Digital Commons Network^™

Compound Vision Approach For Autonomous Vehicles Navigation, Michael Mikhael

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

An analogy can be made between the sensing that occurs in simple robots and drones and that in insects and crustaceans, especially in basic navigation requirements. Thus, an approach in robots/drones based on compound eye vision could be useful. In this research, several image processing algorithms were used to detect and track moving objects starting with images upon which a grid (compound eye image) was superimposed, including contours detection, the second moments of those contours along with the grid applied to the original image, and Fourier Transforms and inverse Fourier Transforms. The latter also provide information about scene or camera …

Boxing Training Effects On Cardiovascular Risk, Quality Of Life, Endothelial Function, And Blood Flow Patterns In Individuals With Elevated Blood Pressure Or Stage 1 Hypertension, Francisco Morales

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Early stages of high blood pressure, such as elevated blood pressure or stage 1 hypertension, have shown to increase cardiovascular mortality. Exercise is recommended for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure; however, most clinical evidence is based on traditional types of exercise that have relatively high dropout rates. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of boxing training, a nontraditional exercise modality, on clinical and vascular outcomes and its relation to blood flow patterns in individuals with elevated blood pressure or stage 1 hypertension. To achieve these goals, two experiments were designed. The first …

Logic, Thought, And Language In Hegel, Marx, And Rosenzweig, Omar Moreno

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this Thesis is to open a conversation regarding the role of grammar in two areas of philosophy: interpretation and normative philosophy. The task is divided into three chapters, each of which focuses on one major issue. The first is a demonstration of the use of grammar in understanding and interpreting works of philosophy, namely those of Hegel and Marx. The second chapter is an interpretation of Franz Rosenzweig's renovated grammar as seen in The Star of Redemption. The last uses an analysis of grammar to challenge the role of empirical knowledge in community building. The last chapter …

Vanadium Contamination And Associated Health Risk Of Farmland Soil Near Smelters Throughout China, Yi'na Li, Baogang Zhang, Ziqi Liu, Song Wang, Jun Yao, Alistair G.L. Borthwick

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Determination, Occurrence, And Treatment Of Saccharin In Water: A Review, Lina Pang, Alistair G.L. Borthwick, Efthalia Chatzisymeon

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

No abstract provided.

Mother Nature, Lady Justice: Ecofeminism And Judicial Decision-Making, Jonathan Alexis Picado

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Ecofeminism offers a feminist perspective that links gender to how humans relate to the natural world. As such, this framework explores the connections between the oppression of nature and the oppression of women, such as widespread views that both women and nature are property, are to be dominated, and are most valuable when cultivated and curated by men. I apply this philosophical and sociological framework to judicial decision-making, where women judges should view environmental issues as women's issues and thus be more likely to vote in favor of the environmental protections relative to her male peers. I evaluate this theory …

Soy Una Muñeca De Porcelana, Nicolas Rodriguez Sanabria

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Tesis de maestrí­a de Creación Literaria

Utilizing Zircon (U-Th)/He And 40ar/39ar Thermochronology To Refine The Thermal History Of The Great Unconformity Within New Mexico And Colorado, Jacoup Roiz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Great Unconformity beneath Paleozoic strata represents 100-1000 m.y. of missing rock record that formed through extensive weathering and erosion. Despite its global extent, the timing of Precambrian crystalline rock exhumation prior to Phanerozoic sediment deposition remains relatively unresolved in many locations. I utilized zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe) thermochronology in order to constrain the long-term thermal history of Precambrian rocks in Colorado and New Mexico, and test my hypoThesis that these units below the Great Unconformity experienced multiple cooling and reheating episodes resulting in a compound surface representing multiple unconformities. In addition to a synThesis of previously reported data in the …

Partitioning Variation In Vegetation And Landscape Functionality In Arid Land Piosphere, Eahsan Shahriary

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

A piosphere is an interaction between vegetation community, watering point, and grazing livestock/wildlife. In this Dissertation, I begin by reviewing the concept of the piosphere, and the progress, knowledge gaps and common statistical approaches and errors in piosphere research. Landscape functionality, plant community distribution and their influencing factors on a piosphere in Iran are then investigated.

A total 862 piosphere publications of multiple types from 68 countries and 10 different languages during the period of 1915 â?? 2018 were reviewed. Australia was the most productive country followed by South Africa, the USA, Botswana and Argentina. Ivan Thrash is the most …

Specimens Of Opportunity Reveal Novel Information On The Sowerby's Beaked Whale (Mesoplodon Bidens), Kerri Jean Smith

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Conservation science requires quickly acquiring information and taking action in order to protect species at risk of extinction. Elusive wildlife, however, present challenges to effective conservation measures because it is often difficult to collect enough data on these species to recognize their conservation needs and implement management plans. As a result, researchers must identify alternative means of gathering sufficient data on these species. Specimens of opportunity, such as museum specimens, provide a way to improve knowledge on these species, and these specimens have already proven valuable by increasing information on biodiversity, habitat and range, and population structure in many species. …

Design And Characterization Of Thermal Inkjet Bioprinted Constructs For The Treatment Of Diabetic Foot Ulcers And Other Wound Healing Impaired Conditions, Luis Horacio Solis

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Tissue engineering (TE) is a multidisciplinary practice focused on developing patient-specific constructs to repair, regenerate, or replace injured tissues and organs. One biofabrication process that has gained tremendous momentum in this field is bioprinting. Most, if not all bioprinting modalities embody the same principles of heat and shear due to mechanical forces or friction as cells are forced through narrow orifices. While it is important to examine the interaction between host and implanted constructs, it is also crucial to understand the direct effects that these bioprinting technologies have on cells before embedding them into TE applications.

The purpose of this …

Spectroscopic Techniques To Characterize And Develop Sensing Methods For Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles In Water, Reagan Scott Turley

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles are being used in ever increasing amounts and applications in many consumer products and industrial processes including water treatment. These nanoparticles have not been shown to be toxic to humans via ingestion, but it is worthwhile to develop a portable and rapid detection method to quantify the concentration of nanoparticles in treated drinking water. Current detection methods include single particle inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, tunneling electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. While extremely sensitive, these techniques are expensive and sometimes require extensive sample preparation before analysis. A preliminary study on …

Bio-Inspired Method For Close-Proximity Operations On A Near-Earth Asteroid, Rene Alberto Valenzuela Najera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Space maneuvers in the vicinity of small celestial bodies and achieving a soft landing over the surface of small celestial bodies are essential movements to advance the status of exploration, collection of geographical data, measurement of physical properties among other on-orbit tasks. Before a spacecraft reaches hovering position over an asteroid in order to perform orbital tasks, close-proximity operations must be done. Since the movements of the spaceships depend on the acceleration forces provided by the thrusters and external disturbances forces, the correct planning of execution of the close-up trajectories on the celestial body orbit and trajectory to land on …

Characterization Of The Anti-Viral Activity Of Schlafen13, Jordan Winfield

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Schlafen13 (Slfn13) is an enzyme that belongs to the Schlafen family whose expression and function is not very well characterized. The N-terminal has a pseudo dimer structure that contains its catalytic site. There is no characterization functionally or structurally of the C-terminal of Slfn13 other than the prediction of a region with helicase activity. The objective of my Thesis was to increase our understanding of the Slfn family of proteins. Currently, Slfn13 is reported to play a role in the differentiation of monocytes and to function as an endoribonuclease that cleaves tRNA and rRNA molecules in a site-dependent sequence-independent manner. …

Recent Advances On Visual Cycle Protein Research And Progress On Clinical Translation, Xin Yee Ooi, Rujman Khan, Anjalee Choudhury, Francisco Xavier Elisarraras, Jeff Grigsby, Brandi Obregon, Andrew T C Tsin

School of Medicine Publications

Since the publication of our previous paper, Visual cycle proteins: Structure, function, and roles in human retinal disease (Tsin, et.al, JBC 293:13016, 2018) there has been significant progress on multiple topics discussed in this paper. In the present communication, we further explore research advances on two visual cycle proteins: DES1 and IRBP. In addition, we emphasize the progress of clinical translation of other visual cycle protein research, including the breakthrough of FDA-approved gene therapy for Leber’s congenital amaurosis, and additional gene therapies at different stages of clinical trials for various retinal diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy, and Stargardt’s …