Digital Commons Network^™

Environmental Impacts And Carry-Over Effects In Complex Life Cycles: The Role Of Different Life History Stages, Nnaemeka F. Ezeakacha

Dissertations

A challenge faced by organisms with complex life cycles is how environmental factors experienced at an earlier life stage affect the fitness at that stage or are carried over to subsequent life stages. I used container-inhabiting mosquitoes: Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti, Aedes triseriatus and Culex quinquefasciatus to study the interactions and performance of life history stages under specific environmental factors. I investigated the effects of egg-desiccation tolerance on egg viability and larval performance in the Aedes mosquitoes. I found increase in egg hatch rate with relative humidity and interaction between relative humidity and egg storage period. Larval performance …

Comparative Aquatic Toxicity Of A Commercial Naphthenic Acid And Processes For Mitigating Risks, Ciera Kinley

All Theses

Comparative toxicity data can inform predictions of relative risk, and can be used to implement strategies for altering exposures to mitigate risk. Naphthenic acids (NAs) are a complex group of carboxylic acids that naturally occur in petroleum sources and energy-derived process waters (e.g. refinery effluents and oil sands process affected waters). These compounds are relatively persistent in water and can be a source of toxicity to aquatic organisms. In the first experiment of this thesis, responses of sentinel aquatic organisms to 7-d exposures of commercial (Fluka) NAs were measured (in terms of acute toxicity) to discern relative sensitivities. In terms …

Development Of A Design Tool For Biologically Inspired Fault Adaptive Design By Strategy Mapping, Nicholas Steven Huisman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A design tool for Biologically Inspired Fault Adaption that utilizes the concept of strategy mapping was developed and the development process and testing is presented in this paper. The concept of strategy mapping is derived primarily from the field of military theory and supposes that for any given specific problem, that there exists a specific solution for, a single strategy can be identified for that solution/problem combination. This strategy, when applied to the specific problem yields the specific solution. This specific solution is referred to as the “tactics” of the strategy. The strategy can also be directly applied to a …

The Effects Of Meloidogyne Incognita And Heterodera Glycines On The Yield And Quality Of Edamame In Arkansas, Juliet Fultz

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Edamame (Glycine max), also known as vegetable soybean, was introduced to the United States from Japan in 1890 and has been growing in popularity as a nutrient-rich, low-sugar snack in recent years. In 2012, the American Vegetable Soybean and Edamame, Inc. established the first domestic commercial processing plant in Mulberry, Arkansas and contracted local growers for production. Since the crop is harvested when seed are immature, management practices are different from those for traditional soybean. Plant-parasitic nematodes, particularly Meloidogyne incognita (southern root-knot) and Heterodera glycines (soybean cyst), are common in Arkansas and are pests of concern for edamame growers. Edamame …

Investigation Of The Inherent Chemical, Structural, And Mechanical Attributes Of Bio-Engineered Composites Found In Nature: Alligator Gar’S Exoskeleton Fish Scales, Wayne Derald Hodo

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. Army has determined a huge cost savings of up to 51% can be accomplished by reducing the gross vehicle weight, for their personnel carrier, by 33%. To cut cost, composite materials are needed. Man-made composites can have superior material properties (high-strength, high-fracture toughness, and lightweight), but they are prone to delamination at the glued-layered interface. In contrast, fish scale is a natural composite that has the same material properties and, additionally, tend not to delaminate.

The focus of this study was to learn how nature integrates hard and soft materials at each length scale to form a layered …

Resting Orientations Of Dinosaur Scapulae And Forelimbs: A Numerical Analysis, With Implications For Reconstructions And Museum Mounts, Phil Senter, James H. Robins

College of Health, Science, and Technology

The inclination of the scapular blade and the resting pose of the forelimb in dinosaurs differ among reconstructions and among skeletal mounts. For most dinosaurian taxa, no attempt has previously been made to quantify the correct resting positions of these elements. Here, we used data from skeletons preserved in articulation to quantify the resting orientations of the scapula and forelimb in dinosaurs. Specimens were included in the study only if they were preserved lying on their sides; for each specimen the angle between forelimb bones at a given joint was included in the analysis only if the joint was preserved …

Clemson Commencement Program, December 2015, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Applying Citizens United To Ordinary Corruption: With A Note On Blagojevich, Mcdonnell, And The Criminalization Of Politics, George D. Brown

Notre Dame Law Review

Federal criminal law frequently deals with the problem of corruption in the form of purchased political influence. There appear to be two distinct bodies of federal anticorruption law: one concerning constitutional issues in the prevention of corruption through campaign finance regulation, and one addressing corruption in the form of such crimes as bribery, extortion by public officials, and gratuities to them. The latter body of law primarily presents issues of statutory construction, but it may be desirable for courts approaching these issues to have an animating theory of what corruption is and how to deal with it. At the moment, …

The Illusive "Reasonable Person": Can Neuroscience Help The Mentally Disabled?, Ian J. Cosgrove

Notre Dame Law Review

This Note argues that the distinction between what constitutes a physical versus a mental disability can no longer rationally be sustained. Specifically, its purpose is to show that providing an exception to the “reasonable person” standard in negligence actions for the physically disabled while withholding it for those with mental infirmities is increasingly indefensible. Part I briefly tracks the origins of the current rule in tort law that holds the mentally and physically disabled to separate standards. This discussion is purposely left short because of the breadth of scholarship tracing the standard. Part II seeks to justify, through neuroscientific brain …

Equal Access In Cyberspace: On Bridging The Digital Divide In Public Accommodations Coverage Through Amendment To The Americans With Disabilities Act, Laura Wolk

Notre Dame Law Review

This Note will proceed in three Parts. Part I will trace the development of the case law on this issue, which has culminated in a circuit split. It will also discuss the influence of the Department of Justice (DOJ), which has not exercised its regulatory authority on the subject but which has initiated enforcement actions consistent with an interpretation that includes freestanding websites. Part II will argue, based on the text, congressional silence, and the statute’s dual principal purposes, that private commercial websites do not fall within the purview of Title III. Part III will propose that disability rights advocates …

Problematic Use Of Revelation In Dispensational Theologies, Joseph Deraddo

Verbum

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay's first paragraph.

Dispensationalist theologies that use the Book of Revelation as their primary source of evidence are exegetically and hermeneutically problematic. The dispensationalist doctrine utilizes scripture in consistently literal interpretations. Followers of these various theologies are often jarred when told to switch hermeneutical gears to better understand unfulfilled prophecies. The primary belief fueling these theologies concerns dispensations, or separated periods of time thought to reveal God’s different purposes for human history and in particular the destinies of Israel and the Church. This paper seeks to demonstrate how these theological views fail …

Effects Of Multicultural Literature On Children’S Perspectives Of Race And Educator Implementation Of Multicultural Literature, Elyssa Youngs

Education Masters

This action research paper addresses the question, “What effects can multicultural literature has on children’s perception of race and how do educators implement multicultural literature into the classroom. The results of the study were mixed based on the students’ thoughts about race. Data was collected in the forms of interviews, field notes, questionnaires, and student work samples. The data collected showed three themes: students’ perceptions of races, the importance of using multicultural literature, and educator implementation of multicultural literature in the classroom. The results from the study show that students require exposure to multicultural literature in order to address social …

University Magazine Winter 2015, University News Service, Office Of Alumni Relations

University Publications

This is the official magazine for RIT Alumni. Issued thrice a year in spring, fall and winter. Printing began in 1999.

Paul Leduc: The Politics Of Mexican Cinema In The 1970s, Joe Hogan

Cinesthesia

It thus makes sense that critics tend to present strong arguments about the political agendas of Mexican filmmakers from the 1970s. Among the most popular in the subject is Paul Leduc, whose work has been cast as exemplary of the political ethos of the day. However, it is my position that, upon close examination, Leduc’s films seem not always to present a straightforward political message, much less one that would clearly bolster the aims of the Echeverria administration. For that reason, I will examine two of Leduc’s films, Reed: México Insurgente and Frida: naturaleza viva (1983), to reveal how they …

Mens Life History, Testosterone, And Health, Louis Calistro Alvarado

Anthropology ETDs

Testosterone is hypothesized to mediate life history trade-offs between reproduction and survival in men, promoting mating effort over other forms of investment, which entails energetic and mortality costs. Sexually dimorphic musculature represents one form of somatic investment in mating. Favorable energy availability is posited to promote preferential investment in mating effort through upregulated testosterone production and augmented musculature, whereas nutritional constraint is predicted to downregulate testosterone to facilitate a diminished, thriftier phenotype. Furthermore, life history trajectories influencing mens testosterone levels have important health implications for androgen-sensitive disease. Here, I examine broad features of men's life history and health, and their …

Innovative Ideas In Civic Engagement Across Two-Year And Four-Year Colleges, Shyam K. Sriram, Amy Atchison, Elizabeth Bennion, John Forren, Authur Sanders, John Theis

eJournal of Public Affairs

While civic engagement continues to be a buzzword in political science, there is still a lack of discussion about what practices work, and in what context. In particular, are there certain initiatives to engage that do particularly well at twoyear colleges versus larger universities? What about colleges with diverse student populations? At the 2014 annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association, seven scholar-teachers came together to discuss civic engagement at their respective institutions and to share ideas about what worked. Collectively, we represented a diverse group of institutions, including teaching and research universities as well as multi-campus community colleges. …

Material Changes Of Bone Following Ishcemia Of The Immature Femoral Head, Olumide O. Aruwajoye

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD) is a childhood hip disorder resulting from the loss of blood flow to the femoral head. In severe cases of the disease, the femoral head can develop a flattening deformity; additionally, if the disease is diagnosed at a later stage, it leaves most patients to develop early osteoarthritis of the hip. Due to a lack of pathological specimen from patients, an experimental piglet model of femoral head ischemia was developed. The model closely follows the radiographic changes seen in LCPD patients, where there is subchondral fracture, resorption, and a flattening deformity of the femoral head. After ischemia, …

Additive Manufacturing And Stress Analysis Of Naturally And Artificially Optimized Celullar Structures, Sachin Jose

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

The main objective of our research is to manufacture topology optimized cellular structures using 3D printing and polymer infusion and obtain their structural response. First, we have obtained topology optimized cellular structure of beam using an in-house topology optimization tool. The Solid Isotropic material with Penalization (SIMP) method of optimization is used for finding the optimal topology. Since we require a continuous structure where we can take advantage of additive manufacturing, a no-penalty approach was chosen. For 3D printing, first the optimized condition for manufacturing was determined. Important parameters on which manufacturing depend are Number of Shells, Infill percentage and …

Enhancement Of Fog-Collection Efficiency Of A Raschel Mesh Using Surface Coatings And Geometric Changes, Mithun Rajaram

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

In a few countries, such as Chile, a Raschel mesh is widely used in the field to collect fog. In this work, we explored the possibility of enhancing fog-collection efficiency of a typical Raschel mesh through surface modification and geometric changes. We demonstrated about 100% enhancement in the fog-collection efficiency.

Progesterone And Prostaglandin F2Α Induce Species-Typical Female Preferences For Male Sexual Displays In Cope's Gray Treefrog (Hyla Chrysoscelis), J. L. Ward, E. K. Love, Alexander T. Baugh, N. M. Gordon, J. C. Tanner, M. A. Bee

Biology Faculty Works

Endocrine systems play critical roles in facilitating sexual behavior in seasonally breeding vertebrates. Much of the research exploring this topic has focused on the endocrine correlates of signaling behavior in males and sexual proceptivity in females. What is less understood is how hormones promote the expression of the often complex and highly selective set of stimulus–response behaviors that are observed in naturally breeding animals. In female frogs, phonotaxis is a robust and sensitive bioassay of mate choice and is exhibited by gravid females during the breeding season. In stark contrast, females exhibit low phonotactic responsiveness outside the breeding season, but …

Resources, Innovative Outcomes, And The Symbolic And Substantive Performance Of Entrepreneurial Firms: An Examination Of Independent Popular Music Artists, John A. Deleon

Management Dissertations - Archive

The importance of innovation to the success of entrepreneurial firms has been well established in prior work. Yet, important gaps still remain. I draw from the innovation literature, the resource-based view, and institutional theory in order to address how entrepreneurial firms are able to find success through innovation in competitive environments. Specifically, following Penrose’s (1959) approach to the resource-based view, I argue that two resource categories, creativity-related resources and management-related resources, form antecedent conditions for innovative outcomes. I divide these innovative outcomes into two separate components, innovative output and innovative uniqueness. Further, I argue that innovative output and innovative uniqueness …

The Role Of Platelets In The Successful Closure Of The Ductus Arteriosus In Premature Infants After Indomethacin Treatment, Joan Heilskov

Nursing Dissertations - Archive

Premature birth (birth before 37 weeks gestation) remain a global problem with negative consequences profundly affecting the infants, their families, and society. Persistent patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a significant complication seen in preterm infants. Premature infants with persistent PDAs are at increased risk for morbidity and mortality. Indomethacin is reported to successfully close the PDA in only 20-40 percent of infants whose birth weights are less than 1,000g. Common side effects of Indomethacin include renal dysfunction, gastric perforations, and decreased cerebral blood flow and perfusion. Several studies have shown thrombocytopenia is associated with persistent PDA in premature infants who …

Enhancement Of Knowledge And Skills Of Community Midwives In Sindh, Pakistan, Sadia Abbas Ali, Arusa Lakhani, Rafat Jan, Shahnaz Shahid, Marina Baig, Farzana Adnan

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

With a maternal mortality rate of 276 deaths per 100,000 live births, Pakistan is one of the countries with a large share in the percentage of world’s maternal mortality. As an intervention for the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) 4 and 5, the World Health Organization (WHO) strongly suggests that skilled care before, during, and after childbirth can save the lives of women and newborn babies. One of the interventions to ensure care to mothers and babies by skilled care providers is the capacity building training of Community Midwives (CMWs) aiming to improve their midwifery competency.

One such training intervention was …

Portraits Of Children Of Alcoholics: Stories That Add Hope To Hope, Meagan Lacy

Publications and Research

This literary analysis examines the emergence of children of alcoholics narratives and their growth from "resource" texts to literary subgenre. While early texts offer useful information about parental alcoholism, they are also limited. Namely, they do not adequately mirror the diversity of children, families, and problems associated with parental alcoholism nor do they offer alternatives for children whose parents do not, or cannot, seek treatment for their addiction. Literature, on the other hand, in inviting what philosopher Martha Nussbaum refers to as "narrative play," can help children learn to understand and empathize with others, nourish their inner curiosity, and, most …

Uis Bulletin, Volume 57, No. 2, December 2015, Efraín Mercado

KIP Articles

Contents: Editorial: UIS 50th Anniversary: A Time to Celebrate -- Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the UIS in Postojna, Slovenia -- Launch of the book "Fifty years of the UIS: 1965-2015" -- UIS Proposes to Organize a UNESCO International Year of Caves in 2021 -- France Habe Prize 2015 -- Report of Commission on Cave Rescue -- Report of Commission on History of Speleology -- The Oldest Cave Map in the World -- Asian Transkarst 2015 / Born the Asian Speleological Union -- 33rd Brazilian Congress of Speleology -- Brazilian Speleological Community Supports the Initiative to the UNESCO International …

An Examination Of Microbial Community Composition At Tba-Degrading Versus Non-Degrading Sites, Courtney Thompson

All Theses

Understanding how fuel oxygenates interact with microorganisms in the subsurface is important for the remediation of contaminated sites and designing and optimizing remedial strategies. The current understanding of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) degradation in the environment has been developed primarily through gas chromatography GC analysis and culture-based laboratory studies. Microbial communities can be very diverse, and while microcosm studies provide valuable data, few metagenomic studies have been performed. To elucidate the significant microorganisms and pathways involved in the breakdown of MTBE and TBA, the compositions of entire indigenous microbial populations must be investigated and …

Artificial Kingdoms, Lindsey Elsey

All Theses

Fairy or folk tales and fantasy appear to be innocuous means of entertainment in contemporary society. Often relegated as pap for children, this view belies the gruesome origins, cultural significance, and means of personal expression and identity that is afforded to the author and reader/audience through the construction of fantasies. Through the creation of environments and experiences that center on porcelain vessels and sculpture, I explore the expression of uncomfortable desires and situations in the guise of fantasy. In some instances folk and fairy tales act as a means of escapism; an expression of desire for the fleeting and the …

Dec2015, Robert Kelly

Robert Kelly Manuscripts

From December 2015 Robert Kelly archive.

Co-Rotational Finite Element Solid Simulation With Collisions, Patrick Riordan

Computer Science and Software Engineering

This paper is a tutorial on how to implement a deformable solid simulation with collisions based off of Matthias Mueller's Real Time Physics Course Notes. It covers the topics continuum mechanics, finite element analysis, implicit Euler integration, and handling collision.

Consequences Of Repeated Ethanol Exposure During Early Or Late Adolescence On Conditioned Taste Aversions In Rats, Jessica Saalfield, Linda Spear

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Alcohol use is prevalent during adolescence, yet little is known about possible long-lasting consequences. Recent evidence suggests that adolescents are less sensitive than adults to ethanol's aversive effects, an insensitivity that may be retained into adulthood after repeated adolescent ethanol exposure. This study assessed whether intermittent ethanol exposure during early or late adolescence (early-AIE or late-AIE, respectively) would affect ethanol conditioned taste aversions 2 days (CTA1) and >3 weeks (CTA2) post-exposure using supersaccharin and saline as conditioning stimuli (CS), respectively. Pair-housed male Sprague-Dawley rats received 4 g/kg i.g. ethanol (25%) or water every 48 h from postnatal day (P) 25-45 …