Digital Commons Network^™

Designing Direct And Indirect Factor Xa Inhibitors, Rami Al-Horani

Theses and Dissertations

Anticoagulants are the basis for treatment and prevention of thrombotic diseases. The currently available medicines are associated with a wide range of adverse reactions that mandates developing new anticoagulants. Several lines of evidence support the superiority of factor Xa (FXa) as a promising target to develop novel anticoagulants. This work focuses on the design of direct and indirect FXa inhibitors using an interdisciplinary approach. As indirect FXa inhibitors, a focused library of tetrasulfated N–arylacyl tetrahydroisoquinoline (THIQ) nonsaccharide allosteric antithrombin activators was designed, synthesized, and biochemically evaluated to establish their structure–activity relationship (SAR). An N–arylacyl THIQ analog having carboxylate at position–3, …

Investigating The Role Of Α6 And Α4 Containing Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In Nicotine And Cocaine Conditioned Place Preference Tests In Mice., Sarah Sanjakdar

Theses and Dissertations

Neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors modulate both cholinergic and non-cholinergic synaptic transmission. Our research concerns α6 and α4 neuronal nicotinic subunits because they often co-assemble with the β2 subunit, which has abundant expression in the CNS and previous work has demonstrated that β2* nAChRs are involved in nicotine and cocaine reward. α6β2* and α4β2* nAChRs are highly expressed in midbrain, which is known to be critical for the incentive salience associated with natural and artificial (drug) reward. Our goal was to assess the role of α6β2* and α4β2* nAChRs in nicotine and cocaine reward using an unbiased conditioned place preference (CPP) …

Identifying Sortase A Variants With Higher Catalytic Effeciency, Muna Suliman

Theses and Dissertations

In the past two decades, the field of protein engineering has evolved rapidly to include new genetic and chemical techniques to alter protein function. Protein engineering seeks to improve enzyme properties through powerful methods that specifically incorporate novel or improved function in proteins. One such method is protein ligation, which is used to selectively link synthetic and recombinant polypeptides. Due to the limitations of current protein labeling techniques, simple site-specific modification methods remain in high demand. Use of enzyme-based labeling has been the focus of various studies because of its substrate specificity. Sortase-mediated transpeptidation is one approach that has been …

Regeneration Of Electrospun Bioresorbable Vascular Grafts: A Phenomenon Associated With Vascular Graft Properties And Macrophage Phenotypes (M1/M2), Koyal Garg

Theses and Dissertations

Macrophages (MФ) and mast cells are important cell types in the context of tissue remodeling and regeneration. Mast cells participate in the early stages of wound healing and modulate the acute inflammatory responses to biomaterials. Mast cells can secrete a myriad of different cytokines by the process of degranulation; the process of regulated secretion in which preformed contents stored in their granules are rapidly released by exocytosis. Some of these cytokines such as IL-4, IL-13 and TNF-α can modulate the MФ phenotype. Macrophages (MΦ) are innate immune cells, crucial for tissue homeostasis, presentation of foreign and self-antigens following infection/injury, pathogen …

Novel Fluorous Hybrid Surface Modification Characterized By Wetting Dynamics, Morphology And Nanomechanics, Sithara Nair

Theses and Dissertations

The surface response of a polymer substrate to external stimuli such as initial wetting is controlled by the outermost molecular layer. Thus, changes on the nanoscale may be engaged to control macroscale wetting behavior. Our work has predominantly focused on surface modification of conventional polyurethane coatings (HMDI-BD-PTMO). Studies on network constrained phase separation and facile polydimethylsiloxane surface functionalization led to the discovery of a simpler one-step and more general approach to functional polymer surfaces that we have designated as “Bottle-Brush Nanoglass” (BB-NG) after the two principle components: (a) a polyoxetane soft block “spine” with side chain “A” bristles and triethoxysilyl …

Effects Of Strain On Dielectric Properties Of Ferroelectric Ba0.5sr0.5tio3 Films, Hongrui Liu

Theses and Dissertations

Owing to the large electric-field-dependent permittivity, ferroelectric thin films have attracted a great deal of attention on applications in miniature tunable microwave components with high performance and cost reduction, such as phase shifters, tunable oscillators, delay lines, and antennas. These tunable devices require large change in the dielectric constant with applied field and a low loss at microwave frequencies. As one of the promising ferroelectric materials, barium strontium titanate thin film, especially Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (BST) films, have raises great research interests due to its high dielectric constant, which is tunable in an external electric field, combined with relative low loss at …

Investment, Economic Growth And Kosovo's Judicial Sector, Kushtrim Bajrami

Theses

The inflow of FDI is vital for supporting successful transition of Kosovo’s economy. The FDI will enhance the economic development, improve trade balance, reduce unemployment and support the development of the private sector. These represent the basis for a sustainable economic development of Kosovo. Although local courts recognize foreign arbitral awards, enforcement is often weak and disputes can take a lengthy time to resolve. While the basic legislation of a market-oriented economy is in place, determining property ownership remains a significant challenge. These legal uncertainties, in addition to poor implementation of laws and contract enforcement, and an underdeveloped judiciary, hinder …

The Relationship Between Cross-Media Usage And Brand Recall In Advertisements: A Test Of Customer Engagement With Print And Digital Magazine Advertisements, Gabriela Sosa Lamarche

Theses

This study investigated the effectiveness of advertising using a cross-media approach. A laboratory experiment with a randomized controlled trial and a sample of college students (N = 34) was used to test whether the level of involvement was higher for tablet or print advertisements. Subjects were divided into two groups: those who saw the advertisements in print and those who saw them on tablets. Contrary to expectations, brand recall and purchase intent were higher for those viewing print than for tablet advertisements, although respondents considered interactive advertisements more engaging. One explanation is that most of the participants were so immersed …

Remnants: Within An Age Of Digitalism, Marchelo Vera

Theses

21st Century civilization allows a glimpse into the progressive art paradigm that encompasses our constantly transforming technological advancements. These ideas explore the global network of our modern times and the interrelated possibilities within it. My collaborative and interdisciplinary methods give a glimpse into the future of digital/print media, augmented reality, and interactive environments. My artwork explores the hybrid, identity, culture, and an evolving reality within an age of Digitalism.

Deep Learning Using Genetic Algorithms, Joshua Lamos-Sweeney

Theses

Deep Learning networks are a new type of neural network that discovers important object features. These networks determine features without supervision, and are adept at learning high level abstractions about their data sets. These networks are useful for a variety of tasks, but are difficult to train. This difficulty is compounded when multiple networks are trained in a layered fashion, which results in increased solution complexity as well as increased training time. This paper examines the use of Genetic Algorithms as a training mechanism for Deep Learning networks, with emphasis on training networks with a large number of layers, each …

Defationary Truth And Truth-Aptness Illuminated By Language And Norms: Paul Horwich, Huw Price, And Michael Lynch, Jeff Young

Theses

In contemporary epistemology there is a movement toward deflationary understandings of core philosophical concepts. Prominent among these is the concept of truth. This thesis examines contemporary deflationary theories of truth, such as those of Paul Horwich and Huw Price. I argue that while Horwich’s canonical deflationary approach is by itself insufficient as a complete theory of truth, Price’s minimal, pragmatic, theory of truth points toward a combination that is prima facie satisfactory. Once this new approach has been established, I will use Michael Lynch’s recent functionalist theory of truth to examine the questions of what we want from a theory …

Sea Smoke, Carolyn Rankin

Theses

"Sea Smoke" is a feature-length screenplay that tells the story of Nilly Hayworth, a successful advertising executive living and working in mid-coast Maine. Nilly is married to Hank Hayworth, a lawyer, and they have a son, Jasper, who has just finished law school. Nilly's father is William "Bill" J. Pixley. She has a brother named William "Butch" Pixley Jr., who is married to Holly Pixley, pregnant with their first child. Nilly has accommodated to her father's strong preference for his son , her brother. She has also adjusted to and forgiven Hank for past affairs. Nilly is offered a position …

A Biographical Sketch Of Henry Clay Morrison, D.D.: The Man And His Ministry, C. F. Wimberly

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

A History Of Methodism In Kentucky: Vol 1 From 1783 To 1820, William Erastus Arnold

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

The Presence Of God In His Universe, In His Word, In His Son, In His People : And Other Sermons, Henry Clay Morrison

Heritage Material

No abstract provided.

In Defence Of A Defence - A Demonstrable Legitimate And Non-Infringing Purpose As A Full Defence To Anti-Circumvention Legislation, Andrew Yolles

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

In this essay, I will argue that making a demonstrable lawful and non-infringing purpose a full defence to copyright infringement by circumvention of a TPM addresses many of the concerns raised by the currently proposed legislation, while avoiding the pitfalls of directly linking anti-circumvention laws with actual copyright infringement. As the ratification of the WIPO Internet treaties is the foremost concern for this legislation, I will begin with a discussion as to how this model can successfully implement the treaties’ anti-circumvention provisions where the Bill C-60 model may have failed. I will then explain why this model strikes a better …

Book Review: William F. Patry, How To Fix Copyright, Graham Reynolds

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

In How to Fix Copyright, William F. Patry, one of America’s leading experts on copyright, calls for a “top-to-bottom, systemic overhaul” of copyright laws. For a Canadian readership in the midst of our own process of copyright reform, such a call to action is both timely and relevant.

Characterizing Metal-Insulator-Transition (Mit) Phase Change Materials (Pcm) For Rf And Dc Micro-Switching Elements, Brent L. Danner, Ronald A. Coutu Jr.

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Metal-insulator transition (MIT) phase-change materials (PCM) are material compounds that have the ability to be either conductors or insulators depending on external stimuli. A micromachined test structure for applying external electric fields across MIT wire segments was designed and fabricated. Using this novel test structure, Germanium Telluride (GeTe) and Vanadium Oxide (VOx) were successfully transitioned from a conductor to an insulator. The resistivity of the GeTe wire segments increased three to five orders of magnitude with ∼40 V applied to the parallel plates of the test structure. The VOx wires exhibited an order of magnitude transition in resistivity with ∼20 …

Continuous Time-Varying Biasing Approach For Spectrally Tunable Infrared Detectors, Woo-Yong Jang, Majeed M. Hayat, Payman Zarkesh-Ha, Sanjay Krishna

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

In a recently demonstrated algorithmic spectral-tuning technique by Jang et al. [Opt. Express 19, 19454-19472, (2011)], the reconstruction of an object’s emissivity at an arbitrarily specified spectral window of interest in the long-wave infrared region was achieved. The technique relied upon forming a weighted superposition of a series of photocurrents from a quantum dots-in-a-well (DWELL) photodetector operated at discrete static biases that were applied serially. Here, the technique is generalized such that a continuously varying biasing voltage is employed over an extended acquisition time, in place using a series of fixed biases over each sub-acquisition time, which totally …

A New Ensemble Learning Method For Temporal Pattern Identification, Wenjing Zhang, Xin Feng

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

In this paper we present a method for identification of temporal patterns predictive of significant events in a dynamic data system. A new hybrid model using Reconstructed Phase Space (MRPS) and Hidden Markov Model (HMM) is applied to identify temporal patterns. This method constructs phase space embedding by using individual embedding of each variable sequences. We also employ Hidden Markov Models (HMM) to the multivariate sequence data to categorize multi-dimensional data into three states, e.g. normal, patterns and events. A support vector machine optimization method is used to search an optimal classifier to identify temporal patterns that are predictive of …

Supportive Weight Loss Program, Jenny Koscho Rd, Ldn, Cde

Clinical Nutrition Service

No abstract provided.

Parenteral Nutrition Order Entry Privileges For Registered Dietitians: Unique Approach To Improve Patient Outcomes (Poster), Judy Holaska Rd, Ms, Cnsc , Ldn

Clinical Nutrition Service

No abstract provided.

Peacebuilding, Power, And Politics In Africa, Devon Curtis, Gwinyayi A. Dzinesa

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

Peacebuilding, Power, and Politics in Africa is a critical reflection on peacebuilding efforts in Africa. The authors expose the tensions and contradictions in different clusters of peacebuilding activities, including peace negotiations; statebuilding; security sector governance; and disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration. Essays also address the institutional framework for peacebuilding in Africa and the ideological underpinnings of key institutions, including the African Union, NEPAD, the African Development Bank, the Pan-African Ministers Conference for Public and Civil Service, the UN Peacebuilding Commission, the World Bank, and the International Criminal Court. The volume includes on-the-ground case study chapters on Sudan, the Great Lakes Region …

Parenteral Nutrition Web-Based Order Writing: Educating Prescribers And Registered Dietitians, Judy Holaska Rd, Ms, Cnsc , Ldn

Clinical Nutrition Service

No abstract provided.

Security Policy Compliance: User Acceptance Perspective, Ahmad Al-Omari, Omar F. El-Gayar, Amit Deokar

Research & Publications

Information security policy compliance is one of the key concerns that face organizations today. Although, technical and procedural security measures help improve information security, there is an increased need to accommodate human, social and organizational factors. While employees are considered the weakest link in information security domain, they also are assets that organizations need to leverage effectively. Employees' compliance with Information Security Policies (ISPs) is critical to the success of an information security program. The purpose of this research is to develop a measurement tool that provides better measures for predicting and explaining employees' compliance with ISPs by examining the …

Cycles Of Electronic Health Records Adaptation By Physicians: How Do The Positive And Negative Experience With The Ehr System Affect Physicians' Ehr Adaptation Process?, Cherie Noteboom, Dhundy Bastola, Sajda Qureshi

Research & Publications

The integration of EHR in IT infrastructures supporting organizations enable improved access and recording of patient data, enhanced ability to make improved decisions, improved quality and reduced errors in patient care. Despite these benefits, there are mixed results as to the use of EHR. The literature suggests that the reasons for the limited use relate to policy, financial and usability considerations, but it does not provide an understanding of reasons for physicians’ limited interaction and adaptation of EHR.

Following an analysis of qualitative data, collected in a case study at a hospital using interviews, this research explains how physicians interact …

A Semantic Foundation For Provenance Management, Sudha Ram, Jun Liu

Research & Publications

Provenance is a term used to describe the lineage, history, or origin of an object. While provenance originated from the artworld, it is now becoming increasingly important in the context of digital objects on the World Wide Web. Large scale scientific collaborations and social media platforms on the web have enabled production and sharing of a variety of digital objects on the web. With the proliferation and sharing of such objects, which include documents, pictures, videos, and more, questions such as “where did this object come from?”, “who else is using this object?” and “for what purpose was it generated?” …

Security Policy Compliance: User Acceptance Perspective, Ahmad Al-Omari, Omar F. El-Gayar, Amit Deokar

Research & Publications

Information security policy compliance is one of the key concerns that face organizations today. Although, technical and procedural security measures help improve information security, there is an increased need to accommodate human, social and organizational factors. While employees are considered the weakest link in information security domain, they also are assets that organizations need to leverage effectively. Employees’ compliance with Information Security Policies (ISPs) is critical to the success of an information security program. The purpose of this research is to develop a measurement tool that provides better measures for predicting and explaining employees’ compliance with ISPs by examining the …

The Mediating Role Of Adaptive Personalization In Online Shopping, Son Bui, Insu Park, William Kettinger

Research & Publications

In the context of e-commerce, personalization system provides customers with recommendations on what products to buy. Grounded on social exchange theory, this study empirically examines and theoretically articulates the effects of willingness to share information and adaptive personalization on willingness to repurchase products. A survey was conducted and PLS was used demonstrating that adaptive personalization fully mediates the relationship between willingness to share information and willingness to repurchase products. The results suggest that online customers might take risks to provide their information to online retailers in exchange of offerings, and that continuous capturing of customer’s preferences throughout their interaction time …

An Ontology-Based Model Management Architecture For Service Innovation, Omar F. El-Gayar, Amit Deokar

Research & Publications

Organizations have indicated renewed interest in service innovation, design and management, given the growth of service sector. Decision support systems (DSS) play an important role in supporting this endeavor, through management of organizational resources such as data and models. Given the global nature of service value chains, there have been ever increasing demands on managing, sharing, and reusing these heterogeneous and distributed resources, both within and across organizational boundaries, through DSS consisting of database management systems (DBMS) and model management systems (MMS). Analogous to DBMS, model management systems focus on the management of decision models, dealing with representation, storage, and …