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The availability of water is a limiting resource for many wildlife species in arid and semi- arid environments. Free water is essential for critical life stages for numerous species, including migration, reproduction, survival, and habitat selection. Riparian areas in the desert occur relatively infrequently, but support a disproportionally large percentage of plant and wildlife species found in arid environments. Our study covered two aspects of water use in the west desert of Utah. The first was assessing the impacts of nonnative ungulates (specifically feral horses and cattle) on natural springs, and how they influenced water quality, vegetation, and wildlife diversity at those springs. We found that these ungulates reduced plant cover and plant species richness at our sites. Additionally, we found that the number of plant species positively correlated with wildlife diversity. This indicates that further management of these nonnative ungulates may be warranted. In our second chapter we investigate how Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) use water by quantifying seasonal use, behavior, and testing a hypothesis that a ‘runway’ with drop in elevation is needed for eagles to have a quick exit. We found that eagle use of water resources was strongly concentrated in the summer months during the hottest temperatures. Adult birds used water features more often than younger birds. The most common behavior exhibited at water features was drinking, followed by bathing and preening. We found that there was a positive relationship between the number of visits and the maximum slope at each site, supporting the idea that the ‘runway’ is not required but is preferred at water sources. Overall, our results indicated that Golden Eagles use water regularly in arid environments, particularly during summer months. This research provides insight into how species are using desert riparian areas and how these species and habitats should be managed in future decades.

Medicine is a field of science that is always changing and promoting new ideas and innovations. Throughout history, medicine has been an important factor in the lives of people around the world since the beginning of civilizations. This study focused on the literature of medicine as it relates to the Spanish Golden Age period. By looking at the history and critical studies in medicine during sixteenth and seventeenth century Spain as well as during the pre-colonial period in America, this thesis overviews the effects and influences in regards to health and illness in Spain and the Americas during the Spanish Golden Age era.

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My thesis explores the potential manipulation of Roman brick using a Flemish bond, corner quoining, and barrel vaulting. The design uses this brick module to re-interpret the Ancient Roman domus, an urban residence embedded within the heart of the city. This classical inspiration is apparent in the tripartite plan and elevation as well as the use of the Golden Ratio, a classical proportioning system, incorporated throughout the design, revealed on both large and small scales. However, the emphasis of the project is on true brick construction, a process irrelevant to historical allusion. / Master of Architecture

The Golden Ratio House is primarily an architectural object constructed from a cube, which is the necessary point of origin for this project. Similar to the rules of invention, its purpose lies in its own making. Its rational construction, using the proportion of the golden ratio, produces an autonomous form. The translations and transformations of the cube are dialectic. The resulting form of the House is a product of the logic necessary for its existence. / Master of Architecture

A Distrofia Muscular de Duchenne (DMD) é uma doença recessiva ligada ao cromossomo ?X?, causada pela ausência da proteína distrofina que ocorre em vários tecidos, sendo caracterizada por uma severa disfunção da musculatura esquelética ocasionando morte prematura do paciente. Embora controverso, alguns autores reportaram que o GH (hormônio do crescimento) estaria implicado no desenvolvimento da doença e poderia ser utilizado no tratamento da mesma. Desta forma, neste estudo a dosagem sérica de IGF-I (Fator I de crescimento Similar à insulina) um peptídeo GH-dependente que regula as ações do hormônio do crescimento, foi realizada no intuito de verificar se existe correlação ou não entre o desenvolvimento da doença e a concentração sérica de IGF-I. As variações nos níveis deste hormônio foram demonstradas com o decorrer da idade sendo que, nos três primeiros meses todos os animais apresentaram comportamento semelhante com aumento dos níveis de IGF-I, porém no quarto mês os animais Distróficos benignos apresentaram redução média de 34% deste hormônio, enquanto ocorreu aumento de 1% no animal não Distrófico. Ainda, as células granulares adenohipofisárias relacionadas à produção do hormônio de crescimento em cães Golden Retriever com Distrofia Muscular apresentam-se maiores do que nos cães Golden Retriever não distróficos quanto aos seguintes parâmetros (eixo longo, área seccional e volume celular). À microscopia eletrônica de transmissão observamos que as células estudadas apresentam grânulos elétron-densos de parede dupla e distribuídos por todo o citosol. Estes grânulos apresentaram-se maiores nos animais Distróficos quando comparados aos animais não Distróficos. / The Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a X linked recessive disease, caused by the absence of dystrophin which is found in a variety of tissues and characterized by a severe disfunction of the skeletal musculature that results in a premature death of the patient. Theoretically, the growth hormone (GH) is considered to be associated to the development of Muscular Dystrophy and that could be used in its treatment. Hence in this study, a IGF-I (Insulin like growth factor-I) seric dosage was performed to verify whether or not there might be a between the evolution of the disease and IGF´s seric concentration. IGF-I is a GH-peptide dependent that regulates the GH actions during the growth. Changes in IGF-I levels were recorded during the dog?s post-natal development. On the first trimester, all animals presented similar IGF-I levels, although in the fourth month, a stark 34% decrease was observed in the dystrophic animals whereas a 1% increase was seen in the healthy dog. Furthermore, the GRMD´s granule-containing cells were larger when compared to the healthy animals. The following parameters in this comparison: long axis, cross-sectional area and cell volume. The ultrastructural study showed electron-dense granules composed by a double membrane and homogeneously distributed through the cell. These granules were larger in the dystrophic animals then in healthy dogs.

A Distrofia Muscular dos cães Golden Retriever (GRMD) é uma miopatia degenerativa causada pela ausência da proteína distrofina na superfície da membrana da célula muscular. É geneticamente homóloga à distrofia muscular de Duchenne (DMD) que acomete os humanos, portanto, estes cães são considerados modelos experimentais para estudos que buscam tratamentos para pacientes vitimados pela doença. A maior causa de morte na DMD é a insuficiência respiratória ou infecção pulmonar que ocorre em cerca de 75% dos casos. Os músculos respiratórios são sempre afetados e, juntamente com as cifoescolioses e deformidades torácicas, diminuem marcadamente a função respiratória. O padrão respiratório é de respiração rápida e superficial, com volume corrente diminuído, e está associado com a presença de alterações nas pressões parciais dos gases sanguíneos. A complacência pulmonar diminui, resultante de microatelectasias. Os músculos intercostais internos e abdominais, que auxiliam a expiração, também são acometidos, reduzindo a efetividade da tosse e dificultando a eliminação de secreções. Na fase préterminal da doença, nota-se uma redução na pressão parcial de oxigênio arterial associada com a retenção do gás carbônico, podendo observar-se um quadro de cianose, papiloedema e falhas respiratórias. A ventilação nãoinvasiva com pressão positiva (VNIPP) consiste em um método de assistência ventilatória em que uma pressão positiva é aplicada à via aérea do paciente através de máscaras ou outras interfaces sem a utilização da intubação traqueal. Este estudo teve como escopo avaliar possibilidades de terapia respiratória em cães afetados pela GRMD submetidos à VNIPP, identificar os fatores associados ao sucesso ou ao insucesso da VNIPP; caracterizar os padrões de resposta a VNIPP e complicações associadas. Os conhecimentos específicos das modalidades ventilatórias a serem usadas, assim como dos parâmetros ventilatórios a serem empregados na terapia foram fundamentais para a realização deste trabalho. A monitorização das concentrações dos gases sangüíneos, e da saturação de oxigênio, são essenciais para que possam ser estabelecidos parâmetros ventilatórios seguros e confortáveis aos animais e, assim, viabilizar a terapia. No experimento proposto foram estudados cães Golden Retriever, afetados pela distrofia muscular, submetidos à ventilação mecânica não-invasiva com pressão positiva. Para tanto foi consideradas na avaliação respiratória, a gasometria arterial e a oximetria. Apesar do desconforto respiratório e sinais de hipoventilação, clinicamente observado nos animais, não houve confirmação de Insuficiência Respiratória. Portanto concluímos que o suporte ventilatório não-invasivo (Bipap) falhou em demonstrar melhora nas funções respiratórias dos cães da raça Golden Retriever afetados pela distrofia muscular quando usado sob a forma profilática. / The Muscular Dystrophy Golden Retriever dogs (GRMD) is a degenerative myopathy caused by the absence of dystrophin protein on the surface of the membrane of muscle cells. It is genetically counterpart to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) which affects humans, so these dogs are considered experimental models for studies that seek treatments for patients affected by the disease. The biggest cause of death in DMD is respiratory failure or lung infection that occurs in about 75% of cases. The respiratory muscles are always affected and, together with the cifoescolioses and chest deformities, the markedly reduced respiratory function. The breathing pattern is rapid and superficial, with tidal volume decreased, and is associated with the presence of changes in the partial pressure of blood gases. The lung compliance decreases, resulting from microatelectasias. The intercostal muscles and internal abdominal, which help the expiration, are also affected, reducing the effectiveness of cough and hampering the removal of secretions. In the preterminal disease, there is a reduction in the partial pressure of oxygen blood associated with the retention of carbon dioxide, with a framework of cyanosis, papilloedema and respiratory failure. The non-invasive ventilation with positive pressure (VNIPP) is a method of ventilatory assistance at a positive pressure that is applied to air the patient through masks or other interfaces without the use of intubation. This study was to objective evaluate the potential of respiratory therapy in dogs affected by GRMD submitted to VNIPP, identify the factors associated with the success or failure of VNIPP; characterize the patterns of response to VNIPP and associated complications. The specific knowledge of how to use ventilation and the ventilatory parameters to be used in therapy were fundamental for this work. The monitoring of blood concentrations of the gases, and the saturation of oxygen, are essential in order to be established ventilatory parameters safe and comfortable for animals and thereby facilitate the therapy. In the proposed experiment studied dog Golden Retriever, affected by muscular dystrophy, submitted to non-invasive mechanical ventilation with positive pressure. To do so was considered in assessing breathing, blood gases and oximetry. Despite the signs of respiratory discomfort and hypoventilation, clinically observed in animals, there was no confirmation of respiratory failure. So we find that the non-invasive ventilatory support (Bipap) failed to show improvement in respiratory functions of the breed dogs Golden Retriever affected by muscular dystrophy when used in the form prophylactic.

Cette thèse s'inscrit dans le cadre du traitement automatique du langage naturel, et traite plus précisément de l'alignement sous-phrastique bilingue classiquement lié à la traduction automatique statistique. Les travaux exposés s'en distinguent en proposant une mécanique évolutive à base d'exemples initiée par des annotateurs non-experts via une interface adaptée. L'approche est principalement motivée par la recherche d'une expressivité comparable à celle observée dans les alignements manuels. Une partie importante de ce travail consiste à définir un cadre formel sous-tendant une architecture originale à base d'exemples alignés. Plusieurs mémoires d'alignements ont été constituées en tirant parti d'informations provenant d'analyseurs syntaxiques automatiques en plaçant les prérequis technologiques à un niveau raisonnablement peu élevé. Deux nouvelles méthodes d'alignement sont comparées à des références connues via des mesures d'accord classiques et trois distances transformationnelles sont introduites. / This research belongs to the Natural Language Processing (NLP) field and more specifically focuses on topic Sub-sentential Alignment which is closely related to Machine Translation. The originality of this work consists in an example-based approach bootstrapped by the participation of non-expert annotators through an appropriate interface. Seeking for a greater expressivity, such as observed in manual alignments, mainly motivates the whole approach. An important effort has been made to define a formal environment for this original architecture based on aligned examples. Several memories have been created using syntactic informations from parsers' outputs with reasonnable low-tech requirements. A couple of new alignment methods were compared with state-of-the-art measures and three transformational metrics were introduced.