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2013

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Growth And Carboxysome Composition Of The Csosia Pore Mutants Of Halothiobacillus Neapolitanus, Jenifer Milam May 2013

Growth And Carboxysome Composition Of The Csosia Pore Mutants Of Halothiobacillus Neapolitanus, Jenifer Milam

Master's Theses

Carboxysomes are specialized organelles that are filled with ribulose 1,5- bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) needed for CO2 fixation. The major carboxysome shell proteins, CsoSl A, B, and C, form hexamers which tile together to form the facets of the thin shell. Each hexamer has a small central pore that may play a role in metabolite flux. Using predicted structural models, a specific amino acid within the conserved hexamer pore motif (Phe-Val-Gly-Gly-Gly-Tyr) was chosen to change the size and charge of the pore, respectively. Two mutants of Halothiobacillus neapolitanus were generated in which the wild type csoSJA gene was replaced with the …

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Family Structure And Child Emotion Regulation Difficulties As Important Factors In The Relation Between Maternal Depression And Child Externalizing Behaviors, Kristy Marie Disabatino May 2013

Family Structure And Child Emotion Regulation Difficulties As Important Factors In The Relation Between Maternal Depression And Child Externalizing Behaviors, Kristy Marie Disabatino

Master's Theses

The purpose of the present study was to investigate if child emotion regulation difficulties mediated the relation between maternal depression and child externalizing behaviors. In addition, understanding whether family structure is an important moderator in the relation between maternal depression and child emotion regulation difficulties was of interest in the present study. Archival data from 210 children (64.3% boys; 71.9% self-identified as non-Caucasian, 28.1% as Caucasian), one female caregiver, and the child's teacher were used. It was hypothesized that child emotion regulation difficulties would be positively related to maternal depression and child externalizing behaviors and would mediate the relation between …

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Sedimentary Characteristics Of An Estuarine Marsh System And The Roles Of Storm Overwash, Micro-Tidal Currents, And Organic Production: Big Branch Marsh, Louisiana, John Andrew Sebastian Fleming May 2013

Sedimentary Characteristics Of An Estuarine Marsh System And The Roles Of Storm Overwash, Micro-Tidal Currents, And Organic Production: Big Branch Marsh, Louisiana, John Andrew Sebastian Fleming

Master's Theses

The goal of this thesis is to document sediment composition in Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, located on the northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, to discern the relative influences of fluvial, tidal, and storm overwash transport dynamics of a micro-tidal estuarine marsh system. Collected sediment samples from tidal channel beds, pond bottoms, and marsh surfaces were analyzed for organic content and particle-size distribution. Parameters of sub-environment groups were compared to find differences representing changes in relative transport energy and depositional processes. Whereas some results adhered to the model of fining patterns with increasing distance …

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The Effects Of Snowmelt Percolation On Stratified Pollen Records: A Cooler Study, Michael Edward Ewing May 2013

The Effects Of Snowmelt Percolation On Stratified Pollen Records: A Cooler Study, Michael Edward Ewing

Master's Theses

Temperate valley glaciers may contain unique paleoecological records with the possibility of very high-resolution pollen analysis. However, little is known about the effects of meltwater percolation on pollen found in snow and glacial ice. Previous studies have suggested that pollen is relatively impervious to meltwater percolation due to grain size and, thus, resists transport. However, investigations on McCall Glacier in the Brooks Range of northeast Alaska reveal a disparity between the large amounts of pollen in the surface snow and firn, and dearth of pollen in the glacial ice core samples. The purpose of this study is to investigate if …

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The Role Of Hardiness, Family Hardiness, And Parenting Self-Efficacy On Parenting Stress In Adoptive Parents, Erica Danielle Raisanen May 2013

The Role Of Hardiness, Family Hardiness, And Parenting Self-Efficacy On Parenting Stress In Adoptive Parents, Erica Danielle Raisanen

Master's Theses

Adoptive parents are at risk for experiencing a high level of parenting stress (McGlone, Santos, Kazama, Fong, & Mueller, 2002) throughout the duration of the adoption experience. Adoptee background factors have been found to contribute to increased levels of parenting stress and distress in adoptive parents (Brooks, Simmel, Wind, & Barth, 2005; McDonald, Lieberman, Partridge, & Homby, 1991; McGlone et al., 2002). Increased parenting stress has been associated with negative outcomes for both parent and child (Ang, 2008; Deater-Deckard, Smith, & Ivy 2005; Morgan, Robinsion, & Aldridge, 2002). Hardiness, family hardiness and parental self-efficacy are protective factors that have all …

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Olfactory Working Memory: The Role Of Perceived Odor Name-Ability, Spencer Lawrence Macadams May 2013

Olfactory Working Memory: The Role Of Perceived Odor Name-Ability, Spencer Lawrence Macadams

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among three factors: perceived odorant name ability, whether the odorant was ingested through a single nostril or both nostrils, and how the odorant is represented in working memory. Participants smelled odorants through the left or right nostril or with both nostrils and then provided an identifying label for each odor and rated how accurately their label represented the odor. After a short delay, the participants were given a new stimulus set consisting of new and old odorants. Participants were asked to provide a label for the odor and determine whether …

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An Assessment Of A Herpetofaunal Community In Hamilton, County, Tennessee: Baseline Ecology, Species Richness, And Relative Abundance, Joseph Frellen Simpson Iii May 2013

An Assessment Of A Herpetofaunal Community In Hamilton, County, Tennessee: Baseline Ecology, Species Richness, And Relative Abundance, Joseph Frellen Simpson Iii

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Long-term investigations are needed to adequately assess herpetofaunal community structure and dynamics, and habitat alteration remains the most critical threat to these communities. Herein, I report on a 32-month study investigating species richness, abundance, sex ratios, and body sizes of amphibians and reptiles in a Hamilton County, Tennessee, wetland. Utilizing drift fencing in conjunction with pitfall arrays, a total of 14 reptile species and 16 amphibian species was recorded. Evenness was low among all study years due to large sample sizes of ambystomatid salamanders relative to all other species. Body sizes of Ambystoma were larger in females, and sex ratios …

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Evaluation Of Temperature-Performance Trade-Offs In Wireless Network-On-Chip Architectures, Nishad Nerurkar May 2013

Evaluation Of Temperature-Performance Trade-Offs In Wireless Network-On-Chip Architectures, Nishad Nerurkar

Theses

Continued scaling of device geometries according to Moore's Law is enabling complete end-user systems on a single chip. Massive multicore processors are enablers for many information and communication technology (ICT) innovations spanning various domains, including healthcare, defense, and entertainment. In the design of high-performance massive multicore chips, power and heat are dominant constraints. Temperature hotspots witnessed in multicore systems exacerbate the problem of reliability in deep submicron technologies. Hence, there is a great need to explore holistic power and thermal optimization and management strategies for the massive multicore chips. High power consumption not only raises chip temperature and cooling cost, …

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Contextual Effects On Student Academic Achievement : A Multilevel Analysis., Shawnise Martin Miller May 2013

Contextual Effects On Student Academic Achievement : A Multilevel Analysis., Shawnise Martin Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 1 million young people annually who should do not graduate from high school, positioning them on a downward trajectory of a lifetime of lower income and limited opportunities. The effects of low education ranges from micro-level consequences, such as unemployment and health, to mezzo-level consequences, such as neighborhood crime and poverty rates, to macro-level consequences, such as increased costs in government assistance and policy implications. Data from the 2011 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimate dataset and from the Jefferson County Public School (JCPS) Division of Data Management, Planning, and Program Evaluation were used to examine environmental factors that …

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Spectral Investigation Of The Conformation Of Primary And Secondary Micelles Of Sodium Cholate And The Impact Of Ph And Salt Concentration., Sarah Elizabeth Milliner May 2013

Spectral Investigation Of The Conformation Of Primary And Secondary Micelles Of Sodium Cholate And The Impact Of Ph And Salt Concentration., Sarah Elizabeth Milliner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bile salts are biosurfactants that aid in the digestion and absorption of lipids. Unlike most classical surfactants, they are facial amphiphiles with a rigid steroid backbone whose hydrophobic and hydrophilic faces are on opposite sides. As the concentration of bile salts increases, primary micelles are formed. Despite decades of studies of the molecular organization of these micelles, there is no agreement on their arrangement. To bridge this gap, one- and two-dimensional NMR studies of sodium cholate (NaCho) monomers and primary micelles were carried out. The experimental changes in chemical shift were interpreted with the aid of theoretical predictions. The observed …

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Modified Half-Edge Data Structure And Its Applications To 3d Mesh Generation For Complex Tube Networks., Richard Paris May 2013

Modified Half-Edge Data Structure And Its Applications To 3d Mesh Generation For Complex Tube Networks., Richard Paris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In computer graphics 3D mesh generation is an important topic, it is required for a vast number of applications. While there are currently solutions available for the generation of meshes, there is not one that suits our application well that is written in C#, for this reason a C# implementation of the half-edge data structure as well as a C# implementation of the mesh generation algorithms is needed. This document will discuss in detail the method by which the algorithms are implemented, the improvements that are made on the half-edge data structure, and the new features that have been added …

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The Autodidact : Constantine Samuel Rafinesque And The Limits Of The Posthumanities., Elijah Pritchett May 2013

The Autodidact : Constantine Samuel Rafinesque And The Limits Of The Posthumanities., Elijah Pritchett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The autodidact has a curious structural relationship to knowledge, education, and that assumed distillation of institutional learning, the academy. Because of its subjectivity-producing function, knowledge represents a site of tremendous cultural investment, and one that is challenged, if not even undermined, by the renegade ethos and idiosyncratic approach of the autodidact. Nineteenth century self-taught scholar and Renaissance man, Constantine Rafinesque, serves as a vivid exemplar, or even theoretical matrix, for demonstrating certain problems that the autodidact raises for post-Enlightenment knowledge as it assumes the various institutional states, metaphysical postures, and ideological closures necessary for its culturally privileged function. As the …

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Pioneers, Proclamations, And Patents : A Narrative Of The Conquest, Division, Settlement, And Transformation Of Kentucky., Brandon Michael Robison 1986- May 2013

Pioneers, Proclamations, And Patents : A Narrative Of The Conquest, Division, Settlement, And Transformation Of Kentucky., Brandon Michael Robison 1986-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study provides a narrative of Revolutionary Kentucky, focused on three key areas. First, it traces the struggle Native Americans, white settlers and speculators, and the various colonial, state, imperial, and national governments that claimed the territory for control and possession of Kentucky’s lands in the late eighteenth century. Second, this study focuses on the long-term effects of the struggle over Kentucky’s lands, paying particular attention to Virginia’s land laws of 1778-79, which created the framework by which the state distributed Kentucky’s land, and based on poor implementation of Jeffersonian notions of republicanism and allodial land ownership. Third, this study …

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Force Sensing Glove For Quantification Of Joint Torques During Stretching After Spinal Cord Injury In The Rat Model., Erik Seibt May 2013

Force Sensing Glove For Quantification Of Joint Torques During Stretching After Spinal Cord Injury In The Rat Model., Erik Seibt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An increasing amount of healthcare resources is used for the treatment and prevention of contractures in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), with stretch and passive movements remaining the most prominent intervention methods. The results of both clinical trials and animal studies in recent years have shown traditional stretch therapies to be ineffective at preventing contracture and joint immobility, and have encouraged further emphasis on evidence-based practices. However, these studies only analyzed one aspect of stretching, dosage, and failed to look at the characteristic of joint torque. Recent clinical trials have unearthed the fact that the joint torque application of …

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The Social Construction Of Ethnicity And Masculinity Of African American College Men., Jonathan Lee Johnson May 2013

The Social Construction Of Ethnicity And Masculinity Of African American College Men., Jonathan Lee Johnson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how African American college men construct masculine and ethnic notions of their identities, despite disproportionate social obstacles and hegemonic stereotypes. The primary research question of this study was, “how might African American undergraduate males understand and develop healthy concepts of their ethnic and masculine identities at a predominately White public institution?” The following research questions guided this study: (1) how do African American college men characterize their ethnic identity; (2) how do African American college men characterize their perception of their masculinity; (3) how do African American college men perceive their performance …

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Theoretical Investigations Of Photophysics And Spectroscopic Properties In B12 Cofactors., Karina Kornobis May 2013

Theoretical Investigations Of Photophysics And Spectroscopic Properties In B12 Cofactors., Karina Kornobis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Enzymes incorporating B12 cofactors (cobalamins) are significant biological components as they are involved in the metabolism of every cell of the body. The absorbing riddle, yet unresolved, is the enormous acceleration of the reaction rate that is strictly related to the Co–C bond cleavage initiating every catalytic cycle. Consequently, the realistic explanation of the processes controlled by B12 derivatives demands a profound analysis of their structure coupled with the examination of factors influencing subsequent steps of the reaction as well as properties of the reagents and intermediates. Herein, the photochemical study of cobalamins was presented as it provides a sensitive …

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Coup-Tfii And Its Interacting Proteins In Breast Cancer And Endocrine Resistance., Lacey Morgan Litchfield May 2013

Coup-Tfii And Its Interacting Proteins In Breast Cancer And Endocrine Resistance., Lacey Morgan Litchfield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter transcription factor II (COUP-TFII) is an orphan nuclear receptor that functions as either a transcriptional activator or repressor. COUP-TFII expression is reduced in endocrine-resistant breast cancer cells and overexpression of COUP-TFII restores the ability of antiestrogens to inhibit cell proliferation. In this study, I tested the hypothesis that the activity of COUP-TFII in maintenance of endocrine sensitivity and cell differentiation is dependent on its interacting proteins. A direct interaction was identified between COUP-TFII and the phosphoprotein nucleolin, which was found to function as a coregulator for COUP-TFIImediated transcription. COUP-TFII increased the expression of the tumor suppressor …

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Lungs, Lara Elmayan May 2013

Lungs, Lara Elmayan

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

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Effigy, Meaghan Castle May 2013

Effigy, Meaghan Castle

Gandy Dancer Archives

No abstract provided.

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In-Situ Monitoring Of Transport Properties Of Graphene During Plasma Functionalization And It's Applications In Energy Storage., Ruwantha Jayasingha Atapattu Mudiyaneselage 1980- May 2013

In-Situ Monitoring Of Transport Properties Of Graphene During Plasma Functionalization And It's Applications In Energy Storage., Ruwantha Jayasingha Atapattu Mudiyaneselage 1980-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Monolayer Graphene synthesized by chemical vapor deposition was subjected to controlled and sequential hydrogenation using RF plasma while monitoring its electrical properties in-situ. Low temperature transport properties were measured for each sample and correlated with ex-situ Raman scattering and X-ray photoemission characteristics. The dominant transport mechanism for weak hydrogenation was found to be electron diffusion and low temperature transport for strong hydrogenation is governed by variable range hopping. This investigation of transport properties of hydrogenated graphene supports to develop the universal scaling functions for metallic and insulating graphene by identifying the critical hydrogen concentration. A clear transition from Weak to …

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Tgf-B Signaling Pathway, Er-A And The Heterogeneity Of Breast Cancer Risk Among Hispanic And Non-Hispanic White Women., Stephanie Denkhoff Boone May 2013

Tgf-B Signaling Pathway, Er-A And The Heterogeneity Of Breast Cancer Risk Among Hispanic And Non-Hispanic White Women., Stephanie Denkhoff Boone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many risk factors for breast cancer differ between race/ethnic groups. Few studies have included Hispanic women: a genetically admixed population that differs from other ethnic groups for breast cancer incidence, survival, and tumor phenotype. The objective of this study was to determine if genetic variation in ERa and TGF-ß signaling genes (TGF-ß1, TGF-ßR1, RUNX1, RUNX2, RUNX3) is associated with breast cancer risk, and if these associations differ between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women (NHW). Data from The Breast Cancer Health Disparities (BCHD) study were used. BCHD is a multi-site consortium including two case-control studies within the U.S. and one in …

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"Tis A Consummation Devoutly To Be Wished" : Mortality, Sexuality And Spirituality In The Early Modern Period., Whitney L. Brown May 2013

"Tis A Consummation Devoutly To Be Wished" : Mortality, Sexuality And Spirituality In The Early Modern Period., Whitney L. Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the eroticism of mortality and spirituality during the Early Modern Period. This thesis argues that this eroticism stems from anxiety about the loss of human control to the forces of Death and the Divine. This led writers and artists to frame mortality in terms of the limit-experience of sexuality. By characterizing death as an intimate relationship with a personified figure, Early Modern artists could explore mortality’s hold over humanity, as well as humanity’s ability to choose mortality willingly. Mortality was also intricately linked to the religious fervor of the Early Modern Period, as believers sought to eroticize …

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Increasing Independence In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders Using Video Self Modeling., Julie Iberer Bucalos 1974- May 2013

Increasing Independence In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders Using Video Self Modeling., Julie Iberer Bucalos 1974-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Independent task completion was examined using a multiple probe across participants research design for three students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) functioning in an inclusive classroom. Results were positive and suggest that video self-modeling (VSM) is a viable solution to decrease prompt dependence and increase independence and task completion for students with an ASD. Participants quickly reached criterion, generalized behavior, and maintained skills after four weeks at 80-100% independence. Social validity of VSM was also measured by surveying teachers and students and found clear variations between general and special education teachers regarding their perceptions of the independence of students as …

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Influential Variables On The Timing Of Help-Seeking Behavior In Lung Cancer Patients., Lisa Carter-Harris May 2013

Influential Variables On The Timing Of Help-Seeking Behavior In Lung Cancer Patients., Lisa Carter-Harris

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lung cancer kills more people than any other cancer worldwide primarily because it is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. One factor that can influence advanced stage lung cancer diagnosis is delayed help-seeking behavior in individuals with symptoms suggestive of lung cancer. Delayed help-seeking behavior has been investigated in acute cardiovascular events and breast cancer, but there is little evidence on specific factors that influence the timing of help-seeking behavior in lung cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of healthcare system distrust, lung cancer stigma, and smoking status on the timing of help-seeking behavior …

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Environmental Regulation Of Cardiovascular Disease Risk And Regenerative Capacity., Natasha Krystal Dejarnett May 2013

Environmental Regulation Of Cardiovascular Disease Risk And Regenerative Capacity., Natasha Krystal Dejarnett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S., and its prevalence is predicted to increase through 2030. Acute and chronic exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and traffic pollution is positively associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It has been recently shown that exposure to elevated levels of combustion pollutants including tobacco smoke and PM2.5 is associated with decreased circulating levels of vascular progenitor cells (VPCs), angiogenic cells that participate in vascular repair and regeneration. Several investigators have reported that decreased VPC levels is associated with an increase in CVD risk and endothelial dysfunction …

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Vitamin D Plus Calcium Supplementation Among Postmenopausal Women : Effect On Risk Of Heart Failure In The Women's Health Initiative., Macarius Mwinisungee Donneyong May 2013

Vitamin D Plus Calcium Supplementation Among Postmenopausal Women : Effect On Risk Of Heart Failure In The Women's Health Initiative., Macarius Mwinisungee Donneyong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates the impact of vitamin D plus calcium supplementation as a primary intervention for heart failure (HF) prevention and examines whether preexisting conditions that are precursors of HF modify this relationship in a large cohort of postmenopausal women. Analysis included 35,113 postmenopausal women (17,595 intervention, 17,518 control) aged 50 to 81 years enrolled in the randomized trial of vitamin D plus calcium (CaD) in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study. The women in this analysis cohort were free of HF at the time of randomization and during the first year of the trial. The intervention consisted of 1,000 …

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The Feeling Of Faith : A Thomistic Account Of Religious Emotions., John K. Dryden 1976- May 2013

The Feeling Of Faith : A Thomistic Account Of Religious Emotions., John K. Dryden 1976-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a philosophical analysis of religious emotions. It draws upon Thomas Aquinas’s theory of the passions to build and apply a framework for thinking about religious emotions and their role in the spiritual life. The first two chapters are dedicated to building the theoretical framework. Chapter one outlines Aquinas’s theory of emotions in a very general way and compares this account to recent versions of cognitivism. By placing Aquinas in conversation with contemporary accounts, I show that his theory is able to capture the central insights of this mainstream philosophical view. According to the Thomistic account that emerges …

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Sexual Dimorphism In Periodontitis In A Mouse Model., Robert C. Gleason 1988- May 2013

Sexual Dimorphism In Periodontitis In A Mouse Model., Robert C. Gleason 1988-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Periodontal disease is an infection-driven chronic inflammatory disease. It occurs primarily from excessive inflammatory reactions that arise from complex exchanges between the host immune system and the tooth associated oral bacteria. It is the number one cause of tooth loss among adults. However, many factors confound results between males and females as to which sex is more susceptible to periodontal disease. Identifying the sex more prone to disease is integral in developing models of risk assessment and looking into the pathogenesis. Objective: To examine in vivo and in vitro the differences between male and female mice challenged with Porphyromonas …

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Impedance Analysis Of Endothelial Cells Undergoing Orbital Shear Stress., Mark Jacob Gruenthal May 2013

Impedance Analysis Of Endothelial Cells Undergoing Orbital Shear Stress., Mark Jacob Gruenthal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the endothelium at the cellular level could further knowledge of the cardiovascular system as a whole and could therefore lead to advances in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Electric cell-substrate impedance sensing is an in vitro technique that can be used for observing the behavior of endothelial cells in real-time using a fluid flow environment to simulate the circulatory system. This study examined the effect of fluid shear stress on human umbilical vein endothelial cells using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (impedance sensing). Circuit models were fit to empirical data to measure cell layer resistance and capacitance changes, and …

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Stream-Dashboard : A Big Data Stream Clustering Framework With Applications To Social Media Streams., Basheer Hawwash 1984- May 2013

Stream-Dashboard : A Big Data Stream Clustering Framework With Applications To Social Media Streams., Basheer Hawwash 1984-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Data mining is concerned with detecting patterns of data in raw datasets, which are then used to unearth knowledge that might not have been discovered using conventional querying or statistical methods. This discovered knowledge has been used to empower decision makers in countless applications spanning across many multi-disciplinary areas including business, education, astronomy, security and Information Retrieval to name a few. Many applications generate massive amounts of data continuously and at an increasing rate. This is the case for user activity over social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. This flow of data has been termed, appropriately, a Data Stream, …

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