Digital Commons Network^™

Second Class Children: The Intestate Inheritance Rights Denied To Posthumously Conceived Children And How Legislative Reform And Estate Planning Techniques Can Create Equality, Mary Kate Zago

Student Works

No abstract provided.

The Thermodynamics Of Planetary Engineering On The Planet Mars, Christopher Barsoum

HIM 1990-2015

Mars is a potentially habitable planet given the appropriate planetary engineering efforts. In order to create a habitable environment, the planet must be terraformed, creating quasi-Earth conditions. Benchmarks for minimum acceptable survivable human conditions were set by observing atmospheric pressures and temperatures here on Earth that humans are known to exist in. By observing a positive feedback reaction, it is shown how the sublimation of the volatile southern polar ice cap on Mars can increase global temperatures and pressures to the benchmarks set for minimum acceptable survivable human conditions. Given the degree of uncertainty, utilization of pressure scale heights and …

Novel Mechanism Of Attenuation Of Lps-Induced Nf-Kappab Activation By The Heat Shock Protein 90 Inhibitor, 17-N-Allylamino-17-Demethoxygeldanamycin, In Human Lung Microvascular Endothelial Cells, Gagan S. Thangjam, Christiana Dimitropoulou, Atul D. Joshi, Nektarios Barabutis, Mary C. Shaw, Yevgeniy Kovalenkov, Christopher M. Wallace, David J. Fulton, Vijay Patel, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

Heat shock protein (hsp) 90 inhibition attenuates NF-kappaB activation and blocks inflammation. However, the precise mechanism of NF-kappaB regulation by hsp90 in the endothelium is not clear. We investigated the mechanisms of hsp90 inhibition by 17-N-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) on NF-kappaB activation by LPS in primary human lung microvascular endothelial cells. Transcriptional activation of NF-kappaB was measured by luciferase reporter assay, gene expression by real-time RT-PCR, DNA binding of transcription factors by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, protein-protein interaction by coimmunoprecipitation/immunoblotting, histone deacetylase (HDAC)/histone acetyltransferase enzyme activity by fluorometry, and nucleosome eviction by partial microccocal DNase digestion. In human lung microvascular endothelial cells, 17-AAG-induced …

Cooperation Of Amazon Countries: A Comparative Analysis Of Forest Law Towards A Cooperative Effort For The Conservation And (Sustainable) Development Of The Amazon Rainforest, Maria Antonia Tigre

Dissertations & Theses

The Amazon region contains the world’s largest river, the world’s biggest tropical forest, and the world’s richest biodiversity and is shared by nine countries (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela), each with its individual approach as to how to protect this environment. However, due to its unique value in the local, national, regional and global context, cooperation is required to manage this ecosystem. This thesis thus evaluates the approaches of environmental protection in the Amazon region at the national, regional, and international levels through the lens of forest protection.

At the international scale the international …

Wsu Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes, May 1-2, 2014

Board of Trustees Minutes

Minutes from the Wright State University Board of Trustees Meeting held on May 1-2, 2014.

Gaia’S Navy: The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’S Battle To Stay Afloat And International Law, Gerry Nagtzaam

William & Mary Environmental Law and Policy Review

This Article critically examines the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and its self-appointed role to protect oceanic life. In Part I, the Article examines the history of this radical environmental group, the role performed by its charismatic leader, Paul Watson, its organizational structure, its strategies and tactics, its governing philosophy, and its attitudes to violence. Part II provides a history of the various direct actions carried out by the group; it examines the organization’s ongoing confrontations with the Japanese whaling fleet, documents the current legal travails the group and its leader are experiencing, and asks whether its methods are counterproductive to …

Visions Of Living With Parkinson's Disease: A Photovoice Study, Danice Greer, Cheryl Cooper, Melinda Hermanns

Faculty Posters

This poster was presented at the May 2014 UT Tyler Faculty Awards.

Humanimal, April Vandegrift

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is part of a project that includes a physical body of work in which I investigate ideas about cultural narratives and hierarchies of power. I discuss how animal imagery in the stories that we tell at multiple levels in our culture has been used to communicate societal norms and rules. Thus, the paintings explore the notion of power in contemporary culture. The language of 18^th and 19^th century portrait painting is employed to draw a comparison between depictions of people in power and animal stereotypes. Childhood games are utilized as a way to demonstrate how social …

I Bake, He Grills: Relationships In The Kitchen, Megan Boatman

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Food and communication are equally vital to the human experience. They are essential to nourishment and growth. Both can be complex and rich, or rudimentary and straightforward. Food and food preparation as a lens for study has recently expanded within the communication field. This study attempts to add to the existing body of research and specifically focuses on a complex interpersonal setting: meal preparation. The author posits that a greater understanding of roles and expectations in developing romantic relationships can be gained by examining the ways in which partners communicate while working together to prepare a meal. The author employs …

Factors Influencing Water Extractable Phosphorus Reduction In Poultry Litter By Chitosan Treatment, Zachary Paul Simpson

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Phosphorus is known to be a chief factor in the eutrophication of freshwaters. Phosphorus in land applied poultry litter can runoff and pollute these freshwaters. Chitosan, the deacetylated form of the biopolymer chitin, has been shown to have an effect on reducing water extractable phosphorus (WEP) in poultry litter when applied as a powder. The intent of this study was to measure the effect that acetic acid and incubation time have on chitosan’s ability to reduce WEP in poultry litter. The results were that the presence of poultry litter treatment (PLT) in the litter inhibits chitosan’s ability reduce WEP. Chitosan …

Nursing: The Next Chapter, Lance C. Hansard

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

My Capstone project titled Nursing: The Next Chapter is a culmination of my studies in the Master of Arts in Professional Writing program in the applied writing track. The project itself has been in process for more than four semesters and involved various research techniques, writing workshops, and two directed studies.

Nonprofit Organizations And The Ever-Changing Culture Of The American Society: An Analysis Of Values And Support, Crystal Money

Dissertations, Theses and Capstone Projects (Full IR Collection)

No abstract provided.

Bio Roll-Up: Self-Assembling Scaffolds For Tissue Engineering, Chase Austyn Brisbois

Nanoscale Science & Engineering (discontinued with class year 2014)

There is an unmet need for controlled, dynamic cell scaffolds that will generate 3-D monolayers of epithelial cells for medical research and tissue engineering. Here we describe a system that uses photoimageable and biocompatible HEMA-based hydrogel bilayers that self-assemble from 2-D substrates into 3-D tube-shaped structures. These structures are patterned on top of another layer that demonstrates an ability to anchor the assembled structure and control the direction and extent of selfassembly. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay which shows material components comparable with the positive control (80-110%). Finally, the masks used in the experiments herein were redesigned to …

Experimental And Simulation Studies Of The Permeation Of Water Through Polydimethylsiloxane (Pdms), Dilawer Singh

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Experimental and computational techniques were used to test the permeation of water through polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The experimental portion consisted of creating a permeation cell in such a way that water’s only path to escape was through a PDMS membrane. Weight measurements were recorded and turned into a permeation coefficient of water through different types of PDMS. The membranes were then stretched to a certain amount to study the effect on water permeation. The computational part used Large-scale Atomic / Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (LAMMPS) to study the diffusion coefficient of water through PDMS. The initial step was to translate coarse-grain …

Estimating Unsaturated Flow Properties In Coarse Conglomeratic Sediment, Michael James Thoma Jr.

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I address the lack of knowledge of unsaturated flow in coarse, conglomeratic sediment by determining if functional θ-ψ-K relationships, specifically van Genuchten-Mualem (VGM) relationships, developed to predict unsaturated flow in relatively fine-grained sediment can be directly applied to coarse, conglomeratic sediment. In the summer of 2011, a field-scale infiltration test was conducted at the Boise Hydrogeophysical Research Site to determine if functional ψ-θ-K relationships could be applied to infiltration in coarse, conglomeratic sediment, and to estimate parameter values for the VGM relationships. Vertically and laterally distributed ψ(t) and θ( …

Panorama May 2014, Southern Adventist University

Panorama Parent Newsletter

This issue of the Panorama parent newsletter discusses helping students choose a career, highlights the LEAP Program, and contains a profile on Jim Wampler, the Student Success Center director.

A School-Based Intervention’S Impact On Children’S Knowledge And Self-Efficacy Related To Physical Activity And Nutrition: A Pilot Study, Katherine Turley Jenkins

Theses and Dissertations

Childhood obesity has become epidemic in the United States. One of the best places to combat this problem is within the school system. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in exercise self-efficacy, science interest, and science knowledge of children who participated in a school-based anatomy and healthy lifestyle intervention called Anatomy Academy. In this pilot study, 212 study participants were recruited from 5th and 6th grade children enrolled in one of three charter schools who participated in our 7-week intervention, Anatomy Academy. Children completed four questionnaires pre and post intervention: (1) a science knowledge questionnaire, (2) a …

Synaptic Plasticity In Gabaergic Inhibition Of Vta Neurons, Jennifer Kei Mabey

Theses and Dissertations

Past research has demonstrated that the motivational effects of opiates causes a change in ventral tegmental area (VTA) γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) subtype A receptor [GABA(A)R] complexes in opiate-dependent animals, which switch from a GABA-induced hyperpolarization of VTA GABA neurons to a GABA-induced depolarization. Previously shown in naïve animals, superfusion of ethanol (IC50 = 30 mM) and the GABA(A)R agonist muscimol (IC50 = 100 nM) decreased VTA GABA neuron firing rate in a dose-dependent manner. The aim of this study was to evaluate VTA GABA neuron excitability, GABA synaptic transmission to VTA GABA neurons, and a potential switch in GABA(A)R …

Elucidation And Improvement Of Algorithms For Mass Spectrometry Isotope Trace Detection, Robert Anthony Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Mass spectrometry facilitates cutting edge advancements in many fields. Although instrumentation has advanced dramatically in the last 100 years, data processing algorithms have not kept pace. Without sensitive and accurate signal segmentation algorithms, the utility of mass spectrometry is limited. In this dissertation, we provide an overview and analysis of mass spectrometry data processing. A tutorial to ease the learning curve for those outside the field is provided. We draw attention to the lack of critical evaluation in the field and describe the resulting effects, including a glut of algorithm contributions of questionable novel contribution. To facilitate increased critical evaluation, …

An Affinity–Effect Relationship For Microbial Communities In Plant–Soil Feedback Loops, Yi Lou, Sharon A. Clay, Adam S. Davis, Anita Dille, Joel Felix, Analiza H. M. Ramirez, Christy L. Sparague, Anthony C. Yannarell

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Feedback loops involving soil microorganisms can regulate plant populations. Here, we hypothesize that microorganisms are most likely to play a role in plant–soil feedback loops when they possess an affinity for a particular plant and the capacity to consistently affect the growth of that plant for good or ill. We characterized microbial communities using whole-community DNA fingerprinting from multiple "home-and-away" experiments involving giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.) and common sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), and we looked for affinity–effect relationships in these microbial communities. Using canonical ordination and partial least squares regression, we developed indices expressing each microorganism's affinity …

Control Of Cellular Motility By Neuropilin-Mediated Physical Interactions, Xiaobo Li, Matthew W. Parker, Craig W. Vander Kooi

Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The neuropilin (Nrp) family consists of multifunctional cell surface receptors with critical roles in a number of different cell and tissue types. A core aspect of Nrp function is in ligand-dependent cellular migration, where it controls the multistep process of cellular motility through integration of ligand binding and receptor signaling. At a molecular level, the role of Nrp in migration is intimately connected to the control of adhesive interactions and cytoskeletal reorganization. Here, we review the physiological role of Nrp in cellular adhesion and motility in the cardiovascular and nervous systems. We also discuss the emerging pathological role of Nrp …

Supporting Writing Skills In The Common Core State Standards For Students In Grades 3-5 With Executive Functioning And Learning Difficulties: A Teacher’S Toolkit, Elizabeth Anne Conlon

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Poor writers do not display the skills and strategies employed by skilled writers. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) set forth an expectation that all children will become skilled writers; yet, for most students with executive functioning weakness and/or learning disabilities, writing is the most challenging academic task. For poor writers to begin to develop essential skills for college and career readiness and the willingness to write, teachers need to provide students with specialized materials and teach instructional strategies that students can utilize independently. The purpose of this thesis was to create a toolkit for grade 3-5 teachers containing a …

Minimizing The Cost Of Competition In The Black-Crested Titmouse: Status Signaling, Dominance, And Foraging Behavior, Philip Queller

Biology Honors Theses

Status signals allow senders and receivers to minimize the costs of competition by minimizing the need for costly physical fights. While much research has focused on demonstrating that individuals respond to status signals in both breeding and non-breeding contexts, less is known about how the function of status signals may change as resource availability changes seasonally. In this thesis, I provide a basic review of status signaling in birds and report the results of an investigation on status signaling in the black-crested titmouse during different environmental conditions. The black-crested titmouse is a socially monogamous passerine that defends territories throughout the …

Hodgkin's Lymphoma. An Immunohistochemical Profile In Northern Iraq, Mustafa S. Fadhil, Wahda M. Al-Nueimy, Ahmad F. Lazim

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the expression of several immunohistochemical markers in Hodgkin9s lymphoma (HL), and to determine the relative frequency of HL subtypes. METHODS: From January 2010 through January 2013, 42 HL cases were included in this case series study. Cases were collected from Al-Jumhori Teaching Hospital and private laboratories in Nineveh province, Iraq. The tumors were subtyped according to the World Health Organization classification system. Several markers including CD30, CD15, CD20, CD79a, CD3, and CD43 were evaluated immunohistochemically. RESULTS: The patients9 ages ranged from 5-81 years (mean: 32). A bimodal age distribution was discerned, with most cases in the third …

Building Academic Confidence In English Language Learners In Elementary School, Alejandra Vazquez

Senior Theses

Non-English speaking students lack the confidence and preparation to be verbally actively engaged in the classroom. Students may frequently display hesitation in learning to speak English, and may also lack a teacher’s guidance in becoming proficient English speakers. The purpose of this research is to examine how teachers build academic confidence in English language learners. This study also examines how teachers can develop active and confident English speaking students, and improve home-school communication. Research questions include the following: What are factors that contribute to confidence among ELL students in gaining English fluency? How can classroom teachers help develop selfconfidence in …

Individual And Social Ontologies Of The Self: Analyzing The Spectrums Of Selfhood, Evan Alexander Ferguson

Senior Theses

I propose to engage in a survey and critical evaluation of various fundamental understandings of selfhood. I will organize my analysis along two ontological dimensions. The first considers the difference between individualist and communalist understandings of the self. The second considers the difference between essentialist and non-essentialist (or socially constructed) understandings of the self. My intention is to argue for a view that is conducive to human flourishing by providing greater understanding of the self in relation to certain aspects of one’s existence through which one can create meaning, and live a life directed towards the good as an individual …

The Relationship Of Control And Sensation-Seeking Behaviors To Travel Motivations, Michael Galindo

Senior Theses

Travel is an aspect of life that most people will eventually experience in one form or another. Recent studies have demonstrated that one’s motivations for travel can affect their final choice of a travel destination and that there are many factors that influence one’s travel motives, such as age, gender and certain personality traits. The present study was designed to focus on the topic of whether traits such as the need to be in control or one’s tendency towards sensation-seeking behaviors are related to travel motivations, and also to explore age and gender differences in travel motivations. Approximately 180 participants …

Moving Towards Sustainable Coastal Development In South Asia By Linking Coastal Climate Change Adaptation With Integrated Coastal Zone Management Through The Instrumentality Of Law, Tony George Puthucherril

PhD Dissertations

For long, coastal management focused on the sustainable utilization of coastal resources and avoidance and management of conflict, as well as the promotion of complementarities between users. However, with rising sea levels and other climate change impacts, coastal management has become increasingly complex. This thesis investigates the legal instruments underpinning the management of coastal zones, exploring the concept of sustainable coastal development (SCD) and the relevance of the integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) process. Specifically, the discourse analyzes how law and legal regimes play a backbone role in strengthening and supporting ICZM implementation by facilitating the linkage between ICZM and …

Annual Report, General Education Committee, 2013-2014, University Of South Florida St. Petersburg. General Education Committee

USF St. Petersburg General Education Committee Reports

The 2013-2014 academic year annual report from the General Education Committee, a committee under the University of South Florida St. Petersburg's Faculty Senate.

Root Canal Revascularization. The Beginning Of A New Era In Endodontics, Mothanna K. Alrahabi, Mahmoud M. Ali

Saudi Medical Journal

Endodontic management of immature anterior teeth with necrotic pulps is a great challenge. Although there are different treatment procedures to deal with this problem such as apexification by using calcium hydroxide dressings or applying a barrier of mineral trioxide aggregate and gutta-percha obturation, the outcomes are still unsatisfactory and the root might still be weak. Recently, a new treatment protocol by revascularization of immature non-vital, infected teeth was introduced to regenerate dental structure and complete the root maturation. However, larger case series with longer follow-up periods are required to accept revascularization as the standard protocol for management of immature non-vital, …