Diffusion MRI is established as an essential tool for both clinicians as well as biomedical scientists. Its application plays an important role in diagnosis and management of acute stroke, tumors, trauma, and infectious disease, among myriad other applications. Furthermore, diffusion studies are crucial for understanding disease processes caused by developmental and neurodegenerative disorders. The latest developments in quantitative diffusion imaging have broadened the potential application of the technique for both clinical and research applications. However, ongoing research is critical in order to further improve the accuracy and reproducibility of quantitative diffusion MRI techniques. Correlation time diffusion (D-CT) is emerging as an alternative technique for obtaining diffusion qMRI data[1][2][3]. Using the D-CT technique, T1 relaxation data is analyzed, using a modified BPP relaxation theory, in order to calculate the correlation times of protons’ stochastic processes and relate these times to solution viscosity in order to calculate proton diffusion coefficients, ADCs. The purpose of our study was to compare age related changes, during childhood and early adulthood, of global brain diffusion coefficients obtained by correlation time technique to global brain diffusion coefficients obtained by a conventional pulsed field gradient technique. In our study, we used the data of 27 subjects (0.5-24 years old), who were scanned with Mixed-TSE and DW-SS-SE-EPI pulse sequences. Subsequently, we processed the resulting directly acquired images to generate T1, T2, PD, ADC maps as well as volumetric data. We used the student t-test and linear regression analysis to compare and interpret our data. Our results show a strong positive correlation between the volumetric data. Good correlation between ADC values was observed, with the widest discrepancy between DCT, DPFG (about 17%) observed in the youngest subjects, and the smallest discrepancy noted in the older subjects.

The objective of this research was to investigate relationship between dissociative and associative cognitive strategies for coping with the discomfort of running and running performance. Subjects were volunteers enrolled in two Dynamic Fitness classes which were taught during Spring Quarter, 1980, at Utah State University. Class A consisted of 36 subjects (24 male, 12 female) and Class B consisted of 28 subjects (13 male, 15 female). All pretest, posttest, and treatment procedures were conducted during the class's respective regularly scheduled meeting times. Subjects completed a 2.75 mile, timed, pretest run and were systematically assigned to one of three groups based on pretest time: 1) Control, 2) dissociation training group, and 3) association training group. Two training sessions were conducted to provide instruction in developing and using a cognitive strategy for both dissociation and association groups. Control group subjects also met with the researcher twice, but no instructions for development and use of a cognitive strategy were given. A posttest 2.75 mile, timed run was completed and subjects completed a posttest questionnaire. Due to differences in procedures for subject recruitment and weather conditions for the posttest run, data from Class A and B were analyzed separately. Analysis of covariance revealed no statistically significant relationship between teaching of a cognitive strategy and running time for either class. Posttest questionnaire information was also analyzed. For both classes, statistically significant negative correlations were found between difference for pretest/posttest timed runs and dissociation points as reported on the posttest questionnaire. Also t-tests of independent means showed that association group subjects reported significantly higher levels of association than control group subject for both classes. It was suggested that although training may have increased the reported use of a cognitive strategy it was not an important factor in running performance. The researcher suggested, instead, that willingness to exert oneself may have been the primary factor in determining performance in relationship to physical limitations.

Cokeville, Wyoming, is situated at the confluence of the Bear River and Smiths Fork valleys in southwestern Wyoming. Settled in 1874, the Cokeville area has experienced much the same political, economic, and social developments typical of other small rural towns in the western United States; but it is unlike neighboring settlements in that it was not dominated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during its early growth. Depending upon an agricultural economic base, Cokeville has been the center of the Lincoln County sheep industry since the early 1900's. Mining has played a minor part in the economy, but never to the extent that it ever seriously threatened the livestock industry. During the last three decades there has been a resurgence of the cattle industry. Cokeville developed in three principal stages: settlement, the boom period of growth, and finally maturity and subsequent decline. Technological improvements in communication and transportation have widened the field of association of local residents causing decline in community spirit.

This thesis is an examination of the significance of time and temporal phenomena in the conception and construction of the built environment. It began as a question regarding the aging and life-span of contemporary buildings, in contrast with those that have at present survived long enough to earn designation as 'historic' buildings. The term'temporal phenomena' is defined here as sensory experiences which make the passage of time accessible and meaningful to those interacting with the built environment. Le Corbusier wrote that an original intent of painting was to record, to create permanent evidence of events and things that passed away with time and were forgotten, or couldn't be seen later. He suggests that the camera is a much better tool for this, and so painting has lost part of its purpose. Buildings and cities have always had the effect of retaining memory and creating cultural meanings. Cultural reliance on continuous improvements in environmental and building technologies have obviated the building's ancient place as a datum through which human beings understand the passage of time. And perhaps it is the loss of that sacred duty that leads to short-lived, disposable buildings, and the proliferation of placeless-ness in contemporary environments. A design for a brewery on the banks of the Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia became the vehicle to explore strategies for making time meaningful and present through the physical reality of the building, the brewing process, and the interrelated lives of the brewer and the city. / Master of Architecture

Few model reduction techniques exist for dynamical systems whose parameters vary with time. We have particular interest here in linear time-periodic dynamical systems; we seek a structure-preserving algorithm for model reduction of linear time-periodic (LTP) dynamical systems of large scale that generalizes from the linear time-invariant (LTI) model reduction problem. We extend the familiar LTI system theory to analogous concepts in the LTP setting. First, we represent the LTP system as a convolution operator of a bivariate periodic kernel function. The kernel suggests a representation of the system as a frequency operator, called the Harmonic Transfer Function. Second, we exploit the Hilbert space structure of the family of LTP systems to develop necessary conditions for optimal approximations. Additionally, we show an a posteriori error bound written in terms of the $\\mathcal H_2$ norm of related LTI multiple input/multiple output system. This bound inspires an algorithm to construct approximations of reduced order. To verify the efficacy of this algorithm we apply it to three models: (1) fluid flow around a cylinder by a finite element discretization of the Navier-Stokes equations, (2) thermal diffusion through a plate modeled by the heat equation, and (3) structural model of component 1r of the Russian service module of the International Space Station. / Master of Science

Currently, there is a legislative procedure in the EU to abolish switching of time regimes. Under this procedure, member countries should choose to observe either permanent Standard Time (ST) or permanent Daylight Saving Time (DST). We study whether the time regime has an effect on how people spend their time. The data we are using are daily time use panel data of US citizens from the American Time Use Survey from 2003 to 2019. To study time use of daily activities, we combine the short-run before-after effect of time regime switch with the long-run comparison of time regimes in Difference-in-Differences. We layout basic implications for EU member states, regarding individuals' time use preferences, and the time regime reform.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in Canada and is typically treated with surgical resection of the tumor. To ensure good prognosis and limit metastases no cancer cells can be left behind during resection. This project uses time-resolved fluorescence and diffuse reflectance to differentiate cancerous and non-cancerous lung tissue. These differences could be used during surgical resection of tumor to ensure no positive margins are present. Using a bi-modal spectroscopy device, BEAR, optical properties were determined for 36 tumor, 36 fibrotic and 9 normal lung tissue samples. Most optical parameters showed statistically significant differences between tumor and other tissue types. Metabolic based optical parameters showed statistically significant differences between fibrotic and normal tissue while non-metabolic based parameters showed no difference. As surgical margins are likely to be between tumor and fibrotic tissue the results demonstrate success and promise for implementing this system. Future work using fresh samples would develop the system further and would be a step closer to in vivo use during surgery. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer and is typically treated by surgically removing the tumor. To improve survival all cancer cells must be removed which can be challenging. This project uses light to extract properties that can differentiate cancerous and non-cancerous lung tissue. These differences could be used during surgery to ensure no cancer cells remain. The project tests this system on 36 tumor, 36 fibrotic and 9 normal lung tissue samples. Most parameters showed significant differences between tumor and other tissue types. Given that often times the surgical boundaries are between tumor and fibrotic tissue the results demonstrate promise in implementing this system. Future work using fresh samples would develop the system further and bring it one step closer to being used during surgery.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.