No description available.

The E1b transforming region of Adenovirus type 5 encodes minor products of 93R and 156R in addition to the more abundant proteins 178R, 496R, and 84R. The goal of this study was to elucidate the function of 93R and 156R to gain a better understanding of their role in oncogenic transformation and productive infection. Mutant viruses were constructed, whose normal splicing pattern was disrupted by point mutations in the 3' acceptor sites for the 1.26 and 1.31Kb mRNAs, which code for the 156R and 93R products, respectively. In the construction of these mutations, it was necessary to ensure that they did not affect the coding region for 496R. These mutants produced transformed foci in primary rat kidney cells with wild type efficiencies in DNA-mediated transformation assays. In the mutant designed to eliminate 156R, although the two wild type 156R species were absent, two new species running slightly faster on SDS-PAGE were detected. These proteins were recognized by sera specific to both the N- and C-termini of 496R, suggesting there utilization of an in-frame cryptic splice acceptor site. Use of this site probably resulted in the production of a mRNA encoding a modified 156R. These mutant proteins also seemed to be produced at the expense of 496R. The mutant designed to eliminate 93R grew with titres equivalent to wild type dl309, yet it was not clear whether a modified protein was produced in this case as well. / Thesis / Master of Science (MS)

The role and functions of school psychologists and changes in such have been the subject of research by numerous authors both nationally and within the Commonwealth of Virginia. School psychologists have functioned as both direct and indirect service providers to school-aged children, with the former service delivery model, namely that of the diagnostician, taking precedence within the Commonwealth of Virginia. The profession has undergone and continues to undergo noted changes as a result of recent legislation and movements toward educational reform. The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of the school psychologist in the Commonwealth of Virginia, based on a survey of the role expectations of school psychologists. This information will then be compared with the role and function of school psychologists in previous years. The population of school psychologists in Virginia was chosen for the present study because of existing research using this population conducted by Murray in 1975 and by Lovern in 1987.</> Data were collected via mailed surveys using a personal data form to gain demographic information, and a modified form of the questionnaire used by Murray (1975) and Lovern (1987). Four hundred and four Virginia members of the National Association of School Psychologists were mailed survey materials. Three hundred and sixty-five surveys were returned and of this total, two hundred and eighty-two met the requirements to be used in the data analysis. This total yielded a final response rate of 78%. Results in terms of practitioner's preferred level of training indicated the specialist (Ed.S.) Level as being adequate. As for the preferred major field, a combination of education and psychology was indicated by most respondents. School Psychology was indicated as the preferred degree specialty with no preference noted for the Doctor of Education, Doctor of Philosophy, or Doctor of Psychology. Preferences for previous experience were mixed, with approximately the same number of respondents rating experience in both the classroom and other psychological and/or psychiatric settings as important. In terms of the perceived importance of various functions, school psychologists rated some of the more traditional direct and indirect services to children as most important. Examples included consultation with teachers, participation in eligibility committee meetings, parent conferences, and diagnostic studies. Those areas rated lower in terms of importance included group test administration, curriculum design, and research activities. As for the actual frequency with which these same functions were performed, practitioners rated diagnostic studies, eligibility committee participation, parent conferences, and consultation with teachers and administrators as being performed most frequently. In contrast, those functions performed less frequently included participation in IEP meetings and transition planning, staff training, curriculum design, prevention programs, and virtually all facets of research. When asked about participation in various professional activities, school psychologists rated membership in The Virginia Academy of School Psychologists (VASP) and The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) as very important. Other professional activities which were perceived as important included the reading of current professional publications and maintaining professional relationships. Relationships between selected demographic variables and practitioner responses were evident to a limited degree. It was noted that significantly more males than females believed it was important for the school psychologist to conduct research to evaluate the appropriateness of prevention programs. Respondents with higher levels of training attributed greater importance on having a doctorate; school psychologists with fewer years experience believed it was important to conduct parent education classes; and finally, experience as a classroom teacher was seen as more important by those who had experience in the classroom. Comparisons across the three studies (1975, 1987, 1996) reveal similarities in terms of background experience, academic training, and membership in professional organizations. Generally, agreement was present regarding practitioner perceptions of the frequency of functions; yet to a somewhat lesser degree in terms of the perceived importance of various functions. Results of the present study indicated that "diagnostic studies" no longer lead in terms of practitioner importance ratings; "consultant to teachers" has now been ranked in first place. In contrast, "diagnostic studies" ranked first in terms of respondent's actual frequency of functions performed, a finding consistent with the two previous studies. Finally, agreement continues to exist in terms of practitioner rankings of those functions performed less frequently, both in terms of perceived importance and actual performance frequency. Examples include group testing, curriculum design, community service, and research. Several implications were drawn from the results of the present study leading to recommendations for school psychologists and trainers, employers of school psychologists, and professional school psychology organizations. The recommendations focused on training for school psychologists and topics for further research. / Ph. D.

The manning of a ship is a major driver of life cycle cost. The U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO) has determined that manpower is the single most influential component in the life cycle cost of a ship. Life cycle cost is largely determined by decisions made during concept design. Consequently, reliable manpower estimates need to be included early in the design process, preferably in concept design. The ship concept exploration process developed at Virginia Tech uses a Multi-Objective Genetic Optimization to search the design space for feasible and non-dominated ship concepts based on cost, risk and effectiveness. This requires assessment of thousands of designs without human intervention. The total ship design problem must be set up before actually running the optimization. If manning is to be included in this process, manning estimate tools must be run seamlessly as part of the overall ship synthesis and optimization. This thesis provides a method of implementing a manning task network analysis tool (ISMAT, Integrated Simulation Manning Analysis Tool, Micro Analysis and Design) in an overall ship synthesis program and design optimization. The inputs to the analysis are ship systems (propulsion, combat systems, communication, etc), maintenance strategy, and level of automation. The output of the manning model is the number of crew required to accomplish a given mission for a particular selection of systems, maintenance and automation. Task network analysis programs are ideal for this problem. They can manage the probabilistic nature of a military mission and equipment maintenance, and can be used to simplify the problem by breaking down the complex functions and tasks of a ship's crew. The program builds large and complex functions from small related tasks. This simplifies the calculation of personnel and time utilization, and allows a more flexible scheme for building complex mission scenarios. In this thesis, ISMAT is run in a pre-optimization step to build a response surface model (RSM) for calculating required manning as a function of systems, maintenance and automation. The RSM is added to the ship synthesis model to calculate required manning, and a concept exploration case study is performed for an Air Superiority Cruiser (CGX) using this model. The performance of the manning model in this case study is assessed and recommendations are made for future work. This research shows that there is a difference between minimum manning and optimal manning on US Navy Ships. / Master of Science

Yes / Purpose: We introduce a method for determining the impulse response function (IRF) of the ERG derived from responses to temporal white noise (TWN) stimuli. Methods: This white noise ERG (wnERG) was recorded in participants with normal trichromatic vision to full-field (Ganzfeld) and 39.38 diameter focal stimuli at mesopic and photopic mean luminances and at different TWN contrasts. The IRF was obtained by cross-correlating the TWN stimulus with the wnERG. Results: We show that wnERG recordings are highly repeatable, with good signal-tonoise ratio, and do not lead to blink artifacts. The wnERG resembles a flash ERG waveform with an initial negativity (N1) followed by a positivity (P1), with amplitudes that are linearly related to stimulus contrast. These N1 and N1-P1 components showed commonalties in implicit times with the a- and b-waves of flash ERGs. There was a clear transition from rod- to cone-driven wnERGs at ~1 photopic cd.m 2. We infer that oscillatory potentials found with the flash ERG, but not the wnERG, may reflect retinal nonlinearities due to the compression of energy into a short time period during a stimulus flash. Conclusion: The wnERG provides a new approach to study the physiology of the retina using a stimulation method with adaptation and contrast conditions similar to natural scenes to allow for independent variation of stimulus strength and mean luminance, which is not possible with the conventional flash ERG. Translational Relevance: The white noise ERG methodology will be of benefit for clinical studies and animal models in the evaluation of hypotheses related to cellular redundancy to understand the effects of disease on specific visual pathways.

With the increase in the number of functions in the modern age, it has become quite a challenge for an architect to satisfy the requirements and still have an appropriate architectural expression for the materials and the underlying structure. Such challenges may be found both in nature and man made machines, giving rise to elements with multiple functions. This thesis attempts to explore such precedents offered in both architecture and other areas, and apply the ideas and principles in the design of a primary school. / Master of Architecture

No / Large-scale data are analysed using the Wigner function. It is shown that the ‘frequency variable’ provides important information, which is lost with other techniques. The method is applied to ‘sentiment analysis’ in data from social networks and also to financial data.

Active travel, encompassing walking and cycling, has emerged as a vital component in pursuing sustainable, healthy, and efficient urban transportation systems. This thesis comprises two interrelated studies that collectively contribute to a comprehensive understanding of active travel behavior and its analysis within the Canadian context. At the first step, we focused on the data prerequisites and sources required for active accessibility analysis, systematically evaluates geographic accessibility measures and data specificity essential to assessing walking and cycling in the Canadian urban landscape. As accessibility increasingly takes center stage in urban transportation policies, it becomes imperative to understand the unique data requirements and methodological considerations for these non-motorized modes. In the subsequent phase of our research, we extensively analyzed active travel behavior trends in Canada, spanning three decades from 1986 to 2015. This study uses data from Canada’s General Social Survey to examine individual preferences and behaviors related to walking and cycling. The focus is mainly on understanding how these behaviors vary according to different trip purposes and geographical contexts. Our approach involved the calibration of empirical impedance functions to gain insights into the willingness of individuals to travel to various destinations using active modes of transportation. This aspect of the study is crucial in quantifying the time individuals are willing to allocate to walk and cycle to reach their destinations. The investigation notably provides a historical perspective on the evolution of active mobility over the past 35 years. This historical analysis is pivotal in unraveling the changes in active travel behavior, influenced by factors such as urban development trends, societal attitudes towards health and environmental sustainability, and modifications in transportation infrastructure and policy frameworks. Our findings reveal significant and consistent disparities in trip durations between walking and cycling modes, accompanied by intriguing temporal variations over the years. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc) / Active travel, encompassing walking and cycling, is pivotal in fostering sustainable and healthy urban transportation systems. This thesis comprises two interconnected studies comprehensively addressing the complexities and imperatives of active travel analysis within the Canadian context. The first chapter evaluates geographic accessibility measures and data specifics necessary for assessing these modes in the Canadian context, shifting the focus to data prerequisites and sources critical for active accessibility analysis. This comprehensive analysis compares metrics, origin-destination considerations, geographic scales, and methods for calculating travel time and distance for walking and cycling. Beyond its relevance in Canada, this examination yields broader insights into the challenges and considerations associated with active travel accessibility analysis worldwide. The second chapter embarks on a journey through three decades of active travel behavior in Canada. Utilizing data from Canada’s General Social Survey, this research calibrates empirical impedance functions to elucidate individuals’ willingness to undertake trips to various destinations by walking and cycling. The study not only reveals evolving patterns in active mobility but also offers valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers seeking to elevate walking and cycling as essential components of urban transportation in Canada. These integrated studies contribute significantly to the ongoing discourse on active travel and accessibility, emphasizing the need for a transition from mobility-centric to accessibility-focused urban transportation policies. This transition holds the key to creating more sustainable, vibrant, and healthier cities for the future.

Academic literature is limited on how to coordinate the compliance and operational risk functions in organisations. The functional overlap between these two functions in financial institutions, such as banks, may result in oversight gaps or unintentional duplication. This paper describes a study on the overlap between these two functions in the second line of risk and control defence. A number of documents were analysed including relevant Basel Committee documents; South African banking legislation and regulations; integrated annual results, risk and capital reports of the four largest South African (the Big Four) banks; as well as internal operational risk and compliance documents of one of the Big Four banks. Based on this study, regulatory and practice based guidelines are proposed, which may be used to improve the efficiency of the compliance and operational risk functions in banks.

Academic literature is limited on how to coordinate the compliance and operational risk functions in organisations. The functional overlap between these two functions in financial institutions, such as banks, may result in oversight gaps or unintentional duplication. This paper describes a study on the overlap between these two functions in the second line of risk and control defence. A number of documents were analysed including relevant Basel Committee documents; South African banking legislation and regulations; integrated annual results, risk and capital reports of the four largest South African (the Big Four) banks; as well as internal operational risk and compliance documents of one of the Big Four banks. Based on this study, regulatory and practice based guidelines are proposed, which may be used to improve the efficiency of the compliance and operational risk functions in banks.