Digital Commons Network^™

Pathological And Biomedical Characteristics Of Spinal Cord Injury Determined Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Tsang-Wei Tu

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Traumatic spinal cord injury: SCI) is the most devastating injury that often causes the victim permanent paralysis and undergo a lifetime of therapy and care. It is caused by a mechanical impact that ultimately causes pathophysiological consequences which at this moment in time are an unresolved scientific challenge of great social impact. Scientists have long used animal contusion models to study the pathophysiology of SCI in the discovery of progressive secondary tissue degeneration, demyelination, and apoptosis. More importantly, most therapies that have gone to human clinical trial were first validated in spinal cord contusion models. Magnetic resonance imaging: MRI) is …

Atrial Arrhythmogenic Substrates: The Role Of Structure And Molecular Remodeling, Christina Ambrosi

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Atrial tachyarrhythmias, specifically atrial flutter: AFl) and fibrillation: AF), affect over 2.2 million Americans, leading to more hospitalizations than any other cardiac arrhythmia. These arrhythmias are defined by the presence of reentrant circuits of excitation leading to high atrial rates and uncoordinated activation of the ventricles. The underlying mechanisms of AFl/AF have proven complex and, despite a century of research, no one effective treatment has been developed. Surgical ablation and pharmacological therapies are both fraught with risks and potential pro-arrhythmic side effects. Electrical cardioversion, on the other hand, is extremely effective in terminating these arrhythmias, but the high-energy shocks required …

Ns-3 Simulation Of Wimax Networks, Christopher Thomas

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Simulation is a powerful tool for analysis and improvement of networking technologies, and many simulation packages are available. One that is growing in popularity is NS-3, the successor to the popular NS-2. It is a significant departure from NS-2, and offers many advantages and disadvantages. In this thesis, we translate and update a sophisticated WiMAX simulation model from NS-2 to NS-3, and use this experience to investigate the major differences between NS-2 and NS-3, and the relative strengths of each package. We then use the NS-3 simulation model to provide analysis on a new WiMAX OFDMA downlink subframe mapping algorithm.

Haitian Immovable Property Law: A Major Obstacle To Earthquake Recovery And Economic Development, Winston W. Riddick

Intercultural Human Rights Law Review

This symposium encompasses human rights issues in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, after its devastating earthquake in January 2010 - its problems with governance, human trafficking, dealing with displaced populations, and rebuilding. This article examines an issue that may cut across all of those topics. It is important to reform, stabilize, and enforce property rights in order to provide a basis for protecting individual rights and economic freedom, and to promote government stability and economic development in Haiti's rebuilding efforts. The right of private ownership of property to be free from unreasonable expropriation and confiscation by rulers …

Stories In Pictures (And Non-Pictorial Objects): A Narratological And Cognitive Psychological Approach, Michael Ranta

Contemporary Aesthetics (Journal Archive)

Narratological studies have frequently focused upon linguistic structures, considered to be paradigmatic cases of narrativity, while pictorial signs, such as icons and symbols or indices, have received comparably much less attention. In this paper, however, some basic and regularly occurring narrative aspects of pictures and non-pictorial objects will be presented and discussed.

Morphological And Molecular Differentiation Of A New Species Of Alloglossidium From Fish In Minnesota, Andrew M. Mills

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

[Alpha]₂A Adrenergic Receptor-Mediated Sedation & Inhibition Of Seizures, Jolynn Azure

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Adrenergic Enhancement Of Synaptic Plasticity, Michael Walery

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Pornography's Immediate Effect On The Perception Of The Quality Of One's Relationship, Mary Butler

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

[Alpha]₁A Adrenergic Receptors Enhance Learning And Memory In Adult Mice, Mariaha Lyons

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Prevalence And Cause Of Caries In Children Under The Age Of 18 And Subsequent Effects, Amy Sue Rosinsky

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

The Umbrella By Su Tong : A Contemporary Short Story, David Erlandson

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

We Are What We Eat : Discovering The Key To Preventive Healthcare, Megan Riederer

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Development Of A Solid Phase Extraction Protocol To Isolate Brain Eicosanoids, Blake E. Collison

Undergraduate Theses and Senior Projects

No abstract provided.

Nonuniform Power Changes And Spatial, Temporal And Spectral Diversity In High Gamma Band (>60 Hz) Signals In Human Electrocorticography, Charles Gaona

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

High-gamma band: >60Hz) power changes in cortical electrophysiology are a reliable indicator of focal, event-related cortical activity. In spite of discoveries of oscillatory subthreshold and synchronous suprathreshold activity at the cellular level, there is an increasingly popular view that high-gamma band amplitude changes recorded from cellular ensembles are the result of asynchronous firing activity that yields wideband and uniform power increases. Others have demonstrated independence of power changes in the low- and high-gamma bands, but to date, no studies have shown evidence of any such independence above 60Hz. Based on non-uniformities in time-frequency analyses of electrocorticographic: ECoG) signals, we hypothesized …

How Can Robots Adapt To A Social Human World? A Study Into The Role Gestures Can Play In Human-Robot Relations, Bradley Matherne

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

There is no doubt that robots are now starting to increasingly be integrated into mainstream society, and as they do the amount of contact and the number of interactions they have with humans will increase at a similar rate. These interactions open a new set of issues for robot designers and programmers. What is the best way for robots to interact with humans? This study tested the importance of gestures in creating effective human-robot interactions. Conducted using the PR2, this study explored the role of gestures in two basic kinds of communications: the robot communicating a need: low power) to …

Effects Of Antiphospholipid Antibodies On Trophoblast-Mediated Angiogenesis And Vascular Remodeling, Tamara Carroll

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

EFFECTS OF ANTIPHOSPHOLIPID ANTIBODIES ON TROPHOBLAST-MEDIATED ANGIOGENESIS AND VASCULAR REMODELING

Tamara Y. Carroll, Melissa Mulla and Vikki M. Abrahams. Section of Reproductive Immunology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.

Women with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) are at increased risk for miscarriage and preeclampsia, which are associated with diminished trophoblast invasion and limited spiral artery transformation. Antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) specifically target the placenta by binding trophoblast beta₂glycoprotein I (&beta₂GPI). Thus, we determined whether aPLs alter trophoblast angiogenic factor production, endothelial tube formation, and trophoblast-endothelial cell interactions, and evaluated the effect …

Prevalence Of Hearing Impairment And Ear Disorders In Beni, Bolivia: A Population Based Study, Stephen Kelleher

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Stephen P. Kelleher, Diego Santana-Hernández, M.D.(a) (sponsored by Melinda M. Pettigrew Ph.D., Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut) (a) Fundación Totaí, Casilla 158, Trinidad, Beni, Bolivia.

ABSTRACT:

Hearing impairment is a significant source of morbidity worldwide. It is estimated that over 278 million people in the world experience moderate to profound hearing loss. The goal of this study was to provide population based data on hearing loss and ear disease in Beni, Bolivia and to specifically answer the question of whether particular population demographics are associated with hearing impairment so that hearing loss prevention …

Urine Microscopy Findings Predict Outcomes In Hospitalized Patients With Acute Kidney Injury, Patricia Peter

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Though urine microscopy has long been highly regarded by nephrologists as an essential diagnostic tool, its potential utility in predicting outcome in acute kidney injury (AKI) warrants further exploration. In this study, urine sediment microscopy was performed on 165 hospitalized patients on the first day of their clinical AKI diagnosis to determine whether microscopy findings early in the course of this disease correlate with "worsening," a composite of increasing AKI stage and in-hospital mortality. Microscopy findings were recorded as individual cells and casts along with a microscopy score derived from renal tubular epithelial (RTE) cells and granular casts. Our data …

Pericyte, Neural Crest And Adipocyte Differentiation Markers: Support For A Novel Hypothesis For The Origin Of Hemangiomas, Laura Tom

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

Introduction: Hemangiomas are the most common benign tumor of infancy. They are unique in that their behavioral course is well-described with a microvascular proliferative phase, quiescent phase and regressive fatty involuting phase. First, it is posited in this work that the cell of origin will have angiogenic and adipogenic properties, like the pericyte. Second, the predilection of the lesion to areas of embryologic fusions in the head and neck indicate that the neural crest may be involved. Previous research focused on the angiogenic characteristics of proliferating hemangiomas, this work is novel in that it investigates markers involved in adipogenesis. This …

Patents, Genetically Modified Foods, And Ip Overreaching, Elizabeth A. Rowe

SMU Law Review

No abstract provided.

Influenza Vaccine Given To Pregnant Women Reduces Hospitalization Due To Influenza In Their Infants, Isaac Benowitz

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

The aim of this study was to determine whether giving influenza vaccine to pregnant women can reduce the incidence of hospitalization due to influenza in their infants in the first year of life. This was a matched, hospital-based case-control study at Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital. Case and control subjects were all aged hospitalization, matched to cases by date of birth and date of hospitalization (both within 4 weeks before or after). We contacted parents of all subjects to collect information on the subjects' health and home setting and to get permission to review subjects' and mothers' hospital records and outpatient …

Extended Scholarly Program Notes, Ashly S. Thomas

Research Papers

This document contains the extended program notes for the graduate vocal recital of Ms. Ashly S. Thomas which took place on March 31, 2011 at the Old Baptist Foundation recital hall on the campus of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. These extended program notes include the repertoire list for the performance along with the translations of the pieces in foreign languages. The repertoire list includes standard opera arias from the Baroque period, Classical period, and the Romantic period. The list also includes German lieder, and French mélodie and operetta (which was sung in English, hence no translation is included). …

Wilderness, The Courts And The Effect Of Politics On Judicial Decisionmaking, Peter A. Appel

Scholarly Works

Empirical analyses of cases from federal courts have attempted to determine the effect of judges’ political ideology on their decisions. This question holds interest for scholars from many disciplines. Investigating judicial review of the actions of administrative agencies should provide strong evidence on the question of political influence because applicable rules of judicial deference to administrative decisions ought to lead judges to reach politically neutral results. Yet several studies have found a strong correlation between results in these cases and proxies for political ideology. Cases involving the interpretation of environmental law have been of particular interest as a subset of …

Whitebarkpine Forest Restoration: Cultural Perspectives From Blackfoot Confederacy Members, Kodi Jae Augare-Estey

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Whitebark pine (WBP) is a keystone species on the brink of extinction, threatened by fire suppression, white pine blister rust, along with mountain pine beetle infestation and climate change. The Blackfoot Confederacy from the Northern Rockies region, as part of their traditional practices and Worldview, has long gathered the nutrient-rich seeds and cambium of whitebark pine as part of their subsistence. This paper demonstrates how the perspectives, indigenous intelligence and worldview of members of the Blackfoot Confederacy could inform and supplement western science and increase the probability of success in restoration efforts whitebark pine forest ecosystems. With Blackfoot Confederacy acculturation …

Addressing Contemporary Concerns

Fresh Voices: Composition at Cal Poly

No abstract provided.

The Loophole That Would Not Die: A Case Study In The Difficulty Of Greening The Internal Revenue Code, Lawrence A. Zelenak

Faculty Scholarship

Congress and the Treasury have commissioned the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) “to undertake a comprehensive review of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to identify the types of and specific tax provisions that have the largest effects on carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions and to estimate the magnitude of those effects.” The hope of the proponents of the NAS carbon audit is that Congress, once informed of the results of the audit, will respond by “greening” the Internal Revenue Code. This Essay cautions that a more environmentally friendly Code will not necessarily follow from the legislative consciousness-raising of …

Comparison Of Disk Diffusion, Agar Dilution, And Broth Microdiultion For Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Of Five Chitosans, Lin Jiang

LSU Master's Theses

Chitosan is a polysaccharide biopolymer with excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and low toxicity, which allows for potential wide applications. Recently, antimicrobial activities of chitosan against foodborne pathogens have been studied; many used disk diffusion to determine the activity. However, this method is unable to obtain minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs), i.e., not quantitative. The objective of this study was to compare disk diffusion with agar dilution and broth microdilution, two quantitative methods used routinely in clinical laboratories, to determine MICs of chitosan against foodborne pathogens. Five chitosan compounds with molecular weights ranging between 43 and 1,100 kDa were tested against 36 representative …

High In Situ Repeatability Of Behaviour Indicates Animal Personality In The Beadlet Anemone Actinia Equina (Cnidaria)., Mark Briffa, Julie Greenaway

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

'Animal personality' means that individuals differ from one another in either single behaviours or suites of related behaviours in a way that is consistent over time. It is usually assumed that such consistent individual differences in behaviour are driven by variation in how individuals respond to information about their environment, rather than by differences in external factors such as variation in microhabitat. Since behavioural variation is ubiquitous in nature we might expect 'animal personality' to be present in diverse taxa, including animals with relatively simple nervous systems. We investigated in situ startle responses in a sea anemone, Actinia equina, to …

Capture Technique And Fish Personality: Angling Targets Timid Bluegill Sunfish,Lepomis Macrochirus, Alexander D.M. Wilson, Thomas R. Binder, Keegan P. Mcgrath, Steven J. Cooke, Jean Guy J. Godin

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Size-selective harvesting associated with commercial and recreational fishing practices has been shown to alter life history traits through a phenomenon known as fishing-induced evolution. This phenomenon may be a result of selection pathways targeting life-history traits directly or indirectly through correlations with behavioral traits. Here, we report on the relationship between individual differences in behavior and capture technique (beach seining versus angling) in wild-caught juvenile bluegill sunfish ( Lepomis macrochirus ). Both fish caught by using a seine net (seined) and fish caught by using a lure (angled) were individually tested under standardized laboratory conditions for their boldness, water-column use, …