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2014

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Development Of Models For The Study Of The Molecular Mechanisms Of Host Restriction And Adaptation Of Hantaviruses., Ryan Carroll Mcallister 1988- Dec 2014

Development Of Models For The Study Of The Molecular Mechanisms Of Host Restriction And Adaptation Of Hantaviruses., Ryan Carroll Mcallister 1988-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hantaviruses, family Bunyaviridae, are present throughout the globe in a variety of mouse, rat, mole, vole, shrew, or bat species. Hantaviruses persist for the lifetime of the animal reservoir, while causing no signs or symptoms of disease. Only the rodent-borne hantaviruses cause disease in humans. In contrast, a “spillover” infection of a hantavirus into a nonreservoir rodent species results in an asymptomatic acute infection. We and others in the field are interested in understanding the biology of these virus-host interactions and mechanisms that underlie these three very different outcomes. The second chapter of my thesis focused on probing the intrahost …

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Prankster Questionaire., Matthew Landan 1972- Dec 2014

Prankster Questionaire., Matthew Landan 1972-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The creative thesis that I have written is a memoir. It is not complete in its detail or ambition but instead focuses on themes and topics of self-transformation, reinvention and the unintentional consequences of several nervous breakdowns and experiments with psychedelic substances. This thesis is just a beginning for a longer more drawn out memoir that will explore the themes above but also discuss family, one’s sense of self worth in the world and how patterns between fathers and sons repeat themselves. I hope to eventually publish this work in a commercial setting.

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Transient Heat Transfer Between A Magnetocaloric Packed Particle Bed And Stagnant Interstitial Fluid., Michael G. Schroeder 1988- Dec 2014

Transient Heat Transfer Between A Magnetocaloric Packed Particle Bed And Stagnant Interstitial Fluid., Michael G. Schroeder 1988-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the field of magnetocaloric heat pumps, many system models have been made. What most of these models lack is heat transfer occurring while there is no fluid motion. It is the objective of this paper to analytically determine and experimentally verify heat transfer with no bulk fluid motion. The addition of a pure dwell period to the typical magnetocaloric cycle was shown to have a positive performance impact in specific conditions. These conditions correspond to regenerators that are heat transfer rate limited in operation. The heat transfer mechanism for this particular case was shown to be pure conduction via …

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Ensemble Learning Method For Hidden Markov Models., Anis Hamdi Dec 2014

Ensemble Learning Method For Hidden Markov Models., Anis Hamdi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For complex classification systems, data are gathered from various sources and potentially have different representations. Thus, data may have large intra-class variations. In fact, modeling each data class with a single model might lead to poor generalization. The classification error can be more severe for temporal data where each sample is represented by a sequence of observations. Thus, there is a need for building a classification system that takes into account the variations within each class in the data. This dissertation introduces an ensemble learning method for temporal data that uses a mixture of Hidden Markov Model (HMM) classifiers. We …

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Surviving The Death Of A Sibling : A Phenomenological Study Of Childhood Bereavement., Edith Crumb Gunter Dec 2014

Surviving The Death Of A Sibling : A Phenomenological Study Of Childhood Bereavement., Edith Crumb Gunter

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The loss of a sibling can be devastating to children, especially for children ages 7-12, who are at a critical juncture in their development. The loss can impede their development if their bereavement is not effectively addressed. For this reason, this dissertation evaluated four theoretical frameworks to provide a foundation for bereavement support for children: Assumptive World Theory, Dual Process Model, Meaning Reconstruction Theory, and Tasks of Mourning. Developmental theories and considerations were explored to gain knowledge of children’s levels of understanding, processing, and coping. Method: This study utilized a sample of five children ages 7-12 who had survived the …

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Retinal Synaptic Function In The Absence Of The On Pathway., Kathryn Marie Heath Fransen Dec 2014

Retinal Synaptic Function In The Absence Of The On Pathway., Kathryn Marie Heath Fransen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Complete Congenital Stationary Night Blindness (cCSNB) is a rare hereditary retinal disorder characterized by abnormal night vision. cCSNB is caused by postsynaptic defects in On bipolar cells (BCs) and is identified by the presence of an electroretinogram (ERG) with a normal a-wave, corresponding to photoreceptor function, and the absence of a b-wave, corresponding to a failure of On BC function. Through the study of genetic mutations in mouse that result in no b-wave ERG phenotypes, several proteins have been identified that play crucial roles in On BC signal transmission. I focused on four mouse models of cCSNB; Nyxnob (Nyctalopin mutant), …

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Study Of Novel Nanoparticle Transport And Drug Release For Cancer Treatment., Christopher Gene England 1988- Dec 2014

Study Of Novel Nanoparticle Transport And Drug Release For Cancer Treatment., Christopher Gene England 1988-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nano-scale particles sized 10—400 nm administered systemically preferentially extravasate from tumor vasculature due to the enhanced permeability and retention effect. Therapeutic success remains elusive, however, because of inhomogeneous particle distribution within tumor tissue. Insufficient tumor vascularization limits particle transport and also results in avascular hypoxic regions with non-proliferating cells, which can regenerate tissue after nanoparticle-delivered cytotoxicity or thermal ablation. In this study, gold nanoparticles were functionalized with phosphatidylcholine (two-layer) or phosphatidylcholine and HDL (three-layer) in the formation of “layered” nanoparticles. The diffusivity of both two- and three layered colloidal gold nanoparticles and silica gold nanoshells were examined in 3D cell …

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Multilayer Electret Activated By Direct Contact Silicon Electrode., Mark M. Crain Dec 2014

Multilayer Electret Activated By Direct Contact Silicon Electrode., Mark M. Crain

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electrets used in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices are often formed by corona charging, where ionized gases are generated in an electric field to introduce a charge to the electret surface. The purpose of this study was to investigate a new technique for creating an electret from a plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) multilayer film of SiO2/Si3N4/SiO2 using a direct contact electrode of silicon. The electret formation takes advantage of deep traps in silicon nitride, which are known to develop from hydrogen interactions with silicon dangling bonds and, in some stoichiometries, nitrogen dangling bonds. The electret activation process has been …

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Mathematical Modeling For Partial Object Detection., Ahmed Reda Amin El-Barkouky Dec 2014

Mathematical Modeling For Partial Object Detection., Ahmed Reda Amin El-Barkouky

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

From a computer vision point of view, the image is a scene consisting of objects of interest and a background represented by everything else in the image. The relations and interactions among these objects are the key factors for scene understanding. In this dissertation, a mathematical model is designed for the detection of partially occluded faces captured in unconstrained real life conditions. The proposed model novelty comes from explicitly considering certain objects that are common to occlude faces and embedding them in the face model. This enables the detection of faces in difficult settings and provides more information to subsequent …

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A Non-Invasive Image Based System For Early Diagnosis Of Prostate Cancer., Ahmad Abdusalam Firjani Firjani Naef Dec 2014

A Non-Invasive Image Based System For Early Diagnosis Of Prostate Cancer., Ahmad Abdusalam Firjani Firjani Naef

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prostate cancer is the second most fatal cancer experienced by American males. The average American male has a 16.15% chance of developing prostate cancer, which is 8.38% higher than lung cancer, the second most likely cancer. The current in-vitro techniques that are based on analyzing a patients blood and urine have several limitations concerning their accuracy. In addition, the prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood-based test, has a high chance of false positive diagnosis, ranging from 28%-58%. Yet, biopsy remains the gold standard for the assessment of prostate cancer, but only as the last resort because of its invasive nature, high …

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Unnatural Pedagogy : A Computational Analysis Of Children's Learning To Learn From Other People., Baxter S. Eaves 1984- Dec 2014

Unnatural Pedagogy : A Computational Analysis Of Children's Learning To Learn From Other People., Baxter S. Eaves 1984-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Infants rely on others for much of what they learn. People are a ready source of quick information, but people produce data differently than the world. Data from a person are a result of that person's knowledgeability and intentions. People may produce inaccurate or misleading data. On the other hand, if a person is knowledgeable about the world and intends to teach, that person may produce data that are more useful than simply accurate data: data that are pedagogical. This idea that people have special innate methods for efficient information transfer lies at the heart of recent proposals regarding what …

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Avatar Captcha : Telling Computers And Humans Apart Via Face Classification And Mouse Dynamics., Darryl Felix D’Souza Dec 2014

Avatar Captcha : Telling Computers And Humans Apart Via Face Classification And Mouse Dynamics., Darryl Felix D’Souza

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bots are malicious, automated computer programs that execute malicious scripts and predefined functions on an affected computer. They pose cybersecurity threats and are one of the most sophisticated and common types of cybercrime tools today. They spread viruses, generate spam, steal personal sensitive information, rig online polls and commit other types of online crime and fraud. They sneak into unprotected systems through the Internet by seeking vulnerable entry points. They access the system’s resources like a human user does. Now the question arises how do we counter this? How do we prevent bots and on the other hand allow human …

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Phase Transformation Studies Of Metal Oxides To Dichalcogenides In 1-D Structures., Dustin Ray Cummins 1987- Dec 2014

Phase Transformation Studies Of Metal Oxides To Dichalcogenides In 1-D Structures., Dustin Ray Cummins 1987-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recently, the use of materials with nanoscale morphologies has expanded, particularly with applications in energy conversion, catalysis, and energy storage. One drawback to single crystalline nanomaterials, especially 1D nanowires, is the difficulty in synthesizing these compounds, as the material chemistry becomes more complicated. Metal oxide nanowires can be synthesized easily and can be produced in relatively large quantities. However, more complex materials, such as metal chalcogenides, cannot typically be synthesized using facile methods, and currently very few techniques involve scalable methods. Phase transformation of metal oxides nanowires to form metal sulfides and selenides by gas-solid reactions is one viable route …

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Enzyme Kinetics : 6-Phosphofructo-2-Kinase/2,6-Bisphosphatase., Jennifer Clark Dec 2014

Enzyme Kinetics : 6-Phosphofructo-2-Kinase/2,6-Bisphosphatase., Jennifer Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Altered energy metabolism is an established hallmark of cancer cells. Fructose-2,6-bisphosphate is an allosteric activator of glycolysis and its concentration in a cell is dictated by the 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatases (PFKFB1-4) family of bifunctional enzymes. The PFKFB family of enzymes are characterized by their different kinase: bisphosphatase activities and were originally determined to be tissue-specific. More recent data however suggest that multiple isoforms are co-expressed in both normal and neoplastic tissues. PFKFB4 is highly expressed in human cancer, strongly induced by hypoxia, and required for the survival of cancer cells. However, it remains unclear whether the kinase or phosphatase activity of human …

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Avoidance In Disordered Eating : The Roles Of Overvaluation Of Weight And Shape And Repetitive Thinking., Anne Christine Bjerg Dec 2014

Avoidance In Disordered Eating : The Roles Of Overvaluation Of Weight And Shape And Repetitive Thinking., Anne Christine Bjerg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Disordered eating is associated with several negative outcomes and often lead to diagnosable eating disorders. The coping strategies used by those with disordered eating may contribute to such consequences. Past research has found experiential avoidance to be common among those with disordered eating to escape uncomfortable internal experiences. The current study suggested that repetitive thinking and overvaluation of weight and shape are two such mechanisms by which avoidance of negative core beliefs, in particular, is achieved. It was hypothesized that eating disorder symptoms, negative core beliefs, experiential avoidance, overvaluation of weight and shape and repetitive thinking would all be positively …

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Graduate Students Who Are Part-Time Workers : How Does Occupational Stress And Gender Role Affect Job Satisfaction?, Megan Church-Nally Dec 2014

Graduate Students Who Are Part-Time Workers : How Does Occupational Stress And Gender Role Affect Job Satisfaction?, Megan Church-Nally

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Job satisfaction and occupational stress have consistently been examined in professionals for decades due to its link to turnover and reduced productivity. Similar concepts have been investigated in undergraduate students, but there is paucity of research of attrition in graduate students. This gap persists despite estimates that 50% of graduate students fail to graduate (Cassuto, 2013). Such attrition is not due to deficiency in academic skills, as Carroll, Ng, and Birch (2009) reported that personal reasons were cited more than academic concerns for attrition. The purpose of this dissertation was to address this job satisfaction and occupational stress gap with …

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Modulation Of Host Polyubiquitination By The Ankb F-Box Protein Of Legionella Pneumophila., William M. Bruckert Dec 2014

Modulation Of Host Polyubiquitination By The Ankb F-Box Protein Of Legionella Pneumophila., William M. Bruckert

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Legionella pneumophila is a facultative intracellular pathogen that infects a wide array of protozoan hosts and human alveolar macrophages. L. pneumophila is dependent on a functional Dot/Icm type IVB secretion system that translocates bacterial effector proteins into the host cell cytosol. L. pneumophila genomes encode more than 250 effector proteins, many of which inhibit host cellular processes to form a favorable niche termed the Legionella-containing vacuole (LCV). The eukaryotic-like Dot/Icm translocated effector AnkB contains two eukaryotic-like ankyrin protein-protein interacting domains, one eukaryotic-like F- box domain and an eukaryotic C-terminal CaaX motif. Immediately following attachment of extracellular bacteria, AnkB is translocated …

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Classification Of Clinical Outcomes Using High-Throughput And Clinical Informatics., Alexander Carswell Cambon Dec 2014

Classification Of Clinical Outcomes Using High-Throughput And Clinical Informatics., Alexander Carswell Cambon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

It is widely recognized that many cancer therapies are effective only for a subset of patients. However clinical studies are most often powered to detect an overall treatment effect. To address this issue, classification methods are increasingly being used to predict a subset of patients which respond differently to treatment. This study begins with a brief history of classification methods with an emphasis on applications involving melanoma. Nonparametric methods suitable for predicting subsets of patients responding differently to treatment are then reviewed. Each method has different ways of incorporating continuous, categorical, clinical and high-throughput covariates. For nonparametric and parametric methods, …

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Evaluating The Effects Of Aroclor 1260 In Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease : The Role Of Xenobiotic Receptors., Banrida Wahlang Dec 2014

Evaluating The Effects Of Aroclor 1260 In Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease : The Role Of Xenobiotic Receptors., Banrida Wahlang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent environmental toxicants, present in 100% of US adults and dose-dependently associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in epidemiologic studies. PCBs are predicted to interact with receptors previously implicated in xenobiotic/energy metabolism and NAFLD. These receptors include the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), pregnane xenobiotic receptor (PXR), constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), liver-X-receptor and farnesoid-X-receptor. This study evaluated the hepatic effects of the PCB mixture, Aroclor 1260, whose composition mimics human bioaccumulation patterns, in a mouse model of diet-induced obesity. Male C57Bl/6J mice were fed a control or 42% high fat diet (HFD) …

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Reading Achievement In A Large Urban School District : An Analysis Of The Effects Of Four Reading Programs On The Reading Growth Of Four Reading Ability Groups., Deborah Patrice Anderson Dec 2014

Reading Achievement In A Large Urban School District : An Analysis Of The Effects Of Four Reading Programs On The Reading Growth Of Four Reading Ability Groups., Deborah Patrice Anderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Reading underachievement among adolescent students, specifically in urban areas, has been well documented in the literature. This unfortunate reality may point to two problems in America. Many schools possess neither the skill to prepare students for college and career nor possess the capacity to prepare them for a workforce that is becoming more and more high tech and in need of literate workers. Some schools are at a loss when it comes to teaching students to think of literacy as a critical tool for self-advocacy and identity development. Sociocultural perspectives on literacy view reading as an activity that develops as …

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The Role Of Stem Cells In Adipose Tissue Remodeling., Candice Reshay Holden 1988- Dec 2014

The Role Of Stem Cells In Adipose Tissue Remodeling., Candice Reshay Holden 1988-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The work presented in this dissertation outlines the role of stem cells in the remodeling of adipose tissue under conditions of nutrient excess. Obesity-induced variations in adipose tissue stem cell distribution were uncovered by analysis of the stromal vascular fraction isolated from mice fed a high fat diet for several weeks. Bone marrow cell transplantation was used to determine the derivation of progenitor cells found in adipose tissue; and supplementation of depleted progenitor cell populations achieved via direct cell transplantation, helped to determine the contribution of these progenitor cells to the remodeling process. The dissertation is presented in five chapters …

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Boundary Contour Based Surface Representation., Yong Su Dec 2014

Boundary Contour Based Surface Representation., Yong Su

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We receive most information about our surrounding space and objects through the eyes. To reconstruct the 3D space and objects in the visual system from the 2D retinal images, surface representation must be a critical intermediate stage in the visual processing stream. It is hypothesized in the dissertation that the visual system represents textured surface by a border-to-interior strategy: boundary contours would be encoded first and then border-ownership assignments would be resolved. This process would solve the related problems such as figure-ground segregation, surface depth relationship, occlusion, transparency, etc. As a result, the boundary contours of the surfaces would be …

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Mechanistic Investigations Of Pseudouridine Synthases : A Surprising Glycal Intermediate Lies On The Reaction Pathway., Govardhan Reddy Veerareddygari Dec 2014

Mechanistic Investigations Of Pseudouridine Synthases : A Surprising Glycal Intermediate Lies On The Reaction Pathway., Govardhan Reddy Veerareddygari

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pseudouridine synthases (ΨSs) catalyze the isomerization of uridine (U) in RNA to pseudouridine (Ψ), which is the most common post-transcriptional modification in RNAs and is ubiquitous within all three domains of life. ΨSs are classified into six different families based on sequence alignments and have a universally conserved aspartic acid residue (‘conserved Asp’ for simplicity) that is absolutely essential for activity. RNA containing 5-fluorouridine ([F5U]RNA) has been used as a mechanistic probe. Upon incubation with [F5U]RNA, TruA and RluA get irreversibly inhibited and appear in a protein-RNA adduct band on denaturing PAGE gels, which is consistent with the ‘Michael mechanism’ …

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Development Of A Thin-Film Porous-Microelectrode Array (P-Mea) For Electrical Stimulation Of Engineered Cardiac Tissue., Hiren Vrajlal Trada 1977- Dec 2014

Development Of A Thin-Film Porous-Microelectrode Array (P-Mea) For Electrical Stimulation Of Engineered Cardiac Tissue., Hiren Vrajlal Trada 1977-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Electrical stimulation has been increasingly used by research groups to enhance and increase maturation of cells in an engineered cardiac tissue (ECT). Current methods are based on using off-the-shelf wires or electrodes to deliver a stimulus voltage to the in-vitro tissue in culture medium. A major issue with this approach is the generation of byproducts in the medium due to the voltage levels required, which are typically in the range of 5V-10V. No solution currently exists that can accomplish electrical stimulation of cells in an ECT at a low voltage level. Therefore, in this study a novel, porous, thinfilm, microelectrode …

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Project Management And Its Relation To Long-Term Project Success : An Empirically Based Theoretical Framework., Youssef Ait Boudlal 1969- Dec 2014

Project Management And Its Relation To Long-Term Project Success : An Empirically Based Theoretical Framework., Youssef Ait Boudlal 1969-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Companies implement effective project management to successfully operate in turbulent market cycles and ensure the success of their endeavors. Project management is indispensable for most industrial sectors and is employed in a variety of for-profit and non-profit organizations. It can be considered as a management method that contributes value to a variety of organizations. Many practitioners and researchers have attempted to identify the causes of project failure, the factors of project success, and the criteria to gauge this success. There has been little agreement on what constitutes project success. In response to the widespread debate surrounding project success, several lists …

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Transfer And The Commodification Of Practice., Kenneth Andrew Smith Dec 2014

Transfer And The Commodification Of Practice., Kenneth Andrew Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation engages in a close reading of the research in composition on transfer, a concept that refers to how the practices learned in one situation influence what a person can do in a future situation. In the studies that have appeared over the last two decades, the results have indicated that not much transfers between writing courses and future contexts, whether they be disciplinary courses or professional workplaces. Yet, despite the increasing prominence of transfer research, little time has been spent discussing the uses and limitations of the concept. To better understand its growing popularity among researchers, I examine …

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Predictors Of Lifestyle Behaviors, Trust Of Health Care Provider, And Utilization Of Health Services Among Adolescents Living In A Rural Area., Heather Karolyne Hardin Dec 2014

Predictors Of Lifestyle Behaviors, Trust Of Health Care Provider, And Utilization Of Health Services Among Adolescents Living In A Rural Area., Heather Karolyne Hardin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Adolescents have elevated morbidity and mortality rates associated with risk-taking behaviors, but utilize health services at low levels. There is little evidence concerning health behavior, trust of health care provider, or utilization of health services among adolescents living in rural areas. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine individual characteristic variables and determine the extent to which these variables influence lifestyle behaviors, trust of health care provider (HCP), and utilization of health services among adolescents attending public high school in rural Indiana. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional, quantitative design. Instruments used in this study were …

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Temporal Contextual Descriptors And Applications To Emotion Analysis., Haythem Balti Dec 2014

Temporal Contextual Descriptors And Applications To Emotion Analysis., Haythem Balti

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current trends in technology suggest that the next generation of services and devices allows smarter customization and automatic context recognition. Computers learn the behavior of the users and can offer them customized services depending on the context, location, and preferences. One of the most important challenges in human-machine interaction is the proper understanding of human emotions by machines and automated systems. In the recent years, the progress made in machine learning and pattern recognition led to the development of algorithms that are able to learn the detection and identification of human emotions from experience. These algorithms use different modalities …

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The Effect Of Spinal Cord Injury On Vagal Afferents., April N. Herrity Dec 2014

The Effect Of Spinal Cord Injury On Vagal Afferents., April N. Herrity

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a significant public health concern that leaves patients with a multitude of life-long disabilities. Major complications of SCI apart from paralysis, include deficits in bladder and bowel function. Lower urinary tract dysfunction continues to remain a top priority issue affecting quality of life for this population. The majority of visceral organs receive a dual sensory innervation from both spinal nerves as well as the vagus nerve. Following SCI, the vagus nerve is a potential pathway through which information from regions below the level of a spinal injury can travel directly to the brainstem, bypassing the …

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Signaling Mechanisms In Regenerative Myogenesis., Sajedah M. Hindi 1986- Dec 2014

Signaling Mechanisms In Regenerative Myogenesis., Sajedah M. Hindi 1986-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Skeletal muscle constitutes a highly plastic and malleable tissue that rapidly and profoundly adapts to various environmental and physiological stimuli. This response takes place by means of regulated signaling transduction which elicits changes in gene expression, biochemical, and metabolic properties. Adult muscle is composed by alignment of multinucleated, post mitotic muscle fibers formed during embryonic and neonatal development. Residing in the niche of mature muscle fibers is a small population of undifferentiated muscle progenitors termed satellite cells. Satellite cells are muscle stem cells that carry out regenerative response in adult myofibers. Coordinated signaling emitting from terminally differentiated muscle fibers and …

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