Digital Commons Network^™

Association Between Nutrition And Cognitive Function In Costa Rican Older Adults, Maria Aragon

All Theses

Older adults are among the fastest-growing segment of the world's population. In Costa Rica, life expectancy is comparable to developed countries, such as the United States and Western European countries. The loss of cognitive capacity is one of the most significant issues affecting the quality of life of older adults and their families. Although the causes of cognitive decline remain uncertain, it has been linked to cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure. Dietary fatty acids have an important role in these conditions, making it is plausible that they could play a role in cognitive deterioration …

Producing An Animated Tattoo Visual Effect, Zachary Trabookis

All Theses

Throughout society tattoos have established a mode of expression for individuals
that allows them to communicate without verbal means. This form of interaction may
appear somewhat static to the observer, but significant meaning and emotion are often
conveyed. With the advent of visual effects tools available today, tattoo representation
can be enhanced by including motion. This thesis presents a solution for illustrating this
form of visual communication using two-dimensional compositing and three-dimensional
techniques in a short animated film entitled '< italic>Legion.'

The Effects Of Drought On The Abundance Of The Blue Crab, Callinectes Sapidus, In The Ace Basin Nerr In South Carolina, Kirk Parmenter

All Dissertations

Blue crabs make up one of the most important commercial fisheries in the U.S. but there has been some concern over the health of blue crab populations due to large declines in landings seen in recent years. There is a significant positive correlation between river discharge and commercial landings suggesting that drought may be to blame for the recent decline in crab numbers. The work I completed for my dissertation tested multiple hypotheses examining the link between decreasing freshwater discharge, the subsequent rise in salinity, and the abundance of blue crabs in the ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve.
To …

Dha Derivatives Of Fish Oil As Dietary Supplements: A Nutrition-Based Drug Discovery Approach For Therapies To Prevent Metabolic Cardiotoxicity, Yonggang Ma, Merry L. Lindsey, Ganesh V. Halade

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: During the early 1970s, Danish physicians Jorn Dyerberg and colleagues observed that Greenland Eskimos consuming fatty fishes exhibited low incidences of heart disease. Fish oil is now one of the most commonly consumed dietary supplements. In 2004, concentrated fish oil was approved as a drug by the FDA for the treatment of hyperlipidemia. Fish oil contains two major omega-3 fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). With advancements in lipid concentration and purification techniques, EPA- or DHA-enriched products are now commercially available, and the availability of these components in isolation allows their individual effects to be examined. …

Nitric Oxide Regulation Of C-Di-Gmp Metabolism And Biofilm Formation In Shewanella Woodyi, Niu Liu

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Biofilms, multi-cellular sessile communities of bacteria, are known to account for bacterial persistence and antibiotic resistance. Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to induce biofilm dispersal at sub-lethal concentrations in many species. For example, in the cystic-fibrosis associated bacterium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, NO is reported to regulate biofilm dispersal through cyclic di-GMP signaling. In this thesis work, I demonstrate that Swoo_2750 from Shewanella woodyi encodes a Heme-Nitric oxide/OXygen binding domain (H-NOX), a protein that binds NO with approximately picomolar sensitivity. I demonstrate further that SwH-NOX is co-cistronic and directly interacts with Swoo_2751, a bi-functional diguanylate cyclase (DGC), which exhibits both c-di-GMP …

Study Of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase In The Regulation Of Autophagy, Zhixun Dou

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved membrane trafficking process that maintains cell and tissue homeostasis. Autophagy plays essential roles in response to starvation and stress, and is involved in organelle homeostasis. Dysregulation of autophagy is implicated in diseases such as neurodegeneration and cancer. The induction of autophagy depends on phosphatidylinositol 3-phosphate (PI(3)P), the product of the Class III Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3K), Vps34. In metazoans, autophagy is thought to be inhibited by Class I PI3Ks, which are activated by cell surface trophic factor receptors and produce PI(3,4,5)P3 that activates the Akt-TOR kinase cascade and negatively regulates autophagy. Class IA PI3Ks are heterodimeric …

Cystoscopic Optical Coherence Tomography And Ultrahigh Resolution Optical Doppler Tomography For Quantitative Structural And Functional Imaging, Hugang Ren

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

This dissertation presents the design, development as well as preclinical and clinical validations of a cystoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT) system and an ultrahigh resolution optical Doppler tomography (ODT) system for quantitative structural and functional imaging. The core of this dissertation can be divided into three sections. In the first section of the dissertation, which includes Chapter 3-Chapter 4, we validated the design and development of cystoscopic OCT (COCT) for bladder cancer diagnosis in vivo. To break the penetration depth barrier of the light, endoscopic imaging via fiber-optic technique has been developed. In this dissertation, we focused on bladder cancer …

Application Of Multivariate Statistical Methodology To Model Factors Influencing Fate And Transport Of Fecal Pollution In Surface Waters, Kimberlee K. Hall

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Degraded surface water quality is a growing public health concern. While indicator organisms are frequently used as a surrogate measure of pathogen contamination, poor correlation is often observed between indicators and pathogens. Because of adverse health effects associated with poor water quality, an assessment of the factors influencing the fate and transport of fecal pollution is necessary to identify sources and effectively design and implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) to protect and restore surface water quality. Sinking Creek is listed on the State of Tennessee’s 303D list as impaired due to pathogen contamination. The need to address the listing of …

A Resistance Based Structural Health Monitoring System For Composite Structure Applications, Dennis N. Boettcher

Master's Theses

This research effort explored the possibility of using interwoven conductive and nonconductive fibers in a composite laminate for structural health monitoring (SHM). Traditional SHM systems utilize fiber optics, piezoelectrics, or detect defects by nondestructive test methods by use of sonar graphs or x-rays. However, these approaches are often expensive, time consuming and complicated.

The primary objective of this research was to apply a resistance based method of structural health monitoring to a composite structure to determine structural integrity and presence of defects.

The conductive properties of fiber such as carbon, copper, or constantan - a copper-nickel alloy - can be …

Accelerating Ray Casting Using Culling Techniques To Optimize K-D Trees, Anh Viet Nguyen

Master's Theses

Ray tracing is a graphical technique that provides realistic simulation of light sources and complex lighting effects within three-dimensional scenes, but it is a time-consuming process that requires a tremendous amount of compute power. In order to reduce the number of calculations required to render an image, many different algorithms and techniques have been developed. One such development is the use of tree-like data structures to partition space for quick traversal when finding intersection points between rays and primitives. Even with this technique, ray-primitive intersection for large datasets is still the bottleneck for ray tracing.

This thesis proposes the use …

Hotline Press Newspaper- August 2012 Vol 29 No 10, Hotline Press Newspaper

Hotline Press Newspaper 2012

No abstract provided.

Uahuntsville Women's Studies, Fall 2012, University Of Alabama In Huntsville

Newsletters

No abstract provided.

A Novel Haptic Simulator For Evaluating And Training Salient Force-Based Skills For Laparoscopic Surgery, Ravikiran Singapogu

All Dissertations

Laparoscopic surgery has evolved from an 'alternative' surgical technique to currently being considered as a mainstream surgical technique. However, learning this complex technique holds unique challenges to novice surgeons due to their 'distance' from the surgical site. One of the main challenges in acquiring laparoscopic skills is the acquisition of force-based or haptic skills. The neglect of popular training methods (e.g., the Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery, i.e. FLS, curriculum) in addressing this aspect of skills training has led many medical skills professionals to research new, efficient methods for haptic skills training.
The overarching goal of this research was to demonstrate …

The Frida Kahlo Self-Portraits : The Objectification Of Self As A Symbol And Statement, Diane Zimbaldi

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Even with the vast analysis done on the work of Frida Kahlo, little attention has been paid to both the artist’s probable abuse as a child and her intentional abortions as an adult. This study chooses to incorporate these findings to reexamine six of her famous self-portraits, Self Portrait on the Borderline of Mexico and the United States, My Birth, Henry Ford Hospital, Self Portrait with Monkey, What I saw in the Water and The Two Fridas to uncover a new perspective. Scrutiny of the artist’s words, combined with historical fact dispels the current myth that Kahlo’s painting was done …

Light, Data, And Public Participation, Dave Colangelo, Patricio Davila

School of Film Faculty Publications and Presentations

As practices in reactive architecture and locative media converge and urban screens and projection technologies proliferate we are becoming increasingly able to interact with data in public space. This confluence presents us with modes of digitally mediated participation in urban space that highlight bodily and architectural relationships with data rich environments as well as new sets of problems and possibilities regarding aesthetics, poetics, and politics. The article will analyze works by Alfredo Jaar, Krzysztof Wodiczko, and Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, as they respectively exemplify the efficacy of the key components of public data visualization: mapping, expanded presence through architecture, and the ‘incompleteness’ …

Runs, Panics And Bubbles: Diamond-Dybvig And Morris-Shin Reconsidered, Eric Smith, Martin Shubik

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

The basic two-noncooperative-equilibrium-point model of Diamond and Dybvig is considered along with the work of Morris and Shin utilizing the possibility of outside noise to select a unique equilibrium point. Both of these approaches are essentially nondynamic. We add an explicit replicator dynamic from evolutionary game theory to provide for a sensitivity analysis that encompasses both models and contains the results of both depending on parameter settings.

The Consumption Of Dha During Embryogenesis As An Indicative Of The Need To Supply Dha During Early Larval Development: A Review, Joana Figueiredo, Junda Lin, Justin Anto, Luis Narciso

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

The establishment of an adequate larval diet for crustacean and fish often involves a series of time-consuming and expensive trial and errors. Despite being nutritionally poor, rotifers and Artemia are the most commonly used preys in larviculture. Whether (and to what extent) the prey needs to be enriched with essential fatty acids differs from species to species. We hypothesized that the DHA content of a newly spawned eggs and its consumption through embryogenesis can be a good indicator of the need to enrich the prey with DHA. In order to assess this hypothesis, we performed a search in the scientific …

Camera Creatures: Rhetorics Of Light And Emerging Media, Anthony Collamati

All Dissertations

Camera Creatures addresses the new media landscape in which cameras, in most situations, outnumber pens. The dissertation argues that despite the accessibility and power of imagemaking devices, there persists in the humanities and social sciences a hesitation to engage the possibilities for composing with optical media. A number of factors contributing to this trend are addressed, including the preference for image analysis over imagemaking practices, persistent assumptions of the camera's mechanical objectivity, and a tendency to teach visual invention as collage. As a counter-measure, a proposal is made for investment in the mediation of light, or 'photonic rhetorics.' To explore …

Multiple Independent Origins Of Mitochondrial Control Region Duplications In The Order Psittaciformes, Erin E. Schirtzinger, Erika S. Tavares, Lauren A. Gonzales, Jessica R. Eberhard, Cristina Y. Miyaki, Juan J. Sanchez, Alexis Hernandez, Heinrich Müeller, Gary R. Graves, Robert C. Fleischer, Timothy F. Wright

Faculty Publications

Mitochondrial genomes are generally thought to be under selection for compactness, due to their small size, consistent gene content, and a lack of introns or intergenic spacers. As more animal mitochondrial genomes are fully sequenced, rearrangements and partial duplications are being identified with increasing frequency, particularly in birds (Class Aves). In this study, we investigate the evolutionary history of mitochondrial control region states within the avian order Psittaciformes (parrots and cockatoos). To this aim, we reconstructed a comprehensive multi-locus phylogeny of parrots, used PCR of three diagnostic fragments to classify the mitochondrial control region state as single or duplicated, and …

Movement Patterns In Resident And Translocated Three-Toed Box Turtles (Terrapene Carolina Triunguis), Christopher S. Samuelson

Biology Theses

Wildlife relocations, repatriations, and translocations (RRTs) are strategies that are often used for by conservation managers as a method of reestablishing viable animal populations. The effectiveness of RRT studies has been called into question by some researchers, but more data are needed on the strategy to fully understand its utility. I compared the movement patterns, home range sizes, and body condition between a group of resident and translocated adult three-toed box turtles (Terrapene carolina triunguis). Each turtle from both groups was radio-tracked at least 2-3 times per month except during the winter months. Minimum convex polygons home range sizes estimated …

Likely Effectiveness Of Netting Or Other Capture Programs As A Shark Hazard Mitigation Strategy In Western Australia, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Occasional Publications

No abstract provided.

Genetic Characteristics Of An Ancient Nomadic Group In Northern China, Haijing Wang, Lu Chen, Binwen Ge, Ye Zhang, Hong Zhu, Hui Zhou

Human Biology Open Access Pre-Prints

Nomadic populations have played a significant role in the history of not only China but also in many nations worldwide. Because they had no written language, an important aspect in the study of these people is the discovery of their tombs. It has been generally accepted that Xiongnu was the first empire created by nomadic tribe in the 3rd century B.C. However, little population genetic information is available concerning the Donghu, another flourishing nomadic tribe at the same period because of the restriction of materials until Jinggouzi site was excavated. In order to test the genetic characteristics of ancient people …

The Lismullin Enclosure: Design Beyond The Obvious In The Iron Age, Frank Prendergast

Book/Book Chapter

No abstract provided.

Reference In Udi Narrative Discourse, Catherine Macleod

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines concepts of reference assignment as seen in a written collection of narrative texts from Udi, a Caucasian language from the Lezgian family. This study explores the linguistic factors that affect reference assignment in Udi narrative in terms of participants, props and time and locative phrases.

Reference assignment incorporates reference forms such as nouns, noun phrases, proper names and pronouns. All of these features aid in building the mental representation of the texts in the mind of the reader. Surface-level linguistic factors, such as cohesion, coherence, backgrounding, foregrounding and focus also interact with reference forms.

This paper incorporates …

The Small Molecule Inhibitor Roscovitine Does Not Promote The Establishment Of A Quiescent Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Mutant Ghsv-Ul46 Infection In Neurally Differentiated Pc 12 Cells, Mario D. Caldararo

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Infection with herpes simplex virus type 1 leads to a lifelong presence of the vims in the host typified by the punctuated recrudescence of herpetic lesions of the orofacial region. Recmdescence of symptoms is due to the ability of the virus to reactivate from a latent state in neurons of the trigeminal ganglia. The latent state characterized by a complete lack of DNA replication, absence of virion stmctural protein production, and the minimal expression of a very limited set of regulatory genes. Reactivation is seen as the return to full viral gene expression, production of new infectious virions, and the …

Impact Of Goal And Intentions-Setting On Student Performance In A Classroom, David Dariani

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

The impact of goal and intentions-setting on the performance of students was evaluated. A cohort of volunteer students (n=54) were randomly assigned to three groups. Then, each group was exposed to an appropriate intervention seminar lasting one hour. The Control Group (n= 18) who used neither goal nor intentions-setting was asked to utilize strategies that they had used in the past that had helped their academic performances. Group 2 (n=16) was coached in developing S.M.A.R.T. goals and how to apply them to accomplish the objectives of their current semester’s course. Group 3 (n=20) was coached in developing S.M.A.R.T. goals in …

Growing A Sustainable Portland Metropolitan Foodshed, Sheila Martin, Kathryn Doherty-Chapman, Robert Wise, Steve Foust, Kirsten Greene, Ellie Fiore, Ellen Wyoming, Clark Seavert, Rebecca Sullivan, Beth Emshoff, Anita Yap, Elise Scolnik, Bob Short

Institute of Metropolitan Studies Publications

Project Description and Objectives: Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) provided funding for this study to examine key agricultural trends, identify producer needs and define strategies to strengthen the local food production system. The goals of the study are to: Define the Portland Metropolitan Foodshed; identify related agricultural and economic trends and develop a needs assessment based on input from producers and other stakeholders; assemble a regional toolkit of strategies to support evolution of a sustainable Portland Metropolitan Foodshed; work with the City of Damascus, Oregon to test the toolkit on a local level; Develop a research and educational …

Lawyer: Summer 2012, Seattle University School Of Law

Lawyer

• Finally Free: International Human Rights Clinic Secures Release for Man Unjustly Imprisoned in Mexico
• Law Students Advise High Schoolers in City’s First Youth Traffic Court
• Janis Puracal Devoted to Freeing Her Brother from Nicaraguan Prison
• A Twin Passion for Teaching: Grads Take Their Legal Skills into the Classroom

Predicting Occupancy Of Wintering Migratory Birds: Is Microhabitat Information Necessary?, Christopher J. W. Mcclure, Brian W. Rolek, Geoffrey E. Hill

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Information regarding microhabitat, here defined as small-scale vegetation structure, is often useful in predicting use of habitat by birds. Quantifying microhabitat, however, is expensive and labor intensive compared to assessment of habitat at a larger scale, possibly from remotely sensed imagery. To assess the importance of microhabitat information in constructing predictive models of habitat occupancy, we compared occupancy models built on the basis of macro- and microhabitat together and separately. We based our models on counts of wintering migratory bird species and vegetation surveys within Tuskegee National Forest, Alabama, completed during winter 2009. Models built from macrohabitat data only outperformed …

Undergraduate And Graduate Course Descriptions, 2012 Fall, Wright State University

Course Descriptions

Wright State University undergraduate and graduate course descriptions from Fall 2012.