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2011

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Mixed-Mode Control Interfaces Of Mobile Robot Teams, Erik Karulf Jan 2011

Mixed-Mode Control Interfaces Of Mobile Robot Teams, Erik Karulf

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

We propose applying various techniques and ideas, from video games, to the design of a task-level control interface for teams of mobile robots. The control interface, which visually resembles a video game and contains the functional elements of traditional robot control software, was designed and implemented using the ROS software framework. Unlike previous interfaces in the literature, our interface allows the user to control more than one robot and supports "sliding autonomy." This application allows the user to assign differing levels of independence to the robots dynamically, dependent on the situation. We present an overview of the implemented system, a …

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The Effects Of Response Modality On Retrieval, Adam Putnam Jan 2011

The Effects Of Response Modality On Retrieval, Adam Putnam

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The testing effect refers to the finding that retrieval practice can lead to enhanced recall on future tests. Despite being a widely researched phenomenon, the underlying mechanisms of the testing effect remain unknown, and basic issues are unresolved. The purpose of these experiments was to investigate how different response modalities influence retrieval both on initial and delayed tests. More specifically, we were interested in whether subjects can recall more via writing or speaking, whether writing: or speaking) on a first test can lead to better performance on a second test: and whether the type of second test would matter), and …

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Individual Differences And Notetaking: Exploring Alternative Strategies For Improved Test Performance, Dung Bui Jan 2011

Individual Differences And Notetaking: Exploring Alternative Strategies For Improved Test Performance, Dung Bui

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Three experiments examined notetaking strategies and their relation to test performance. In Experiment 1, participants handwrote or typed lecture notes, and were instructed to organize their notes or to transcribe the lecture. Notetaking with computers led to better test performance than taking handwritten notes. Moreover, transcribing with computers resulted in better test performance compared to those who took organized notes with computers. Because computers resulted in the best test performance, the subsequent experiments focused on notetaking using computers. Experiment 2 showed that organized notes produced the best recall after a delay, consistent with the levels-of-processing framework. However, when participants restudied …

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'If We Govern Ourselves, Whose Son Is To Govern Us?': Youth, Independence And The 1960s In Lesotho, John Aerni-Flessner Jan 2011

'If We Govern Ourselves, Whose Son Is To Govern Us?': Youth, Independence And The 1960s In Lesotho, John Aerni-Flessner

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Young people in Lesotho worked actively to bring about their own conceptions of the nation in late colonial and early independence Lesotho. These youth drew on a wide range of local, national and international ideas to push for institutional change that would benefit themselves as individuals, and the nation as a whole. Tapping into larger global debates about development, the Cold War and the role of youth in societies, young Basotho actively participated in and wanted a say in the changes coming with independence. This work rethinks African nationalism, seeing a wider range of people willing and able to identify …

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The Justification Of Positve Law In Plato, Brenner M. Fissell Jan 2011

The Justification Of Positve Law In Plato, Brenner M. Fissell

Faculty Publications

This article argues that Platonic legal philosophy views positive law as justified only because of the problems inherent in human nature, and not, contra natural law thinkers, because of its rationality.

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Advances In Real-Time Thoracic Guidance Systems, Ryan Smith Jan 2011

Advances In Real-Time Thoracic Guidance Systems, Ryan Smith

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Substantial tissue motion: >1cm) arises in the thoracic/abdominal cavity due to respiration. There are many clinical applications in which localizing tissue with high accuracy: <1mm) is important. Potential applications include radiation therapy, radio frequency ablation, lung/liver biopsies, and brachytherapy seed placement. Recent efforts have made highly accurate sub-mm 3D localization of discrete points available via electromagnetic: EM) position monitoring. Technology from Calypso Medical allows for simultaneous tracking of up to three implanted wireless transponders. Additionally, Medtronic Navigation uses wired electromagnetic tracking to guide surgical tools for image guided surgery: IGS). Utilizing real-time EM position monitoring, a prototype system was developed to guide a therapeutic linear accelerator to follow a moving target: tumor) within the lung/abdomen. In a clinical setting, electromagnetic transponders would be bronchoscopically implanted into the lung of the patient in or near the tumor. These transponders would ax to the lung tissue in a stable manner and allow real-time position knowledge throughout a course of radiation therapy. During each dose of radiation, the beam is either halted when the target is outside of a given threshold, or in a later study the beam follows the target in real-time based on the EM position monitoring. We present quantitative analysis of the accuracy and efficiency of the radiation therapy tumor tracking system. EM tracking shows promise for IGS applications. Tracking the position of the instrument tip allows for minimally invasive intervention and alleviates the trauma associated with conventional surgery. Current clinical IGS implementations are limited to static targets: e.g. craniospinal, neurological, and orthopedic intervention. We present work on the development of a respiratory correlated image guided surgery: RCIGS) system. In the RCIGS system, target positions are modeled via respiratory correlated imaging: 4DCT) coupled with a breathing surrogate representative of the patient's respiratory phase/amplitude. Once the target position is known with respect to the surrogate, intervention can be performed when the target is in the correct location. The RCIGS system consists of imaging techniques and custom developed software to give visual and auditory feedback to the surgeon indicating both the proper location and time for intervention. Presented here are the details of the IGS lung system along with quantitative results of the system accuracy in motion phantom, ex-vivo porcine lung, and human cadaver environments.

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Integrity, Identity, And Why Moral Exemplars Do What Is Right, David Bauman Jan 2011

Integrity, Identity, And Why Moral Exemplars Do What Is Right, David Bauman

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Many people think that integrity is a central concept for moral reasoning. Political, educational, and business leaders tout the importance of integrity for our society's moral health. But there are reasons to doubt that it is solely a moral concept. Our intuitions seem to confirm that a committed Mafia boss may have some form of integrity. Or one might say that integrity is the mere expression of other moral commitments or depict it as a formal virtue lacking any moral content. Others question whether or not it is even desirable or achievable. In this dissertation, I develop an account of …

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The Accuracy Of Initial Trust Judgments, Rachel Campagna Jan 2011

The Accuracy Of Initial Trust Judgments, Rachel Campagna

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

This dissertation is dedicated to answer the questions: are we able to achieve accuracy in our initial trust perceptions: study 1) and what mechanism may account for this accuracy: study 2)? The first study conducted was field based, using temporary student teams. I used the social relations model: SRM) to determine how trust perceptions shift over time relative to individual and team perceptions. I found that individuals' perceptions remain moderately consistent over time and calibrated with their teams' perception only in terms of integrity perceptions. Further, individuals were able to achieve meta-accuracy: "I know how much you trust me") at …

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Cortical Cartography: Mapping Functional Areas Across The Human Brain With Resting State Functional Connectivity Mri, Alexander Cohen Jan 2011

Cortical Cartography: Mapping Functional Areas Across The Human Brain With Resting State Functional Connectivity Mri, Alexander Cohen

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Human behavior and cognition are largely supported by the cerebral cortex, a structure organized at many physical scales ranging from individual neurons up to distributed systems of multiple interconnected “functional areas”. Each functional area possesses a unique combination of inputs, outputs, and internal structure, and is thought to make a distinct contribution to information processing. Thus, the study of each area's normal function, developmental trajectory, and modified responses following loss or injury may greatly enhance our understanding of cognition. Indeed, one of the: often unsaid) overarching goals of functional neuroimaging is to use differential activity between conditions to identify specific …

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The Manipulated Mechanism: Towards An Account Of The Experimental Discovery Of Mechanistic Explanations, Donald Goodman-Wilson Jan 2011

The Manipulated Mechanism: Towards An Account Of The Experimental Discovery Of Mechanistic Explanations, Donald Goodman-Wilson

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Recent work in the philosophy of biology has sought after an account of mechanistic explanation. Biologists frequently encounter causal relationships that beg for explanation. For example, genes appear to encode for particular phenotypes. How does gene expression work? Biologists posit mechanisms to explain the link between cause and effect. Thus, gene expression would be explained by an appeal to a complex mechanism linking the gene to the phenotype, as such an appeal will provide answers to broad ranges of "how" and "why" questions about the causal relationship, and predict novel effects. Here, I focus on a recent problem raised for …

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Asset Effects For Children With Disabilities: Analysis Of Educational And Health Outcomes, Jin Huang Jan 2011

Asset Effects For Children With Disabilities: Analysis Of Educational And Health Outcomes, Jin Huang

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

In the last two decades, asset-based social policies, which encourage families, especially low-income families, to accumulate assets by providing appropriate institutional settings, have received increasing attention from policymakers and researchers. Various programs and strategies have been outlined to improve saving and asset ownership opportunities in disadvantaged populations. Although there are multiple proposals of asset-based programs for children with disabilities, few of them have been implemented. To better inform asset-based policy practices for children with disabilities, this study examines asset effects for this population using the secondary survey data. Asset effects refer to the hypothesized positive influences of household assets on …

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The Effects Of Visuospatial Sequence Training With Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Michelle Gremp Jan 2011

The Effects Of Visuospatial Sequence Training With Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Michelle Gremp

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Abstract Despite advances in hearing aid and cochlear implant technologies, many children who are deaf or hard of hearing continue to lag behind typically hearing peers in language and reading abilities. Additionally, there is a high degree of variability in language outcomes among children with a hearing loss. Evidence indicates that auditory input provides a foundation not only for speech and language development but for cognitive functions such as sequence memory and learning ability. This study investigated a variety of cognitive functions with two major aims in mind: 1) to verify differences between children who are deaf or hard of …

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Identification Of Genetic And Epigenetic Risk Factors For Psoriasis And Psoratic Arthritis, Ying Liu Jan 2011

Identification Of Genetic And Epigenetic Risk Factors For Psoriasis And Psoratic Arthritis, Ying Liu

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Psoriasis: PS) is a common incurable inflammatory skin disease affecting 2-3% of the European population. ~10-30% of patients develop psoriatic arthritis: PsA). Genetic variation in the major histocompatibility complex: MHC) increases risk of developing PS. However, only ~10% of individuals with this risk factor develop PS, indicating that other genetic effects and environmental triggers are important. In order to identify novel susceptibility genes of PS and PsA, I performed the first large scale genome wide association scan for psoriasis susceptibility loci using 233 cases and 519 controls. It revealed that genes of the immune system and of the barrier are …

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Asymmetry Dependence Of Correlations In Exotic Nuclei, Rebecca Shane Jan 2011

Asymmetry Dependence Of Correlations In Exotic Nuclei, Rebecca Shane

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

This work will discuss two experiments which seek to elucidate the asymmetry dependence of correlations in exotic nuclei. In the first experiment, a digital-signal-processing technique was developed to measure the neutron total cross section of the rare: but stable) isotope 48Ca using a sample that is an order of magnitude smaller than would be required for the conventional technique. The isotopic and energy dependence of neutron total cross sections: e.g. the difference in neutron total cross section between symmetric 40Ca and neutron-rich 48Ca, as a function of energy) is sensitive to the asymmetry dependence of the surface imaginary potential in …

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Methyl Halide Cluster Anion Photoelectron Spectra And Angular Distributions As A Probe Of Electron-Molecule Interactions, Matthew Van Duzor Jan 2011

Methyl Halide Cluster Anion Photoelectron Spectra And Angular Distributions As A Probe Of Electron-Molecule Interactions, Matthew Van Duzor

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This dissertation describes the development of a method for studying electron &ndash molecule interactions using cluster anion photodetachment. Photodetachment from an atomic centered cluster anion produces a free electron and a residual neutral species at a geometry near that of the unperturbed neutral ground state. Evidence of the free electron &ndash molecule interactions, manifested in the photoelectron spectra and angular distributions, are elucidated through comparison to photodetachment data from the unsolvated atomic anion in question. Results are presented from number of monosolvated anion studies, including I&minus· CH3I, I&minus· CH3Br, I&minus· CH3Cl and Cl&minus· CH …

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Han'gul For The Nation, The Nation For Han'gul: The Korean Language Movement, 1894-1945, Daniel Pieper Jan 2011

Han'gul For The Nation, The Nation For Han'gul: The Korean Language Movement, 1894-1945, Daniel Pieper

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No abstract provided.

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The Relation Between Complex Associative Learning And Fluid Intelligence: Is The Fan Effect Responsible?, Lindsey Davies Jan 2011

The Relation Between Complex Associative Learning And Fluid Intelligence: Is The Fan Effect Responsible?, Lindsey Davies

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

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Past Tense Route Priming, Emily Cohen-Shikora Jan 2011

Past Tense Route Priming, Emily Cohen-Shikora

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The current study examined whether lexical: whole word) or more rule-based: morphological constituent) processes can be locally biased by experimental list context in past tense verb inflection in younger and older adults. During each trial, participants produced the past tense verb from a present tense verb. List context was manipulated across blocks such that context trials consisted of either regular past tense verbs: e.g., LIVE-LIVED) or irregular past tense verbs: e.g., RUN-RAN). Half of the targets within each list context were regular and half were irregular verbs. In the regular context, there was a very robust regularity effect: regular targets …

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Covert Retrieval Practice Benefits Retention As Much As Overt Retrieval Practice, Megan Smith Jan 2011

Covert Retrieval Practice Benefits Retention As Much As Overt Retrieval Practice, Megan Smith

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

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National History And The Novel In 1930s Britain, Erica Delsandro Jan 2011

National History And The Novel In 1930s Britain, Erica Delsandro

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Although indebted to scholars whose work has illuminated the distinctiveness of 1930s Britain, "National History and the Novel in 1930s Britain" argues that rather than seeking distinction, writers of the period were more concerned with the task of contextualizing their decade and their own position within a national historiography from which they felt the Great War and military masculinities had excluded them. Focusing on the novelists Christopher Isherwood, Evelyn Waugh, and Virginia Woolf, and the philosopher of history, R. G. Collingwood, I describe how the 1930s inheritors of British cultural privilege found themselves symbolically disenfranchised from a national identity inextricably …

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Age Differences In Proactive Facilitation And Interference: The Role Of Remindings, Chris Wahlheim Jan 2011

Age Differences In Proactive Facilitation And Interference: The Role Of Remindings, Chris Wahlheim

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

A common finding is that specific types of memory performance decline as a function of age. Among the situations that produce these differences are those in which proactive interference: PI) occurs. PI refers to impaired memory for new information as a result of previous learning of competing information. However, research has shown that PI situations can sometimes be facilitative to memory performance for both young and older adults when information is integrated effectively. One potential integration mechanism is the retrieval of earlier competing information during study of new information. Such instances have been referred to as "remindings", and they serve …

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A Graph-Based Algorithm To Determine Protein Structure From Cryo-Em Data, Stephen Schuh Jan 2011

A Graph-Based Algorithm To Determine Protein Structure From Cryo-Em Data, Stephen Schuh

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Cryo-electron microscopy: cryo-EM) provides 3D density maps of proteins, but these maps do not have sufficiently high resolution to directly yield atomic-scale models. Previous work has shown that features known as secondary structures can be located in these density maps. A second source of information about proteins is sequence analysis, which predicts locations of secondary structures along the protein sequence but does not provide any information about the 3D shape of the protein. This thesis presents a graph-based algorithm to find the correspondence between the secondary structures in the density map and sequence. This provides an ordering of secondary structures …

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The Brains Of Babies: A Surface Based Approach To Study Cortical Development In Term And Preterm Human Infants, Jason Hill Jan 2011

The Brains Of Babies: A Surface Based Approach To Study Cortical Development In Term And Preterm Human Infants, Jason Hill

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Half a million infants are born before term gestation each year in the United States. Although advances in newborn medicine have increased survival rates of very preterm infants to almost 90%, surviving preterm infants are at increased risk for developing lasting neurologic impairments. In order to develop a plausible neuroprotective strategy it is imperative that we improve our understanding of normal cortical development and develop tools to evaluate injury. Using a surface based approach we have characterized normal cortical development in healthy term infants and analyzed abnormalities associated with preterm birth. Accurate cortical surface reconstructions for each hemisphere of 12 …

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Cultural Transmission In The Age Of Modernism: Mentorship In The Novel, 1890--1960, Dalia Oppenheimer Jan 2011

Cultural Transmission In The Age Of Modernism: Mentorship In The Novel, 1890--1960, Dalia Oppenheimer

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Cultural Transmission in the Age of Modernism: Mentorship in the Novel, 1890-1960 considers how education reform impacted modernist questions about the transmissibility of culture. Beginning with the institutionalization of universal education in the late nineteenth century and ending with the nationalization of education in the immediately postwar period, this dissertation considers specifically the relationship between educational policy and the possibility of institutional cultural transmission. Focusing on the novelists Thomas Hardy, E.M. Forster, Virginia Woolf, and Muriel Spark, I suggest that modernist-era writers were concerned as to whether or not Oxbridge could: or should) preserve and transmit the version of liberal-humane …

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The Role Of Inflammation In Pathogenesis And Treatment Of Globoid-Cell Leukodystrophy, Adarsh Reddy Jan 2011

The Role Of Inflammation In Pathogenesis And Treatment Of Globoid-Cell Leukodystrophy, Adarsh Reddy

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Globoid-cell leukodystrophy: GLD, Krabbe's disease) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by a deficiency of the lysosomal enzyme galactosylceramidase: GALC). It results in altered catabolism of the myelin lipid Galactosylceramide. The disease predominantly affects the white matter of the CNS and the myelin sheath of the peripheral nerves. The infantile form of the disease is characterized by early onset between 3-6 months of age with symptoms of irritability, dysphagia, spasticity, cognitive and sensory deterioration and seizures. Death usually occurs by two years of age. Currently, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the only available option for patients with the disease. Inflammation …

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Specific Roles Of Macaque Parietal Regions In Making Saccades And Reaches, Eric Yttri Jan 2011

Specific Roles Of Macaque Parietal Regions In Making Saccades And Reaches, Eric Yttri

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

A principle task of our brain is to guide movements, includng saccade: fast eye movements) and reaches towards things that we see. Regions in the parietal cortex such as LIP and PRR are active during visually-guided movements. Neurons in these areas respond differentially for saccades versus reaches, but in most parietal areas there is some response: in single unit recording as well as in fMRI imaging) with either type of movement. This raises an important question. What is the functional significance of the neuronal activity in parietal areas? Recording and imaging studies can only show correlations; causal roles must be …

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Wifredo Lam: Negotiating Transcultural Modernism And Artistic Identity In Europe, The Caribbean, And The United States, Maria Fierro Jan 2011

Wifredo Lam: Negotiating Transcultural Modernism And Artistic Identity In Europe, The Caribbean, And The United States, Maria Fierro

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No abstract provided.

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A Hybrid Theory Of Global Justice, Jill Delston Jan 2011

A Hybrid Theory Of Global Justice, Jill Delston

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Although we have obligations to address global problems at a political level, we disagree on the source, justification, and content of these norms. For example, what kinds of obligations exist across national borders and why? What international actions are right and wrong? Who is required to perform these actions? When it is it permissible to use coercion at the global level? In my dissertation, I develop an original theory of global justice that can answer these questions and I show how my theory applies to current problems. I start by articulating why we need a theory of international justice and …

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Predictive Alternatives In Bayesian Model Selection, Andrew Womack Jan 2011

Predictive Alternatives In Bayesian Model Selection, Andrew Womack

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Model comparison and hypothesis testing is an integral part of all data analyses. In this thesis, I present two new families of information criteria that can be used to perform model comparison. In Chapter 1, I review the necessary background to motivate the thesis. Of particular interest is the role of priors for estimation and model comparison as well as the role that information theory can play in the latter. As we will see, many existing forms of model comparison can be viewed in an information theoretic manner, which motivates defining new families of criteria. In Chapter 2, I present …

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The Functions Of Human Dna2 In Mitochondrial And Nuclear Dna Maintenance, Julien Duxin Jan 2011

The Functions Of Human Dna2 In Mitochondrial And Nuclear Dna Maintenance, Julien Duxin

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Coordination between DNA replication, DNA repair and cell-cycle progression ensures high fidelity DNA replication thus preventing mutations and DNA rearrangements. Interestingly, in addition to nuclear DNA stability, mitochondrial DNA: mtDNA) integrity is also essential for normal development. The current challenge resides in unraveling the different mechanisms that govern nuclear and mtDNA stability and to understand how these two separated genomes have evolved. This work focuses on delineating the biological functions of human Dna2: hDna2). Dna2 is a highly conserved helicase/nuclease that in yeast participates in DNA replication and Okazaki fragment maturation, DNA repair, and telomere maintenance. Immunofluorescence and biochemical fractionation …

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