Digital Commons Network^™

Gene Expression In The Choanoderm, Jesús Federico Peña

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The body plan of sponges (phylum Porifera) is an outlier among modern animals and is thought to have special evolutionary significance. Sponges lack muscles, nerves and a gut. Instead, they are composed of few cell types and simple tissues that function to pump water through an internal canal network where bacterial prey are filtered by a specialized tissue called the choanoderm. The choanoderm is composed of cells with striking similarity to choanoflagellates, the unicellular relatives of animals. Thus, the traditional view is that the sponge choanoderm is a useful model of the first animal epithelial tissues. Using the freshwater sponge …

Choice Of Human–Computer Interaction Mode In Stroke Rehabilitation, Hossein Mousavi Hondori, Maryam Khademi, Lucy Dodakian, Alison Mackenzie, Cristina V. Lopes, Steven C. Cramer

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background and Objective. Advances in technology are providing new forms of human–computer interaction. The current study examined one form of human–computer interaction, augmented reality (AR), whereby subjects train in the real-world workspace with virtual objects projected by the computer. Motor performances were compared with those obtained while subjects used a traditional human–computer interaction, that is, a personal computer (PC) with a mouse. Methods. Patients used goal-directed arm movements to play AR and PC versions of the Fruit Ninja video game. The 2 versions required the same arm movements to control the game but had different cognitive demands. With …

Stakeholder Perceptions Of Sustainable Value And Water Conservation: A Case Study Of Social, Environmental, And Economic Concerns In The Rookery Bay Estuary, Bruce Victor Lilyea

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

Stakeholders’ perceptions of social, environmental, and economic concerns in the Rookery Bay Estuary were examined through this research. The purpose of this study was to discover the shared value and common resolution responses for the people of the Rookery Bay area that can extend to other local environmental management scenarios. Using Stakeholder Theory, Rational Choice Theory, Symbolic Interactionism, and Systems Theory as theoretical foundation, the following research questions were considered: RQ1) What are the points of shared value of community stakeholders facing environmental management issues? RQ2) How do the perspectives of the community stakeholders toward the social, environmental, and economic …

The Effects Of Invasive Earthworm Species On Salamanders In The Grand Valley State University Ravine Ecosystem, Hunter J. Brunges, James Dunn

Student Summer Scholars Manuscripts

Earthworms are an invasive species that are causing ecological damage to northern forest ecosystems. The disruption to soil nutrient cycling and litter decomposition can negatively impact organisms that live within the leaf litter, such as salamanders. To test this hypothesis, we sampled earthworms within three ravines at thirty-six sites using the mustard extraction method. We surveyed salamander populations on two dates in 2015 at each site using cover boards. We also collected data on slope aspect, altitude, soil moisture, leaf litter coverage, canopy cover, and coarse woody debris at each site to determine their effects on earthworm and salamander populations. …

Ferroelectric And Ferromagnetic Behavior Of Oxide Containing Thin Films, Hai In Choi

Physics Theses - Archive

Oxide materials are important due to their interesting physical properties for applications in future electronic devices. Thin film oxide materials show a variety of electric and magnetic properties such as ferroelectric, piezoelectric, ferromagnetic and superconducting properties.One intriguing material, bismuth ferrite, has shown room-temperature multiferroic order. It has ferroelectric order below the 1100 K Curie temperature and large remnant polarization. Also, it has antiferromagnetic order below the Néel temperature of 650 K. However, the bismuth ferrite has several defect-related issues such as bismuth volatilization, transition of iron valence electron states and oxygen vacancies. The multiferroic properties are changed by the defect …

First Principles Study Of Ga-Stabilized Δ-Pu Bulk And Surfaces, Sarah Christine Hernandez

Physics Dissertations - Archive

Plutonium (Pu) metal is highly reactive toward environmental gases and corrodes at a high rate. Due to this inevitable process, containers used to store Pu-based materials may experience catastrophic failure, subsequently releasing Pu particulates into the environment. Such interactions can be probed at the atomic scale using ab initio methods such as density functional theory (DFT). However, previous theoretical studies only examined these reactions with a pure δ-Pu surface. This is not realistic since δ-Pu exists at a high temperature (600K), therefore most technological applications of δ-Pu employ the alloyed form. The alloyed form is achieved with the addition of …

Blocker-Based Scatter Correction For Cone-Beam Computed Tomography, Cong Zhao

Physics Theses - Archive

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging is widely used in radiation therapy for treatment planning and image-guided therapy. More x-ray scatter signals are detected by the two-dimensional detector arrays in CBCT than by the one-dimensional detector arrays in fan-beam CT (FBCT). Therefore, scatter contamination significantly degrades the image quality in CBCT and must be corrected for satisfying image quality.One approach for scatter correction is to use lead blockers. In such a method, the signal in the blocked regions is assumed to be the scatter signal and can be used to estimate the scatter signal in the unblocked region. However, this assumption …

Search For A Supersymmetric Partner To The Top Quark Using A Multivariate Analysis Technique., Smita Darmora

Physics Dissertations - Archive

Supersymmetry (SUSY) is an extension to the Standard Model (SM) which introduces supersymmetric partners of the known fermions and bosons. Top squark (stop) searches are a natural extension of inclusive SUSY searches at the LHC. If SUSY solves the naturalness problem, the stop should be light enough to cancel the top loop contribution to the Higgs mass parameter. The 3rd generation squarks may be the first SUSY particles to be discovered at the LHC. The stop can decay into a variety of final states, depending, amongst other factors, on the hierarchy of the mass eigenstates formed from the linear superposition …

Precision Higgs Coupling Measurements In H→Ww*→Lνlν Final State With The Atlas Detector At The Lhc, Hee Yeun Kim

Physics Dissertations - Archive

The Standard Model (SM) is a gauge theory that describes the fundamental particles of matter and the forces between these particles. It has been tested to a very high precision in the past several decades, except for observation of the Higgs particle, a ramification of the Higgs mechanism. After discovery of the Higgs particle in July 2012, at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at the European organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), subsequent studies have focused on confirming whether the newly discovered particle is consistent with the SM Higgs. In particular its spin and its couplings have been measured. In this …

Changing Gears To Meet The 'New Normal' In Legal Education, Courtney G. Lee

McGeorge School of Law Scholarly Articles

The course of legal education is changing. Many law schools are downsizing, accepting classes with lower entering credentials, and encountering a new demographic of law student. A product of standardized federal education policies like the No Child Left Be-hind Act and the Common Core State Standards Initiative, this student has fewer or less refined critical thinking skills than most first-year law professors have come to expect. Part I of this Article explores the landscape of this “new normal” in legal education, examining the effects of new law school admissions policies, changes in K-12 and undergraduate education, and the link be-tween …

Computer Hardware: Hardware Components And Internal Pc Connections, Jerome Casey

Instructional Guides

No abstract provided.

Laser Guide Star Design Project For The Usaf John Bryan State Park Quad Axis Observatory, Nathan Michael Figlewski

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Atmospheric Turbulence has long remained one of the great unsolved problems in physics. Laser guide stars were invented in order for telescopes to overcome atmospheric turbulence while used in combination with adaptive optics. This study focuses on the design and implementation phase of a Rayleigh laser guide star for the John Bryan State Park Observatory, owned and operated by the United States Air Force. Atmospheric simulations, as well as optical modelling of proposed equipment, were completed to optimize the design of this laser guide star. In addition, a novel method for the implementation of the guide star onto this very …

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Statistics, Fall 2015, Patti Mccall

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.

The Subject Librarian Newsletter, Engineering And Computer Science, Fall 2015, Ven Basco

Libraries' Newsletters

No abstract provided.

(261, 105, 42) Abelian Difference Sets Do Not Exist, James Robert Hufford Jr.

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Difference sets in the group Z3 x Z3 x Z37 and the group Z3 x Z9 x Z7 are known not to exist. The only open abelian case with a sylow-3 subgroup rank 2 listed in Vera-Lopez and Sanchez's table is Z3 x Z3 x Z29. We prove for Vera-Lopez and Sanchez's table that difference sets do not exist in the open group allowing the appropriate entry to be "no". We also prove that there exist no difference sets (261, 105, 42) for any group with order 261.

Features For Ranking Tweets Based On Credibility And Newsworthiness, Jacob W. Ross

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

We create a robust and general feature set for learning to rank algorithms that rank tweets based on credibility and newsworthiness. In previous works, it has been demonstrated that when the training and testing data are from two distinct time periods, the ranker performs poorly. We improve upon previous work by creating a feature set that does not over fit a particular year or set of topics. This is critical given how people utilize social media changes as time progresses, and the topics discussed vary. In addition, we are constantly gaining new tweet data. Thus, it is important to be …

The Transfer Student Experience: Challenges And Institutional Support Systems For Undergraduate Transfer Students At A Public Four-Year University, Olivia Vanessa Matthews

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The transfer student population is rising on college campuses in the United States. Institutions of higher education should better understand how to support this growing, diverse population. This qualitative study of transfer students investigates what transitional challenges these students face, how they utilize institutional support services to assist them with these challenges, and if they feel appreciated, welcomed, and supported in their new environment. Focus group sessions and a demographic questionnaire were used to obtain data in this study. Participants invited to participate were second term transfer students who began at their current institution during the fall of 2014. Transfer …

Analysis Of The Tapered Transition Waveguide, Ryan J. Shaver

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The tapered transition waveguide is used in waveguide measurement systems for characterizing biaxial electromagnetic properties of materials, but its complex geometry does not support an analytic field solution. To ensure single-mode field behavior, the system includes sections of standard waveguides that only support the dominant mode. As a result, full-wave modeling and simulation of the system is exceedingly large.

Using the finite-element method to analyze the high-order modes at the junctions and to explore field configurations within the transition altering geometry, it is shown that besides the TE10 mode, the TE11 mode is significant. Then, two methods are proposed for …

Logging Debris Protects Sugar Maple (Acer Saccharum) Seedlings From White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus) Herbivory In Wolf-Occupied Forest, Ari Erin Sullivan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

White-tailed deer are a species of great economic and ecological concern. Foresters sometimes leave logging debris known as slash on the forest floor with the intent to protect seedlings from deer herbivory and promote forest regeneration. I examined the effects of slash on rates of deer browsing on sugar maple seedlings in a forest of northern Wisconsin and measured deer foraging behavior using giving-up density and vigilance rates by employing trail cameras. Rates of browsed stems were almost twice as high in the open as within and adjacent to slash. These findings underscore the usefulness of slash for mitigating the …

Accelerated Degradation Of Chlorinated Solvents By Copper-Modified Nanoscale Zero Valent Iron (Cu-Nzvi) Stabilized With Carboxymethyl Cellulose, Andrew Franze

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Nanoscale zero valent iron (nZVI) is a remediation technology that can be used to treat chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs) in contaminated aquifers. Nanoparticles remain mobile in water and can be transported with groundwater flow to contaminated zones. However, due to magnetic and van der Waals forces, unstabilized nZVI agglomerates. Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) was used as a polyelectrolyte stabilizer in this study. nZVI serves as an electron donor and can dechlorinate CHCs. nZVI reactivity with CHCs can be enhanced by addition of a secondary metal catalyst. This study evaluates the potential of copper amended nZVI (Cu-nZVI) to degrade select CHCs. The objective of …

The Impact Of Hsv-1 Infection On Cell Viability, Morphology, And Cd Markers Expression By Unpolarized And Cytokine-Polarized J774a.1 Mouse Macrophages, Sarah Saad Alsharif

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Macrophages play an important role in the immune system, particularly in neutralizing pathogens via phagocytosis and the production of multiple cytokines and chemokines that control infection after exposure to specific stimuli. Macrophages exhibit two different phenotypes, M1 and M2. This study evaluated the role of Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS)1 and SOCS3 on Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV-1) infection of polarized macrophages, cell viability, cell morphology, and the expression of cell surface CD markers. I hypothesized that J774A.1 murine macrophages cells in the naive state (M0), and M1 and M2 phenotypes would display differences in CD markers CD80,CD163, and CD200R, cell …

Stability Of Monomethylmercury In Water, Sarah Elyse Harvey

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Monomethylmercury (MMHg) bioaccumulates in aquatic food webs, leading to concentrations in fish that increase health risks for humans who consume fish. As a result of processes that produce and decompose it, MMHg concentrations are notoriously unstable in many natural waters. I examined the stability of MMHg in both filter-sterilized (< 0.1 µm) reagent-grade water and 0.22-µm filtered sediment pore water from Grand Lake St. Marys, Auglaize and Mercer Counties, Ohio, each at three MMHg treatment concentrations (1, 5, and 50 ng/L). Reagent-grade water samples were incubated under both light and dark conditions at either 5 or 26 °C for 112 days. Pore water samples were incubated in the dark at 26 °C, mimicking environmental conditions, for a period of 98 days. Decay constants (± 95% CI) for solutions containing either 1 or 5 ng/L MMHg in reagent-grade water ranged from 0.0009 ± 0.0013 to 0.1225 ± 0.0150 d-1, with greater decay constants at higher temperature and no significant effect of light exposure. In contrast, decay constants for 50 ng/L MMHg in reagent-grade water were much less than those in more dilute solutions, ranging from 0.0018 ± 0.0015 to 0.0055 ± 0.0023 d-1, with both light and temperature influencing MMHg decomposition. Decay constants of MMHg in pore water were found to be independent of initial concentration of MMHg; however, decay constants in pore water samples were 3-fold higher than those in reagent-grade water amended with the same initial concentration (p = 0.007). These results suggest that natural constituents in pore water accelerate MMHg decay reactions.

Theoretical Throughput Capacity: Capabilities Of Human Information Processing During Multitasking, Aerial N. Camden

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Technological advancements in automation have allowed humans to collect data at exorbitant rates. As a result, human multitasking as become an integral part of many government, industrial, and routine activities. However, multitasking can be difficult to study, primarily due to the lack of objective metrics. The Human Operator Informatic Model (HOIM) is an information-theory based model that has been recently developed to combat these difficulties. The HOIM is based on Shannon information theory and can provide an objective, meaningful measure to describe system complexity and overall multitasking performance. The main goal of this work was to validate the HOIM as …

Identification And Quantification Of The Collagen Type I, Iii And V In Rabbit Patellar Tendons, Mahesh Chandra Kodali

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Tendon injuries pose a great clinical challenge to orthopedic surgeons. Over 200,000 patients undergo tendon repair every year in the United States alone. The role of progression of a tendon injury is multifactorial as a lot of factors come into play during and after the injury at various phases of healing process. There is a still a vast requirement for thorough elucidation and understanding of the pathophysiology and the factors involved in the progression of tendon injury. Although the degenerative role of several MMPs and ADAMTs have been reported, yet there is very less information on the actual role and …

An Improved Adaptive Filtering Approach For Removing Artifact From The Electroencephalogram, Justin Ronald Estepp

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The biophysics of volume conduction that enable electrophysiological data acquisition also result in the mixing of data sources including possible, undesirable noise sources at the electrode interface. This work specifically focuses on improving the performance of the recursive least-squares (RLS) adaptive filtering method for removing eye movement artifact from the electroencephalogram. In biophysically-inspired simulated data, the RLS algorithm is verified to produce results that are inferior to extended infomax independent component analysis (ICA), the most widely used artifact correction approach in this problem space, due to its non-linear filter phase response and the presence of bidirectional contamination, or cross-talk, resultant …

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Biomechanics, Computational Modeling Of Mechanical Behavior And Injury Risk, Bharadwaj Cheruvu

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Knee joint involves interactions from various structures such as cartilage, bone, muscles, ligaments, tendon, as well as neural control. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are one of the most frequent soft tissue injuries of the knee. A torn ACL leaves the joint unstable and at risk for further damage to other soft tissues manifested as pain, dislocation, and osteoarthritis. This injury is quite common in sports such as basketball, soccer and football. Females often tear their ACL 2-8 times more frequently than their male counterparts. An ACL injury can be devastating and significantly increases the athlete's risk for osteoarthritis long …

Signal Subspace Processing In The Beam Space Of A True Time Delay Beamformer Bank, Nathan Allen Wilkins

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

A number of techniques for Radio Frequency (RF) source location for wide bandwidth signals have been described that utilize coherent signal subspace processing, but often suffer from limitations such as the requirement for preliminary source location estimation, the need to apply the technique iteratively, computational expense or others. This dissertation examines a method that performs subspace processing of the data from a bank of true time delay beamformers. The spatial diversity of the beamformer bank alleviates the need for a preliminary estimate while simultaneously reducing the dimensionality of subsequent signal subspace processing resulting in computational efficiency. The pointing direction of …

Inhibition Of Nectin-1 And Herpes Virus Entry Mediator (Hvem) Using Monoclonal Antibodies Decreases Hsv-1 Entry Into Neuro-2a Cells, Erica Marie Rinehart

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the effects of blocking the nectin-1 and Herpes Virus Entry Mediator (HVEM) receptors on Neuro-2a (N2a) cells in order to prevent HSV-1 infection. These two receptors have been identified as a primary and secondary mode of entry for HSV-1. Since there was some debate about the correct serum level to be used in growth media for healthy N2a cells, three concentrations (2%, 5%, 10%) were used to examine relative growth and neurite development, in addition to examining possible differences in infectivity levels in all other experiments. There was a difference in general morphology, with neurite abundance and …

Assessment Of The Applicability Of Terahertz Spectroscopic Breath Sensing Towards Monitoring Type 1 Diabetic Mellitus, Jessica Rose Thomas

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Type 1 diabetes is a condition that cumulatively costs around $14.9 billion in medical expenses every year in the United States. Besides being costly, the monitoring of this disease is invasive, painful, and often embarrassing to the afflicted individual; blood and urine testing is currently the daily method of monitoring blood glucose and ketone levels in the body of type 1 diabetics. Though the use of these samples is standard, another avenue for possibly determining blood glucose has not been completely explored. With over 3000 chemicals reportedly found in exhaled human breath, biomarkers associated with this disorder and many of …

Non-Cognitive Factors Affecting Undergraduate Student Success In Core Composition Courses, Samantha J. Spitak

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The intention of this study was to determine what, if any, non-cognitive factors affect student performance in core composition courses. "Non-cognitive factor" is a term referring to non-academic and non-intellectual characteristics of a student's experience. These factors may be emotional, environmental, psychosocial, etc. Some prior research has been conducted on non-cognitive factors relating to admission of minority populations, but this research is likely to be outdated. Six potential non-cognitive factors were proposed for this study: Confidence, Motivation, Socioeconomic Class, Emotional Support, Campus Climate, and Living Situation. The results of this study indicated that non-cognitive factors do influence student performance in …