correlation parameter imposed by the marginal means.

The first part of this dissertation deals with two multivariate probability models, the first order Markov chain model and the multivariate probit model, that adhere to the feasible bounds on the correlation. For both the …

Secondary English Teachers' Attitudes Toward Disciplinary And Literacy Learning Implications For Pedagogical Praxis And Reform, Stephanie Kay Sugioka

Teaching & Learning Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to examine the epistemological stances of the two teacher participants, that is, to determine their attitudes toward student literacy and their beliefs about the purposes of English as a discipline; (2) to describe the interplay between their epistemological stances and their pedagogical practices, in particular with respect to their use of research-based literacy strategies; and (3) to arrive at a means of supporting them in their use of more effective pedagogical strategies, in this case including more in-depth discussion in their classes for the purpose of furthering their students' critical literacy. The …

Analytical Evaluation Of Dispersion Of Exhaust From Rooftop Stacks On Buildings, Ted Stathopoulos, Hajra Bodhisatta, Ali Bahloul

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Cliquez ici pour la version française de ce rapport

« Dispersion » permet de décrire la façon dont les effluents des cheminées ou d’autres émissions des bâtiments sont transportés et dilués par le vent soufflé à travers un regroupement de bâtiments ou ses environs immédiats. La pollution atmosphérique est extrême lorsque l’air présente un niveau de pollution excessif pendant plusieurs heures ou plusieurs jours, et il peut en résulter un grand inconfort, des maladies et même des décès chez les personnes les plus vulnérables. Il y a forte probabilité de pollution extrême en présence d’inversions thermiques persistantes et de vents …

Interaction Between The Biotin Carboxyl Carrier Domain And The Biotin Carboxylase Domain In Pyruvate Carboxylase From Rhizobium Etli, Adam D. Lietzan, Ann L. Menefee, Tonya N. Zeczycki, Sudhanshu Kumar, Paul V. Attwood, John C. Wallace, W. Wallace Cleland, Martin St. Maurice

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Pyruvate carboxylase (PC) catalyzes the ATP-dependent carboxylation of pyruvate to oxaloacetate, an important anaplerotic reaction in mammalian tissues. To effect catalysis, the tethered biotin of PC must gain access to active sites in both the biotin carboxylase domain and the carboxyl transferase domain. Previous studies have demonstrated that a mutation of threonine 882 to alanine in PC from Rhizobium etli renders the carboxyl transferase domain inactive and favors the positioning of biotin in the biotin carboxylase domain. We report the 2.4 Å resolution X-ray crystal structure of the Rhizobium etli PC T882A mutant which reveals the first high-resolution description of …

Multicultural Men?: The Early, Exclusionary Mulitcultural Vision Of Edward F. Haskell's Lance, Brian Flota

Selected Works

No abstract provided.

Lines Of Communication: Advances In Stem Cell Policy, Dena Davis, Debra Grega

Journal of Law and Health

This is a transcription of the Journal of Law and Health's Speaker Series event held on November 17, 2009 at the Joseph W. Bartunek III Moot Court Room, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. The speakers discussed stem cell policy, ethics, oversight, funding restrictions and research restrictions.

Progress In The Challenge To Regulate Online Pharmacies, Jeff Karberg

Journal of Law and Health

Imagine for a moment that after borrowing a credit card, a teenager strolls down the block to the local pharmacy. At the pharmacy, a doctor is at the door waiting and willing to prescribe anything to anyone. After answering a few questions, the teenager receives his prescription, where he takes it to the drug counter and places an order for a dangerous amount of painkillers. Imagine further that the teenager develops an addiction to the drugs and purchases an increased dosage each visit until finally, the teen dies from an overdose from the easily obtained prescription drugs. The situation described …

Not Of Woman Born: How Ectogenesis Will Change The Way We View Viability, Birth, And The Status Of The Unborn, Eric Steiger

Journal of Law and Health

Over seventy-five years ago, Aldous Huxley envisioned a future in which the creation of human individuals is not left to chance and sweaty biology, but is a feat of engineering individuals to established specifications. Huxley described a process by which human ova are fertilized in-vitro, then "budded" through an imaginary technique into multiple copies, and finally into identical twins in incubators, entirely absent of a mother's womb. While many of Huxley's predictions about the future have come to pass, such as helicopters, the assembly line, and indeed, in-vitro fertilization, the prospect of ectogenesis, of gestating a child completely outside of …