Regulatory Litigation In The European Union: Does The U.S. Class Action Have A New Analogue, S. I. Strong

Notre Dame Law Review

The article discusses an introduction of a regulatory litigation in the European Union (EU) analogous to class actions in the U.S. It mentions that earlier the U.S. was the only country to carry out large scale litigation as well as regulatory litigation but EU changed its present policies to adopt cross border collective redress in February, 2012. It presents a combination of new governance theory and equivalence functionalism to determine whether or not EU has adopted regulatory litigation.

Activity Of The Beta-Cyanoalanine Synthase Pathway Is Associated With The Response To Abiotic Stress By Arabidopsis Thaliana., Marylou Machingura

Dissertations

Cyanide is produced throughout a plant's life cycle alongside the hormone ethylene by oxidation of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid. Production increases during certain developmental stages such as seed germination, seedling elongation, fruit ripening and senescence. Abiotic stresses increase ethylene production giving rise to `stress cyanide'. Cyanide also comes from metabolism of cyanogenic compounds. Cyanide is however, a toxic chemical which readily binds to metallo-enzymes inhibiting primary metabolic processes. Plants have mechanisms to maintain cyanide homeostasis such as the β-cyanoalanine pathway whereby cysteine reacts with cyanide forming β--cyanoalanine, mediated by β-cyanoalanine synthase and cysteine synthase. A dual nitrilase 4 enzyme then converts the …

Image Bodies, Avatar Ontologies: Rendering The Virtual In Digital Culture, Adam M. Davis

Dissertations

In 2009 five avatar-themed films were released, one of which became the highest grossing film to date, signaling that in addition to their popularity in videogames and virtual worlds, avatars are culturally salient figures which demand scholarly attention. Avatars, virtual environments, and user behavior have evolved significantly since virtual reality captured public and academic attention at the close of the twentieth century, and this dissertation is an attempt to theorize the avatar in contemporary digital culture. By interlacing new media philosophy and analyses of cinematic texts I situate the avatar at the nexus between digital images and interactive bodies, with …

Understanding Reading Through The Eyes Of Third-Grade Struggling Readers, Christine Elizabeth Wiggs

Dissertations

AN ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION OF CHRISTINE E. WIGGS, for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in EDUCATION, presented on October 19, 2012, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. TITLE: UNDERSTANDING READING THROUGH THE EYES OF THIRD-GRADE STRUGGLING READERS MAJOR PROFESSORS: Dr. Marla H. Mallette / Dr. Lynn C. Smith Within the vast research base on struggling readers, very few studies address the nature of struggling readers from their own perspectives; that is, how struggling readers experience reading instruction. The purpose of this qualitative case study research was to gain a deeper understanding of how three third-grade struggling readers viewed themselves as …

Characterization Of Starch By Vibrational Spectroscopy, Brandon H. Holder

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

To develop a dispersive Raman spectroscopic method for measuring amylose-amylopectin ratios of corn starch mixtures, 67 mixtures were prepared by randomly mixing waxy and normal corn starches. Amylose contents were measured using a dual wavelength iodine binding colorimetric method. Raman data were collected from 250 to 3200 cm^-1 using optimized instrument parameters. Partial least-squares (PLS) and principal components regression (PCR) were used to prepare multivariate calibration models; however, PLS commonly outperformed PCR. Truncating the spectra to 250 to 2000 cm^-1 improved the results (r² of validation = 0.831, SEP = 2.90%). Removal of a cold water swelling …

Cortical Thickness In Neuropsychologically Near-Normal Schizophrenia, Derin J. Cobia, John G. Csernansky, Lei Wang

Faculty Publications

Schizophrenia is a chronic and potentially disabling disorder with widespread neuroanatomical abnormalities thought to be caused by progressive brain changes (Andreasen, 2010), and an equally wide variety of impairments in cognitive functioning (Palmer et al., 2009). In general, individuals with schizophrenia demonstrate significantly impaired performance on a full range of neuropsychological tasks, often reaching greater than one standard deviation below the norm (Dickinson et al., 2007). One particularly puzzling issue is that approximately 15–30% of schizophrenia patients have been found to perform in the normal range of neuropsychological functioning (Kremen et al., 2000; Palmer et al., 1997). Given hypothesized relationships …

Geographic Mosaics Of Species’ Association: A Definition And An Example Driven By Plant-Insect Phenological Synchrony., Mc Singer, Cs Mcbride

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Spatial mosaics occur in both evolutionary and ecological properties of species' interactions. Studies of these patterns have facilitated description and prediction of evolutionary responses of interacting species to each other and to changing environments. We propose seeking complementary understanding of community assembly and dynamics by studying ecological and mechanistic properties of mosaics. We define "species' association mosaics" as deviations from a null model in which spatial variation in the extent to which particular species interact ecologically is explained solely by variation in their densities. In extreme deviations from the null, a focal species interacts exclusively with different partners at different …

Educating Health Professionals In The Era Of Ubiquitous Information, Charles Friedman

Historical and Administrative Collection

Dr. Charles "Chuck" Friedman, an internationally known biomedical informatics scholar and health IT expert, will give a talk as part of the Chancellor's Leadership Forum on Monday, December 17. This is a reprise of a highly acclaimed talk he gave at a recent national meeting of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Dr. Friedman will discuss the following: • How the ubiquity of information available from the Internet will impact medical student learning • The implications of medical education we can reasonably expect by 2020'

Project Echo: A Model For Complex, Chronic Care In The Pacific Northwest Region Of The United States, John D. Scott, Kent T. Unruh, Mary C. Catlin, Joseph O. Merrill, David J. Tauben, Roger Rosenblatt, Dedra Buchwald, Ardith Doorenbos, Cara Towle, Christian B. Ramers, David H. Spacha

Project ECHO Bibliography

The Pacific Northwest of the US is a large, sparsely populated region. A telehealth programme called Project ECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) was tested in this region in 2009. Weekly videoconferences were held in the areas of hepatitis C, chronic pain, integrated addictions and psychiatry, and HIV/AIDS. Rural clinicians presented cases to a panel of experts at an academic medical centre and received management advice and access to best practices. During the trial, more than 900 clinicians participated, and more than 700 patient cases were presented. At the end of June 2012, a total of 23 videoconference clinics for …

Coalition For Prisoners' Rights Newsletter, Vol 36-W, No. 12, Coalition For Prisoners' Rights

Coalition for Prisoners' Rights Newsletters

$ Cruel and Senseless

Some But: So Little, So Late

La Realineación Debetía Significar Clausura de las Prisiones

Voices From Inside

Voices in Solidarity

National Religious Campaign Against Torture

Neuropsychological Outcomes In Adults Commencing Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Treatment In South Africa: A Prospective Study, Ja Joska, J Westgarth-Taylor, J Hoare, Kgf Thomas, Et Al

Peninsula Medical School

BACKGROUND: Infection with HIV may result in significant neuropsychological impairment, especially in late stage disease. To date, there have been no cohort studies of the impact of highly active anti-retroviral treatment (HAART) in South Africa where clade C HIV is predominant. METHODS: Participants in the current study were recruited from a larger study of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) and included a group of individuals commencing HAART (n = 82). Baseline and one-year neuropsychological function was assessed using a detailed battery, and summary global deficit scores (GDS) obtained. Associations with change in GDS were calculated. RESULTS: Participants had a median CD4 …

Effect Of Nitrogen On Safflower Physiology And Productivity, Sj Mohamed, Aj Jellings, Mp Fuller

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is an oil-crop suitable for semi-arid agriculture, but its physiological response to agronomic inputs has yet to be fully evaluated. The effect of fertiliser on the physiology and production of safflower grown in pots filled with standard grade perlite inside a semi-controlled glass house was studied. Plants were initially irrigated with 20-100 ml standard hydroponic solution and then one month after germination plants were irrigated using 50-200 ml complete Hoagland’s solution, supplemented with one of eight levels of nitrogen (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, 175 kg N ha-1) in the form of ammonium nitrate. …

Role Of Cytochrome P4501a1 In Vasoreactivity And Blood Pressure Regulation Mediated By Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Njotu Larry Agbor

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor involved in the metabolism of environmental pollutants including halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, for example, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-ρ-dioxin (TCDD). The AHR and its downstream target gene cytochrome P4501A1 (CYP1A1) are also involved in cardiovascular development. AHR knockout (KO) mice are hypotensive, with cardiac hypertrophy. Additionally, CYP1A1 is involved in the production of potent vasodilator metabolites from omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) metabolism. Thus, we hypothesize that the AHR and its downstream target gene, CYP1A1, both contribute to normal vascular reactivity of blood vessels and to blood pressure (BP) regulation. We generated mice with …

Studies On Spreading Depolarization In Healthy And Metabolically Compromised Brain Tissues, Isamu Aiba

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Spreading depolarization (SD) is a slowly propagating wave of depolarization of neurons and glia. Since its original discovery in 1944, SD has been observed in various experimental settings, both in vitro and in vivo. SD has recently been detected in brains of human patients with various injuries, and a contribution of SD to deleterious consequences of acute brain injury is increasingly accepted. iv The present dissertation work focus mainly on the characterization of SD and cellular events associated with it. Main interests of these studies are on underlying mechanisms that convert non-injurious factors into mediators of acute neuronal injury. One …

Histologic Findings In Biopsies/Resection Specimens From The Small Intestine With Special Emphasis On Celiac Disease: Experience From A Developing Country In South Asia, Huma Arshad, Zubair Ahmad

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Biopsies from the small intestine especially the duodenum are now being performed much more frequently than in the past. The most frequent reason for performing duodenal biopsies is to evaluate for malabsorption. In the last few years, increased awareness has resulted in more biopsies sent for evaluation of malabsorption, especially celiac disease (CD). In the duodenum, features of malabsorption (increased intraepithelial lymphocytes, villous shortening, and atrophy) were the most common histologic finding seen in 63.4% of cases. Serum tTG levels were available for correlation in 52.8% of cases. In patients with confirmed CD, 53.4% were MARSH IIIb, and 29.5% were …

Development And Validation Of Sunlight Exposure Measurement Questionnaire (Sem-Q) For Use In Adult Population Residing In Pakistan, Quratulain Humayun, Romaina Iqbal, Iqbal Azam, Aysha Habib Khan, Amna Rehana Siddiqui, Naila Baig Ansari

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: Vitamin D deficiency has been identified as a major public health problem worldwide. Sunlight is the main source of vitamin D and its measurement using dosimeters is expensive and difficult for use in population-based studies. Hence, the aim of this study was to develop and validate questionnaires to assess sunlight exposure in healthy individuals residing in Karachi, Pakistan.

Methods: Two questionnaires with seven important items for sunlight exposure assessment were developed. Fifty four healthy adults were enrolled based on their reported sunlight exposure (high = 17, moderate = 18, low = 19) from Aga Khan University, Karachi. Over four …

Methods For Speculatively Bootstrapping Better Intrusion Detection System Performance, Sunny Fugate

Computer Science ETDs

During the last three decades, the designers of computer IDSs have been continuously challenged with performance bottlenecks and scalability issues. The number of threats is enormous. The performance of ID systems depends primarily on the quantity of input data and complexity of detected patterns. During noisy attacks, system load tends to increase proportional to increasing data rates, making ID systems vulnerable to flooding and denial-of-service attacks. Unfortunately, the number, type, and sophistication of threats is quickly increasing, outpacing our ability to detect them. The more we try to detect, the more computing and economic resources must be reserved solely for …

Fault-Tolerant Wireless Sensor Networks Using Evolutionary Games, Ricardo Villalon

Computer Science ETDs

This dissertation proposes an approach to creating robust communication systems in wireless sensor networks, inspired by biological and ecological systems, particularly by evolutionary game theory. In this approach, a virtual community of agents live inside the network nodes and carry out network functions. The agents use different strategies to execute their functions, and these strategies are tested and selected by playing evolutionary games. Over time, agents with the best strategies survive, while others die. The strategies and the game rules provide the network with an adaptive behavior that allows it to react to changes in environmental conditions by adapting and …

Multivalent Random Walkers:A Computational Model Of Superdiffusive Transport At The Nanoscale, Mark Joseph Olah

Computer Science ETDs

We present a stochastic model and numerical simulation framework for a synthetic nanoscale walker that can be used to transport materials and information at superdiffusive rates in artificial molecular systems. Our \emph{multivalent random walker} model describes the motion of a walker with a rigid, inert body and flexible, enzymatic legs. A leg can bind to and irreversibly modify surface-bound chemical substrate sites arranged as nanoscale tracks. As the legs attach to, modify, and detach from the sites, the walker moves along these tracks. Walkers are symmetrical and the tracks they walk on are unoriented, yet we show that under appropriate …

Virtually Present: An Ethnography Of Communication Look At The Shaping Of Social Rules In Small Group Interactions Mediated By Mobile Devices, Pamela Gerber

Communication ETDs

In this study I describe the communication rules that inform how particular bar patrons use mobile device technologies to shape particular types of small groups. Mobile devices have increasing been naturalized into the communicative landscape and the effects of this need to be explored. I focus on a college bar, MVF, to answer the following research questions: (1) What are the sets of rules surrounding mobile device use in small groups at MVF during late afternoons and evenings? (2) What are meaning(s) users and other group members attribute to the use of mobile devices at MVF during late afternoons and …

Growing Home: Sacred Space And Contemporary Ecotopia, Andrew Goering Gingerich

Architecture and Planning ETDs

This thesis investigates the concept of ecocentrism and how an emerging ecocentric worldview might uniquely shape the built environment. This thesis is particularly interested in the role of sacred space in urban development, and how the notion of sacredness, unique to an ecocentric worldview, might affect various aspects of the built environment. These issues are explored in two basic parts. First, three basic worldviews are discussed\u2014the pre-modern worldview, the modern worldview, and the emerging ecocentric worldview--specifically on the topics of nature, space, and the city. Second, a qualitative research study of three ecotopian' communities is presented--Village Homes in Davis, CA; …

Energy Development And Conservation Of Sympatric Wildlife: New Approaches To Meet Growing Challenges, William Christian Dunn

Biology ETDs

Conflicts between energy development and conservation of sympatric wildlife are becoming more acute as demand for energy increases. Resolving these conflicts is complex-- solutions must address the role of location, scale, and connectivity in persistence of populations. In Chapter 1, I use the MaxEnt species distribution model and pertinent climate variables to predict the natural distribution of the Lesser Prairie Chicken (LPC) (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), a prairie grouse adversely affected by habitat loss from energy development. Within the geographic range of LPC, precipitation was strongly associated with its distribution in the north, whereas temperature was strongly associated with its distribution in …

Effects Of Climate Change Upon Birds In The Mojave And Sonoran Deserts, Harinamsimran Kaur Khalsa

Biology ETDs

Climate change has increasingly become an area of concern in relation to ecological communities. In this study, climatic signals were investigated to determine whether bird diversity indices in the Breeding Conservation Region (BCR) of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts were related (1) to the oceanic/atmospheric systems El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and/or the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO); (2) to regional moisture influences determined by the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI); and (3) to local precipitation and temperature. Specifically, an examination was conducted to determine the relationship between climatic variables for thirteen bird species, total abundance …

Genetic Diversity, Local Differentiation, And Adaptive Evolution In Introduced Populations Of The Invasive Plant Isatis Tinctoria L. (Brassicaceae), Heather L. Simpson

Biology ETDs

Populations of invasive species are often characterized as genetically depauperate, an inherent consequence of the colonization process. It has also been suggested that species that are able to avoid these reductions in genetic diversity may be better able to adapt to their introduced range. Evolutionary change can play an important role in the invasion process if novel selective pressures drive adaptive evolution. Species that are able to avoid reductions in genetic diversity associated with colonization may be better able to adapt to their introduced range. To better understand the genetic processes following invasion, introduced populations of the invasive mustard, Isatis …

Prospect Theory Does Not Describe The Feedback-Related Negativity Value Function., Thomas D. Sambrook, Matthew Roser, Jeremy Goslin

School of Psychology

Humans handle uncertainty poorly. Prospect theory accounts for this with a value function in which possible losses are overweighted compared to possible gains, and the marginal utility of rewards decreases with size. fMRI studies have explored the neural basis of this value function. A separate body of research claims that prediction errors are calculated by midbrain dopamine neurons. We investigated whether the prospect theoretic effects shown in behavioral and fMRI studies were present in midbrain prediction error coding by using the feedback-related negativity, an ERP component believed to reflect midbrain prediction errors. Participants' stated satisfaction with outcomes followed prospect theory …

Information Needs Of The Rural Farmers : A Study From Maharashtra, India: A Survey, Nitin Bhagachand Bachhav

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Nowadays, information is a basic necessity of everyday life. For anything and everything information is required. Information can be obtained or retrieved from a variety of sources. Farmers constitute a particular group of users whose information needs is very specific. The present paper deals with the information needs of the farmer community in rural areas. The study conducted through survey method and reveals that 71 (40.58%) farmers requires daily information for various agriculture work. It is also found that the first preferred sources of the information of the farmers is colleague or fellow farmers following by newspapers and Government office.

The Challenges Of Promoting Reading Culture In Nigerian Children Through Story Hour, Book Talks And Exhibition: A Case Study Of Selected Secondary Schools In Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria., Oyemike Victor Ossai-Onah

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

It has been observed that reading culture among Nigerian children is tragically deficient when compared to the Western world. In this era of high level technological development, it is disheartening to note that reading culture is missing as the younger ones are now embracing watching of home video and accessing the Internet. The paper focused on the challenges of promoting reading culture in Nigerian children through study hour, book talks and exhibition. The study was carried out in some secondary schools in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. Ten (10) secondary schools were used and the findings reveals the challenges militating against …

Influence Of Information Source Parameters And Personal Characteristics Of Librarians On Readers' Ability To Retrieve Information In Reference Service, Nkoyo B. Edem

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

NKOYO B. EDEM (PH.D)

DEPUTY UNIVERSITY LIBRARIAN

UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR LIBRARY

CALABAR

E- mail: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted in four (4) University libraries, (two states and two federal) in the south – south zone of Nigeria to provide information on the perception of both librarians and readers on the influence of information source parameters (obsolete information sources and availability of relevant information sources), as well as personal characteristics of librarians (attitude and experience) on readers ability to retrieve information. The study used survey design to determine by means of a one item in a four point likert scale …

Lno Network Sites Data Training Needs, Long Term Ecological Research Network

Long Term Ecological Research Network

Partial memo answering the following questions.

Does your site have any training needs that are not being covered by the training activities organized by the LNO?

Do you have any questions about the All Scientists Meeting?

Compared to the other 25 LTER sites, how prepared will you be by December 31, 2012 to provide site data to the Network Information System via PASTA, top quarter of all sites, second quarter; third quarter; bottom quarter?

Grand Theft Auto Loans: Repossession And Demographic Realities In Title Lending, Nathalie Martin

Faculty Scholarship

This Article analyzes empirical data on one of America's fastest growing credit products, the title loan. A title loan is a high-interest, deeply oversecured, consumer loan, in which the consumer uses an unencumbered automobile as collateral for a non-purchase money loan. Title loans are made based solely on equity in a car. If a customer has insufficient income to pay the payments under the loan, typically interest-only payments at 300% per annum or more, the lender repossesses the vehicle, many of which have GPS trackers installed for this purpose. Not surprisingly, the repossession rates for title loans are higher than …