Clinton\u27s Democratic Expansion: An Analysis of U.S. Foreign Aid to Africa

American foreign aid, and the factors contributing to its disbursement, have frequently been discussed in scholarly research. This issue has also developed into a highly contentious issue in US foreign policy. The purpose of this thesis is to determine if recipient states\u27 human rights practices are a determining factor in the aid allocation process. This thesis will analyze the second term of President Clinton\u27s administration to determine if he consistently implemented his foreign policy agenda of democratic enlargement with regard to foreign aid disbursement to Africa. Two different methodological approaches will be used in this analysis; a pooled time series regression will be run along with a case study analysis of two recipient countries. Overall, the findings suggest that a state\u27s human rights practices were a determining factor in aid allocation

Free2Play

Free2Play is a website based upon the wildly popular PC video game League of Legends created by Riot Gaming. The website contains helpful information for new and old players of the game, such as articles containing the latest League of Legends new, a rune calculator, and recommended item builds for characters. The website uses HTML5, jquery, node.js, MySQL, and PHP to pull data from Riot’s web API and Champion.gg’s website

18 and 19 SDS Small Satellite Support

This paper explores the services and recommendations offered by the 18th and 19th Space Defense Squadrons (SDS) to enhance spaceflight safety and ensure mission success for satellite owners and operators

Experimental investigation of nanofluid oscillating heat pipes

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on August 29, 2007)Includes bibliographical references.Thesis (M.S.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2006.Dissertations, Academic -- University of Missouri--Columbia -- Mechanical and aerospace engineering.An experimental investigation was conducted of oscillating heat pipes (OHP) charged with diamond nanofluid. By combining the high thermal conductivity of nanofluids with the high heat transport rate of OHPs, a new type of heat pipe was developed. The diamond nanofluid used in this experiment was a combination of 5-50 nm diamond nanoparticles and a base fluid of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) grade water. The nanofluid thermal conductivity was found to be 1.00 W/m-K this is a 67% increase compared to HPLC grade water. It was shown that the OHP thermal resistance decreased from 0.75 C̕/W with HPLC grade water to 0.49 C̕/W with diamond nanofluid at an operating temperature of 20 C̕ and a heat load of 50 W, which is a 34% improvement in thermal resistance. Also by increasing the temperature, the OHP performance increased substantially. However, the difference between the nanofluid and the base fluid at higher temperatures was less significant. Even so, a thermal resistance of 0.03 C̕/W was achieved at 336 W and with an operating temperature of 70 C̕. Fluid frequency and amplitude were observed, via neutron radiography, to increase at increased temperatures and increased heat flux. Also, for the same heat flux and operating temperature, the water OHP had a slightly higher frequency and amplitude than the nanofluid OHP. Both of these trends matched the temperature trends observed with the thermocouples

Balance-Related Outcome Measures of Acquired Brain Injury Patients in a Student-Led Onsite Physical Therapy Clinic: A Retrospective Records Review

Title: Balance-Related Outcome Measures of Acquired Brain Injury Patients in a Student-Led Onsite Physical Therapy Clinic: A Retrospective Records Review Authors: Parke Humphrey, SPT; Corey Kaleshnik, SPT; Lauren Wilson, SPT; Ann Wilson, PT, MEd, GCS Affiliation(s): 1. Physical Therapy Program, University of Puget Sound Purpose: Individuals with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) often have balance impairments. Interventions targeting these impairments may improve balance and thus increase overall societal participation. The purpose of this review was to identify the types of balance-related outcome measures used to assess balance impairments in patients with ABI in a student-led onsite physical therapy clinic. Subjects: 13 individuals with an ABI receiving care at a student-run clinic. Materials & Methods: 23 records were selected for this review; however, only 13 of these met inclusion criteria. 12 subjects had a primary diagnosis of CVA and 1 subject had a primary diagnosis of TBI. The average number of balance measures per subject was 2.25 with all subjects having at least one measure taken. The mean age of the subjects was 59.8 years with a range of 35 to 85 years. The mean amount of time since ABI onset to the episode of care was 5.2 years with a range of 8 months to 21 years and a standard deviation of 4.8 years. The mean number of visits for our subjects in each episode of care was 12.4 with a range of 4 to 19 visits and a standard deviation of 4.9. The named balance measures we evaluated were the Berg Balance Scale, Dynamic Gait Index, Timed Up and Go, and the Mini-BESTest. Additionally there were subjects that were evaluated based on general static and dynamic balance. Results: The most commonly used recognized outcome measures were the Berg Balance Scale (N=8), Dynamic Gait Index (N=3), Timed up and Go (N=2) and the Mini-BESTest (N=2). In addition 8 records identified that either static or dynamic balance or both were assessed using other methods (N=8). Of the 13 subjects, 9 improved by a score greater than or equal to the MDC or MCID. Conclusions: Although the majority of student therapists are using validated measures to assess balance, a number are assessing balance in other ways that make it difficult to determine which components of balance are being assessed or how successful the targeted interventions were. Despite this, meaningful change was seen in 69.2% (N=9) of subjects that were evaluated with recognized outcome measures. Clinical Relevance: Meaningful change can be seen in patients with ABI who may be several years out from their original injury in relatively short episodes of care or with infrequent visits. While general balance measures might be appropriate to help inform a therapist’s decision-making process to work on specific deficits, this review highlights the importance of also including a named outcome measure to detect significant changes across many case studies. References 1. What is the Difference Between an Acquired Brain Injury and a Traumatic Brain Injury. Brain Injury Association of America website. http://www.biausa.org/FAQRetrieve.aspx?ID=43913. Updated 2014. Accessed 8 November 2014. 2. Caeyenberghs K, Leemans A, Geurts M, Taymans T, Vander Linden C, Smits-Engelsman BC, Sunaert S, Swinnen SP. Brain-behavior relationships in young traumatic brain injury patients: fractional anisotropy measures are highly correlated with dynamic visuomotor tracking performance. Neuropsychologia 2010 Apr;48(5):1472-82. Doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.01.017. 3. Hoffer ME, Balough BJ, Gottshall KR. Posttraumatic balance disorders. Int Tinnitus J. 2007;13(1):69-72. 4. Perry SB, Woollard J, Little S, Shroyer K. Relationships among measures of balance, gait, and community integration in people with brain injury. J Head Trauma Rehabil 2014;29(2):117-124. doi:10.1097/HTR.0b013e3182864f2f. 5. Sartor-Glittenberg C, Brickner L. A multidimensional physical therapy program for individuals with cerebellar ataxia secondary to traumatic brain injury: a case series. Physiother Theory Pract 2014;30(2):138-148. doi:10.3109/09593985.2013.819952

Particle shape effect on heat transfer performance in an oscillating heat pipe

The effect of alumina nanoparticles on the heat transfer performance of an oscillating heat pipe (OHP) was investigated experimentally. A binary mixture of ethylene glycol (EG) and deionized water (50/50 by volume) was used as the base fluid for the OHP. Four types of nanoparticles with shapes of platelet, blade, cylinder, and brick were studied, respectively. Experimental results show that the alumina nanoparticles added in the OHP significantly affect the heat transfer performance and it depends on the particle shape and volume fraction. When the OHP was charged with EG and cylinder-like alumina nanoparticles, the OHP can achieve the best heat transfer performance among four types of particles investigated herein. In addition, even though previous research found that these alumina nanofluids were not beneficial in laminar or turbulent flow mode, they can enhance the heat transfer performance of an OHP

Inhibition of MHC Class I Is a Virulence Factor in Herpes Simplex Virus Infection of Mice

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) has a number of genes devoted to immune evasion. One such gene, ICP47, binds to the transporter associated with antigen presentation (TAP) 1/2 thereby preventing transport of viral peptides into the endoplasmic reticulum, loading of peptides onto nascent major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules, and presentation of peptides to CD8 T cells. However, ICP47 binds poorly to murine TAP1/2 and so inhibits antigen presentation by MHC class I in mice much less efficiently than in humans, limiting the utility of murine models to address the importance of MHC class I inhibition in HSV immunopathogenesis. To address this limitation, we generated recombinant HSVs that efficiently inhibit antigen presentation by murine MHC class I. These recombinant viruses prevented cytotoxic T lymphocyte killing of infected cells in vitro, replicated to higher titers in the central nervous system, and induced paralysis more frequently than control HSV. This increase in virulence was due to inhibition of antigen presentation to CD8 T cells, since these differences were not evident in MHC class I-deficient mice or in mice in which CD8 T cells were depleted. Inhibition of MHC class I by the recombinant viruses did not impair the induction of the HSV-specific CD8 T-cell response, indicating that cross-presentation is the principal mechanism by which HSV-specific CD8 T cells are induced. This inhibition in turn facilitates greater viral entry, replication, and/or survival in the central nervous system, leading to an increased incidence of paralysis

Infrared spectroscopy of ionized corannulene in the gas phase

The gas-phase infrared spectra of radical cationic and protonated corannulene were recorded by infrared multiple-photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy using the IR free electron laser for infrared experiments. Electrospray ionization was used to generate protonated corannulene and an IRMPD spectrum was recorded in a Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer monitoring H-loss as a function of IR frequency. The radical cation was produced by 193-nm UV photoionization of the vapor of corannulene in a 3D quadrupole trap and IR irradiation produces H, H2, and C2Hx losses. Summing the spectral response of the three fragmentation channels yields the IRMPD spectrum of the radical cation. The spectra were analyzed with the aid of quantum-chemical calculations carried out at various levels of theory. The good agreement of theoretical and experimental spectra for protonated corannulene indicates that protonation occurs on one of the peripheral C-atoms, forming an sp3 hybridized carbon. The spectrum of the radical cation was examined taking into account distortions of the C5v geometry induced by the Jahn-Teller effect as a consequence of the degenerate 2E1 ground electronic state. As indicated by the calculations, the five equivalent Cs minima are separated by marginal barriers, giving rise to a dynamically distorted system. Although in general the character of the various computed vibrational bands appears to be in order, only a qualitative match to the experimental spectrum is found. Along with a general redshift of the calculated frequencies, the IR intensities of modes in the 1000-1250 cm−1 region show the largest discrepancy with the harmonic predictions. In addition to CH "in-plane" bending vibrations, these modes also exhibit substantial deformation of the pentagonal inner ring, which may relate directly to the vibronic interaction in the radical cation

Assessment of abdominal fat compartments using DXA in premenopausal women from anorexia nervosa to morbid obesity

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test a newly developed DXA method for abdominal fat depot quantification in subjects with AN, normal weight, and obesity using CT as a gold standard. Design and Methods 135 premenopausal women (overweight/obese: n=89, normal-weight: n=27, AN: n=19); abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and total adipose tissue (TAT) areas determined on CT and DXA. Results: There were strong correlations between DXA and CT measurements of abdominal fat compartments in all groups with the strongest correlation coefficients in the normal-weight and overweight/obese groups. Correlations of DXA and CT VAT measurements were strongest in the obese group and weakest in the AN group. DXA abdominal fat depots were higher in all groups compared to CT, with the largest % mean difference in the AN group and smallest in the obese group. Conclusions: A new DXA technique is able to assess abdominal fat compartments including VAT in premenopausal women across a large weight spectrum However, DXA measurements of abdominal fat were higher than CT, and this percent bias was most pronounced in the AN subjects and decreased with increasing weight, suggesting that this technique may be more useful in obese individuals