Architects Of Justice: The Prosecutor’S Role And Resolving Whether Inadmissible Evidence Is Material Under The Brady Rule, Blaise Niosi

Fordham Law Review

In Brady v. Maryland, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the prosecution has a constitutional duty to disclose evidence favorable to the defendant’s guilt or punishment upon request.  The Court’s subsequent expansion of its holding in Brady has formed the “Brady rule,” which requires the prosecution to learn of and to disclose to the defendant all material exculpatory and impeachment information.  The Court defined “material” as information that would cause a reasonable probability of a different trial outcome had it been disclosed.

Currently, a circuit court split exists regarding whether evidence is material for purposes of the Brady …

“It Was The Best Of Times, It Was The Worst Of Times:” The Lived Experience Of Childbearing From Survivors Of Sexual Abuse, Jenna Logiudice

Doctoral Dissertations

Archival abstract submitted

On Women And Running: A Feminist Rhetorical Investigation Into The Political And Ontological Implications Of Consciousness-Raising Via The Sharing Of Women's Running Stories, Janelle Leann Briggs

Dissertations

The goal of my dissertation is to further our understanding of the political ramifications of women's running stories by focusing on the intersections of feminist rhetoric, women in sports studies, political theory, and ontology. To this end, I examined six books written by women, about women, who participate in the sport of running. Since I am most interested in how gendered concepts teach us how to be "appropriate," and due to the fact that what is considered appropriate gendered behavior changes over time, I start from a place of understanding that "appropriateness" is necessarily both hegemonic and unstable. As a …

"I Don't Want To Hurt Anyone's Feelings": Using Race As A Writing Prompt In First Year Writing, Dianna Shank

Dissertations

First Year Composition (FYC) is one of the most important courses for any incoming college student. This course (often designated as English 101) provides students the rhetorical tools to fully engage in critical thinking and writing on the college level. One of the most common methods of organizing FYC is to use a topic as the center of all the reading and writing prompts. The use of outside subject matter to teach FYC is a common practice that is rarely interrogated for its effectiveness. However, the Hairston debate in the early 1990s opened up a public discussion of how FYC …

Mega: An Energy Aware Algorithm For Self-Powered Wireless Sensor Networks In Sustainable Smart Infrastructure, Dong Qi, Yu Chen, Shahrzad Towfighian

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Smart infrastructure is attractive for possessing many desirable features, such as uninterrupted monitoring of health conditions, timely response to damages, and human-infrastructure interactions. Embedded sensors that collectinformation are critical for decision making. However, the lifetime of electronic sensors is a constraint to infrastructure lifetime if sensors are physically embedded in the infrastructure at construction time. In this paper, we studied a self-powered wireless sensor network that harvests energy from mechan-ical vibration in the environment. A dynamic, hierarchical algorithm called MEGA is proposed that constructs clusters and elects the cluster head based on residue energy and energy harvest rate. Taking a …

Swarna Ramaswamy_Thesis, Swarna S. Ramaswamy

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

STRUCTURAL INVESTIGATIONS OF LIGAND GATED ION CHANNELS

Swarna Ramaswamy, B.S

Advisor: Vasanthi Jayaraman, Ph.D.

Ion channels form an integral part of membrane proteins. In the nervous system including the central and the peripheral nervous system, ligand gated ion channels form a very important part of intercellular communications. They receive chemical signals and convert them to electrical signal, mainly by allowing ion passage across the cell membrane. Ion passage also translates into downstream signaling events. Faithful translation of these signals and transmittance is crucial for several physiological functions, implying that irregular ion channel function could lead to serious consequences.

This thesis …

Sox2-Dependent Transcriptional Control Of Airway Differentiation In The Mouse Lung, Belinda J. Hernandez

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

The lung is a highly branched tree-like tubular system that results from more than 20 generations of the conducting airways and consists of 300 million alveoli for gas exchange. Airway branches form via branching morphogenesis and then mature into conducting airways, in which the number and distribution of different cell types need to be precisely controlled. The conducting airways contain four lung cell types: club cells, ciliated cells, basal cells, and neuroendocrine cells.SOX2 is a well-known conducting airway marker. SOX2 is a transcription factor that is known to be important in embryonic development and induction of pluripotent stem cells. We …

Hypoxia Mediated Downregulation Of Mirna Biogenesis Leads To Increased Tumor Progression, Rajesha Rupaimoole

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of tumor associated microenvironment in the initiation and progression of tumors. However, a mechanistic understanding of the complicated biological interplay between the stromal framework and malignant regions of the tumor remains incompletely understood. In this study, we address mechanisms by which hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment leads to attenuation of miRNA biogenesis by downregulation of two key enzymes, Drosha and Dicer in cancer cells. Previous data from our laboratory had shown the clinical relevance of downregulated Dicer and Drosha in ovarian and other cancer types, but a clear …

Role Of Phosphorylation Of Focal Adhesion Kinase At Tyrosine 861 In Prostate Cancer Metastasis, Tanushree Chatterji

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that mediates interactions between the extracellular matrix and intracellular signaling pathways critical in promoting numerous cellular functions including adhesion, proliferation, survival and migration. Most FAK functions result from phosphorylation by Src family kinases, which trigger numerous signaling cascades. Overexpression of FAK is associated with metastasis in many solid tumors, including prostate cancer. Hence, understanding the mechanisms by which FAK is regulated in prostate cancer will better elucidate its role in prostate cancer metastasis. Work in this dissertation tested the hypothesis that altered phosphorylation of FAK is critical for cell migration and …

Sustained Adrenergic Signaling Promotes Cervical Cancer Progression, Nouara C. Sadaoui

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Chronic stress and sustained adrenergic signaling are known to promote tumor progression. The underlying mechanisms behind this process are not well understood. We examined the effects of sustained adrenergic signaling on cervical cancer progression through increased expression of HPV oncogenes, E6 and E7.

Materials and Methods: ADRβ expression levels were examined in patient-derived cervical cancer samples. We used an orthotopic model of cervical cancer to investigate the effects of restraint stress on tumor growth and metastasis. We evaluated the in vivo effects of a β-blocker, propranolol, and HPV E6/E7 siRNA. In vitro, ADRβ positive cervical cancer cells were …

Effects Of Oxytocin On Human Aggression, Joseph L. Alcorn Iii

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

EFFECTS OF OXYTOCIN ON HUMAN AGGRESSION

Joseph Louis Alcorn III, B.S.

Advisory Professor: Scott D. Lane, Ph.D.

Human interaction is comprised of common, yet complex, behaviors and the outcomes of these social behaviors can beneficially or detrimentally impact individual and public health. One social behavior that can have profound detrimental outcomes is aggression. Aggression is a class of social behavior that is particularly prevalent in individuals with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and comorbid substance use disorder (SUD). Aggression in these individuals can manifest at maladaptive levels that place considerable burdens on public health and communities. Therefore, understanding the neurobehavioral underpinnings …

Quantitative Analysis And Imaging-Based Insights Into The Characteristics And Mechanisms Of Yeast Pattern Formation, Lin Chen

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Biofilm formation is a common lifestyle adapted by bacteria and fungi in response to various environmental stresses. Bacterial and fungal biofilms adhering to medical devices convey resistance to antibiotics or biocides, causing high rates of clinical infections. Microorganisms are protected from harsh environmental conditions by reduced stress penetration through the complex biofilm architecture with distinct patterns. Although the molecular regulations of surface patterning have been well characterized in bacteria, the mechanisms underlying the complex pattern formation in eukaryotic biofilms remain unclear.

This dissertation aims to investigate the salient features of robust colony expansion in yeast biofilms and the processes driving …

The Role Of Dual Specificity Phosphatase -11 In Innate And Adaptive Immune Responses, Kalyan Chakravarthy Nallaparaju

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

THE ROLE OF DUAL SPECIFICITY PHOSPHATASE -11 IN INNATE AND ADAPTIVE IMMUNE RESPONSES

Kalyan Chakravarthy Nallaparaju, M.S.

Supervisory Professor: Chen Dong, Ph.D.

Dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) constitute a subfamily of protein tyrosine phosphatases characterized by their ability to dephosphorylate both phosphotyrosine and phosphoserine/phosphothreonine residues within a substrate, typically among members of the MAP kinase family. DUSPs have been shown to play a critical role in the regulation of various cellular processes including signal transduction, cell cycle regulation and cellular proliferation via modulation of MAP kinase activities. Also, many members of this family have been demonstrated to be potent immune regulators. …

Change Detection In Rhesus Monkeys And Humans, Deepna T. Devkar, Deepna T. Devkar

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Visual working memory (VWM) is the temporary retention of visual information and a key component of cognitive processing. The classical paradigm for studying VWM and its encoding limitations has been change detection. Early work focused on how many items could be stored in VWM, leading to the popular theory that humans could remember no more than 4±1 items. More recently, proposals have suggested that VWM is a noisy, continuous resource distributed across virtually all items in the visual field, resulting in diminished memory quality rather than limited quantity. This debate about the nature of VWM has predominantly been studied with …

Attachment, Vagal Tone, And Co-Regulation During Infancy, Jessica Chloe Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the development of attachment as it relates to co-regulation and vagal tone over the second half of the first year of life. Links to infants' attachment and developmental status were also examined. Symmetrical and unilateral co-regulated patterns of interactions at 6 months demonstrated significant linkages with attachment. Developmental status did not show direct linkages with attachment. Direct links between vagal tone and attachment were also not identified. Correlations between co-regulation and vagal tone at the 6 month time point were identified. Findings suggest an important role of co-regulation as it relates to attachment development. Future studies may …

Virtual Escapes And Intercultural Explorations: How Members Of Interpals Are Using Their Online Community As A Window To The World, Ryan Scott Bartlett

Theses and Dissertations

This study utilized in-depth, one-on-one interviews to examine the experiences, attitudes, and opinions, with regard to their use of the Internet for online intercultural communication (OIC), of a culturally diverse sample of 17 members of the global online social community, Interpals. The purpose of this study was threefold: first, the study sought to determine how OIC is shaping the intercultural perceptions of English-speaking Interpals members; second, the study sought to determine how OIC shapes and/or reinforces the cultural identities of English-speaking Interpals members; and finally, the study set out to examine the various ways that English-speaking Interpals members are using …

The Case For Ehearsay, Jeffrey Bellin

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

On April 4, 2014, the Advisory Committee for the Federal Rules of Evidence convened the Symposium on the Challenges of Electronic Evidence. The purpose of the symposium was "to consider the intersection of the evidence rules and emerging technologies" and explore what rule changes, if any, might be warranted in light of sweeping changes in the way people communicate.1 As an unapologetic advocate for changes to the hearsay rules, I thought it a happy coincidence that the symposium coincided with Seventh Circuit Judge Richard Posner's call for sweeping hearsay reform. In a 2013 article, eHearsay, I proposed a hearsay exception …

Teachers' Making Meaning Of Reduced Class Sizes: A Phenomenology, Brenda Ludy Snow

Dissertations

It is every teacher’s dream to have a classroom full of students who come to class each and every day highly motivated to learn. However, in all reality teachers know that this is not always the case. Researchers continue to search for reasonable alternatives to improve students’ learning. As children enter school a good start is imperative if they are to succeed in school, (Achilles & Finn, 2000). Class size reduction is a strong alternative and should be considered as part of a reasonable plan for student learning.

For this qualitative study, I examined and described the experiences of 12 …

Steps Toward A Net-Zero Campus With Renewable Energy Resources, Andrew Clarke

All Dissertations

With the increasing attention and support behind plug in hybrid electric vehicles, research must be conducted to examine the impacts of vehicles on electric distribution and transmission systems. This research aims first to model the behavior of vehicle battery chargers during system disturbances and mitigate any impacts. A distribution test system example is modeled and several different vehicle charger topologies are added. Faults are applied to the distribution system with vehicle chargers connected and the results are examined. Based on these results, a control strategy to mitigate their negative impacts is suggested. Photovoltaic panels are then added to the system …

Serious Toys: Teaching Computer Science Concepts To Pre-Collegiate Students, Yvon Feaster

All Dissertations

Advancements in science and engineering have driven innovation in the United States for more than two centuries. The last several decades have brought to the forefront the importance of such innovation to our domestic and global economies. To continue to succeed in this information-based, technologically advanced society, we must ensure that the next generation of students are developing computational thinking skills beyond what was acceptable in past years. Computational thinking represents a collection of structured problem solving skills that cross-cut educational disciplines. There is significant future value in introducing these skills as early as practical in students' academic careers. Over …

Empowering Citizens In A Global Era: A Grounded Theory Study Of Community Gardens, Anita Tam

All Dissertations

In our global era, the modern food system can be viewed as consisting of a dominant macro-level corporate food industry, challenged by broad-based meso-level food justice and democracy movements, which are in turn fueled by micro-level community food initiatives. Research has yet to examine the role of community gardens in the context of this complex, multi-level food system. Grounded theory methodology was thus used to explore the deeper meaning of the community gardening experience to participants, in order to better understand the ways in which community gardens may scale up and contribute to democratizing the food system. Analysis of the …

Design With Emotion: Improving Web Search Experience For Older Adults, Tamirat Abegaz

All Dissertations

Research indicates that older adults search for information all together about 15% less than younger adults prior to making decisions. Prior research findings associated such behavior mainly with age-related cognitive difficulties. However, recent studies indicate that emotion is linked to influence search decision quality. This research approaches questions about why older adults search less and how this search behavior could be improved. The research is motivated by the broader issues of older users' search behavior, while focusing on the emotional usability of search engine user interfaces. Therefore, this research attempts to accomplish the following three objectives: a) to explore the …

The Facilitated Individualized Education Program Process: State Perspectives, Jennifer Wagner

All Dissertations

Conflict between parents and school personnel continues to be an area of concern for students with disabilities, despite efforts by lawmakers to provide more parental input into the process of identification and continuation of special education services. Recent data suggest that unresolved conflict at the local level can cost a school district thousands of dollars to resolve the conflict in court, without consideration to the emotional costs that can be involved with this type of conflict resolution. Through mandates from IDEA 2004, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) strategies, such as facilitated individualized education program (FIEP) meetings, have been utilized to reduce …

Perceived Health Status, Health Values And Health Goals As Influences On Individual Pursuit Of Dtc Genome Testing: Implications For Healthcare Of Ill & Healthy, Carolyn Marie Dachs Farrell

All Dissertations

This dissertation examines an individual’s perceived health status, and health values, as influences on self-initiated health action, specifically the pursuit of Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genome testing. Motivation for this independent health action may also have implications for other individual health behaviors, including the potential for positive changes that are lasting rather than temporary. Health Capability, the conceptual framework, supports individual health values and goals, ability to access valued healthcare services and includes measures of health status. However, Health Capability lacks an operationalized mapping of its major concepts. This dissertation proposes and evaluates an original concept mapping and relationships. An overview of …

Do Actions Speak Louder Than Knowledge? Action Manipulation, Parental Discourse, And Children’S Mental State Understanding In Pretense, Dawn Melzer, Laura J. Claxton

Psychology Faculty Publications

Studies on pretense mental state understanding in young children have produced inconsistent findings. These findings could potentially emerge from the confounding influences of action manipulation or the failure to examine possible influences on individual children’s performances. To address these issues, we created a task in which 68 3- and 4-year-olds viewed two actors, side by side, on a monitor. Children were told that one actor was knowledgeable about a specific animal, whereas the other actor was not. The actors performed identical movements that were either related or unrelated to the animal they were mimicking or engaged in different behaviors contradictory …

Managing Devil Facial Tumour Disease In Tasmanian Devils (Sarcophilus Harrisii): An Investigation Of Heat Shock Proteins As Potential Vaccine Adjuvants, Monika Payerhin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The world’s largest carnivorous marsupial, the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii), is facing extinction from a deadly, highly communicable cancer that has already decimated over 85% of devil populations in the wild: devil facial tumour disease (DFTD). DFTD cells effectively evade recognition by the immune system, and every devil that contracts the disease dies from it. Many attempts have been made at developing a vaccine that could help save this now-threatened species. Heat shock proteins have been linked to enhanced immune recognition of pathogens, making them potential candidates for acting as adjuvants to such a vaccine against DFTD. In this study, …

Full Issue, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Educator Mindset: Perceptions Of Economic Inequality And Awareness Of Poverty On Student Potential, Cindy B. Copich

Student Work

Due to growing economic inequality and the increase of child poverty rates within the U.S., teachers today are more likely to work with students and families with increasingly complex and diverse economic needs. This study examines the significance of the relationship between educators’ awareness of poverty, perceptions of economic inequality, and mindset about talent and intelligence. The participants (N = 71) were adult students attending a Midwestern metropolitan public university’s summer educational leadership graduate course. Survey results revealed that only two of the 71 study participants had a growth mindset. Individuals with a growth mindset generally believe that through effort, …

An Exploration Of High School Engagement Factors And Their Relationship To College Completion Rates, Tamela J. Wegener

Student Work

Today our global economy is demanding a work force that is highly educated and skilled; yet many of our students entering college are not college ready despite all the assessments, increased requirements and state standards work this country has undertaken. The bridge between high school and post-secondary education needs to be built in order for this nation to move forward. This research investigates the predictors of college success. The findings indicate five critical components: (1) academic preparation; (2) demographic characteristics; (3) local and total scholarship amounts; (4) parent engagement; and (5) student engagement as measured by high school participation in …

Analyzing Shakespeare’S Plays In A Network Perspective, Vikas Thotakuri

Student Work

Networks are popular models for representing interactions between entities in systems, such as in sociology, bioinformatics, and epidemiology. The entities in the networks are represented as vertices and their pair-wise interactions are represented as edges [1]. Many network metrics such as degree centrality (number of connections of an entity) and betweenness centrality (number of shortest paths passing through the entity) have been developed to rank the entities according to their importance [7] [10].Social networks are generally modeled on only one type of relation. Groups are open-ended, which means the number of participants and the time frame are not finite. Time …