Digital Commons Network^™

Dengue Epidemiology In An Urban Slum Community In Salvador, Brazil, Kristine Gauthier

Public Health Theses

Brazil has experienced a major increase in the incidence of dengue fever and severe dengue since the mid-1990s. Due to incomplete vector-control and transmission prevention efforts, all four serotypes of the dengue virus now circulate in Brazil. Communities such as Pau da Lima, an urban slum in the city of Salvador, Brazil, face a high burden of disease. Beginning in 2009 enhanced surveillance for dengue fever and other acute febrile illnesses has been conducted at the São Marcos Emergency Center (CESM), the only public urgent care health center in Pau da Lima. This sentinel surveillance site serves as a model …

Cost Effectiveness Of Non-Laboratory Cvd Screening In Uzbekistan, Shefali Kumar

Public Health Theses

Background-- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk scores that require laboratory testing (e.g., cholesterol testing) are often used to identify high- and low-risk individuals for primary CVD prevention interventions, such as statin treatment. However, laboratory testing can be expensive and difficult to conduct in resource-limited settings. The aim of this study was to compare CVD risk characterization and evaluate the cost-effectiveness of non-laboratory based and laboratory-based CVD risk scores for adults in Tashkent City, Uzbekistan.

Methods--CVD risk for 853 adults (376 men, 477 women) from Tashkent City, Uzbekistan was assessed using laboratory-based and non-laboratory-based scores calculated from 2002 Uzbekistan Health Examination Survey …

Landscape, Demographic And Climatic Associations With Human West Nile Virus Occurrence Regionally In 2012 In The United States Of America, John P. Degroote, Ramanathan Sugumaran, Mark Ecker

Faculty Work

After several years of low West Nile virus (WNV) occurrence in the United States of America (USA), 2012 witnessed large outbreaks in several parts of the country. In order to understand the outbreak dynamics, spatial clustering and landscape, demographic and climatic associations with WNV occurrence were investigated at a regional level in the USA. Previous research has demonstrated that there are a handful of prominent WNV mosquito vectors with varying ecological requirements responsible for WNV transmission in the USA. Published range maps of these important vectors were georeferenced and used to define eight functional ecological regions in the coterminous USA. …

A Collaborated Process With A Wireless Autonomous Vehicle At It's Center, Thomas B. Stout, Steve C. Hsiung

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

Developing partnerships between high schools, community colleges and universities is critical for the successful transitions to a lifelong STEM careers. How do you develop these partnerships? The sharing of a technology platform such as autonomous vehicles can bridge the gap by using a common core group of materials. Collaborations between teachers and faculty indifferent schools that share common interests in teaching control systems and robotics technology can be an excellent start. The university as catalyst in the process by designing the curriculum, system hardware and software then through the common interest deploying them in the high schools and community college. …

Dissemination Of Microprocessor Courses Through Classroom And Interactive Cyber-Enabled Technologies, Steve C. Hsiung, John M. Ritz, Ece Yaprak, Thomas B. Stout, Richard L. Jones

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

The project is in the middle stages of the implementation. There seems to be a positive attitude of learning and using of the training system and curriculum package by all project staffs. Microchip, Inc. and microEngineering Labs, Inc. have donated supplies to support the hardware and software development for this project. The next objectives are team training, recruitment of interested trainees/teachers to participate in training for summers 2014, and assess the effectiveness of the implementations with teachers and students. Photo 2 is the project logo that describes all the concepts of this project.

Comparison Of Manufacturing Techniques For Composites Subjected To High Speed Impact, Kenneth Gollins

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Neuroevolution And An Application Of An Agent Based Model For Financial Market, Anil Yaman

Dissertations and Theses

Market prediction is one of the most difficult problems for the machine learning community. Even though, successful trading strategies can be found for the training data using various optimization methods, these strategies usually do not perform well on the test data as expected. Therefore, selection of the correct strategy becomes problematic. In this study, we propose an evolutionary algorithm that produces a variation of trader agents ensuring that the trading strategies they use are different. We discuss that because the selection of the correct strategy is difficult, a variety of agents can be used simultaneously in order to reduce risk. …

Tableaux Vivant For Suffrage; An Evening Of Art And Politics At The Maxine Elliot Theatre, Shannon Murphy

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Biobased Amphiphiles As Molecular Gelators, Nneoma C. Ezeude

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Tradition And Transformation In The Work Of Erica Hunt, Harryette Mullen, And Akilah Oliver, Janine D. Thornton

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Short Stories Of Jhumpa Lahiri, Stuart Waterman

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Yellow House, Chris Dielschnieder

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

The Study Of The Degradation Rates Of The Hexabromocyclododecane Isomers With Polysulfides At 25 Oc And Ph 9 In 80% Water / 20% Methanol, John H. Wilson

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Simultaneous Adsorption Of 11 Volatile Organic Compounds By An Activated Carbon Made From Polystyrene Sulfonic Acid-Based Organic Salt, Alejandro Smith

Dissertations and Theses

Activated carbon is used in water treatment worldwide due to its ability to adsorb many different contaminants from water. The high adsorption capacity of activated carbon is linked to its high internal surface area and micro/meso- porosity. In this work an activated carbon obtained from polystyrene sulfonic acid-based organic salt was examined to simultaneously adsorb eleven volatile organic compounds from aqueous solution. Adsorption data were modeled with different isotherms to determine the equilibrium adsorptive capacities for these compounds. The performance of the polymer-based activated carbon was then compared with that of a commercial wood-based activated carbon. The results indicate that …

Comparative Phylogeography Of Glassfrogs (Vitreorama) Endemic To The Brazilian Altantic Rainforest, Zoe Spanos

Dissertations and Theses

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest harbors one of the most diverse faunas of the world, including 2-3% of all known vertebrate species. Understanding the role of both climate and landscape in shaping current biodiversity patterns has been the focus of many recent phylogeographic studies. Here I explore multiple factors thought to have impacted the generation of local diversity in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (AF) using two montane, stream-associated species of glassfrogs – V. eurygnatha and V. uranoscopa. I integrate species distribution modeling, path analysis, and molecular data to test the role of climatic stability, rivers, mountain chains, and geographic distance in …

A Briny Crossroads Salt, Slavery, And Sectionalism In The Kanawha Salines, Cyrus Forman

Dissertations and Theses

The Kanawha Salines are a place whose history challenges conventional narratives and popular assumptions about slavery and freedom in the antebellum South. The paradoxical nature of slavery in this locale can be seen in the identity of the first documented people forced to labor in the salt works. A half century before enslaved Africans were imported to this region, European women and their families were kidnapped, enslaved, and marched to the salt mines by Native Americans: “In 1755, the Indians had carried Mary Ingles, her newborn baby, and others as captives....to this spot on the Kanawha to attain a salt …

Methodological Advancements For Improving Performance And Generating Ensemble Ecological Niche Models, Robert Boria

Dissertations and Theses

This study employs spatial filtering of occurrence data with the aim of reducing overfitting to sampling bias in ecological niche models (ENMs). Sampling bias in geographic space leads to localities that may also be biased in environmental space. If so, the model can overfit to those biases. As a preliminary test addressing this issue, we used Maxent, bioclimatic variables, and occurrence localities of a broadly distributed Malagasy tenrec, Microgale cowani (Family Tenrecidae: Subfamily Oryzorictinae). We modeled the abiotically suitable area of this species using three distinct datasets: unfiltered, spatially filtered, and rarefied unfiltered localities. To quantify overfitting and model performance, …

Elephant In The Dark, Eli Samuel

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Assessing Satellite Image Data Fusion With Information Theory Metrics, James Cross

Dissertations and Theses

A common problem in remote sensing is estimating an image with high spatial and high spectral resolution given separate sources of measurements from satellite instruments, one having each of these desirable properties. This thesis presents a survey of seven families of algorithms which have been developed to provide this common pattern of satellite image data fusion. They are all tested on artificially degraded sets of satellite data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (“MODIS”) with known ideal results, and evaluated using the commonly accepted data fusion assessment metrics spectral angle mapper (“SAM”) and Erreur Relative Globale Adimensionelle de Synth`ese (“ERGAS”). …

Momentum 2014, Sam Chase

Momentum

A journal of undergraduate research

Toward A Jurisprudence Of Drug Regulation, Matthew Herder

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Efforts to foster transparency in biopharmaceutical regulation are well underway: drug manufacturers are, for example, legally required to register clinical trials and share research results in the United States and Europe. Recently, the policy conversation has shifted toward the disclosure of clinical trial data, not just trial designs and basic results. Here, I argue that clinical trial registration and disclosure of clinical trial data are necessary but insufficient. There is also a need to ensure that regulatory decisions that flow from clinical trials — whether positive (i.e. product approvals) or negative (i.e. abandoned products, product refusals, and withdrawals) — are …

Prediction Of Structure Borne Noise Radiation And Propagation From Offshore Impact Pile Driving, Huikwan Kim

Open Access Dissertations

This study investigates prediction of structure borne noise radiation and propagation from offshore impact pile driving in shallow water environment. Noise generated by offshore impact pile driving radiates into and propagates through the air, water, and sediment medium. Predicting noise levels around the pile structure at sea is required to estimate the effects of the noise and vibration on marine life. This study used one of the commercial FE (Finite Element) code Abaqus 6.11 to calculate harmonic and transient response of the offshore wind turbine support structure and associated acoustic pressure amplitudes due to hydraulic hammer impact on top. First …

The Cycle Intersection Matrix And Applications To Planar Graphs And Data Analysis For Postsecondary Mathematics Education, Caitlin R. Phifer

Open Access Dissertations

Given a finite connected planar graph G with s finite faces, we define the cycle-intersection matrix, C(G) = (c_ij) to be a symmetric matrix of size s x s where c_ii is the length of the cycle which bounds finite face i, and c_ij is the negative of the number of common edges in the cycles bounding faces i and j for i ≠ j. We will show that detC(G) equals the number of spanning trees in G. As an application, we compute the number of spanning trees of grid graphs …

Implicitly Restarted Krylov Subspace Methods For Large-Scale Least-Squares Problems, Daniel J. Richmond

Open Access Dissertations

The LSQR algorithm is a popular Krylov subspace method for obtaining solutions to large-scale least-squares problems. For some matrices, however, LSQR may require a prohibitively large number of iterations to determine an approximate solution within a desired accuracy. This is often the case when the solution vector has large components in the direction of the singular vectors associated with the smallest singular values of the matrix. This dissertation describes how the Krylov subspaces generated from LSQR can be conveniently updated to contain good approximations to the singular vectors corresponding to the smallest singular values of the matrix. The updates can …

An Investigation Of The Relationship Between School Leadership, Teacher Job Satisfaction, And Student Achievement, Beth-Ann Tek

Open Access Dissertations

This correlational cross-sectional study identifies and tests research-based constructs of school leadership and teacher job satisfaction on the 2012 Tell MASS survey using exploratory factor analyses, confirmatory factor analyses, and reliability analyses. Hierarchical linear modeling is used to examine the relationship between the survey’s school leadership and teacher job satisfaction scales. Multiple regression analyses are used to investigate the hypothesis that school leadership and student achievement on standardized tests in English Language Arts and Mathematics are also related, though this relationship is mediated by teacher job satisfaction.

Analyses revealed four major findings. First, EFA, CFA, and reliability analyses determined that …

Validation Of A Social Skills Construct Using Multitrait Multimethod And Generalizability Approaches, Monica Mabe

Open Access Dissertations

Social skills are important components of social‐emotional functioning that allow children to be successful in school, both socially and academically. A single, agreed‐upon definition of social skills has not been identified in the literature, however, which has led to variations in the measurement and assessment of social skills. Issues of measurement may be linked to the ineffectiveness of school‐based social‐skills interventions. Commonly used conceptualizations and operationalizations of social skills are presented, as well as a review of issues surrounding social‐skills interventions. The use of a multitrait‐multimethod approach is presented for the use of establishing a unified set of social skills …

A Case Study Of Student And Teacher Relationships And The Effect On Student Learning, Patricia Brady Gablinske

Open Access Dissertations

This research study explored the affective domain of teacher-student relationships using a single case study design. This single case study produced a synthesis of information that guides a classroom teacher in the development and maintenance of her relationships with her students. The resulting analysis and interpretation provided a description of major themes that developed regarding strong teacher student relationships, as well as, specific components to the interactions considered essential for the student’s learning environment.

The outcome of this study is an account of experiences and procedures that guide the development and maintenance of relationships between a teacher and her students. …

Using Activated Carbon To Enhance The Vocs And Heavy Metals Removal Of A Porous Asphalt Pavement System, Hui Chen

Open Access Dissertations

Two different porous asphalt pavement systems (PAPS) were designed to enhance the removal of VOCs (dichloromethane and toluene) and heavy metals (cadmium, copper and lead) from roadway runoff. These two PAPS utilized granular activated carbon (GAC) additions to the conventional PAPS. One PAPS, the CPP system (carbon in porous pavement), had GAC added directly to the top porous asphalt mix, and the other PAPS, the CCA system (carbon in coarse aggregates), had GAC added to the sub-base filter course below the porous asphalt layer. The removal of selected VOCs and heavy metals through the CPP and the CCA systems was …

Determination Of Residue Levels Of Alpha-Chloralose In Duck Tissues, David A. Goldade, Randal S. Stahl, John. J. Johnston

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Alpha-chloralose (AC) is used to capture nuisance waterfowl so that they can be relocated. Concerns for food safety limit its use prior to or during the waterfowl hunting season. To determine its half-life in tissue, we administered AC to adult male (n = 7) and female (n = 5) mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) via oral gavage. A gel capsule containing 100 μCi of radioactive AC (14C-AC) and sufficient nonlabeled AC to produce a dose of approximately 30 mg/kg was given to each duck.The ducks were euthanized at 2, 6, 10, and 18 hours postdosing …

Summary Of Large-Scale C-Shaped Reinforced Concrete Wall Tests, Anahid A. Behrouzi, Andrew Mock, Laura Lowes, Dawn Lehman, Daniel Kuchma

Architectural Engineering

Flexural concrete walls (i.e., walls the yield in flexural prior to failure) are used commonly as the lateral load resisting system for mid‐ and high‐rise buildings on the West Coast. They are relatively stiff under service‐level loading, can take on various configurations to accommodate architectural constraints, and are generally assumed to exhibit ductile response under severe earthquake loading. Despite heavy reliance on concrete walls, relatively little research has been done to investigate the earthquake performance of walls with modern design details. Few data exist characterizing the performance of modern walls under variable levels of earthquake loading or the impact of …