CU Dissertations

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Modeling atmospheric sound propagation in littoral environments
This thesis is focused on atmospheric sound propagation modeling in littoral environments. This work presents the effort of the author toward a numerical model able to predict atmospheric sound propagation in littoral environments. Parabolic equation (PE) acoustic predictions based on measured meteorological data are compared to synchronized acoustic data, when available, to advance the modeling effort. In particular, the effects of wind induced surface roughness, sound absorption due to a sandy beach and wind heterogeneity along the acoustic path are addressed. A method to generate pseudorandom sea profiles consistent with sea wave spectra is presented. How to estimate equivalent effective impedances based on PE predictions with pseudorandom surfaces representing different sea states is discussed. Parametric expressions using acoustic frequency and significant wave height are developed for effective sea surface impedances. Results show coupling between atmospheric refraction and effective impedance. Additionally, the contribution of a sandy beach to atmospheric sound attenuation for a near-shore acoustic source is studied through a case study. Three models of the sandy shore are used to predict the sound pressure level at the water's edge and two range locations beyond the shoreline. Predictions are compared to experimental results. Results show that the sandy beach considered must be modeled as a media with heterogeneous properties along the range to obtain accurate acoustic predictions. Finally, wind heterogeneities along the acoustic range are measured with a LIDAR. Acoustic predictions based on meteorological measurements are compared to acoustic data recorded in littoral and lacustrine environments. Results show that detailed information of temperature and wind profiles is necessary to correctly predict excess attenuation. It was also found that accounting for turbulence in PE prediction is crucial in the case of upward refraction, and leads to better predictions even for downward refraction., Acoustics, atmosphere, littoral environment, meteorology, sea, sound propagation, Mechanical Engineering, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering. The Catholic University of America
2D and 3D Computational Optical Imaging Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (DCNNs)
Traditionally, neural networks (NNs) are used to model a highly complex system architecture that consists of unknown parameters. These parameters can be trained and adapted for unseen inputs to match the correct outputs based on training the system on known matched inputs and outputs. Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs), a branch of NNs, offers an encouraging framework providing state-of-the-art performance for many of the image processing problems. In this dissertation, the novel techniques based DCNN are presented that provide the solutions for the inverse problems to compute 2-dimensional phase map distribution and 3-dimensional distribution of refraction index. Instead of using optical complex model-based techniques, the data-driven reconstruction techniques based on machine learning, in particular deep learning (DL), have gained tremendous success in solving complex inverse problems. From that, the reconstruction of 2D phase and 3D refraction index distribution relies on large datasets to ‘learn’ the underlying inverse problem., Electrical engineering, Optics, Computer science, Machine Learning, Microscopy, Quantitative Phase Imaging, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. The Catholic University of America
3D Shape, Deformation, Motion and Vibration Measurements using the Stereo-vision-based Techniques
Full-field 3D sensing techniques for shape, deformation, motion, and vibration measurements have emerged as an important tool for numerous applications in various fields. As technologies evolve, there is a high demand to extend the capabilities of the 3D sensing to achieve fast-speed, high-accuracy, and broad-range performance. This dissertation aims to conduct imaging-based research on exploring algorithms and techniques to carry out the 3D shape, deformation, motion and vibration measurements with high accuracy and fast speed. Two stereo-vision-based 3D imaging techniques are investigated: fringe projection profilometry (FPP) and digital image correlation (DIC) techniques. They normally include three key steps: (1) camera calibration, (2) image matching and (3) coordinate determination. Previously, a high-accuracy camera calibration technique based on hyper-precise control-point detection has been developed. Therefore, this dissertation puts emphasis on exploring algorithms related to image matching and 3D coordinate determination as well as the design of the hardware setup. The research work comprises three main components: -Exploration of real-time, high-accuracy 3D imaging and shape measurement techniques using the FPP approach. By encoding three phase-shifted patterns into the red, green, and blue (RGB) channels of a color image and controlling a projector to project the RGB channels individually, the technique can conduct the 3D measurements in real time by synchronizing the projector and the camera. Meanwhile, the measurement accuracy is dramatically improved by introducing novel phase determination schemes.-Exploration of high-accuracy 3D shape, deformation, motion and vibration measurement techniques using the DIC approach. In this work, infrared patterns projected from the Kinect sensor are adopted to considerably facilitate the correlation analysis with enhanced accuracy. Moreover, a technique to acquire 3D digital images of human face without the use of active lighting and artificial patterns is proposed. A few advanced schemes, such as feature-matching-based initial guess, multiple subsets, iterative optimization algorithm, and reliability-guided computation path, are employed.-Incorporation of the deep convolution neural networks (CNNs) concepts into the 3D sensing technique. A single-shot 3D shape reconstruction technique integrating the FPP with the CNNs is proposed. Unlike other complex methods, the novel technique uses an end-to-end network to directly reconstruct a 3D image from its 2D counterpart., Optics, Artificial intelligence, Mechanical engineering, 3D Imaging, Convolutional Neural Networks, Deep learning, Depth estimation, Stereo Vision, Structured light illumination, Mechanical Engineering, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering. The Catholic University of America
Abner Son of Ner: Characterization and Contribution of Saul’s Chief General
The dissertation represents the first comprehensive, academic examination of the character of Abner in the books of Samuel (1 Sam 14:50-51; 17:55–18:5; 20:25; 26:1-16; 2 Sam 2:8-32; 3:6-39), and it examines Abner’s character as it both resembles a real human being and functions as a literary device in the Masoretic Text (MT) and Septuagint (LXX). Following the examples of Sara Koenig and other biblical scholars (e.g., Robert Alter, Shimon Bar-Efrat, Adele Berlin, and Meir Sternberg), this dissertation gives attention to the ways these texts characterize Abner through direct and indirect characterization, narrative gaps, direct discourse, terminology, and grammar related to Abner, and the dissertation discusses the moral presentation of Abner in the texts and his character development from 1 Samuel into 2 Samuel. Moreover, utilizing Alex Woloch’s The One vs. The Many, the dissertation examines Abner’s character-space — the encounter between a character’s personality traits and its position within the narrative — in MT and LXX. While Abner’s character mimics a real human being in the way he is described, acts, and speaks in the stories, his character also contributes to the plots, structures, and messages of MT and LXX, and he illuminates other characters, especially Joab. The dissertation first devotes significant attention to Abner’s character-space in MT, followed by a discussion of how LXX differs from MT with respect to Abner. The dissertation concludes that Abner is a minor but complex and generally positive character who is integral to the plot of the story. Positively, Abner holds a powerful position within Saul’s court, is persuasive and shrewd, relies heavily upon rhetoric and questions, prefers peace over violence, and is widely respected by other characters. Negatively, he is lustful, presumptuous, and callous, and is an ineffectual military commander. The LXX presents Abner as a more powerful, threatening and yet merciful but less rhetorically shrewd character than does MT. As a literary device, Abner’s character symbolizes Saul and his kingdom, signals negative transitions for Saul’s house, illuminates other characters, and acts as the catalyst for the peaceful transition of power from the house of Saul to the house of David., Biblical studies, Literature, Abner, Hebrew Bible, Literary Criticism, Minor Characters, Samuel, Septuagint, Biblical Studies, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Biblical Studies. The Catholic University of America
Accompanying the Next Generation of Newlyweds: A Parish Model for Perfecting the Love of Marriage Through a Peer Collaborative Dialogue
Amoris laetitia acknowledges that marital accompaniment is not currently taking place at a significant rate within the local parish and renews the call for local parishes to better accompany newlyweds through daily married life. This Project in Ministry develops, implements, and evaluates a model of marital accompaniment at the parish level for newly married young adult couples, married no more than five years.Inquiry sessions, four seminar sessions, and a half-day of reflection were used to address the current pastoral and practical realities of the newly married couples of St. Mary’s in Dover NJ. The project offered the couples practical experience, formation in key marital skills founded in social science, and developed an ongoing support system for each couple. The project was evaluated by using a survey instrument delivered pre-project and post-project with additional session evaluations.Seventeen couples participated in the project. The change demonstrated through their participation in the project is in six areas; (1) growth in understanding of the role of the parish within their marriages; (2) awareness that the parish community seeks the inclusion of and supports young adults; (3) growth in the desire to accompany other newly married couples; (4) participation in an ongoing intentional faith community beyond the conclusion of the program; (5) growth in recognition of key skills that enhance marriage; (6) growth in understanding that the sacrament of marriage perfects their love over time.To accompany the next generation of newlyweds, parishes must meet couples where they are in life providing them a welcoming peer community that helps perfect their lives, relationships, and faith through dialogue and praxis. The Church and the social sciences have numerous resources that can be used to foster this practical accompaniment. Unfortunately, the data shows that these spaces are not readily available for couples within the Church and society. This project creates a clear and easily recreated model for parishes to use for the ongoing formation and accompaniment of newlyweds after their celebration of the sacrament., Theology, Marriage, Parish, Small Groups, Young Adults, Pastoral Studies, Degree Awarded: D.Min. Pastoral Studies. The Catholic University of America
"According to All That You Demanded" (Deut 18:16): The Literary Use of Names and Leitworte as Antimonarchic Polemic in the Deuteronomistic History
Degree awarded: Ph.D. Biblical Studies. The Catholic University of America, The Deuteronomistic History (Dtr) is a story with a message for Israel in exile. It tells the story of Israel's leadership from its entry, under Moses and Joshua, into the land covenanted to its ancestors to its eventual expulsion from the land under monarchy. The story begins with the people's "request" for distance from Yhwh, a request granted in the form of intermediary prophetic leadership (Deut 18:15-22). Thereafter, Israel's deteriorating leadership situation results in further "requests." Human kingship, which Israel "demands" (1 Samuel 8-12) to remedy its leadership's failures, swiftly leads--except in rare instances--to even greater national apostasy. Israel, Judah, and their "demanded" monarchies' sins culminate in exile from the land. This study explores Dtr's thematic use of onomastic wordplay in his narrative evaluations of some of the principal figures involved in the rise and eventual fall of the monarchy in Israel and Judah, this in terms of the legislation of Deuteronomy.The names and biographies of Samuel and Saul are linked together by the Leitwort *sh'l("ask," "request," "beg," "demand"). The tragic arcs of David and his heir Solomon-Jedidiah's lives are told in terms of the Leitwort *'hb ("love") and its antonyms. The Leitwort *shlm/shalôm links David's sons Absalom and Yhwh and itself. Rather than enjoying eternal dynastic "peace" from Yhwh Solomon to Dtr's concern for Israel's loss of "peace" and "wholeness" with as boasted by Solomon (1 Kgs 2:33), David's house, including its "good" kings, experience a "peace" that fits Yhwh's program of "recompensing" Judah for its covenant violations. The fate of the priestly house of Eli is typological of the fate of Israel and Judah's royal houses as evident in Dtr's thematic play on the name "Ichabod" ("Where is the Glory?"). Dtr also plays on the names of Tiglath-pileser and Nebuchadnezzar, Israel and Judah's exilers and final despoilers, in terms of *glh (*gly) and 'ôtzar. Josiah's name is reinterpreted positively in terms of Deuteronomic "fire," but also recalling the proto-king Abimelech (Judges 9). The message to the exiles is one of warning about the nature of its "requests" from Yhwh, perhaps especially regarding Jehoiachin's son Shealtiel after the death of the former in exile., Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-20T15:48:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bowen_cua_0043A_10512display.pdf: 2651007 bytes, checksum: 6354ce21b62f79dcd754f5a824647f2f (MD5)
Active Participation of the Local Church in the Enactment of the Eucharist in the Thought of Edward J. Kilmartin
Degree awarded: S.T.D. Liturgical Studies/Sacramental Theology. The Catholic University of America, This study investigates the pneumatological-Christological understanding of active eucharistic participation as articulated by the twentieth-century American theologian Edward J. Kilmartin, S. J. Based on a Trinitarian model of theology in connection with the insight gained from the ancient eucharistic prayers (participation in the transitus of Jesus to the Father), Kilmartin develops the notion of interior participation as emphasized by the Fathers at the Second Vatican Council (1962-65). He thus provides a "theological" approach to the "full, conscious, and active" participation as succinctly articulated by the Fathers at the Council. The participation by believers in the covenantal relationship with God, in and through the eucharistic celebration, necessarily involves a union with Christ. Kilmartin explains this union by establishing a strong pneumatological connection between Christ and believers resulting from the bestowal model of the Trinity. This union with Christ in the Spirit allows Kilmartin to demonstrate a parallel between Jesus' life of faith and the life of faith required of believers. It is the Holy Spirit, whom Christ sends to his Church, which is represented by the liturgical assembly (the ordained priest and the believers) in the eucharistic celebration, that becomes the Spirit of the Church. This Spirit enables the liturgical assembly to participate fully in the mind of Christ through appropriating the sacrificial attitudes of Christ.With Kilmartin's description of participation in "the Spirit of the faith of Christ" which this study explores and presents, a better understanding of the notion of active participation in the Eucharist can be attained in response to Vatican II exhortations as outlined in Sacrosanctum Concilium and Lumen Gentium. Furthermore, Kilmartin's comprehensive theological treatment of the subject grounded in the Trinitarian model is capable of including the various elements of active participation of Y. Congar, F. McManus, M. Collins, and J. Lamberts as treated in this study. This dissertation, therefore, argues that Kilmartin has made a significant contribution to the notion of active eucharistic participation in the post-Vatican II era., Made available in DSpace on 2012-06-01T16:44:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Varghese_cua_0043A_10328display.pdf: 2576156 bytes, checksum: a9bbd4054b3e4fa8d539fac9cb11f035 (MD5)
Acupuncture for the Management of Hot Flashes in Breast Cancer Survivors
Degree awarded: D.N.P. Nursing. The Catholic University of America, Acupuncture for the Management of Hot Flashes in Breast Cancer SurvivorsHollis McClellan Misiewicz, DNPDirector: Janice Agazio, PhD, CRNP, RN In the United States, more women are diagnosed with breast cancer than any other type of cancer. As earlier diagnosis and new treatment modalities increase survival for these women, health care practitioners must address long-term problems secondary to cancer therapy. The development of severe hot flashes, affecting up to 85% of breast cancer survivors, can significantly affect quality of life. Many hot flash treatments are ineffective, have intolerable side effects, or are contraindicated for breast cancer survivors. Research supports the use of acupuncture as an effective, safe treatment for minimizing hot flashes in breast cancer survivors.Purpose: The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to determine if acupuncture is effective at decreasing the number and severity of hot flashes and improving sleep in breast cancer survivors at an urban hospital. The acceptability of acupuncture as a treatment for hot flashes was also explored.Design: The study design for this project was a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design. Qualitative data was also obtained by interview after participants completed acupuncture treatments.Methods: Eligible women completed a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and recorded hot flash frequency and severity in a hot flash diary for a week before and after acupuncture treatment. Acceptability of acupuncture was assessed using a Likert Scale (1-10). Participants received twice weekly acupuncture treatments for four weeks. Pre and post acupuncture hot flash frequency and severity, PSQI sleep disturbance score, and acceptability ratings were compared. Participants were interviewed and descriptions of the acupuncture experience examined for themes.Results: Paired t-test revealed significant improvement in night time hot flash frequency (p = 0.04) and severity (p = 0.001). Daytime hot flash severity significantly improved (p < 0.001) although no significant difference was noted in hot flash frequency (p = 0.089). PSQI score was significantly improved following acupuncture (p = 0.021). No significant difference was found between pre and post acceptability scores (p = 0.428). Participants' descriptions of acupuncture encompassed three themes; acupuncture is (1) effective, (2) relaxing, and (3) painful at times. Conclusion: Acupuncture can be effective in reducing the severity and frequency of hot flashes in breast cancer survivors., Made available in DSpace on 2013-06-25T14:59:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Misiewicz_cua_0043A_10399display.pdf: 2940372 bytes, checksum: 797e864b8abd79008b4b154053e46f62 (MD5)
Adaptation and Recontextualization in the Brazilian Modinha
After a prosperous period of cultivation during the late-eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as both a salon and street genre, the Brazilian modinha declined in popularity and was displaced by other sentimental song genres. However, throughout the twentieth century, poets, composers, and songwriters continued to embrace modinhas while disseminating them via new contexts and media. This dissertation argues that although modinhas are seemingly simple and outdated sentimental songs, they have been selectively cultivated throughout the genre’s history because of their ability to function as concise and evocative musico-poetic fragments within a broad range of social, cultural, and historical narratives. To enhance the effectiveness of modinhas, poets, songwriters, and composers deliberately borrowed and adapted Brazilian and European musical and poetic elements, forms, and styles of the past to create an aura of nostalgia, to project national identity, and to add historical and narrative depth to the contexts in which they have been applied. The dissertation begins by tracing the development of the Brazilian modinha in late-eighteenth-century Portugal, with a focus on the adaptation of Neoclassical literary elements into a Brazilian poetic context in the modinhas of Domingos Caldas Barbosa. I then address a significant gap in modinha scholarship through providing a chronological narrative of the development of the genre in Rio de Janeiro throughout the nineteenth century while identifying the prominent musico-poetic influences, themes, and social and cultural contexts central to the modinha’s cultivation. This is followed by case studies of the modinha in the twentieth century demonstrating processes of adaptation and recontextualization. These include: Catullo da Paixão Cearense’s adaptation of French literary models and choros into his modinhas during the Brazilian Belle époque period, Heitor Villa-Lobos’s use of modinhas to enhance nationalist representations in his art songs and orchestral works, and the selective cultivation of modinhas by bossa nova and MPB poets, composers, and songwriters to add sophistication, dramatic expression, and nostalgic narration to a diverse range of contexts and media. This dissertation emphasizes the musical and poetic analysis of modinhas, contextualizes the genre’s relationship with Brazilian and European culture, and presents a history of this traditional song form in English. , Music history, Latin American history, Latin American studies, Art Song, Brazil, History, Latin America, Modinha, Music, Musicology, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Musicology. The Catholic University of America
Admission of Candidates to the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin: Canons 597,641-645, Ongoing Canonical Considerations
Admission of Candidates to the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin:Canons 597, 641-645Ongoing Canonical ConsiderationsJames M. Peterson, O.F.M. Cap., J.C.D.Director: Rose McDermott, S.S.J., J.C.D.Given the scarcity of religious vocations in the Western hemisphere and the copious numbers of religious vocations in some parts of the Eastern hemisphere, candidates are often admitted without the scrutiny required by canon law. In contemporary society candidates often lack depth in Catholic doctrine, are increasingly influenced by secularism, and have difficulty making permanent commitments. This dissertation examines admission to religious institutes of men in the 1983 Code of Canon Law and recommends a procedure for the admission of candidates in accord with the vocation and identity of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin.Chapter one of this thesis reviews the norms for admission to a religious institute in the 1917 Code of Canon Law, canons 538-546 and significant post-codal documents. Human experience and developments in the social sciences brought revisions, clarifications, and additions to the law on admission to religious institutes.Chapter two studies the period from the Second Vatican Council to the promulgation of the revised Code of Canon Law. Conciliar and post-conciliar teachings reflect theological developments and further progress in the social sciences, assisting the magisterium, major superiors and formators in updating the admission process. The teachings informed the code revision process.Chapter three analyzes the revised norms on admission to the novitiate in the 1983 code, canons 597 and 641-645. Post-codal documents and a symposium reflect ongoing papal and curial concerns for the admission of suitable candidates.Chapter four examines admission to the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. It addresses the Fourth Plenary Council, the proper law of the Capuchin Order, and the future of Capuchin formation and the development of a ratio formationis., Canon law, Admission, Candidates, Impediments, Religious Institutes, Suitability, Canon Law, Degree Awarded: J.C.D. Canon Law. The Catholic University of America
Advance Care Planning in Community Dwelling Older Adults with Chronic Illness
The aging population, coupled with the increasing health care costs of managing their chronic illnesses, put Advance Care Planning (ACP) at the center of the national medical and public health debate in this country. Because of the aging population, and the increased numbers of individuals with chronic illness, it is important to understand and convey the complexities of ACP for this vulnerable group in the society. Recent published data reveal that many adults (not just older adults) have not expressed their preferences for End of Life (EOL) care nor have they communicated their preferences to families or health care providers. ACP in the older adult population is not occurring consistently. The aim of this research was to understand the process that community dwelling older adults with chronic illness use in making ACP. Grounded Theory was the methodology used in the study. Data obtained from fifteen semi-structured interviews were analyzed and a substantive theory, Taking Charge, was developed. Taking Charge was the core concept which described the theory comprised of five dynamic stages: Awareness, Vulnerability, Barriers/Facilitators, Life Experiences, and Action. The findings of “Taking Charge” corroborate/support prior research study findings that have identified the many factors that influence an individual’s ability, or inability, to complete ACP. Further, the study focuses particular attention on aspects of ACP that have not been studied in depth: readiness to engage and the developmental transitions taking place as older adults age and approach their death. “Taking Charge” posits that readiness to engage is linked to “awareness.” Being aware allows individuals to adapt, by employing new tactics - develop new knowledge, skills, and attitudes. This leads to identifying meaning and experiencing a sense of control. Ultimately, healthy transitions enable decision-making to occur that positively reflects autonomy and self-determination. Conversely, lack of awareness stalls decision-making. Individuals cannot accept the challenges of the developmental transition: they avoid knowledge and skill acquisition, maintain unrealistic expectations, and limit new choices. This leads to feeling and experiencing a loss of control, and ultimately results in either poor ACP planning, or none whatsoever. , Nursing, Aging, Gerontology, Advance Care Planning, End of Life, Nurse Practitioner, Older Adult, Nursing, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Nursing. The Catholic University of America
Advanced Formation for Liturgical Ministers: Understanding and Integrating Full Participation
Degree awarded: D.Min. Liturgical Studies/Sacramental Theology. The Catholic University of America, The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy calls for the "full, conscious, and active participation" of the faithful in the celebration of the liturgy, as a right and duty by baptism. Heeding this call in the years since the Council, liturgical formation has defined "full, conscious, and active" as taking part in the rites, texts, singing, gestures, and external actions of the celebration. In addition, formation for liturgical ministers has centered on skills needed to perform a specialized role. The problem addressed in this paper is how to help experienced liturgical ministers move to a level of understanding of participation in the liturgy that goes beyond the external actions to the internal movements of the heart, to transformation of life, so that all who participate in the liturgy may live out what they have become.The primary texts of the project include Sacrosanctum Concilium and Lumen Gentium, as well as Kathleen Hughes' Saying Amen: Mystagogy of Sacrament, Susan Wood's Ordering the Baptismal Priesthood, and Louis-Marie Chauvet's Sacraments. The method includes pre and post workshop research questionnaires and a full day workshop. The workshop began with an overview of participation as understood in the documents of the Church. With this background, an extended presentation on participation as primarily internal was given. Interior participation consists of taking part in the sacrifice of Christ by the offering of self with Christ in gift to God at the liturgy. The day ended with a practical experience of mystagogical reflection on the liturgy, which the participants used to process their own participation.The results of the project showed a significant increase in understanding of a deeper level of participation. Half of the participations indicated an increase in their awareness of how they participate in the sacrifice of Christ, and that their participation involves a giving of self, as Christ gave fully of himself on the cross, to God and to others. The conclusion is that further formation in a deeper level of participation for those who are committed to the liturgical life of the parish can reap strong results when focused on increasing interior participation., Made available in DSpace on 2012-06-01T16:44:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Wickman_cua_0043A_10318display.pdf: 1463844 bytes, checksum: e0e55c4cef7ab56dc39c0cc2fb58f4cf (MD5)
Advanced Image Processing in Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Application in Myocardial Perfusion Quantification
Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) has been proven to be a valuable source of diagnostic information concerning heart health. One application, myocardial blood flow (MBF) quantification using first-pass contrast-enhanced myocardial perfusion, has aided the detection of coronary artery disease and provides an accurate evaluation of myocardial ischemia, an identifier of coronary artery stenosis. However, the image processing and analysis requires tedious user interaction, increasing the time and effort required to utilize it. In addition, it can introduce subjectivity and variability into the data analysis, which further limits the potential use of the modality. This dissertation presents several automated image processing algorithms to increase the accuracy, consistency, and efficiency of CMR image processing, and validates them on large, clinical datasets.First, an automated method is proposed to measure the arterial input function (AIF) from the left ventricle (LV), which is required for the accurate quantification of MBF. The proposed algorithm consists of several automated image processing steps including motion correction, intensity correction, detection of the LV, independent component analysis, and LV pixel thresholding to calculate the AIF signal. The method was validated in 270 clinical studies by comparing automated results to manual reference measurements using several quality metrics. Additionally, the MBF was calculated and compared in a subset of 21 clinical studies from healthy volunteers using the automated and manual AIF measurements. The proposed method successfully processed 99.63% of the image series. Manual and automatic AIF measurement showed strong agreement, and the automated method effectively selected bright LV pixels, excluded papillary muscles, and required much less processing time than the manual approach. No significant difference was found in MBF estimates between manually and automatically measured AIFs.Second, this dissertation presents an automated method for segmenting the myocardium from MBF maps, making segmental analysis faster and easier to achieve. The proposed method employs active contours for myocardial segmentation, and landmark detection for the anchoring of sector-wise analysis. These methods were validated in a group of 91 clinical perfusion studies against a manual reference standard. The proposed method processed 100% of the studies successfully and results agreed with the manual reference standard, both in terms of segmented area and measurements from sector-wise analysis.Together, these automated methods form a fully automatic MBF quantification pipeline for first-pass contrast-enhanced myocardial perfusion imaging. These advancements make the modality more readily available and applicable to a larger number of patients and centers throughout the field., Computer science, Medical imaging, Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Image Processing, Myocardial Perfusion Imaging, Quantification, Segmentation, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. The Catholic University of America
After the Vaccine: Cervical Cancer Screening in Army Women
Degree awarded: Ph.D. Nursing. The Catholic University of America, Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in U.S. military women, a much greater risk than observed in the general population. Health seeking behaviors such as consistent cervical cancer screening and vaccination against specific human papillomaviruses (HPV) can greatly reduce a woman's risk for cervical cancer. Thus delays in health seeking behaviors and those factors which influence delay remain significant and relevant to military healthcare researchers to support and maintain a healthy military force. Underpinned by the Theory of Reasoned Action, findings included that female Soldiers had generally positive attitudes towards cervical cancer screening. However, one in five female Soldiers had not completed a cervical cancer screening exam in the previous year. One in ten female Soldiers less than 27 years in age had completed the HPV vaccination. Utilizing a predictive correlation study design, the primary objective of this research endeavor predicted the strongest determinant for adherence to cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination was encouragement by a healthcare provider. Finally, although most female Soldiers were aware of their last cervical cancer screening exam, female soldiers tended to over report their previous HPV vaccination behavior. By gaining an understanding of determinates for health seeking behaviors in female soldiers, future targeted evidence-based interventional strategies can confidently be developed to bolster healthcare seeking in this population and potentially reduce their overall incidence of cervical cancer., Made available in DSpace on 2011-02-24T20:49:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Throop_cua_0043A_10090display.pdf: 4778418 bytes, checksum: 19dc5b32d8c53ecb5c8dcbda06fbd510 (MD5)
Agricultural Dimensions of the Book of Ruth
Food, essential for life, plays a prominent role in the Book of Ruth. It serves as the prime motivation for Elimelech’s migration to Moab from Bethlehem, the “house of bread.” Upon Naomi’s return migration to Bethlehem, agriculture provides a safety net for her and Ruth, as well as to those with no other means of support, namely the widows, orphans, and aliens. This dissertation investigates farming and ecological practices, including agricultural motivations for migration in order to understand the background of the story of Ruth and the book itself. After a summary of previous scholarship, the focus turns upon the migration of Elimelech and his family during a time of severe famine and the return migration of Naomi, accompanied by Ruth (Ruth 1:1-6). Here, drought and famine are examined as well as the role they play in a decision to migrate to another land. Next, I examined the agricultural process and the role it plays in Ruth 2:4-17, 23 (harvest) and 3:6-13 (threshing). Pertinent archaeological evidence was brought to bear. Finally, the effects of migration, farming, and ecology on the plight of the orphan, widow, and alien were examined. In an agriculture-based system of taking care of the less fortunate, the fortunes of the poor are often interconnected with the success or failure of the farmer’s crop. Five main conclusions were drawn from this study. First, migration was seen as a viable alternative to starvation in the event of a prolonged famine. Because of a farmer’s fear of losing his property and his livelihood, this option was seen as a last resort. Second, when the primary means of support, the “breadwinner,” disappears, survivors are likely to engage in return migration, especially if they receive news that the famine has ended in their homeland as in the case of Naomi (Ruth 1:6). Third, the farmer is at the mercy of natural phenomena, such as weather, pests, and plant diseases. This was made manifest at the beginning of the Book of Ruth.Fourth, if natural circumstances cooperate, the farmer’s skill, from plowing to harvest, has a direct bearing on the success or failure of a given crop year. The farmer also practices ecological skills such as soil conservation through terracing and nutrient conservation by means of fallowing and crop rotation. Finally, the fortunes of the farmer and the poor are intertwined, provided the farmer abides by legislation in the law codes (Covenant, Holiness, and Deuteronomic). Boaz is an exceptional exemplar in his generosity toward Ruth., Biblical studies, Agriculture, Near Eastern studies, Agriculture, Ancient Near East, Book of Ruth, Megilloth, Biblical Studies, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Biblical Studies. The Catholic University of America
Ain't never been cared for: A grounded theory of receiving hospice and palliative care for homeless and vulnerably housed individual
Hospice and palliative care are difficult to access for patients who experience homelessness or vulnerable housing. These care models assume that patients are housed and have access to electricity and running water as well as food, safety, and social support. This constructivist grounded theory analysis examined the process of receiving hospice and palliative care for homeless and vulnerably housed individuals (HVHI). Addressing a gap in the literature, this study examined this process from the patient’s perspective; while there is a growing body of literature that documents the barriers to care that this vulnerable group faces, very little evidence represents the patient perspective. Intensive interviews with nine participants provided the basis for a substantive theory: Ain’t never been cared for: Receiving hospice and palliative care. The three-phase process experienced by participants and described in this dissertation includes Phase 1: Complex and Intersectional Trauma; Phase 2: Losing Health and Home; and Phase 3: Ain’t never been cared for: Accessing Care and (Re) Creating Family. This theory of the process of receiving hospice and palliative care provides a framework for the improvement of clinical care, development of policy priorities, and clarification of educational needs for clinicians and other service providers. Through the lens of trauma informed care, clinicians can better serve this population by focusing efforts on harm reduction strategies, reducing barriers to care, and providing care in environments where HVHI feel safe; implementing harm reduction across care environments would additionally improve engagement with this population. Legislative priorities should focus on local, state, and federal policy development and funding to house the homeless. Additionally, policy to support the clinical practices of harm reduction strategies where HVHI can be reached, and services can be adequately provided is essential. Educational interventions for clinicians, students, and service providers will help to reduce barriers to care that impact the experience of bias and stigmatization by healthcare and other providers. Without a doubt, what people experiencing homelessness need is housing, and with housing, palliative and hospice services can improve the quality and quantity of life for this vulnerable population. , Nursing, Harm Reduction, Homeless, Hospice, Palliative, Trauma Informed Care, Vulnerably Housed, Nursing, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Nursing. The Catholic University of America
Alasdair MacIntyre on the Role of the Economy in Fostering the Political Common Good
Understanding the proper relation between the common good and the individual good is fundamental for understanding authentic human flourishing. This dissertation first details Alasdair MacIntyre’s account of individual human flourishing as a life of the virtues through a lifelong narrative embedded in a tradition. The human person emerges not only as zoon logikon, but also as zoon mytho-logikon, the animal that finds meaning in telling stories. We then look at communal human flourishing and show that MacIntyre’s account of the political common good is an account of local, social common goods. We observe his allegiance to some of Marx’s ideas and how that allegiance is one factor that keeps him from arriving at a fully Thomistic account of the political common good. We discover four levels of tragedy in MacIntyre’s work.We then look at MacIntyre’s understanding of the role of economic activity in the growth or prevention of virtue, and then describe three of his main criticisms of the capitalist culture of late modernity: that capitalism not only fosters but relies upon pleonexia, or unrestrained acquisitiveness; that capitalism effectively becomes the regime, a Leviathan of nation-states-and-markets that harms local communities; and that Marx’s theory of surplus value alleges profit as theft at the very core of capitalism. Before addressing these criticisms, we first attempt to understand Marx and MacIntyre from a perspective of Thomistic metaphysics: we delve into the history and decay of metaphysics in the modern period, to show that the final cause and the formal cause were thought to be irrelevant by the time Marx wrote, and that his approach thus relies primarily on material and efficient causality. This lack of immanent teleology curtails Marx’s approach in his understanding of human nature, of the political community, and of economics, and those limitations exhibit in MacIntyre’s work. Finally, we address MacIntyre’s three criticisms of capitalist culture from a Thomistic perspective, to show how teleology can shed light on those criticisms and can yield different responses: contemplation as a response to pleonexia, in the philosophy of human nature; appropriate hierarchy and participation in the common good, in the philosophy of politics; and an acknowledgement of legitimate sources of value other than labor, in a teleological account of economics in the Thomistic tradition. We register the importance of the “dative of economics” – “to whom” or “for whom” an action is undertaken. We question whether MacIntyre’s political and ethical convictions and commitments condition his economics, or vice versa. Marx is indebted to Adam Smith, whose ethics and anthropology MacIntyre rejects. Despite his Thomism, MacIntyre maintains an economic perspective closer to Marx than to Thomas, and this perspective influences both MacIntyre’s ethics and his politics. We question MacIntyre’s attempt to incorporate Marx into the Thomistic tradition: we point to the fundamental metaphysical incompatibility of Thomas and Marx, and this lack of harmony holds implications for MacIntyre’s ethics, politics, and economics as well., Philosophy, Ethics, Economics, Alasdair MacIntyre, Common Good, economics, human flourishing, Karl Marx, Thomas Aquinas, Philosophy, Degree Awarded: Ph.D. Philosophy. The Catholic University of America

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