Master of Science

thesisArguably, the inherent complexity of network management makes it the top concern for network operators. While true for all networks, network management complexity is significantly exacerbated in open access networks where, unlike more monolithic "closed access networks," services are provided by different service providers on a shared network infrastructure that is operated by a separate network owner/operator. The intricate responsibilities of the role players in this environment, combined with the lack of automation in current network management and operation practices, conspire to prevent open access networks from reaching their true potential. In this thesis, we present our work on the FlowOps framework to address these concerns. FlowOps is a network management and operations framework that provides structured, automated network management for heterogeneous open access network environments. In FlowOps, we are exploring the use of a production rules system to realize automated network management and operations. This rule-based approach enables us to accurately model dependencies and relationships of devices and role players in an open access network. FlowOps enables the automation of network configuration and fault management tasks in both traditional and software-defined networks. We present a prototype implementation of FlowOps and demonstrate its utility for network operators, service providers, and end users

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Change and Continuity on the Supreme Court: Conversations with Justice Harry A. Blackmun

Justice Harry A. Blackmun used to enjoy telling a story about Supreme Court conferences during the Court\u27s 1970 term, his first on the Court. Warren Burger was ChiefJustice; Hugo Black was the most senior Justice. Court protocol, of course, is that the Chief Justice begins the discussion of each case, the most senior Justice speaks second, and the floor goes in turn to each of the other Justices according to descending seniority. Chief Justice Burger would present a case by laying out the issues involved as he saw them and the decision he believed the Court should reach. Then he would turn to Justice Black who, in a voice filled with sorrow and reproach, would lament, Oh, Chief Justice! and proceed to analyze the case in completely different terms

The Effects of an Early Motion Protocol for Rehabilitation Following a Massive Rotator Cuff Tear Repair: A Case Report

Background and Purpose: Rotator cuff tears are one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries to occur in the United States. Following a surgical repair, there are two main rehabilitation protocols: early motion and delayed motion. Despite the large number of patients in need of rehab following a rotator cuff tear surgical repair, there is not yet a definitive answer in the literature as far as the best protocol to use. Case Description: The patient was a 68-year-old male who injured himself while slipping and attempting to catch himself with his right arm. He presented to physical therapy following a surgical repair of a massive rotator cuff tear. His active range of motion and strength were within normal limits on his non-involved upper extremity, though severely limited on the surgical side due to a combination of pain and post-surgical precautions. Interventions: The patient received therapeutic exercise, ultrasound, E-stim, patient education, and trigger point release manual therapy over the course of physical therapy. Outcomes: The patient had 18 sessions of physical therapy. By the end, his active range of motion on the surgical arm equaled that of his non-involved extremity, and his strength was making rapid gains as well. Discussion: Research regarding early versus delayed motion protocols is limited. Further research should be performed studying different patient demographics to see if factors such as age, various pathologies, size of tear, etc., can affect which protocol would provide the most benefits and least risk for them. The patient in this case report demonstrated significant improvements over the course of therapy utilizing the early motion protocol

Child Maltreatment and Resilience

This exploratory, cross-sectional quantitative study was undertaken to examine how County Child Protection Social Workers perceive the concept of child resilience and how social worker self appraisal of use of resilience in interventions was consistent with their rating of resilience of children in their professional career. A self report survey was distributed to County Child Protection Field Social Workers. Univariate analysis was done and descriptive statistics were used to summarize characteristics of the data. Due to low response rate and design of the survey, findings could not be generalized. Future research may use this information to further explore best practices in Child Protection Social Work

The Development of Primate Raiding: Implications for Management and Conservation

Ecosystems and habitats are fast becoming human dominated, which means that more species, including primates, are compelled to exploit new human resources to survive and compete. Primate “pests” pose major management and conservation challenges. I here present the results from a unique opportunity to document how well-known individuals and groups respond to the new opportunity to feed on human foods. Data are from a long-term study of a single population in Kenya at Kekopey, near Gilgil, Kenya. Some of the naïve research baboons became raiders while others did not. I compare diet, activity budgets, and home range use of raiders and nonraiders both simultaneously, after the incursion of agriculture, and historically compared to the period before agriculture appeared. I present measures of the relative benefits (female reproduction) and costs (injuries, mortality, and survivorship) of incorporating human food into the diet and discuss why the baboons raid and their variations in raiding tendencies. Guarding and chasing are evaluated as control techniques. I also suggest conflict mitigation strategies by identifying the most likely options in different contexts. I end with a proposal for a rapid field assessment of human wildlife conflict involving primates

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The effects of laboratory-induced mood on secretory immunoglobulin A in saliva

The effects of induced mood on secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) were tested on 104 students (51 men & 53 women) using a mixed design with between subject factors of gender, induced mood (positive vs. negative), method of induction (writing about oneself vs. viewing a video), and a within subject factor, time (baseline vs. posttest). A split-plot multivariate analysis of covariance, controlling for salivary flow rate, did not support a causal link between induced mood alone and change in SIgA concentration. The effect of induced mood on blood pressure and heart rate was also examined. There were no significant main effects, but gender interacted with mood induction such that females experienced an increase in blood pressure in the positive mood induction condition. There was no significant effect of method of mood induction on SIgA, blood pressure, or heart rate. Stable personality traits, however, moderated the effects of mood induction. Persons who scored higher on depression and neuroticism, and lower on positive affect had significantly higher SIgA concentrations in the negative mood condition. There were no significant effects of personality traits on SIgA levels in the positive mood condition, nor did they interact with induced mood to change blood pressure or heart rate. These data suggest that although SIgA concentration may not be subject to short-term laboratory mood manipulations alone, changes in SIgA concentration may be associated with an interaction of stable personality traits and mood state, especially in the case induced negative mood

Arboreal Late Summer Courtship Behaviour of Maritime Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada

We report, for the first time, Maritime Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis pallidulus, arboreal, late summer, courtship behaviour in the wild observed 4-5 September 2006