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Demo 17, Columbia College Chicago

Alumni Newsletters

Alumni newsletter from Fall - Winter 2012 entitled "DEMO17." This issue is 27 pages.

Toward A Concept Of Post-Postmodernism Or Lady Gaga’S Reconfigurations Of Madonna, Danuta Fjellestad, Maria Engberg

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

How can we describe the landscape of what is increasingly referred to as post-postmodernism? Is post-postmodernism but a revision (however significant) of postmodernism or is it a new, perhaps even original, episteme? As must be clear from the title, the article takes Ihab Hassan’s much discussed essay “Toward a Concept of Postmodernism” as its point of departure, but proposes a double revision of his chart. First, it supplements the chart with a set of concepts used to designate post-postmodernism. Second, it provides a re-vision of the very layout of the chart, arguing with Johanna Drucker that form is constitutive …

Of Zombies, Aids, And 'Africa': Non‐Western Disease And The 'Raciocultural' Imagination, Richard Brock

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

This essay investigates the “raciocultural”—a term designating the slippage between, and mutual construction of, “race” and “culture” within discourses of quasi‐biological determinism—as a means of exploring Western representations of non‐Western disease as “foreign” threats to Europe and North America. It suggests that the raciocultural is at once a colonial‐era construction and a reflection of contemporary trends that have seen racist discourse become increasingly displaced onto the notion of the “cultural.” Investigating a range of texts including news media, literary texts, and interactive entertainment, the essay focuses on representations of “African” space as biologically and culturally “infected” in order to examine …

Competition Between Conjugation And M13 Phage Infection In Escherichia Coli In The Absence Of Selection Pressure: A Kinetic Study, Zhenmao Wan, Noel L. Goddard

Publications and Research

Inter- and intraspecies horizontal gene transfer enabled by bacterial secretion systems is a powerful mechanism for bacterial genome plasticity. The type IV secretion system of Escherichia coli, encoded by the F plasmid, enables cell-to-cell contact and subsequent DNA transfer known as conjugation. Conjugation is compromised by phage infection that specifically targets the secretion machinery. Hence, the use of phages to regulate the spread of genes, such as acquired antibiotic resistance or as general biosanitation agents, has gained interest. To predict the potential efficacy, the competition kinetics must first be understood. Using quantitative PCR to enumerate genomic loci in a resource-limited …

Computational Modeling Of Protein Dynamics With Gromacs And Java, Miaoer Yu

Master's Projects

GROMACS is a widely used package in molecular dynamics simulations of biological molecules such as proteins, and nucleic acids, etc. However, it requires many steps to run such simulations from the terminal window. This could be a challenge for those with minimum amount of computer skills. Although GROMACS provides some tools to perform the standard analysis such as density calculation, atomic fluctuation calculation, it does not have tools to give us information on the specific areas such as rigidity that could predict the property of the molecules. In this project, I have developed a user friendly program to carry out …

Masquerade Detection Based On Unix Commands, Amruta Mahajan

Master's Projects

In this paper, we consider the problem of masquerade detection based on a UNIX system. A masquerader is an intruder who tries to remain undetected by impersonating a legitimate user. Masquerade detection is a special case of the general intrusion detection problem. We have collected data from a large number of users. This data includes infor- mation on user commands and a variety of other aspects of user behavior that can be used to construct a profile of a given user. Hidden Markov models have been used to train user profiles, and the various attack strategies have been analyzed. The …

Motion Learning Using The Neural Network, Priyank Shah

Master's Projects

One of the most promising topics of research in the field of artificial intelligence is the application of data captured from human motion using sensors processed with various algorithms to achieve successful data analysis. This project aims to design and develop a method to judge human motion and allows the users to see the score while they are performing motion. The Neural Network is trained to follow human expert scores on all players' motion profiles as compared with master player. This Neural Network is trained for its best performance by changing the number of iterations and the dataset passes through …

An Approach To Solve Job Shop Scheduling Problem, Shashidhar Reddy Karnati

Master's Projects

“A biotechnology device manufacturer needs to devise effective scheduling algorithms for its testing devices. A device is a configuration of machines, each of which performs a specific task, such as washing, reading and cleaning. These devices are used to test human samples to diagnose diseases like cholera, malaria etc. Each test is a job, which is to be processed on these machines for a specific amount of time. Every job has its own pre defined sequence. These samples are to be processed simultaneously on machines owing to constraint that as soon as one machine completes processing a sample, it should …

Algorithms For Solving The Reducts Problem In Rough Sets, Shuang Wang

Master's Projects

This work deals with finding minimal reducts of decision table based on the rough sets theory. Its goal is to develop algorithms capable of finding such reducts. Two algorithms are presented in this report: the first based on Boolean reasoning function, the second based on Genetic Algorithm. Test results on real data are given and conclusions are made.

A Database-Driven Website Of Β-Thalassemia Mutations, Vanessa Gaeke

Master's Projects

β-thalassemia is a genetic disease caused by mutations of the hemoglobin gene β (HBB). Over two hundred β-thalassemia mutations are known to date. While the pathological consequence of each β-thalassemia mutation has been well documented, the effect of a mutation at the molecular level of its DNA sequence is usually not illustrated for beginners. This paper describes the cause of β-thalassemia and a database-driven website containing mutant HBB sequences altered by β-thalassemia mutations. β-thalassemia mutations and their relevant data are first collected from the HbVar Database of Pennsylvania State University and loaded into a PostgreSQL database. Wild type HBB sequences …

Eigenvalue Analysis For Metamorphic Detection, Sayali Deshpande

Master's Projects

Metamorphic viruses change their structure on each infection while maintaining their function. Although many detection techniques have been proposed, practical and effective metamorphic detection remains a difficult challenge. In this project, we analyze a novel method for detecting metamorphic viruses. Our approach was inspired by a well-known facial recognition technique that is based on eigenvalue analysis. We compute eigenvectors using opcode sequences extracted from a set of known metamorphic viruses. These eigenvectors can then be used to score a given executable file, based on its extracted opcode sequence. We perform extensive testing to determine the effectiveness of this scoring technique …

Spatial And Oceanographic Factors Affecting Black-Legged Kittiwake And Thick-Billed Murre Distributions In The Southeastern Bering Sea, Brian Hoover

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The distribution patterns of Thick-billed Murres (Uria lomvia) and Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) in the southeastern Bering Sea were documented at sea during vessel-based surveys in July-August of 2008 and 2009. The relationships of murre and kittiwake densities with environmental variables were investigated using binomial generalized additive models (GAMs) to model the presence or absence of birds, and Gamma-error distribution GAMs to model the positive densities of birds. Environmental variables included oceanographic factors (Chlorophyll, Chlorophyll anomalies, Daily SST, Monthly SST), spatial factors (Distance to nearest colony, Distance to 300m shelf break, Depth), and a temporal factor (Year). Nocturnal surveys were …

Productivity Of Well-Watered Panicum Virgatum Does Not Increase With Co2 Enrichment, Philip A. Fay, H. Wayne Polley, Virginia L. Jin, Michael J. Aspinwall

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Aims Rising atmospheric CO₂ has been shown to increase aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) in water-limited perennial grasslands, in part by reducing stomatal conductance and transpiration, thereby reducing depletion of soil moisture. However, the benefits of CO₂ enrichment for ANPP will vary with soil type and may be reduced if water limitation is low. Little is known about CO₂ effects on ANPP of Panicum virgatum, a perennial C₄ tallgrass and potential bioenergy crop. We hypothesized that if water limitation is minimized, (i) CO₂ enrichmentwould not increase P. virgatum ANPP because photosynthetic rates of this C …

Acute Oral Administration Of Khat (Catha Edulis) Aqueous Extract Elevates Blood Pressure And Prolongs Qt And Qtc Intervals In Wistar Albino Rats, Fahaid H. Al-Hashem, Abdullah S. Shatoor

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Khat (Catha edulis) acute administration on blood pressure (BP) and electrocardiogram (ECG) in vivo. METHODS: This study was performed between January and February 2009 at the Physiology Laboratory, Medical College of King Khalid University, Abha, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Two groups of Wistar rats (n=10), weighing 190-200 g were divided into control group and Khat treated group. Throughout the study, arterial BP and ECG were recorded for 60 consecutive minutes. The data were collected and analyzed by Power Lab Data Acquisition System every 10 minutes, and were compared within and between the groups. RESULTS: …

Philosophy And Theology: Disability, Christopher Kaczor

Philosophy Faculty Works

The article focuses on various definitions of disability in human beings given by researcher. It mentions that disability is not universally accepted for normal function of a species. It informs that physical and psychological condition informs about the health of people. It further highlights that species norm defines disability in terms of disease.

Predictive Value Of Alpha-Fetoprotein In The Long-Term Risk Of Developing Hepatocellular Carcinoma In Patients With Hepatitis B Virus Infection--Results From A Clinic-Based Longitudinal Cohort., Hie-Won Hann, Xiaoying Fu, Ronald E. Myers, Richard Hann, Shaogui Wan, Su Hee Kim, Natalie Au, Jinliang Xing, Hushan Yang

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Although serum level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has long been used to complement imaging tests in the screening and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), whether it can be used as a predictive marker of long-term risk for developing HCC in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) has not been extensively evaluated and thus remains controversial.

METHODS: We retrospectively conducted a clinic-based longitudinal cohort study including 617 Korean American patients with HBV who had been followed for up to 22 years (median follow-up time, 6.2 years) to evaluate the association between baseline serum AFP level and the long-term risk of HCC. …

Immune Clearance Of Attenuated Rabies Virus Results In Neuronal Survival With Altered Gene Expression., Emily A Gomme, Christoph Wirblich, Sankar Addya, Glenn F Rall, Matthias J Schnell

Department of Microbiology and Immunology Faculty Papers

Rabies virus (RABV) is a highly neurotropic pathogen that typically leads to mortality of infected animals and humans. The precise etiology of rabies neuropathogenesis is unknown, though it is hypothesized to be due either to neuronal death or dysfunction. Analysis of human brains post-mortem reveals surprisingly little tissue damage and neuropathology considering the dramatic clinical symptomology, supporting the neuronal dysfunction model. However, whether or not neurons survive infection and clearance and, provided they do, whether they are functionally restored to their pre-infection phenotype has not been determined in vivo for RABV, or any neurotropic virus. This is due, in part, …

Effects Of Attractiveness And Distinctiveness On Attention And Memory For Faces, Carla M. Strickland-Hughes, J. Leudicke, M. K. Johnson, Natalie C. Ebner

College of the Pacific Faculty Presentations

No abstract provided.

2012 (Fall) Ensi Informer Magazine, Morehead State University. Engineering Sciences Department

ENSI Informer Magazine Archive

The ENSI Informer Magazine published in the fall of 2012.

Udomeh V. Joseph, Taylor Gay

Journal of Civil Law Studies

No abstract provided.

Department Of Social Services Ex Rel. P.B. V. Reed, Sarena Gaylor

Journal of Civil Law Studies

No abstract provided.

Department Of Social Services Ex Rel. K.B.D. V. Drew, Chelsea Gomez

Journal of Civil Law Studies

No abstract provided.

Toward A Comparative Approach To The Crime Of Genocide, Tatiana E. Sainati

Duke Law Journal

The annihilation of more than 1.5 million Cambodians at the hands of the Khmer Rouge is widely considered a quintessential case of genocide. Whether these atrocities meet the definition of genocide as a legal matter, however, remains unsettled. As of October 2012, the question of whether genocide occurred in Cambodia within the meaning of the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention is pending before the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). The ECCC will determine this question against the backdrop of an ongoing debate about the appropriate scope of the crime of genocide. This debate pits expansionists, who believe …

Structural Entropy And Metamorphic Malware, Donabelle Baysa

Master's Projects

Metamorphic malware is capable of changing its internal structure without al- tering its functionality. A common signature is nonexistent in highly metamorphic malware. Consequently, such malware may remain undetected even under emulation and signature scanning combined. In this project, we use the concept of structural entropy to analyze variations in the complexity of data within a file. The process consists of two stages, namely, file segmentation and sequence comparison. In the file segmentation stage, we use entropy measurements and wavelet analysis to segment a file. The second stage measures the similarity of files by computing the edit distance between sequence …

Embodying Vulnerability: A Feminist Theory Of The Person, Saru M. Matambanadzo

Duke Journal of Gender Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Stealthy Plaintext, Naidele Katrumane Manjunath

Master's Projects

Correspondence through email has become a very significant way of communication at workplaces. Information of most kinds such as text, video and audio can be shared through email, the most common being text. With confidential data being easily sharable through this method most companies monitor the emails, thus invading the privacy of employees. To avoid secret information from being disclosed it can be encrypted. Encryption hides the data effectively but this makes the data look important and hence prone to attacks to decrypt the information. It also makes it obvious that there is secret information being transferred. The most effective …

Graduates‟ Perceived And Measurable Changes In Writing Through One Ed. D. Program, Yvonne Duncan Gibbs

Dissertations

Research on writing proficiency from elementary students through undergraduates is prevalent; however, few focused on students in graduate school. Few teacher education programs require specific coursework in writing for teacher certification. Yet, teacher educators express concern about teacher candidates‟ writing proficiencies. Writing may not be explicitly taught, such as in graduate school or doctoral coursework, because professors assume students already have these skills. Writing is something writers are always learning to do, yet scholarly writing is not included as a learning objective throughout the doctoral coursework at Sibley University, at the time of this study. Sibley University is the pseudonym …

Survey Of Gastrointestinal Parasite Infection In African Lion (Panthera Leo), African Wild Dog (Lycaon Pictus) And Spotted Hyaena (Crocuta Crocuta) In The Luangwa Valley, Zambia, Are R. Berentsen, Matthew S. Becker, Heather Stockdale-Walden, Wigganson Matandiko, Rachel Mcrobb, Mike R. Dunbar

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Little is known about gastrointestinal parasite infections in large carnivores in Africa and what is available is largely from East Africa. We collected faecal samples from nine spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta), 15 lions (Panthera leo) and 13 African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) from Luangwa Valley, Zambia. The most common gastrointestinal parasites found were Isospora spp., Spirometra sp., Taeniidae and Sarcosystis spp. Twenty-eight percent of all samples were co-infected with Spirometra sp. and Taeniidae, with co-infection rates highest among lions (67%). Thirty-three per cent (3/9) of spotted hyaenas were infected with Isospora sp. Ninety-two per …

Efficacy, Effort, And Cost Comparisons Of Trapping And Acetaminophen-Baiting For Control Of Brown Treesnakes On Guam, Larry Clark, Peter J. Savarie, John A. Shivik, Stewart W. Breck, Brian S. Dorr

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Brown treesnakes (Boiga irregularis) are an invasive species to the island of Guam. Because they have extirpated the native forest avifauna on Guam and are a threat to other Pacific islands, the development of efficient and cost-effective methods to control them is desired. We compared the efficacy, cost, and effort required to remove brown treesnakes on 6-ha plots in forest scrub on Guam, using 2 methods: trapping and poison baiting. Toxic baits consisted of dead neonatal mice adulterated with 80-mg acetaminophen. To assess efficacy, we used mark-recapture methods to estimate snake abundance on plots 12 days before and …

Efficacy Of Aerial Broadcast Baiting In Reducing Brown Treesnake Numbers, Larry Clark, Peter J. Savarie

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The brown treesnake (Boiga irregularis) is an invasive predator that was introduced on Guam as a stowaway in cargo after World War II. Since then, the population has exploded, attaining 50 to 100 snakes per ha in some areas. The snake has caused the extirpation of ten of the 12 native forest bird species on Guam. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, has a program to deter the spread of snakes from Guam to other islands. Hand capture from fences, trapping, toxic bait stations, and canine inspection of outbound cargo methods are used in the control program …