Digital Commons Network^™

Cross-Spectral Full And Partial Face Recognition: Preprocessing, Feature Extraction And Matching, Zhicheng Cao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cross-spectral face recognition remains a challenge in the area of biometrics. The problem arises from some real-world application scenarios such as surveillance at night time or in harsh environments, where traditional face recognition techniques are not suitable or limited due to usage of imagery obtained in the visible light spectrum. This motivates the study conducted in the dissertation which focuses on matching infrared facial images against visible light images. The study outspreads from aspects of face recognition such as preprocessing to feature extraction and to matching.;We address the problem of cross-spectral face recognition by proposing several new operators and algorithms …

Embedded Option: A Common Framework, Cynthia Hudson-Vitale

WashU Libraries Publications

EXPERIENCE AND RESEARCH has shown that given the complex nature of research data services, various university units and departments must work together to provide appropriate services to create, manage, store, educate, archive, and preserve research data. Organizationally, this can prove to be a challenge. One viable option for meeting these challenges is the embedded librarian model. In the research data services sense, librarians may be embedded into a faculty-led research group, assisting in creating metadata and managing active data; into the university research office, helping with federal requirements for open data compliance; and into a campus information technology unit providing …

The Role Of Interleukin-2 In Directing Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Function And Its Implications For Understanding The Progression Of Atherosclerosis, Prakash Arumugam

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disorder of the vasculature leading to the development of plaques within vessel walls. A critical component of atherosclerosis involves migration and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) into the developing plaque, however, its mechanism is not yet understood. Previous studies have reported that IL-2 is deposited within the vasculature and IL-2 accumulates within atherosclerotic plaques due to secretion by infiltrating Th-1 cells. A limited number of studies suggest that VSMCs express a partial IL-2 receptor, comprising the ß and ¿ subunit. This suggests that IL-2 may elicit a physiological response in VSMCs. Considering IL-2’s proliferative …

Comparison Of The Effects Of Energy Flux On Metabolic Conditions And Satiety In Young Adults, Molly Madison Demello

Theses and Dissertations

Within the United States, 68% of all adults have been classified as overweight to obese, as defined by 25 kg/m2 ≤ BMI ≤ 35 kg/m2. Research has shown that overweight/obese individuals can still gain health benefits through participation in aerobic activity without losing weight. These improvements include improved glucose control, CRF, HDL and quality of life. More research is necessary to understand the health benefits associated with a chronic aerobic intervention under weight stable conditions. We therefore examined the health benefits of an aerobic 6-month intervention under weight stable conditions on body composition, cholesterol and measurements of appetite and satiety …

Student Buy-In To Active Learning In A College Science Course, Andrew J. Cavanagh, Oriana R. Aragon, Xinnian Chen, Brian A. Couch, Mary F. Durham, Aiyana Bobrownicki, David I. Hanauer, Mark J. Graham

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The benefits of introducing active learning in college science courses are well established, yet more needs to be understood about student buy-in to active learning and how that process of buy-in might relate to student outcomes. We test the exposure–persuasion– identification–commitment (EPIC) process model of buy-in, here applied to student (n = 245) engagement in an undergraduate science course featuring active learning. Student buy-in to active learning was positively associated with engagement in self-regulated learning and students’ course performance. The positive associations among buy-in, self-regulated learning, and course performance suggest buy-in as a potentially important factor leading to student …

Urolithin A, C And D, But Not Iso-Urolithin A And Urolithin B, Attenuate Triglyceride Accumulation In Human Cultures Of Adipocytes And Hepatocytes, Inhae Kang, Yongeun Kim, Francisco A. Tomás-Barberán, Juan Carlos Espín, Soonkyu Chung

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Scope: Urolithins (Uro) are ellagic acid (EA)-derived metabolites produced by gut microbes. There is a growing interest in the biological activities of Uro. Our aim was to evaluate the impacts of Uro on regulating triglyceride (TG) accumulation using cultures of primary human adipocytes and hepatoma Huh7 cells.

Methods and Results: UroA, B, C, D, and iso-UroA, were used to determine the effect of Uro on adipogenesis and lipogenesis. Individual Uro (30 M) were added to human adipogenic stem cells (hASCs) during differentiation. UroA, C and D, but not iso-UroA and UroB, significantly inhibited new fat cell formation by decreasing TG …

Healthy Weight Maintenance: Narrative Analysis Of Weight Cycling In The Formerly Obese, Cheri Renee Lewis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Medical and economic costs for obesity are estimated at $147 billion per year, yet less than 1/3 of overweight individuals successfully maintain weight loss. The literature is replete with descriptions of the problem and research on treatments, yet demonstrations of effective loss and maintenance are lacking. Missing is an understanding of the experiences of individuals who successfully maintained healthy weight loss, which could provide insights regarding effective psycho-social interventions. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore key events and experiences in the lives of former weight cyclers. The primary phenomena of interest included weight cycling and sustained …

Choreographing Intimacy: The Making Of ‘[They] Slipped Briskly Into An Intimacy From Which They Never Recovered’ – A Dance Film, Antonio Rinaldi

Theses : Honours

In this investigation, I have utilised a practice-led research methodology to capture ‘intimacy’ in film, specifically, the medium of dance film. The exegetical work is divided into the written research with an accompanied dance film component; however they should be viewed as an integrated thesis. The aim of my research was to develop my choreographic practice through a film that is a sensory and evocative exploration of intimacy. I argue that the film components of dance film (directing, cinematography, editing and the like) uniquely capture an intangability of dance and the complexities of human intimacy in a manner that is …

Significance Of Using A Nonlinear Analysis Technique, The Lyapunov Exponent, On The Understanding Of The Dynamics Of The Cardiorespiratory System In Rats, Tamer Zeren, Mustafa Özbek, Neci̇p Kutlu, Mahmut Akilli

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Pneumocardiography (PNCG) is the recording method of cardiac-induced tracheal air flow and pressure pulsations in the respiratory airways. PNCG signals reflect both the lung and heart actions and could be accurately recorded in spontaneously breathing anesthetized rats. Nonlinear analysis methods, including the Lyapunov exponent, can be used to explain the biological dynamics of systems such as the cardiorespiratory system. Materials and methods: In this study, we recorded tracheal air flow signals, including PNCG signals, from 3 representative anesthetized rats and analyzed the nonlinear behavior of these complex signals using Lyapunov exponents. Results: Lyapunov exponents may also be used to …

Human Cytosolic Sulfotransferase (Sult) 1b1 Half-Site Reactivity And The Identification And Characterization Of A Novel Variant Sult1b1 Isoform (L145v), Zachary Evan Tibbs

All ETDs from UAB

The human cytosolic sulfotransferases (hSULTs) are a fourteen-member family of phase II drug-metabolizing enzymes that catalyze the transfer of a sulfonate moiety from 3’-phosphoadenosine 5’-phosphosulfate (PAPS) to a recipient substrate. SULT-mediated sulfation serves to deactivate physiological hormones and detoxify xenobiotics. SULT1B1 is primarily resident to the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and possibly peripheral white blood cells (WBCs), whereby it performs its supposed physiological role. The iso-form has the capacity to sulfate thyroid hormones, small phenols, and polyaromatic hy-drocarbons resulting in their inactivation, detoxification, and bioactivation/detoxification, respectively. Immunohistochemistry was used to show hSULT1B1 protein is present in periph-eral lymphocytes and neutrophils. Further, …

Cognitive Flexibility: Using Mental Simulation To Improve Script Adaptation, Javier Rivera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human behavior and decision-making depend largely on past experiences that generate specific action patterns (i.e., scripts, Gioia & Manz, 1985) for specific situations. In an ideal world, in which changes in the environment do not conflict with these action patterns, humans would be able to operate consistently, efficiently, and automatically. However, real-world environments are dynamic and fluid, thus altering behavior and forcing changes in scripts. Research suggests that to implement alternate solutions to changing situations, humans select from a "library" of learned scripts. Since humans tend to implement scripts to the degree that these are successful over a period of …

Biom 3110: Medical Physiology (Syllabus), Bradford D. Pendley

Biomedical Engineering Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Basic principles of human physiology and how these are applied in medicine and biomedical engineering problem and devices; physiological principles using appropriate mathematical and engineering models to construct an understanding of how the body works as an integrated system.

Short-Wavelength Light-Blocking Eyeglasses Attenuate Symptoms Of Eye Fatigue, Jonathan B. Lin, Blair W. Gerratt, Carl J. Bassi, Rajendra S. Apte

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Supplementation Reverses Vascular Dysfunction And Oxidative Stress With Aging In Mice, Natalie E. De Picciotto, Lindsey B. Gano, Lawrence C. Johnson, Christopher R. Martens, Amy L. Sindler, Kathryn F. Mills, Shin-Ichiro Imai, Douglas R. Seals

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (Ace) Inhibitor Extends Caenorhabditis Elegans Life Span, Sandeep Kumar, Nicholas Dietrich, Kerry Kornfeld

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

An Approach To Quantifying 3d Responses Of Cells To Extreme Strain, Yuhui Li, Guoyou Huang, Moxiao Li, Lin Wang, Elliot L. Elson, Tian Jian Lu, Guy M. Genin, Feng Xu

Open Access Publications

No abstract provided.

Review Of Feeling Mediated: A History Of Media Technology And Emotion In America, Thomas P. Oates

Iowa Journal of Communication

No abstract provided.

Examining Hiv-Associated Symptom Burden And Microbial Translocation In The Veterans Aging Cohort Study: A Secondary Data Analysis, Natalie Lynn Wilson

All ETDs from UAB

group of 50 women (group 1) received computer-tailored feedback with brief counseling.

Implementation Of New System For Oxygen Generation And Carbon Dioxide Removal, Angelo Peter Karavolos

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This research effort develops an integrated system for CO2 removal and O2 production. A unique material, dodeca-tungsto-phosphoric acid (H3PO4W12O3; henceforth referred to as DTPA) is mixed with tetra-ethyl-ortho-silicate Si(OC2H5)4 or TEOS. This mixture exhibits unique properties of heat absorption and high electrical conductivity. In the system described herein, the DTPA resides within a cross linked arrangement of TEOS. The DTPA furnishes a source of O2, while the TEOS furnishes structural support for the large DTPA crystals. In addition, the large amount of H2O within the crystal also adsorbs CO2. It can also be cross-linked with other polymers such as polycarbonate, …

Brain-Computer Music Interfacing: Designing Practical Systems For Creative Applications, Joel Eaton

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Brain-computer music interfacing (BCMI) presents a novel approach to music making, as it requires only the brainwaves of a user to control musical parameters. This presents immediate benefits for users with motor disabilities that may otherwise prevent them from engaging in traditional musical activities such as composition, performance or collaboration with other musicians. BCMI systems with active control, where a user can make cognitive choices that are detected within brain signals, provide a platform for developing new approaches towards accomplishing these activities. BCMI systems that use passive control present an interesting alternate to active control, where control over music is …

The Study Of The Regulon Of Oxyr In Escherichia Coli And Porphyromonas Gingivalis, Christopher K. Pham

Theses and Dissertations

The facultative anaerobe, Escherichia coli and the obligate anaerobe, Porphyromonas gingivalis are two bacteria that reside in our body. Although they reside in separate environments, they are both subject to hydrogen peroxide stress and have mechanisms to regulate the stress. OxyR is the primary transcriptional regulator/sensor of oxidative stress response caused by hydrogen peroxide. OxyR in P. gingivalis is not well-characterized compared to OxyR in E. coli. We sought to characterize and compare the two forms of OxyR in order to gain a better understanding of the protein. We determined the oligomeric state of both proteins: primarily a tetramer for …

Intrinsic Inter-Subject Variability In Functional Neuroimaging: Verification Using Blind Source Separation Features, Shruti Gopal Vij

Theses

The holy grail of brain imaging is the identification of a biomarker, which can identify an abnormality that can be used to diagnose disease and track the effectiveness of treatment and disease progression. Typically approaches that search for biomarkers start by identifying mean differences between groups of patients and healthy controls. However, combining data from different subjects and groups to be able to make meaningful inferences is not trivial. The structure of the brain in each individual is unique in size and shape as well as in the relative location of anatomical landmarks (e.g. sulci and gyri). When looking for …

A Novel Magnetics And Imu Based Design For Untethered And Hands-Free Human Computer Interaction, Stephen J. Norris

Open Access Master's Theses

The current status of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) stands to develop greatly, with many new technologies offering promising new methods interacting with a computer. The goal of this project is to develop a novel device that is compatible with desktop style point-and-click interfaces designed for mice but has the unique advantages of being 'Untethered' and 'Hands-free'. The use of Electromyography (EMG) and an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) was initially investigated, leading to an alternative design utilizing a series of small Hall Effect sensors and corresponding magnet(s). The cursor response was identified as the most important factor to ease of use, …

Cell Capacitance Estimation And Detection, Stephen A. Sladen

Open Access Master's Theses

The aim of this thesis is to examine the behavior of the electrical properties such as the resistance and capacitance of the cell membrane. During specific biological processes, the electrical properties of the membrane can yield useful data which can be further exploited to study these phenomenons. Using simulations, an accurate model of the cell membrane was built based on a three-element analog electrical circuit. Presented in this thesis are several signal processing algorithms which are used to either estimate the parameter values of the model or detect the presence of a vesicle activity.

The estimation is achieved with least-squares …

New Australian Plants And Animals. An Exhibition - And - Physiology, Phenomenology And Photography: Picturing The Indeterminate Within An Australian Art Practice. An Exegesis, Michael Gray

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This practice-led research project investigates indeterminate aspects of perception related to human vision and postcolonial conditioning. Through an inventive range of lens-based artworks, the research draws parallels between preconscious visual phenomena and the subjective experience of non-indigenous Australians of multiple generations.

The resulting body of creative work, New Australian Plants and Animals, can be seen to approach preconscious visual phenomena derived from the physiology of the human eye through the use of primitive photographic lens technology. This process is applied to the subject matter: introduced plants and partially naturalised migrants. This synthesis of subject and materials creates new insights …

Fetal Stress And Neurogenesis In Thamnophis Sirtalis Parietalis, Kalera Stratton

University Honors Theses

Little is currently known about normal brain development and the growth of new nerve cells, known as neurogenesis, in most species, let alone how exposure to prenatal stress affects these processes. Using red-sided garter snakes as our animal model, we have a unique opportunity to study the impact of exposure to elevated maternal glucocorticoids, commonly known as "stress hormones", on brain development. This species is viviparous, with a proto-placental structure through which developing fetuses receive nutrients from the dam. Adult snakes also exhibit high rates of seasonal changes in neurogenesis. We captured mated female snakes and treated one-third of them …