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University of Alabama at Birmingham

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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

Mental Health Disparities In Racial And Ethnic Minorities: The Impact Of Nativity And Ethnicity On Depression And Anxiety, Henna Budhwani Jan 2012

Mental Health Disparities In Racial And Ethnic Minorities: The Impact Of Nativity And Ethnicity On Depression And Anxiety, Henna Budhwani

All ETDs from UAB

This research examined factors associated with mental health outcomes for minority groups residing in the United States, with an emphasis on racial and ethnic minorities and a further segmentation between those born in the United States and those born outside the United States. Two theories were used: the Healthy Migrant Theory and Health Lifestyles Theory. In combination, they identified important elements, such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, exposure to discrimination, and health lifestyle behaviors, thought to influence mental health outcomes. Nine hypotheses were presented; support was mixed. Some support was found to support the idea that nativity, independently, influenced mental health …

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Analysis Of Abundance And Biodiversity Of Mosquitoes And Their Epidemiological Implications In Three Urban Neighborhoods In The Southeastern United States, Erick Xavier Caamano Jan 2012

Analysis Of Abundance And Biodiversity Of Mosquitoes And Their Epidemiological Implications In Three Urban Neighborhoods In The Southeastern United States, Erick Xavier Caamano

All ETDs from UAB

Birmingham, Alabama has experienced several mosquito-borne epidemics, including Saint Louis encephalitis (SLE) and West Nile virus (WNV). Despite the outbreak of these diseases, the city lacks a mosquito surveillance program that would assist in vector control efforts. In order to assess the possible advantages of implementing a surveillance system for the city, three neighborhoods were chosen for surveys based on the fact that past epidemics have been concentrated in these areas. During the two surveillance years, 2009 had more abundance of mosquitoes and more species variability than the 2010 season. Overall, as abundance of mosquitoes increased in a particular site, …

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Multiple Object Retrieval In Image Databases Using Hierarchical Segmentation Tree, Wei-Bang Chen Jan 2012

Multiple Object Retrieval In Image Databases Using Hierarchical Segmentation Tree, Wei-Bang Chen

All ETDs from UAB

The purpose of this research is to develop a new visual information analysis, representation, and retrieval framework for automatic discovery of salient objects of user's interest in large-scale image databases. In particular, this dissertation describes a content-based image retrieval framework which supports multiple-object retrieval. The proposed research, unlike most existing works that are designed for single object retrieval or adopt heuristic multiple object matching scheme, aims at contributing to this field through the development of an image retrieval system that enables effective and efficient multiple-object retrieval and automatic discovery of the objects of interest through users' relevance feedback. The key …

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Postpartum Health Outcomes Of Male Partners: The Paternity Role, Carrie Ann Betcher Jan 2012

Postpartum Health Outcomes Of Male Partners: The Paternity Role, Carrie Ann Betcher

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The purpose of this study was to investigate how assuming a paternal role for the first time affects the mental and physical health of males, and identify the key characteristics of the paternal role. The characteristics deemed most important by first-time fathers were providing love (51.3%), being a teacher (19.9%), participating in childcare responsibilities (11.8%), providing financially (9.6%), providing protection (3.7%), and being an authority figure (3.7%). Conversely, 21.1% of fathers stated financial obligations were not important, and 18.7% of fathers deemed participating in childcare not important. All fathers within this study self-reported being at least moderately active in their …

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Executive Functioning And Behavior Among Very Low Birth Weight Children At School-Age, Desiree Maria De Jong Jan 2012

Executive Functioning And Behavior Among Very Low Birth Weight Children At School-Age, Desiree Maria De Jong

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Children born prematurely and/or with low birth weight (LBW) are at significantly higher risk than their full-term peers for developing cognitive, behavioral, attention, and executive functioning (EF) difficulties by school-age. The difficulties experienced by this population typically persist well into adolescence and vary as a function of birth weight, with infants weighing less at significantly higher risk for long-term problems. However, there is little consensus with regard to the specific factors that place preterm and LBW children at greatest risk for EF and behavioral impairments. A primary purpose of the current study was to examine the degree to which neonatal/ …

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An Information Theory Based Representation Of Software Systems And Design, Zekai Demirezen Jan 2012

An Information Theory Based Representation Of Software Systems And Design, Zekai Demirezen

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Software designers can benefit from the experience of engineering designers and information theory formalism. Every design starts with uncertainty and the art of software design involves uncertainty reduction. Information theory enables software designers to adopt a systems view that facilitates intellectual control over a given software design. Since design imposes organization through successive transformations in reaching the final product, it is possible to formalize design with information theory. We investigated software design as a hierarchical decomposition of design spaces. We realized that before initiating the software design process there is minimal organization, representing higher entropy. The design decisions carrying out …

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The Impact Of Speed Of Processing Training On Physical Function And Mobility Trajectories In Old Age., Joan Elizabeth Dodson Jan 2012

The Impact Of Speed Of Processing Training On Physical Function And Mobility Trajectories In Old Age., Joan Elizabeth Dodson

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Multiple research studies have shown transfer effects in everyday functioning with speed of processing training. Research has also shown that processing speed predicts physical function and mobility trajectories, with declining speed predicting weaker physical capacities and smaller life space. Additionally, it is well established that processing speed declines in older adults. As processing speed is a modifable cognitive ability, it is possible that speed of processing training may be useful to improve physical function and mobility outcomes in the aging population. The current study examined 5-year trajectories of mobility and physical function in 1400 older adults to ascertain if speed …

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Perceptions Of Rural America: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Protest Elements In Popular Country Music, Natalee Denise Singleton Jan 2012

Perceptions Of Rural America: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Protest Elements In Popular Country Music, Natalee Denise Singleton

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As rural America evolves from its agrarian roots, an onslaught of economic, geographic, and societal changes affect cultural tensions. During every significant cultural shift in America, pop culture and mass media outlets have been there to interpret it, commentate on it, and sometimes provoke it. Country music is no exception. A rhetorical analysis of popular contemporary country music shows that country artists are seeking expression on the topics of rural identity, cultural endangerment, and methods of cultural sustention. An exploration of the lyrical and musical elements of select songs, examined against scholarly studies of the protest and propaganda music of …

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Stigma As A Barrier To Formal Treatment For Substance Use: A Gendered Analysis, Kristi Lynn Stringer Jan 2012

Stigma As A Barrier To Formal Treatment For Substance Use: A Gendered Analysis, Kristi Lynn Stringer

All ETDs from UAB

It is estimated that approximately 22 million Americans are in need of treatment for substance related disorders each year; however 20 million of those in need of substance treatment fail to utilize formal treatment services. The large gap between those who need formal treatment services and those who receive such services indicates that a better understanding of factors affecting treatment utilization is needed. Researchers have shown that stigmatizing attitudes towards substance use disorders are a leading cause for treatment delay and avoidance. Furthermore, gender role theories suggest that women may experience greater stigma (double stigma or triple stigma) related to …

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Lonesome And Maybe With Other Problems, Daniel Townsend Jan 2012

Lonesome And Maybe With Other Problems, Daniel Townsend

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Lonesome and Maybe with Other Problems is a collection of short stories thematically centered on isolation and masculinity set in East Texas. These stories aim to explore the contradictory desires for social connection and unique identity. Through the use of humor and digressive narrative style, the stories capture the characters' struggles to maintain their independent identities while overcoming obstacles that keep them from ever fully participating in their families and communities. Each of these characters, though realized to the reader, must confront how they will become the men they perceive themselves to be.

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Nanocomposite Coatings Based On Quaternary Metal-Nitrogen And Nanocarbon Systems, Michael James Walock Jan 2012

Nanocomposite Coatings Based On Quaternary Metal-Nitrogen And Nanocarbon Systems, Michael James Walock

All ETDs from UAB

For this project, CrN-WC coatings are investigated as a hybrid hard and tough material. The use of a hard-carbide with a corrosion-resistant nitride may produce tailored coatings with the desired combination of properties for use as a stand-alone protective coating, or as a basis for nanocrystalline diamond deposition. The work is divided into three stages. The initial study determined the viability of the CrN-WC system, and its use as an interlayer for nanocrystalline diamond. This successful study was followed by a variation of deposition conditions at low deposition temperature. By varying the deposition parameters, the microstructure, chemical, mechanical, and tribological …

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Fiber Optic Sensors For Detection Of Biomarkers, Chun-Wei Wang Jan 2012

Fiber Optic Sensors For Detection Of Biomarkers, Chun-Wei Wang

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A combination tapered fiber-optic biosensor (CTFOB) dip-probe for rapid and cost effective quantification of proteins in serum samples has been developed. This device relies on diode laser excitation and a charged coupled device (CCD) spectrometer, and functions on a technique of sandwich immunoassay. As a proof-of-principle, this technique was applied in a quantitative estimation of interleukin (IL-6) and Carcinoembyonic antigen (CEA) in human sera. The probes detected IL-6 at picomolar levels in serum samples obtained from a patient with lupus, an autoimmune disease, and a patient with lymphoma. The estimated concentration of IL-6 in lupus sample was 5.9 +/- 0.6 …

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Geometric Fitting In Error-In-Variables Model, Qizhuo Huang Jan 2012

Geometric Fitting In Error-In-Variables Model, Qizhuo Huang

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This dissertation is devoted to the study of a popular regression model: Error-In-Variable Model, which has been commonly recognized as one of the key components of computer vision research. In EIV model, a set of data points whose (x,y) coordinates are subject to random errors is fitted by some geometric shapes such as lines, circles and ellipses. The geometric fitting which minimizes the sum of orthogonal distances from points to geometric shapes is universally recognized as the most desirable solution of the fitting problem. However, there is no explicit form of the solution for nonlinear models (circles, ellipses etc). The …

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Subsistence Homesteads In Jefferson County: A Successful "Experiment"?, Susan Elizabeth Hunter Jan 2012

Subsistence Homesteads In Jefferson County: A Successful "Experiment"?, Susan Elizabeth Hunter

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This work focuses on the history of subsistence homesteads built by the federal government in the 1930s. The homesteads were routinely referred to as "experiments." It is the intention of this author to examine the Jefferson County homesteads as successful or unsuccessful homesteads. Current research on this topic is sparse. The research contained in this thesis rests mainly on primary sources and focuses on the construction of the homes and the economic and social issues surrounding the homesteads. A brief synopsis of the condition of each of the Alabama homesteads is also included. This subsistence homestead program emerged from the …

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Acoustical Analysis Of Trained And Untrained Singers Onsite Before And After Prolonged Voice Use, Christophe E. Jackson Jan 2012

Acoustical Analysis Of Trained And Untrained Singers Onsite Before And After Prolonged Voice Use, Christophe E. Jackson

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Controlled acoustic environments are important in voice research. Recording environment affects the quality of voice recordings. While sound booths and anechoic chambers are examples of controlled acoustic environments widely used in research, they are both costly and not portable. The long-term goal of this project is to compare the voice usage and efficiency of trained and untrained singers onsite immediately before and after vocal performance. The specific goal of this project is the further of development a Portable Sound Booth (PSB) and standardization of onsite voice recording procedures under controlled conditions. We hypothesized that the simple and controlled acoustic environment …

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"A Very Amusing Bit Of Blasphemy": Honoré Daumier's Histoire Ancienne, Nicole Jordan Jan 2012

"A Very Amusing Bit Of Blasphemy": Honoré Daumier's Histoire Ancienne, Nicole Jordan

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During the early nineteenth century, Neoclassical artists depicted scenes of antiquity, both real and imagined, by exemplifying their nobility and idealism. The first artist to break the walls around this infallible representation was the caricaturist Honoré Daumier (1808-79). Daumier explored the myths and legends of antiquity minus the trappings of a classical education. The result was Histoire ancienne, a series of fifty prints published in Le Charivari between December 1841 and January 1843 that ridiculed the same subjects that artists such as Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780-1867) and Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) exalted. In 1857, critic Charles Baudelaire said of Histoire ancienne, "Daumier …

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Vote, People, Vote! W.C. Patton, The Naacp, And The Birmingham Black Community, Scott Clifford Kennedy Jan 2012

Vote, People, Vote! W.C. Patton, The Naacp, And The Birmingham Black Community, Scott Clifford Kennedy

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VOTE, PEOPLE, VOTE W.C. PATTON, THE NAACP, AND THE BIRMINGHAM BLACK COMMUNITY HISTORY ABSTRACT With the Civil Rights Movement often portrayed as a movement led from the top down, the career of William C. Patton showed the importance of the efforts of the person on the street. Patton struggled long and hard for voting rights for African Americans, working for the NAACP for years in his efforts to help black Americans gain their civil rights. His lack of national fame does nothing to detract from his untiring efforts on behalf of the rights of black Americans. Born in 1910 in …

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Factors Associated With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Mild Traumatic Brain Injury In Veterans Of Operations Iraqi Freedom And Enduring Freedom: The Role Of Neuropsychological Assessment, Donald R. Labbe Jan 2012

Factors Associated With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder And Mild Traumatic Brain Injury In Veterans Of Operations Iraqi Freedom And Enduring Freedom: The Role Of Neuropsychological Assessment, Donald R. Labbe

All ETDs from UAB

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have been referred to as "signature injuries" among veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The aims of the current study were to identify demographic and injury related variables associated with the co-occurrence of mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) and PTSD and to identify neuropsychological assessment measures that differentiate individuals with mTBI from those with co-occurring mTBI and PTSD. A total of 81 OIF/OEF veterans participated in this study comprising the mTBI (n=21) and combined (n=60) groups. The results of logistic regression analyses indicated that Caucasians were …

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The Role Of The Mirror Neuron System In Mental State Attribution In Autism: An Fmri Study, Lauren E. Libero Jan 2012

The Role Of The Mirror Neuron System In Mental State Attribution In Autism: An Fmri Study, Lauren E. Libero

All ETDs from UAB

The ability to interpret others' intentions based on their actions is a vital skill that helps us infer and understand their thoughts and plans. However, individuals with autism have been found to have difficulty in attributing intentions to others (Baron-Cohen et al., 1985; Baron-Cohen, 1995; Happe & Frith, 1996; Williams et al., 2001). The present study investigated the neural mechanisms of inferring intentions from actions in high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and typically developing control participants. fMRI data were acquired while participants made judgments about the means (how an action is performed) and intentions (why an action is …

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Geometric Fitting Of Quadratic Curves And Surfaces, Hui Ma Jan 2012

Geometric Fitting Of Quadratic Curves And Surfaces, Hui Ma

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Fitting quadratic curves and surfaces to observed images is one of the basic tasks in pattern recognition and computer vision. The most accurate and robust fit is obtained by minimizing geometric (orthogonal) distances, but this problem has no closed form solution. All known algorithms are heuristic and either computationally costly or have drawbacks in accuracy and convergence. We develop a mathematically rigorous approach to the study of the geometric fitting problem. We begin with a thorough investigation of relevant theoretical aspects of the problem and then move on to its practical solution. We focus on image processing applications, where data …

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The Effects Of Media Violence On Anxiety In Emerging Adults, Anjana Madan Jan 2012

The Effects Of Media Violence On Anxiety In Emerging Adults, Anjana Madan

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Media violence exposure is associated with anxiety among children and younger adolescents, but less is known about its effects on anxiety in emerging adults. This experimental study examines whether media violence exposure affects state anxiety and physiological reactivity (as measured through systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and mean arterial pressure) in emerging adult college students, as well as whether these effects are moderated by previous violence exposure (both in real life and through media). In the present study, participants viewed either violent or nonviolent high-action movie clips, had their physiological reactivity monitored while viewing the clips, and …

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Regulation Of Alpha-Synuclein Accumulation By The Autophagy-Lysosome Pathway In A Preclinical Model Of Parkinson Disease, Leandra Rosa Mangieri Jan 2012

Regulation Of Alpha-Synuclein Accumulation By The Autophagy-Lysosome Pathway In A Preclinical Model Of Parkinson Disease, Leandra Rosa Mangieri

All ETDs from UAB

Finding novel therapeutics that delay or halt the progression of Parkinson Disease (PD) is key to providing symptomatic relief of debilitating symptoms. A defining pathological feature of PD is characterized by the formation of Lewy bodies, intraneuronal inclusions comprised mainly of α-synuclein (ASYN) (4). Vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase), an enzyme complex comprised of two multi-subunit-containing domains, critically regulates the acidification of vesicles such as lysosomes and thus proper function of the autophagy-lysosome pathway (ALP), which is critical for the degradation of ASYN. Compromises to V-ATPase have been shown to negatively affect lysosome function and its ability to clear toxic forms of …

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Genome-Wide Dna Methylation Changes During Breast Tumorigenesis, Natalie E. Mitchell Jan 2012

Genome-Wide Dna Methylation Changes During Breast Tumorigenesis, Natalie E. Mitchell

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Neoplastic reprogramming generates cancerous cells from normal derivatives, enabling researchers to create a model of the early stages of oncogenesis and analyze molecular changes in real-time. Aberrations in DNA methylation are considered a major mechanism contributing to the acquisition and maintenance of a cancerous phenotype; however, little research exists regarding gene-specific changes in DNA methylation during the transition from a normal to neoplastic cell. Human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs) underwent neoplastic transformation through the addition of three defined genetic elements to generate one line of semi-transformed, pre-malignant cells (SHMECs) and two separate lines of fully transformed, malignant cells (THMECs). We …

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Connectivity And Collaboration: The Use Of Blogs In First-Year Composition, Melissa Peterson Jan 2012

Connectivity And Collaboration: The Use Of Blogs In First-Year Composition, Melissa Peterson

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In this thesis, I discuss the nature of digital communication at a very broad level, examine the evolution and definition of "blogs," and consider ways that blogs can be used in educational settings to improve the understanding and application of rhetorical principles. Although digital media have resulted in a dramatic shift in the way messages are created, transmitted, and consumed, digital technologies need not be viewed with skepticism and alarm. While these technologies present new challenges and opportunities for communication, the changes are more of a gradual evolution than a sudden overhaul. Within digital media, blogs are an incredibly difficult …

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The Microstructure, Mechanical Properties, And Thermal Stability Of Ternary Cr1-Xmoxny Thin-Films, Yujiao Zou Jan 2012

The Microstructure, Mechanical Properties, And Thermal Stability Of Ternary Cr1-Xmoxny Thin-Films, Yujiao Zou

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The microstructure, thermal stability and mechanical properties of ternary chromium molybdenum nitride (Cr-Mo-N) films were studied. In this work, a series of Cr-Mo-N films with different Cr/Mo ratios were deposited on CoCrMo and silicon substrates at various deposition temperatures by using a dual rf-magnetron sputtering system with Cr and Mo targets and nitrogen as reactive gas. Thermal processing at temperatures up to 700°C in air and up to 800°C in microwave plasma with H2/N2 gas mixture were employed to evaluate the thermal stability of films. The films' microstructure was investigated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). The …

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Neural Networks Involved In Eye Movements In Humans, Demet Gurler Jan 2012

Neural Networks Involved In Eye Movements In Humans, Demet Gurler

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Saccades, smooth pursuit and vergence eye movements either shift or maintain gaze on objects of interest so that the image of the object is, respectively, either brought to, or maintained on the fovea for detailed analysis. To date, the neural substrates of these eye movements have been characterized individually using a variety of techniques including electrophysiology, positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) both in non-human primates (NHPs) and humans. The non-invasive nature of fMRI allows us to use the same tasks and techniques in both humans and nonhuman primates. The purpose of the present study was …

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The Odyssey Of The Lotus: The Evolution And Journey Of Buddhism's Most Egalitarian Teaching From Asia To America, Samuel Dale Davis Jan 2012

The Odyssey Of The Lotus: The Evolution And Journey Of Buddhism's Most Egalitarian Teaching From Asia To America, Samuel Dale Davis

All ETDs from UAB

Nichiren Buddhism, based on the teachings of the 13th century Buddhist sage Nichiren (1222-1282 CE), ultimately originating with the Lotus Sutra, came to the United States in the 1960s, primarily through the efforts of young Japanese women who married U.S. servicemen stationed in their native land following World War II. The women, converts to Nichiren Buddhism through the lay organization Soka Gakkai, managed by the late 1960s to attract thousands of young Americans to the practice. During the years that followed, thousands of Americans not directly connected with the counterculture also converted to Nichiren Buddhism. Buddhist ideas reverberated with some …

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Early-In-Life Bladder Inflammation Alters Kappa-Opioid Modulation Of Inflammatory Bladder Pain, Amber Dianne Shaffer Jan 2012

Early-In-Life Bladder Inflammation Alters Kappa-Opioid Modulation Of Inflammatory Bladder Pain, Amber Dianne Shaffer

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In adult female rats, zymosan-induced inflammation of the bladder leads to bladder hypersensitivity, as reflected in augmented visceromotor reflex (VMR) responses to urinary bladder distension (UBD). Prior early-in-life (EIL) experience with bladder inflammation further increases bladder hypersensitivity. Naloxone increases bladder hypersensitivity in animals inflamed only as adults, but not in animals inflamed EIL, indicating that bladder inflammation recruits an inhibitory opioid system which may be impaired by EIL inflammation. This thesis examined what role the dynorphin/κ-opioid system played in mediating bladder hypersensitivity through the impairment of opioid inhibition. In all experiments, animals were treated EIL (P14-P16) and as adults with …

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The Buddha: The Story Of Siddhartha, Alison L. Bramer Jan 2011

The Buddha: The Story Of Siddhartha, Alison L. Bramer

Vulcan Historical Review

pp. 277-280

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The Food Wars, Josh Hodge Jan 2011

The Food Wars, Josh Hodge

Vulcan Historical Review

pp. 256-258

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