Digital Commons Network^™

Assess Commercialization Feasibility Of Algae-Based Bio-Fuel With Dashboard And Scorecard Technologies, Madhur Chopra

Masters Theses

"The growing energy depleting energy supplies and increasing environmental pollution has motivated researchers across the globe to look for alternative energy sources. Various energy sources have been identified but none of them have the capability of realistically replacing the fossil fuels and meeting the current demand. Algae based bio-fuels give some hope but producing them at large scale is a challenge which needs to be overcome.

The underlying objective of this research project is two folds. Firstly, the project aims to assist with the commercialization of algae based bio-fuels by developing Dashboard based and Balanced Scorecard based monitoring prototypes. The …

Airline Revenue Management Using A Semi-Markov Critic Algorithm, Ketaki Dilip Kulkarni

Masters Theses

"This thesis presents a novel semi-Markov actor-critic algorithm to solve the airline revenue management (ARM) problem. The ARM problem has been the subject of much research since the deregulation of the airline industry in 1978. Various heuristics and numeric techniques have been developed and continue to be developed for solving this problem, but the search for more efficient techniques is still ongoing. This work focuses on the single-leg ARM problem modeled as a semi-Markov decision problem (SMDP). For Markov decision problems that suffer from the curses of dimensionality and modeling, it is difficult to obtain solutions with classical dynamic programming. …

Comprehensive Evaluation Of A Computer Based Learning System, Arun Sharma Chintalapati

Masters Theses

"This thesis presents the results of a comprehensive multi-method evaluation that was conducted on the Rapid Development System (RDS), a computer-based learning environment. The development of the project was funded by a National Science Foundation grant. Prior to this evaluation, the RDS had gone through two iterations.

A pre/post evaluation was conducted using questionnaires and eye tracking. Multi-method evaluation was employed to help triangulate the results and to provide additional insights. Data from the eye tracking was used to study the influence of the RDS interface on the attention and the cognitive workload of students with respect to the learning …

Courts Mistakenly Cross-Out Memorials: Why The Establishment Clause Is Not Violated By Roadside Crosses, Elizabeth A. Murphy

Hofstra Law Review

No abstract provided.

Adipose Tissue Abca1 Contributes To Hdl Biogenesis In Vivo, Soonkyu Chung, Janet K. Sawyer, Abraham K. Gebre, Nobuyo Maeba, John S. Parks

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background—Adipose tissue (AT) is the body’s largest free cholesterol (FC) reservoir and abundantly expresses ATP binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), a key cholesterol transporter for HDL biogenesis. However, the extent to which AT ABCA1 expression contributes to HDL biogenesis in vivo is unknown.

Methods and Results—Adipocyte-specific ABCA1 knockout mice (ABCA1^−A/−A) were

generated by crossing ABCA1floxed mice with aP2 cre transgenic mice. AT from ABCA1^−A/−A mice had −^A/−A mice had a twofold increase in FC content, compared to WT mice, and failed to efflux cholesterol to apoA-I. …

Targeted Deletion Of The Mouse Mitoferrin1 Gene: From Anemia To Protoporphyria, Marie-Berengere Troadec, David Warner, Jared Wallace, Kirk Thomas, Gerald J. Spangrude, John Phillips, Oleh Khalimonchuk, Barry H. Paw, Diane Mcvey Ward, Jerry Kaplan

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Mitoferrin1 is 1 of 2 homologous mitochondrial iron transporters and is required for mitochondrial iron delivery in developing erythroid cells. We show that total deletion of Mfrn1 in embryos leads to embryonic lethality. Selective deletion of Mfrn1 in adult hematopoietic tissues leads to severe anemia because of a deficit in erythroblast formation. Deletion of Mfrn1 in hepatocytes has no phenotype or biochemical effect under normal conditions. In the presence of increased porphyrin synthesis, however, deletion of Mfrn1 in hepatocytes results in a decreased ability to convert protoporphyrin IX into heme, leading to protoporphyria, cholestasis, and bridging cirrhosis. Our results show …

The Effect Of Cooking On Diphacinone Residues Related To Human Consumption Of Feral Pig Tissues, William C. Pitt, Michelle Higashi, Thomas M. Primus

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We examined feral pig tissues to determine whether the potential hazard of consuming meat from pigs previously exposed to diphacinone rodenticide baits was reduced by cooking. Residue levels were measured in cooked and uncooked tissues of feral pigs exposed to sub-lethal quantities of the anticoagulant rodenticide. Pigs were provided large amounts of baits or untreated food to consume, then euthanized prior to the onset of symptoms indicative of rodenticide poisoning or sickness. For analysis, we grouped pigs into three levels of mean diphacinone consumption: 0, 3.5, and 7.4 mg/kg. None of the pigs displayed obvious signs of toxicity during the …

Comparing A Bioenergetics Model With Feeding Rates Of Caged European Starlings, H. Jeffrey Homan, Randal S. Stahl, George M. Linz

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We tested a bioenergetics model integrated within a mortality model that estimates numbers of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) poisoned with the avicide, Compound DRC-1339 Concentrate. The bioenergetics model predicted daily metabolic rate. Accuracy and reliability of this variable is critical because other algorithms (e.g., toxicity regressions, feeding behavior) in the mortality model depend on metabolic rate to calculate the amount of DRC-1339 ingested per bird. We tested the bioenergetics model by comparing its estimates of metabolic rate with those generated from measuring feeding rates of caged starlings during a feeding trial conducted outdoors during January 2008. Over the …

Assessment Of Tannin Variation In Tamarisk Foliage Across A Latitudinal Gradient, Amanda M. Hussey, B. A. Kimball, Jonathan M. Friedman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Certain phenotypic traits of plants vary with latitude of origin. To understand if tannin concentration varies among populations of tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) according to a latitudinal gradient, an analytical method was adapted from an enological tannin assay. The tannin content (wet basis) of tamarisk foliage collected from 160 plants grown in a common garden ranged from 8.26 to 62.36 mg/g and was not correlated with the latitude of the original North American plant collection site. Tannins do not contribute to observed differences in herbivory observed among these tamarisk populations.

Who Hits And Hoots At Whom? Potential For Interference Competition Between Barred And Northern Spotted Owls, Nicholas J. Van Lanen, Alan B. Franklin, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Raoul F. Reiser Ii, Peter C. Carlson

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) is a controversial species in the Pacific Northwest that is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The barred owl (Strix varia), a species historically restricted to eastern North America, has recently expanded its range to completely overlap that of the northern spotted owl. Recent evidence suggests that barred owls may compete with northern spotted owls and may be one cause for recent declines in some northern spotted owl populations. Our focus was to examine whether barred owls have the potential to competitively exclude northern spotted owls from …

Efficacy Of Erl-4221 As An Ovotoxin For Feral Pigs (Sus Scrofa), Dustin L. Sanders, Fang Xie, Richard E. Mauldin, Jerome C. Hurley, Lowell A. Miller, Michelle R. Garcia, Randy W. Deyoung, David B. Long, Tyler A. Campbell

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Context. The expansion of feral pig populations across the United States has increased the occurrence of damage and damage complaints.Newtechniques are needed to more effectively manage feral pig damage, including the development of fertility control agents.

Aims. We aimed to assess the ovotoxic properties of ERL-4221 as a candidate fertility control agent for feral pigs.

Methods. We conducted two palatability trials to determine ERL-4221 acceptance and one experimental trial with ERL- 4221 at the captive wildlife facility of Texas A&M University-Kingsville during 2008. Our experimental trial had three treatments, a control containing no ERL-4221, baits containing 16.0 …

The Need To Quantify Ecosystem Services Provided By Birds, Daniel G. Wenny, Travis L. Devault, Matthew D. Johnson, Dave Kelly, Cagan H. Sekercioglu, Diana F. Tomback, Christopher J. Whelan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

What are the birds worth--what is their actual dollar value to human society? To most of us in the ornithological community, birds are invaluable. But in these times we need more specific rationales to convince policy makers and business leaders to include bird conservation in land-use and development decisions. Over the past two decades, awareness of our dependence on a variety of ecosystem services (natural ecological processes that benefit human society) and of their importance and prevalence has progressed toward the goal of making conservation a mainstream value. Building strategies for the protection of ecosystem services into conservation and land-use …

The Nebraska Deer Exchange: A Novel Program For Donating Harvested Deer, Aaron M. Hildreth, Scott Hygnstrom, Kit M. Hams, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Populations of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have become overabundant throughout their historic range, especially in developed landscapes. A variety of techniques, including controlled hunts in urban–suburban areas, are being used to increase harvest. Deer donation programs have been initiated in nearly all 50 states of the United States, and have been successful at providing venison to the hungry, but at significant costs to wildlife agencies and hunters. Our objectives were to: 1) develop a low-cost program to facilitate the exchange of excess harvested deer from hunters to recipients; 2) evaluate the attitudes of participating hunters and recipients; and …

A Field Evaluation Of A Trap For Invasive American Bullfrogs, Nathan P. Snow, Gary W. Witmer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Native to the eastern United States, American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana [Lithobates catesbeianus]) have been introduced in many countries throughout the world. There have been relatively few effective and efficient control methods developed to manage bullfrogs. Particularly in the Hawaiian Islands, Pacific coast of North America, and Japan, finding effective methods for controlling invasive bullfrogs is needed with special emphasis on low impacts for sensitive native species. We conducted a field study to examine the efficacy of a newly designed live trap for capturing invasive bullfrogs. We found that our trap was successful at capturing bullfrogs because we …

Artificial Nest Cavity Used Successfully By Native Species And Avoided By European Starlings, Laura A. Tyson, Bradley F. Blackwelll, Thomas W. Seamans

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

We describe a weather-durable cavity design used successfully by cavity-nesting species native to the eastern USA and, although accessible, avoided by European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). The artificial nest cavity was constructed using 9.5-cm inside diameter polyvinyl chloride tubes cut to 27.5-cm lengths. The tubes were mounted horizontally with 5.1- cm entry holes drilled through one of the capped ends. Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis), House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon), and Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) nested in 49 of 100, newly mounted tubes on utility poles in north-central Ohio, USA from April through June 2009. …

Vertebrate Species Introductions In The United States And Its Territories, Gary W. Witmer, Pam L. Fuller

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

At least 1,065 introduced vertebrate species have been introduced in the United States and its territories, including at least 86 mammalian, 127 avian, 179 reptilian/amphibian, and 673 fish species. Examples in each major taxonomic group include domestic cat, small Indian mongoose, red fox, goat, pig, rabbit, rats, house mouse, gray squirrel, nutria, starling, Indian common myna, red-vented bulbul, brown treesnake, red-eared slider, brown trout, tilapia, and grass carp. We briefly review some of these species and the types of damage they cause. We then review the basic types of methods used for control or eradication of each taxonomic group, including …

Serum Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 In Pancreatic Cancer., Jennifer Sullivan, Qiaoke Gong, Terry Hyslop, Harish Lavu, Galina Chipitsyna, Charles Yeo, Hwyda A Arafat

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Background/Aims. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) has etiological association with chronic inflammation. Elevated circulating levels of inflammatory mediators, such as monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), are found in obese individuals. We hypothesized that serum MCP-1 levels are elevated in obese PDA patients. Methods. ELISA was used to analyze MCP-1 serum levels in PDA (n = 62) and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) (n = 27). Recursive partitioning statistical analysis investigated the relationship between log MCP-1 and clinicopathological parameters. Results. Log MCP-1 values were significantly (P < 0.05) elevated in patients with BMI ≥ 37.5. In patients with BMI < 37.5, average log MCP-1 values were significantly elevated in PDA patients when compared to IPMN patients. Within the IPMN group, higher log MCP-1 levels correlated with increased age. Recursive partitioning analysis of IPMN versus PDA revealed a strategy of predicting characteristics of patients who are more likely to have cancer. This strategy utilizes log MCP-1 as the primary factor and also utilizes smoking status, gender, and age. Conclusion. MCP-1 is a promising biomarker in pancreatic cancer. The potential of using MCP-1 to distinguish PDA from IPMN patients must be studied in larger populations to validate and demonstrate its eventual clinical utility.

Chasing The Greased Pig Down Wall Street: A Gatekeeper’S Guide To The Psychology, Culture And Ethics Of Financial Risk-Taking, Donald C. Langevoort

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

The current financial crisis has once again focused attention on lawyers, corporate directors and auditors as gatekeepers, who are expected to introduce some degree of cognitive independence to the task of risk assessment and risk management in public companies, including financial services firms. This essay examines the psychological and cultural forces that may distort risk perception and risk motivation in hyper-competitive firms, beyond the standard economic incentives associated with agency costs and moral hazards, warning gatekeepers against too easily assuming that all is well when insiders display high levels of intensity, focus and devotion to hard-to-achieve goals. In fact, these …

Mental Torture: A Critique Of Erasures In U.S. Law, David Luban, Henry Shue

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Both international and federal law criminalize mental torture as well as physical torture, and both agree that “severe mental pain or suffering” defines mental torture. However, U.S. law provides a confused and convoluted definition of severe mental pain or suffering—one that falsifies the very concept and makes mental torture nearly impossible to prosecute or repress. Our principal aim is to expose the fallacies that underlie the U.S. definition of mental torture: first, a materialist bias that the physical is more real than the mental; second, a substitution trick that defines mental pain or suffering through a narrow set of causes …

Iowa’S 2010 Judicial Election: Appropriate Accountability Or Rampant Passion?, Roy A. Schotland

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

Although 89% of state judges (appellate and general-jurisdiction trial judges) face some type of election, judicial elections are rarely thought of even by academics interested in elections. Iowa’s 2010 election, in which three Justices were defeated, is one of the most significant judicial elections ever. The Justices lost their seats because they participated in a unanimous 2009 decision upholding gay marriage. That decision stirred intense opposition among “social conservatives”, in Iowa a substantial proportion of the population and actively led by more than 100 ministers.

That active opposition was one of eight elements that created a perfect storm against the …

Hannah Arendt As A Theorist Of International Criminal Law, David Luban

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

This paper examines Hannah Arendt's contributions as a theorist of international criminal law. It draws mostly on Eichmann in Jerusalem, particularly its epilogue, but also on Arendt's correspondence, her writings from the 1940s on Jewish politics, and portions of The Human Condition and her essays. The paper focuses on four issues: (1) Arendt's conception of international crimes as universal offenses against humanity, and the implications she draws for theories of criminal jurisdiction; (2) her "performative" theory of group identity as acts of political affiliation and disaffiliation, from which follows a radically different account of the crime of genocide than …

Law's Visual Afterlife: Violence, Popular Culture, And Translation Theory, Naomi Mezey

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

In Walter Benjamin’s essay, “The Task of the Translator,” Benjamin argues that translations enable a work’s afterlife.  Afterlife is not what happens after death but what allows a work (or event or idea) to go on living and to evolve over time and place and iteration.  In its afterlife, the original is transformed and renewed.  In this piece I explore film’s visual translation of law and the role film plays in law’s afterlife.  Film translates law not by translating from one language to another, but by translating between media and discourses.  The cultural-critical lens of translation highlights the discursive similarities …

Volume 1, 2011, Csusb

Psychology Student Research Journal (PSRJ)

• Information about the Psychology Student Research Journal p.1
• Introduction from the Founding Editor p.2
  Hadi Hosseini Yassin
• Introduction from the Faculty Advisor p.3
  Donna Garcia
• Words of Wisdom from the chair: A Brief Biography and Interview with Dr. Robert Cramer p.4
• Effect of Nicotine on Ethanol Intravenous Self-Administration p.6
  Sandra Carbajal de Nava,Frances Leslie and Armando Larraga
• Two Commitment Models as Indicative of Marital Expectations in Newlywed Women p.14
  Carlos G. Flores
• An Examination of Divorce Beliefs and Expectations Across Cohorts p.22
  Roderick O'Handley and Kelly Campbell
• The Effect of a Group-Affirmation on Prejudice p.31
  Adrian J. Villicana, Luis M. …

Application Of Communication Concepts And Variables To Event Coordination: Flavor Of Slo, Sarah Hedayati

Communication Studies

No abstract provided.

Arteriogenesis And Ischemia Impair Functional Vasodilation In Resistance Arteries, Trevor Cardinal, Joseph S. Zhu, Kyle R. Struthers, Thomas J. Kesler, Matthew D. Yocum

Biomedical Engineering

No abstract provided.

The Social Impact Of The American Civil War In The Western Theater Centering On Kentucky, Maurice L. Searcy

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Landscape Ecology Of Amphibians And Their Parasites In The Sheyenne National Grasslands, Kyle D. Gustafson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Cerebellar Development And Neurovascular Integration : Regulatory Role Of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (Vegf), Matthew A. Berosik

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Space Studies For The Ipad : Using Technology To Increase Public Knowledge And Interest In Space Topics, John A. Boucha

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Stalking Experience, Jill M. Pokryfke

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.