Marriages between American men and Japanese women and the problems these marriages encounter as viewed in Japan

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit

Relaxed performances: supporting aural diversity and neurodiversity among classical concert audiences in the United Kingdom

Current discourse at the intersection between sound studies and disability studies has highlighted the phonocentric nature of conventional understandings of listening – especially in relation to engagement with classical music performance. The perpetuation of ableist notions of “normal” and “expert” listening risk overlooking multimodal and embodied listening practices of the kind advocated by aurally-diverse and neurodiverse concert audiences. In this article, we evaluate the extent to which Relaxed Performances (RPs) may offer opportunities for such diverse ways of listening, through surveying the existing provision of RPs in the United Kingdom and reviewing three examples of performances by the Graeæ Theatre Company, the English National Opera, and the BBC Proms. We conclude that further work needs to be undertaken for emergent RP practices to be codified and become widespread, but highlight the importance of this work in making classical music performance more accessible and beneficial for people who experience differences in sensory processing

High Throughput Screening of Clopidogrel Resistance Using Microfluidic Technology

The pre-treatment of patients with clopidogrel before primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to lower the risk of complications that could lead to heart attack or stroke during the procedure. However, the proper administration of clopidogrel requires the measurement of the patient’s drug resistance due to its inherent variation across the population. Approximately 1.1 million PCIs were performed in the US alone in 2008. As the patient population is becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of clopidogrel treatment prior to PCI, there is an ever-expanding market potential for clopidogrel resistance screening devices. As most of the existing devices utilize traditional test-tube-scale bench-top technology that usually sets limitations on the throughput and applicability of the test itself, the market demands a device that not only minimizes the cost per test but also produces consistent and comprehensive results. In this report, guided by the innovation map, we are able to link soft lithography in combination with micro-patterning technology to the customer’s requirements, and come up with a higher-throughput system that meets the market demand. Our system consists of two parts: the chip and the device. We focus our design effort primarily on the chip, in which micro-channel layout, dry reagent dissolution, reagent mixing and reservoir volume design are carefully worked out. On the other hand, the design of the device is discussed briefly, but production is assumed to be outsourced. With the cost estimates from suppliers and the assumed expected market share to be 50%, the net present value is computed to be about 45 million, indicating a lucrative return to investors

Studies in periodic crystallization in the absence of a gel

Thesis (M.S.

Dietary influences on the pathophysiology of ovine haemonchosis

Summary available: p. 1-4

A molecular dynamics investigation of the conformation and hydration of polymer brushes

The unique architecture of polymer brushes (PBs), combined with their ability to respond to external stimuli, have led to numerous applications, for example in biomechanical devices. A thorough understanding of their responsiveness to external stimuli is required to optimise PBs for use in these practical applications. It is well-known that the hydration levels and structural properties of PBs can be modulated by the addition of different types of electrolyte solutions, depending on the categorisation of electrolyte ions within the Hofmeister series. Atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been used to characterise the levels of hydration and conformational behaviour of two different types of PB: (i) strong polyelectrolyte brushes consisting of poly (2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl trimethylammonium chloride) (PMETAC) and (ii) polyzwitterionic brushes consisting of poly (sulfobetaine methacrylate) (PSBMA) in a range of electrolyte solutions. The chosen atomic parameters successfully reproduced subtle differences in the conformational responses of both types of studied PBs in the presence of highly concentrated chaotropic anions, ClO$_{4}^{−}$ and SCN$^{−}$. The responsiveness of the studied PBs has been linked to the formation of ion pairs. The frequency and size of ion pairing and clustering species have been proposed to influence the hydration and structure of PMETAC and PSBMA brushes. The presence of strongly kosmotropic anions, SO$_{4}^{2−}$ anions, caused no discernible change in the properties of the simulated PMETAC and PSBMA brushes. The chosen atomistic parameters, while accurate for the studied PBs with the chaotropic anions, do not seem to appropriately describe specific-ion interactions involving SO$_{4}^{2−}$ anions. Chapter 7 is a stand-alone study using basin-hopping global optimisation techniques. Alkyl-dicarboxylate di-anions and alkyl-diammonium di-cations, in which the two distinct charge centres are separated by a flexible alkyl (CH$_{2}$)$_{m}$ chain were investigated in differently solvated conditions. For each di-ion investigated, a conformational transition from linear to folded is observed at a critical hydration number

ACVIM consensus statement guidelines for the diagnosis, classification, treatment, and monitoring of pulmonary hypertension in dogs.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH), defined by increased pressure within the pulmonary vasculature, is a hemodynamic and pathophysiologic state present in a wide variety of cardiovascular, respiratory, and systemic diseases. The purpose of this consensus statement is to provide a multidisciplinary approach to guidelines for the diagnosis, classification, treatment, and monitoring of PH in dogs. Comprehensive evaluation including consideration of signalment, clinical signs, echocardiographic parameters, and results of other diagnostic tests supports the diagnosis of PH and allows identification of associated underlying conditions. Dogs with PH can be classified into the following 6 groups: group 1, pulmonary arterial hypertension; group 2, left heart disease; group 3, respiratory disease/hypoxia; group 4, pulmonary emboli/pulmonary thrombi/pulmonary thromboemboli; group 5, parasitic disease (Dirofilaria and Angiostrongylus); and group 6, disorders that are multifactorial or with unclear mechanisms. The approach to treatment of PH focuses on strategies to decrease the risk of progression, complications, or both, recommendations to target underlying diseases or factors contributing to PH, and PH-specific treatments. Dogs with PH should be monitored for improvement, static condition, or progression, and any identified underlying disorder should be addressed and monitored simultaneously