Hugh J. McCann (ed.), Free Will and Classical Theism: The Significance of Freedom in Perfect Being Theology

This volume collects a set of papers that were presented at a conference on “Big Questions in Free Will,” held at the University of Saint Thomas in October of 2014. It is dedicated to its editor, who passed away shortly after completing the manuscript. I will briefly summarize each of the 11 chapters and then offer a few critical comments

The Effects of Smoking on the Calcification of the Aortic Valve

Calcific Aortic Valve Disease is responsible for approximately 28,000 deaths annually and the complete mechanism is not completely understood. The disease is known to be effected by an inflammatory response, osteogenic response and an oxidative stress response that leads to thickening and mineralization of the aortic valve. Originally, this disease was thought to be brought on by age and deterioration of the valve but these rapid stress responses when the valve is disrupted by biochemical and mechanical stress has led to its classification as an active disease. Smoking has been shown to have many of the same effects experienced by CAVD but whether the two are directly connected as not been determined. The focus of this Honors project is thus to identify if smoking will elicit a pathological response in vitro to better understand the pathways induced and to identify ways to mitigate smoking-related valve disease. It is hypothesized that cigarette smoke will lead to an inflammatory response, osteogenic-like response, and oxidative stress by analyzing the changes in TGF-B1, IL-6, osteopontin, osteocalcin, RUNX2, and LOX-1. To achieve this, VICs were subjected to 1% and 0.5% Marlboro Red and Silver cigarettes for 6, 24, and 48 hours and were analyzed via RT-PCR and Western Blot. This study concluded that smoking results in the upregulation of IL6 when examined with RT- PCR and the presence of LOX-1 when examined by Western Blot. The presence of these two factors proves that there was an increase of oxidized LDLs as is characteristic of oxidative stress. These results, in combination with the fact that osteopontin, osteocalcin, and RUNX2 gene expression were upregulated at the 6 hour and 48- hour time points, also suggest that there is still a possibility that smoking could induce an osteogenic response if the VICs were subjected to the smoking extracts for longer time periods. The degree to which smoking induces an inflammatory response and an osteogenic response will have to be further tested

Freedom of the Will (Doctrine)

Edwards’s views on the nature of the human will demonstrate his unique ability to unite philosophical rigor and theological fervor. Edwards was a staunch defender of the Reformed doctrines of absolute divine sovereignty and meticulous providence, but he was also a proponent of the intellectual tools and methods of early modern philosophy (and of John Locke in particular). His ultimate statement of his doctrinal position, Freedom of the Will, is the masterful result of these dual commitments

Comparison of wind tunnel and flight test afterbody and nozzle pressures for a twin-jet fighter aircraft at transonic speeds

Afterbody and nozzle pressures measured on a 1/12-scale model and in flight on a twin-jet fighter aircraft were compared as Mach number varied from 0.6 to 1.2, Reynolds number from 17.5 million to 302.5 million, and angle of attack from 1 to 7 deg. At Mach 0.6 and 0.8, nozzle pressure coefficient distributions and nozzle axial force coefficients agreed and showed good recompression. At Mach 0.9 and 1.2, flow complexity caused a loss in recompression for both flight and wind tunnel nozzle data. The flight data exhibited less negative values of pressure coefficient and lower axial force coefficients than did the wind tunnel data. Reynolds number effects were noted only at these Mach numbers. Jet temperature and mass flux ratio did not affect the comparisons of nozzle axial flow coefficient. At subsonic speeds, the levels of pressure coefficient distributions on the upper fuselage and lower nacelle surfaces for flight were less negative than those for the model. The model boundary layer thickness at the aft rake station exceeded that for the forward rake station and increased with increasing angle of attack. The flight boundary layer thickness at the aft rake station was less than that for the forward rake station and decreased with increasing angle of attack

Effect of nozzle and vertical-tail variables on the performance of a 3-surface F-15 model at transonic Mach numbers

An investigation was conducted in the Langley 16 foot transonic tunnel to determine the longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of twin two dimensional nozzles and twin baseline axisymmetric nozzles installed on a fully metric 0.047 scale model of the F-15 three surface configuration (canards, wing, horizontal tails). The effects on performance of two dimensional nozzle in flight thrust reversing, locations and orientation of the vertical tails, and deflections of the horizontal tails were also determined. Test data were obtained at static conditions and at Mach numbers from 0.60 to 1.20 over an angle of attack range from -2 deg to 15 deg. Nozzle pressure ratio was varied from jet off to about 6.5

Effect of thrust reverser operation on the lateral-directional characteristics of a three-surface F-15 model at transonic speeds

An investigation was conducted in the Langley 16 Foot Transonic Tunnel to determine the lateral directional aerodynamic characteristics of a fully metric 0.04 scale model of the F-15 three surface configuration (canards, horizontal tails) with twin two dimensional nozzles and twin axisymmetric nozzles installed. The effects of two dimensional nozzle in flight thrust reversing and rudder deflection were also determined. Test data were obtained at static conditions and at Mach numbers from 0.60 to 1.20 over an angle of attack range from -2 deg to 15 deg. Reynolds number varied from 2.6 million to 3.8 million. Angle of sideslip was set at approximately 0 deg and -5 deg for all configurations and at -10 deg for selected configurations

Efficacy of Multivitaim-Mineral Supplementation on Health-Related Quality of Life and Physical Activity in Young Adults

Micronutrients are essential for both physical and mental health. There is a correlation between poor health and mood and micronutrient deficiencies. Young adults age 18-24 are an at-risk, understudied population likely to benefit from multivitamin mineral supplementation. Multivitamin mineral supplementation is a potential way to bridge gaps in micronutrient levels, thus influencing health-related outcomes. Here, we provide the first attempt at influencing health-related quality of life and physical activity with a multivitamin mineral supplement in young adults. Using a supplement formulated without herbal extracts and caffeine, this double-blind study examined the efficacy of a daily multivitamin mineral supplement for 30 days on health-related quality of life and physical activity in young adults age 18-24 years. With obesity being a continued health concern and related to poor mental health, we also compared the effects in both healthy and excess body weight participants. While there were main group effects, there were no effects on health-related quality of life or physical activity when comparing between supplement and placebo group. While it is possible that supplementation may not have an influence on these outcomes, it is possible that low sample size or short study duration, among others, limited ability to more fully assess if there is an effect

The Gray Area: Sexuality and Gender in Wartime Reevaluated

These three works, two academic papers and one screenplay, challenge traditional notions of gender and sexuality during wartime. Queer Vietnam service members did not all experience oppression, all the time, but rather carved out a space for themselves amongst their peers. Female nurses in the early cold war could keep their careers in the medical field due to its unique gendered history despite demobilization efforts across the country in different industries. Finally, through the medium of historical fiction, a Civil War soldier’s fears and desires are questioned as he experiences the phenomenon of the Angel’s Glow, a blue light that somehow manifests in the wounds of some soldiers

Transonic Aerodynamic Characteristics of a Powered Wind-tunnel Model of the Apollo Launch Escape Vehicle During Separation

No abstract availabl