Digital Commons Network^™

Senate Meeting, November 19, 2014, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Minutes

No abstract provided.

Anisotropic Complementary Acoustic Metamaterial For Canceling Out Aberrating Layers, Chen Shen, Jun Xu, Nicholas X. Fang, Yun Jing

Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Departmental Research

In this paper, we investigate a type of anisotropic, acoustic complementary metamaterial (CMM) and its application in restoring acoustic fields distorted by aberrating layers. The proposed quasi two-dimensional (2D), nonresonant CMM consists of unit cells formed by membranes and side branches with open ends. Simultaneously, anisotropic and negative density is achieved by assigning membranes facing each direction ( x and y directions) different thicknesses, while the compressibility is tuned by the side branches. Numerical examples demonstrate that the CMM, when placed adjacent to a strongly aberrating layer, could acoustically cancel out that aberrating layer. This leads to dramatically reduced acoustic …

Rotunda - Vol 93, No 12 - Nov 19, 2014, Longwood University

Rotunda

No abstract provided.

Meeting Minutes For November 19, 2014, Rollins College Student Government Association

SGA Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.

The Population Genetic Structure Of Biomphalaria Choanomphala In Lake Victoria, East Africa: Implications For Schistosomiasis Transmission, Claire J. Standley, Sara L. Goodacre, Christopher M. Wade, J. Russell Stothard

Health Policy and Management Faculty Publications

Background

The freshwater snail Biomphalaria acts as the intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni, a globally important human parasite. Understanding the population structure of intermediate host species can elucidate transmission dynamics and assist in developing appropriate control methods.

Methods

We examined levels of population genetic structure and diversity in 29 populations of Biomphalaria choanomphala collected around the shoreline of Lake Victoria in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, where S. mansoni is hyper-endemic. Molecular markers were utilized to estimate the degree to which snail populations are genetically differentiated from one another.

Results

High levels of snail genetic diversity were found coupled with …

A Combined Method For Segmentation And Registration For An Advanced And Progressive Evaluation Of Thermal Images, Emilio Z. Barcelos, Walmir Matos Caminhas, Eraldo Ribeiro, Eduardo Mendonça Pimenta, Reinaldo Martinez Palhares

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications

In this paper, a method that combines image analysis techniques, such as segmentation and registration, is proposed for an advanced and progressive evaluation of thermograms. The method is applied for the prevention of muscle injury in high-performance athletes, in collaboration with a Brazilian professional soccer club. The goal is to produce information on spatio-temporal variations of thermograms favoring the investigation of the athletes’ conditions along the competition. The proposed method improves on current practice by providing a means for automatically detecting adaptive body-shaped regions of interest, instead of the manual selection of simple shapes. Specifically, our approach combines the optimization …

A Dream Deferred: The United States' Role In The Development Of The Kurdistan Regional Government (Krg) From 1991 – 2011, John Bugnacki

History & Classics Student Scholarship

Throughout the history of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the United States has both supported and undermined Kurdish nationalism depending upon changing geopolitical realities. In particular, the U.S. has sought to mollify important regional partners such as Turkey that possess large Kurdish populations who would presumably secede if the KRG were able to demonstrate the viability of an independent, Kurdish state. Despite its general policy of realpolitick, during the Iraq War, the U.S. embarked upon a period of nearly unprecedented positive support to the KRG, which allowed it to emerge as a major force in post-Saddam Iraq. However, the …

It's A Small World After All – And We're All Connected, Alaina Bernard

UCF Forum

We’ve probably all had the song “it’s a small world” stuck in our heads after visiting Fantasyland at Walt Disney World. This simple song highlights how we all are connected, and was created to promote the message of international peace and inclusion of diversity. Walt Disney sped up the tempo from the original version and made it more cheery, but it is arguably a simple message that we continue to strive for decades later.

Historical Species Distribution Models Predict Species Limits In Western Plethodon Salamanders, Tara A. Pelletier, Charlie Crisafulli, Steve Wagner, Amanda J. Zellmer, Brian C. Carstens

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Allopatry is commonly used to predict boundaries in species delimitation investigations under the assumption that currently allopatric distributions are indicative of reproductive isolation; however, species ranges are known to change over time. Incorporating a temporal perspective of geographic distributions should improve species delimitation; to explore this, we investigate three species of western Plethodon salamanders that have shifted their ranges since the end of the Pleistocene. We generate species distribution models (SDM) of the current range, hindcast these models onto a climatic model 21 Ka, and use three molecular approaches to delimit species in an integrated fashion. In contrast to expectations …

Usa V. Dwayne Thompson

2014 Decisions

USDC for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Dennis Macchione V. Coordinator Administrator In W

2014 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Elwood Small V. Sec Pa Dept Of Corrections

2014 Decisions

USDC for the Western District of Pennsylvania

A Bridge To Nowhere: Exposing Competition And Pricing Regulations That Lead To Mismanagement And Waste In Government Contracting, Jim R. Moye

Villanova Law Review (1956 - )

No abstract provided.

Daily Eastern News: November 19, 2014, Eastern Illinois University

November

No abstract provided.

Easterner, Vol. 66, No. 9, November 19, 2014, Associated Students Of Eastern Washington University

Student Newspapers

This issue of the Easterner contains articles about a student production of To Kill a Mockingbird, the ROTC finish at the Ranger Challenge, the English Language Institute anniversary, events to honor graduates who were Vietnam War veterans, a Black Student Union forum about the university curriculum, and the volleyball and basketball seasons.

Spartan Daily November 19, 2014, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily (School of Journalism and Mass Communications)

Volume 143, Issue 34

In Vivo Identification Of Eugenol-Responsive And Muscone-Responsive Mouse Odorant Receptors, Timothy S. Mcclintock, Kaylin Adipietro, William B. Titlow, Patrick Breheny, Andreas Walz, Peter Mombaerts, Hiroaki Matsunami

Physiology Faculty Publications

Our understanding of mammalian olfactory coding has been impeded by the paucity of information about the odorant receptors (ORs) that respond to a given odorant ligand in awake, freely behaving animals. Identifying the ORs that respond in vivo to a given odorant ligand from among the ∼1100 ORs in mice is intrinsically challenging but critical for our understanding of olfactory coding at the periphery. Here, we report an in vivo assay that is based on a novel gene-targeted mouse strain, S100a5-tauGFP, in which a fluorescent reporter selectively marks olfactory sensory neurons that have been activated recently in vivo. Because each …

Leukocyte Esterase Strip Test: Matched For Musculoskeletal Infection Society Criteria., Eric H Tischler, Priscilla K Cavanaugh, Javad Parvizi Md

Rothman Institute Papers

BACKGROUND: The presence of leukocyte esterase in the synovial fluid has recently been proposed as a marker for periprosthetic joint infection. However, the sensitivity and specificity of leukocyte esterase has not been determined when matched for the current, most inclusive Musculoskeletal Infection Society (MSIS) criteria for periprosthetic joint infection.

METHODS: The presence of leukocyte esterase was prospectively evaluated in synovial joint aspirates from hips and knees from May 2009 to May 2013. The cohort consisted of 189 hip and knee aspirations (fifty-two positive and 137 negative for infection). If the aspirate was bloody, a centrifuge was used to precipitate red …

The Bg News November 19, 2014, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. November 19, 2014. Volume 94-Issue 38.

The Guardian, November 19, 2014, Wright State University Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

Twelve page issue of The Guardian, the official student-run newspaper for Wright State University. The Guardian has been published regularly since March of 1965.

Teaching Conceptual Understanding Of Mathematics Via A Hands-On Approach, Jessica Korn

Senior Honors Theses

Given the current developments in the field of mathematics instruction in the United States, conceptual understanding and a hands-on approach in mathematics are two topics of importance. Conceptual understanding of mathematics is often lacking but characterizes the core of what mathematics actually is. Using a hands-on approach presents an effective way to teach conceptual understanding of mathematics. In order to argue this, a presentation of the underlying theories of mathematical understanding and pertinent approaches is given. Then follows an investigation of three studies pertinent to using a hands-on approach in teaching conceptual understanding of mathematics: one related to implementation (Gürbüz, …

Frequency And Fitness Consequences Of Bacteriophage Φ6 Host Range Mutations, Brian E. Ford, Bruce Sun, James Carpino, Elizabeth S. Chapler, Jane Ching, Yoon Choi, Kevin Jhun, Jung D. Kim, Gregory G. Lallos, Rachelle Morgenstern, Shalini Singh, Sai Theja, John J. Dennehy

Publications and Research

Viruses readily mutate and gain the ability to infect novel hosts, but few data are available regarding the number of possible host range-expanding mutations allowing infection of any given novel host, and the fitness consequences of these mutations on original and novel hosts. To gain insight into the process of host range expansion, we isolated and sequenced 69 independent mutants of the dsRNA bacteriophage Φ6 able to infect the novel host, Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes. In total, we found at least 17 unique suites of mutations among these 69 mutants. We assayed fitness for 13 of 17 mutant genotypes on P. pseudoalcaligenes …

Host, Pathogen, And Environmental Characteristics Predict White-Nose Syndrome Mortality In Captive Little Brown Myotis (Myotis Lucifugus), Joseph S. Johnson, Deeann M. Reeder, James W. Mcmichael Iii

KIP Articles

An estimated 5.7 million or more bats died in North America between 2006 and 2012 due to infection with the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS) during hibernation. The behavioral and physiological changes associated with hibernation leave bats vulnerable to WNS, but the persistence of bats within the contaminated regions of North America suggests that survival might vary predictably among individuals or in relation to environmental conditions. To investigate variables influencing WNS mortality, we conducted a captive study of 147 little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) inoculated with 0, 500, 5 000, 50 000, or 500 000 Pd …

Mingo V. State Respondent's Brief Dckt. 41879

Not Reported

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Collaborative Critical Thinking Training On Trust Development And Effectiveness In Virtual Teams, Mark Grichanik

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Workers in modern teams that perform tasks over computer-mediated communication channels encounter challenges in building trust and performing effectively. Finding interventions to mitigate such losses could improve team performance. Collaborative critical thinking (CCT) training has the potential to improve trust, monitoring, and effectiveness in virtual teams. Using a simulated search-and-rescue task, the effects of CCT training, as compared with a control training, were evaluated in 105 three-member teams. No effects of CCT training were found on team positive or negative monitoring, team cognitive or affective trust, team efficacy, or team viability. However, teams trained in CCT reported consistently higher levels …

Mantle-Crust Interaction In Granite Petrogenesis In Post-Collisional Settings: Insights From The Danubian Variscan Plutons Of The Romanian Southern Carpathians, Ciprian Cosmin Stremtan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The issue of granite petrogenesis plays a key role in our overall understanding of the growth and differentiation of continents, as well as in our ability to unravel the tectonic histories of orogenic belts. Granites are ubiquitous magmatic products found in almost all tectonic settings: oceanic and continental rifts (i.e., plagiogranites - extreme basalt differentiates), active continental margins (e.g,. the granitic batholiths of central and southern Andes), continent-continent collision zones (e.g., the orogenic batholiths of the Himalayas, Western Anatolia), post-collisional settings (e.g., the Variscan provinces of Europe), complex within-plates settings (e.g., Limmo massif, Afar, Ethiopia). Furthermore, granitoids are characterized by …

Perception Studies To Determine Receiving-Stream Color Objectionability Due To Effluent Discharge, Sarah Elisabeth Girdner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The United States' Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides general water quality guidelines for recreational water use that are similar to recreational standards published throughout the world. These guidelines are enforced by State agencies. In the State of Tennessee, the Tennesese Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) is the permitting authority who oversees these water quality guidelines. It sets color limits for a recreational water use color narrative under the auspices of EPA review that requires effluent discharge to be free of objectionable color. However, the narrative lacks numeric guidance on how to determine an acceptable discharge color. The City of …

A Comparison Of Emissions-Reduction Strategies To Improve Livability In Freight-Centric Communities, James Lewis Mersereau

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

In 2009, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development entered into an interagency “Partnership for Sustainable Communities” to cooperatively increase transportation mode choices while reducing transportation costs, protecting the environment, and providing greater access to affordable housing through the incorporation of six principals of livability (U.S. Department of Transportation, 2014a). This study focuses on strategies to reduce vehicle emissions and improve livability along the Lamar Corridor in Memphis, Tennessee, a location that was designated by the U.S. Government in 2010 as an area to be targeted for livability …

Surgical Suturing Training With Virtual Reality Simulation Versus Dry Lab Practice: An Evaluation Of Performance Improvement, Content, And Face Validity, Michael J. Amirian, Samuel M. Lindner, Edouard J. Trabulsi, Costas D. Lallas

Department of Urology Faculty Papers

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) simulation versus dry lab suturing practice at improving suturing performance in robotic surgery. Nineteen novice participants with no prior robotic suturing experience were randomized to two groups, VR simulation and dry lab, which consisted of inanimate training on a da Vinci Si surgical system. Each group underwent baseline suturing evaluation, then trained on the Simbionix™ Suturing Module (SSM) or undertook suturing practice using the da Vinci Surgical System in a dry lab. Final suturing performance was evaluated using the objective suture scoring method. Participants in the …

Climate Change Response At The Farm Level: A Review Of Farmers’ Awareness And Adaptation Strategies In Developing Countries, Nichola Harmer, Sanzidur Rahman

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

This paper provides an overview of farmers’ awareness and a typology of adaptation strategies undertaken in order to combat climate change at the farm-level in developing countries. The review suggests that the extent to which farmers are aware of climate change is uneven, and the link between perception and action is often unclear. Farmers adopt a range of strategies from financial responses, to agricultural changes, to religious and cultural strategies, to the use of local and wider support networks. However, whether these actions are adaptation or coping strategies is debatable. Response to climate change has both spatial and temporal dimensions; …