This work examines what factors influence varied perceptions of electoral conflict using a case study in Tanzania. The 2015 general elections in Tanzania, some constituencies experienced electoral conflict. Using an original survey developed in conjunction with graduate students at the University of Dar es Salaam, this paper tests perceptions of violence in Kawe, a constituency in the heart of Dar es Salaam that experienced conflict during the 2015 general elections.

Many neurological disorders are characterized by loss of different types of neurons. Reprogramming is a process in which glial cells in the brain are changed into functional neurons. Two aspects are reprograming by small molecules to induce the Gabaergic Phenotype and reprogramming using viruses that encode transcription factors to induce a dopaminergic phenotype. A third aspect is exploring the mechanism by which NeuroD1, a transcription factor, reprograms glial cells into functional Glutamatergic neurons.

The dynamics of a swirling jet are investigated at swirl numbers in the range of the critical swirl number for vortex breakdown (VB). VB, a bifurcation in the structure of a swirling jet, results in a recirculation region forming along the centerline of the jet. Investigation of time-averaged velocity measurements leads to the identification of three flow regimes. Velocity fields in these regimes are analyzed to characterize jet dynamics and identify a precessing vortex core.

Planets within a solar system’s “habitable zone” have the right temperatures to support ingredients for life. We assessed if habitable zone planets would continue to be habitable in the presence of other planets. We simulated planets in different solar systems for millions of years; after very long periods of time other planets cause disturbances which may adversely affect their ability to support life. Global temperatures are very sensitive to the orbit of the planet.

Neurons are polarized cells that are susceptible to injury due to neurotoxicity from stroke, seizure or traumatic brain injury. Previous work has demonstrated that the DLK signaling pathway, while required for axon regeneration, is dispensable for dendrite regeneration. mthl3, a member of the methuselah/methuselah-like family of GPCR, was identified as a gene required for dendrite regeneration in a functional genomics screen. The goal is to determine the specificity of mthl3 in dendrite development and regeneration.

Macrophages, cells of the immune system, play a pivotal role in the host inflammatory response by attacking foreign materials not seen as ‘self.’  Implanted biomedical devices made of polyurethane are not identified as ‘self.’  The potential of coating polyurethane with ‘self-like’ molecules to reduce or prevent the host response from attacking such devices propelled this research. The reduction of macrophage adherence to polyurethane films coated with palmitoleic acid and bovine serum albumin will be presented.

The START Laboratory is a research facility housing a test turbine engine where advanced heat flux sensors need to be implemented to gather more test data and continue experiments. In order to implement these sensors into the continuous-duration turbine, unique methods such as the use of slip rings and custom designed couplings will be used to allow these parts to function within the constraints of the turbine.

Colostrum is a thick form of milk that bovine produce prior to parturition , which contains high concentration of IgG. E-Cadherin is a adhesive junction between the epithelial cells in the mammary gland. In this study we used IHC to analyze changes of E-Cadherin during the colostrogenesis. The results showed that the junctions became leaky to facilitate the transportation of colostrum.

Unpredictable captive environments can induce stress, which can negatively impact animal welfare. Our objective was to determine zebrafish preference between a food and object reward. These preliminary results would be utilized in future experimentation to determine if fish can associate a preferred stimulus with a specific caregiver, to re-introduce predictability within their environment. We found that fish became more cohesive, coordinated and displayed less aggression when interacting with food, than a novel object.

This article related to the process of developing A Mobile Phone APP for medical instrument. The main function of the APP is offering the connectivity to our portable molecular diagnostic system. It will allow the control command and data communication between the portable AnyMDx and the smartphone. With powerful computation ability associated with the smartphone, a database and cloud based results aggregation system can be used for malaria elimination effort.

Autonomous vehicle systems have been a topic of interest, as they can reduce vehicular injuries and fatalities. The driving style of the autonomous vehicle and the driver needs to be taken into account when designing such a system. This experiment explores how different driving styles (aggressive vs. defensive) affect how they interact with the autonomous vehicle. This research will add vital findings to the AV space allowing for the design of an autonomous vehicle.

We strive to find the ultimate lowest concentration of absorber that can be imaged at any given depth.  We came up with different kinds of tissue phantom recipes that can mimic human breast tissue best manner. The tissue phantoms are made of varied densities to help perform tomography on the densest and thickest human breast tissues. Diagnosing a cancer at its efficiently early stages of development  can decrease the mortality rate significantly.

The basis of my project has been doing a general characterization of an ER stress gene, IRE1a, and its role in inflammatory signaling following UV irradiation. By using both cultured cells and in vivo experiments that have a non functional form of IRE1a, we are able to investigate any significant differences between the knockout and the wild type control model in terms of inflammatory signaling and recruitment.