Digital Commons Network^™

Degradation Of Dispersants And Dispersed Oil, Kenneth Lee

Coastal Response Research Center

Chemical oil dispersants are proprietary mixtures of surfactants and solvents which are directly applied to a spill in order to reduce the natural attractive forces of the oil. When oil treated with dispersants is exposed to mixing energy, typically from wind and wave action, it is broken up into small droplets which may then become entrained in the water column (Li et al., 2009a; Li et al., 2009b; Li, 2008; Lunel, 1995). Many of these droplets are small enough to be neutrally buoyant, and therefore, advection and diffusion forces dilute the plume and transport the droplets far from the site …

Oil Dispersants And Human Health Effects, James P. Fabisiak, Bernard Goldstein

Coastal Response Research Center

The explosion and subsequent blowout of the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) offshore drilling rig on April 20, 2010, led to the largest accidental offshore oil spill since the advent of the petroleum industry, dwarfed only by the deliberate release of crude oil by Iraqi forces during the Persian Gulf War. Over the time until the well was capped on July 15, approximately 200 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico from the ocean floor beneath the well site located approximately 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana. For perspective, this amount is nearly 20 times the amount of …

Pulling Edb-Contaminated Foods Off Supermarket Shelves: A Collegial Approach To Complex And Uncertain Science , Arthur Greenberg

The University Dialogue

No abstract provided.

Dispersants And Risk Communication, Ed Levine, J. Steven Picou

Coastal Response Research Center

Risk communications is a research area of the social sciences which is closely associated with human dimensions and external communications. External communications, traditionally in the purview of public affairs, may have multiple purposes including influencing public beliefs, opinions, and judgments about the incident.

There are many approaches toward risk communications. Some of them focus on improving the way external communications about risks are conducted, e.g., developing better messages, and some focus on the content of risk communications, that is, sharing technical information to support the assessment of the potential for risks.

An Approach For Identifying Gait Events Using Wavelet Denoising Technique And Single Wireless Imu, Rahul Soangra, Thurmon Lockhart, Nathalie Van De Berge

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

A new approach is proposed to identify gait events in non-laboratory environments with a single inertial measurement unit (IMU) embedded inside shoe. The aim of our work is to develop a useful clinical tool for monitoring individuals walking disability and detect specific pathological gait patterns. Temporal parameters of gait are determined by classification of accelerations and angular velocities. Wavelets denoising of IMU signals allows for an important amount of information that is exploited in different manners for event identification. It was found that wavelet denoising enhanced specific turning points which could effectively identify gait events. The method is verified by …

Quantifying Agonist Activity At G Protein-Coupled Receptors, Frederick J. Ehlert, Hinako Suga, Michael T. Griffin

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

When an agonist activates a population of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), it elicits a signaling pathway that culminates in the response of the cell or tissue. This process can be analyzed at the level of a single receptor, a population of receptors, or a downstream response. Here we describe how to analyze the downstream response to obtain an estimate of the agonist affinity constant for the active state of single receptors.

Receptors behave as quantal switches that alternate between active and inactive states (Figure 1). The active state interacts with specific G proteins or other signaling partners. In the absence …

Government Speech Law Review Symposium 2010: Government Speech: The Government's Ability To Compel And Restrict Speech: Introduction, B. Jessie Hill

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Volume 62 Issue 2 (2011), Case Western Reserve Law Review

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Nlrb Wields Its Rulemaking Authority: The New Face Of Representation Elections, Amanda Mchenry

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

Ending Indefinite Detention Of Non-Citizens, Andrew Bramante

Case Western Reserve Law Review

No abstract provided.

An Introduction To The Flight Instructors Model Code Of Conduct -White Paper, Aviators Code Initiative

Flight Instructors Model Code of Conduct

The Flight Instructors Model Code of Conduct (FIMCC)1 was released on April 18, 2011 as a free public service to the aviation community. The FIMCC is a tool designed to enhance flight and ground instructor safety and professionalism. Developed by a diverse team of aviation professionals and extensively peer-reviewed within the aviation community, the FIMCC offers a vision of excellence to help flight and ground instructors build professional relationships with their students. This paper introduces the FIMCC, considers its anticipated uses, presents drafting considerations and options, identifies challenges, and proposes areas for future work.

Computational Analyses Of The Uptake And Distribution Of Carbon Monoxide (Co) In Human Subjects, Kinnera Chada

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that binds to hemoglobin with high affinity. This property underlies the use of low doses of CO to determine hemoglobin mass (M_Hb) in the fields of clinical and sports medicine. However, hemoglobin bound to CO is unable to transport oxygen and exposure to high CO concentrations is a significant environmental and occupational health concern. These contrasting aspects of CO—clinically useful in low doses but potentially lethal in higher doses—mandates a need for a quantitative understanding of the temporal profiles of the uptake and distribution of CO …

Single-Parent Families In Bangkok, Thailand: Factors Affecting Children Living In Single-Parent Families, Waruesporn Jiumpanyarach

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

There has been a transformation in family structure in Thailand due to the changes in economic and social structures over time. Though not recorded in census data the rise in single-parent families can be expected due to a rise in divorce rates, that have been recorded, over the past decades. However, the literature on single-parent families is limited and little is known about the experiences of single-mothers and children of singlemother families in Thailand. This study examines the factors that have major impacts on the well-being of children of single-parent families in Bangkok, Thailand.

A qualitative methodology was employed to …

Experiences Of Postpartum Psychosis From The Perspectives Of Women With The Diagnosis And Psychiatric Nurses, Inger Engqvist

Open Access Dissertations

Postpartum psychosis occurs in approximately two out of every 1000 women after childbirth. Although rare, it is a very serious illness with a potential for suicide and infanticide. The suffering associated with this illness and the effects on the entire family system are severe. Nurses need a comprehensive understanding of this disorder, how women present and experience the illness and the nursing care required to keep women and their newborns safe. They also need to promote early detection to facilitate prompt treatment. To date, there is little research examining the women’s experiences and the nursing care provided to this population. …

Rit Gtpase Signaling Mediates Oxidative Stress Resistance And Survival Of Adult Newborn Neurons After Traumatic Brain Injury, Weikang Cai

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

The small GTPases function as molecular switches to control diverse signaling cascades. The mammalian Rit and Rin, along with Drosophila Ric, comprise an evolutionarily conserved subfamily of the Ras-related GTPases. Previous studies using cultured cell models suggested that Rit was involved in the control of cell proliferation, transformation, neuronal differentiation, morphogenesis, and cell survival, but the principal physiological function of Rit remained uncharacterized.

To address this outstanding question, we employed a genetic approach, engineering a Rit knockout mouse. Using this animal model, we demonstrate a central role of Rit in governing cell survival in a p38-dependent fashion. Primary mouse embryonic …

African American Males Diagnosed With Schizophrenia: A Phenomenological Study, Lorraine Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Little is known about how African American men with schizophrenia experience their every day existence. Through applying interpretive phenomenology and using a methodological structure designed by van Manen (1990, 1997), this research aimed to enrich the understanding of living with schizophrenia for these African American males. In this study, five men ranging in age from 21 to 57 described their lives within the context of existing with the diagnosis of schizophrenia. The lived experiences across the interviews revealed four overarching themes: They know that they are mentally ill; they make a special effort to test reality; they assert their …

Intrapsychic Predictors Of Professional Quality Of Life: Mindfulness, Empathy, And Emotional Separation, Jacky T. Thomas

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

A growing literature documents the inherently stressful nature of working with persons who are suffering or traumatized, and the potential for the development of stress disorders among social workers and other helpers. Previous studies of compassion fatigue and burnout have provided important information about professional and workplace variables that might influence risk, but little attention has been given to studying intrapersonal skills/abilities that might reduce risk and/or increase resilience and work satisfaction among helping professionals. This exploratory study asked whether levels of mindfulness, empathy, and emotional separation would influence professional quality of life, including compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction. …

Geriatric Care As An Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience, Joseph A. Woelfel, Eric Boyce, Rajul A. Patel

School of Pharmacy Faculty Articles

Objective. To describe the design, delivery, and impact of a geriatric introductory pharmacy practice experience (IPPE) to develop students’ skills related to consultant pharmacists’ roles and patient care responsibilities.

Design. A required 2-unit geriatric IPPE, involving 40 hours in a geriatric-care facility, 5 reflection hours, and 12 classroom-discussion hours, was developed for first- and second-year pharmacy students. Students interviewed patients and caregivers, reviewed patient charts, triaged patient needs, prepared care plans, and performed quality-assurance functions.

Assessment. After completing the IPPE, students’ geriatric- and patient-care abilities were enhanced, based on review of their interactions, care plans, reflections, and examinations, and they …

Installments, Issue 46, January/February 2011, Renee Montgomery

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.

Pornography As Pollution, John Copeland Nagle

Journal Articles

Pornography is often compared to pollution. But little effort has been made to consider what it means to describe pornography as a pollution problem, even as many legal scholars have concluded that the law has failed to control internet pornography. Opponents of pornography maintain passionate convictions about how sexually-explicit materials harm both those who are exposed to them and the broader cultural environment. Viewers of pornography may generally hold less fervent beliefs, but champions of free speech and of a free internet object to anti-pornography regulations with strong convictions of their own. The challenge is how to address the widespread …

Parents: Trusted But Not Trustees Or (Foster) Parents As Fiduciaries, Margaret F. Brinig

Journal Articles

Some fifteen years ago, Elizabeth and Robert Scott wrote an important article making the case that parents could be usefully described using a fiduciary model. This paper explains why their model fits foster parents better than biological or adoptive parents, at least in the sense that Tamar Frankel explains in her new book on fiduciary law.

The Cultural Context Of Alzheimer’S Disease: The Impact Of Perception And Knowledge On Willingness To Seek Medcial [I.E., Medical] Help Among Ghanaian Immigrants In The United States., Olivia Owusu-Boakyewaah

Theses and Dissertations

This correlational study explored the knowledge, perceived seriousness, and willingness to seek medical help for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) among Ghanaian Immigrants currently residing in the Unites States. Study participants were 163 Ghanaian Immigrants between the ages of 45 and 90, attending Ghanaian community churches in Virginia and Maryland. Significant results include a positive correlation between knowledge and perceived seriousness of the disease, perceived seriousness of the disease was negatively correlated with caregiving experience. These results as well as several seemingly counterintuitive findings are discussed in terms of the Health Disparities and Psychometric challenges. Specifically, these results points to the necessity …

Quantitative Computed-Tomography Based Bone-Strength Indicators For The Identification Of Low Bone-Strength Individuals In A Clinical Environment, Bino Abel Varghese

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The aim of the current study was to develop quantitative computed-tomography (QCT)-based bone-strength indicators that highly correlate with finite-element (FE)-based strength. We perform a combined numerical-experimental study, comparing FE-predicted surface strains with strain gauge measurements, to validate the FE models of 36 long bones (humerus, radius, femur and tibia) under three-point bending and torsion. The FE models were constructed from trans-axial volumetric CT scans, and the segmented bone images were corrected for partial-volume effects. The material properties (Young's modulus for cortex, density-modulus relationship for trabecular bone and Poisson's ratio) were calibrated by minimizing the error between experiments and simulations among …

Negotiated Regulation: The Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board As A Model Regulatory Process, Caroline E. Wellman

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Using a comparative framework and based on interviews with the primary actors involved in the debate for and against humane farm animal standards in Ohio, this thesis examines the roles of special and public interest groups, bureaucrats, technocrats, and the public in the rulemaking process of the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board. This study finds that the creation of the board as a policy solution was likely impossible without the efforts of a policy entrepreneur and a "fixer;" that the board's relevance relies on a problem-setting approach to developing standards that includes a multitude of interests; and that continued public …

Aberrant Dna Replication At An Ectopic Chromosomal Site In Human Cells, Xiaomi Chen

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Aberrant DNA replication, including over-replication or under-replication may lead to life-threatening mutation or even cause human diseases. This thesis focused on three issues related to abnormal DNA replication in human chromosomes including: I) to define the function of DNA unwinding element (DUE) and DNA unwinding element-binding protein (DUE-B) to maintain an active c-myc replicator; II) to determine the role of trans-acting factors in defining a replication origin on human chromosomes; III) to investigate the mechanism by which hairpins affect DNA replication and instability of (CTG)n•(CAG)n trinucleotide repeat tracts in human cells.

Our laboratory previously demonstrated that both DUE and DUE-B, …

Measuring Leaders' Attitudes About The Use Of Story To Communicate Organizational Vision, Tamala S. Vaughn

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to develop and pilot an instrument to measure leaders' attitudes concerning the use of story in communicating organizational vision. Although story can be an effective communication tool, an instrument that measures leaders' attitudes could not be found. In this research, an instrument to measure leaders' attitudes regarding the use of story to communicate organizational vision was developed and piloted. The instrument was administered to a pilot group of for-profit and non-profit leaders in the final phase of this research. The results indicated that leaders perceive it is favorable to use story to communicate organizational …

Real-Time Fault Diagnosis Of Automotive Electrical Power Generation And Storage System, Luis Farfan-Ramos

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Automobiles depend more and more on electric power. Analysis of warranty data by automotive OEMs shows that faults in the automotive electrical power generation and storage (EPGS) system are often misdiagnosed. Therefore, monitoring of the state of health (SOH) of the automotive EPGS system is vital for early and correct diagnosis of faults in it, ensuring a reliable supply of electric power to the vehicle and reducing maintenance costs. In this research project, a model-based SOH monitoring method for the EPGS system is developed without the requirement of an alternator current sensor. A model representing the dynamic relationship between the …

Distributed Fault Detection For A Class Of Large-Scale Nonlinear Uncertain Systems, Qi Zhang

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In the distributed large-scale system, the behavior of any subsystem is not only influenced by variables belonging to it (local variables), but also by the variables in other subsystems during its interaction with neighboring subsystems. The effect of the fault in one subsystem will be quickly propagated to other subsystems due to their interconnections. Currently, most of the fault detection and diagnosis schemes are focused on centralized system which do not consider the interaction terms and can not efficiently detect the faults.

In this thesis, a distributed fault detection scheme is developed for a class of large-scale nonlinear uncertain systems …

Graphene Based Anode Materials For Lithium-Ion Batteries, Sree Lakshmi Cheekati

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Improvements of the anode performances in Li-ions batteries are in demand to satisfy applications in transportation. In comparison with graphitic carbons, transition metal oxides as well as graphene can store over twice amount of lithium per gram. Recently, graphene-based anodes for Li-ion batteries are under extensive development. In this research, lithium storage characteristics in graphene oxide (GO), GO/Manganese acetate (GO/MnAc), GO/manganese oxide (GO/MnOx) composites and Nano Graphene Platelets (NGP) were studied. The prepared GO delivered reversible capacities of 706mAh/g with an average columbic efficiency of 87%. Reversible capacities of 533 mAh/g were observed for GO/MnAc composite. GO/MnOx nanocomposite thermal annealed …

Environmental Enrichment-Mediated Neuroprotection Against Traumatic Brain Injury:Role Of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Kyle Leann Traver

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Each year there are over 1.7 million traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in the United States causing long-term health deficits and significant medical costs. This growing epidemic has led researchers to find methods for treating and preventing these injuries. Environmental Enrichment (EE) is an innovative technique shown to improve cognitive and functional outcomes following a TBI; however, the beneficial effects before injury have not been established. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) has been determined as a neuroprotective biomolecule in TBI. This research examined these two protective components and their roles in TBI. It was hypothesized that BDNF mRNA and protein levels would …