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University at Albany, State University of New York

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Theses/Dissertations

2012

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The Sabatoge Of Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Agent" : Hitchcock Reads Conrad, Robert Benton Preslar Jan 2012

The Sabatoge Of Joseph Conrad's "The Secret Agent" : Hitchcock Reads Conrad, Robert Benton Preslar

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This paper traces the ways in which Joseph Conrad's novel The Secret Agent and Alfred Hitchcock's 1936 film Sabotage each comment on their respective mediums. Taking the object which is left behind in the wake of Stevie's death as its starting point, the triangular piece of cloth, this thesis examines the ways in which the figure of the delta alerts the reader to a commentary on language and text that echoes throughout the novel. As that triangular piece of cloth becomes a film tin bearing the title "Bartholomew the Strangler," this paper then traces the resonances that film and the …


This Pipe's For You : A Qualitative Exploration Of Glass Shop Owners' Networks, Legitimacy And The Glass Pipe Arts Movement, Anna K. Ryan Jan 2012

This Pipe's For You : A Qualitative Exploration Of Glass Shop Owners' Networks, Legitimacy And The Glass Pipe Arts Movement, Anna K. Ryan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The goal of this dissertation was to gain an insider perspective of the glass shop industry. A qualitative methodology was employed to gather in depth information from 15 participants who owned glass shops. Through interviews and extensive fieldwork, I was given the opportunity to delve into the work lives of innovative and goal oriented entrepreneurs. My motivation for engaging in this research was to uncover the processes that quasi-legitimate business owners utilized in order to operate under paraphernalia laws, which define the products they sell as illegal. Throughout my research, I learned that today's head shops have evolved from their …


Micropatterned Electrospun Nanofibrous Substrates As Scaffolds For Engineered Salivary Glands, David Alexander Soscia Jan 2012

Micropatterned Electrospun Nanofibrous Substrates As Scaffolds For Engineered Salivary Glands, David Alexander Soscia

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The salivary gland is a complex organ exhibiting a branching, 3-dimensional structure made up of acinar (saliva-producing), and ductal (saliva transporting and modifying) epithelial cells. The high surface area of the gland allows it to efficiently provide the mouth with saliva, maintaining oral cleanliness and comfort. Salivary gland hypofunction, a significant clinical problem often caused by the autoimmune disease Sjögren's syndrome or head and neck radiation for cancer patients, affects millions of Americans and is characterized by a loss of function of salivary gland acinar cells. Chronic xerostomia, or dry mouth, arises as a result of salivary gland hypofunction and …


Identification Of Trophic And Transcriptional Requirements For Human Embryonic Stem Cell Culture And Guided Neural Differentiation, Nicolas Edward Tokas Jan 2012

Identification Of Trophic And Transcriptional Requirements For Human Embryonic Stem Cell Culture And Guided Neural Differentiation, Nicolas Edward Tokas

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Translational biomedical research holds potential for the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of injury, illness or disability. To better understand intrinsic cellular and molecular biology, human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can be used as a tool. hESCs are pluripotent with the abilities to be held in a self-renewal state or become induced to a desired germ layer then to be later directed through differentiation.


The Relationship Between Training Design And Trainee Differences On Training Outcomes : An Experimental Investigation Of The Treatment Of Socialization And Training Content In The E-Learning Environment, Regina Elizabeth Yanson Jan 2012

The Relationship Between Training Design And Trainee Differences On Training Outcomes : An Experimental Investigation Of The Treatment Of Socialization And Training Content In The E-Learning Environment, Regina Elizabeth Yanson

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

For e-learning initiatives to succeed, they must be designed to support a variety of trainees, methods, and content. Two important considerations in the design of any learning environment are the complexity of the tasks being learned and the socialization and connections of the trainees. Therefore, the goal of this research was to investigate how different levels of complexity and trainee socialization affect training outcomes in an e-learning environment. Given the importance of additional trainee and environment factors, a model of e-learning effectiveness was proposed in which the mediating roles of engagement, social presence, and motivation to learn are considered. To …


Intra And Interhost Dynamics Shaping Arbovirus Adaptation And Evolution, Alexander T. Ciota Jan 2012

Intra And Interhost Dynamics Shaping Arbovirus Adaptation And Evolution, Alexander T. Ciota

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), which are predominately mosquito-borne and almost exclusively RNA viruses, are maintained in nature in complex transmission cycles involving blood sucking invertebrates and vertebrate hosts. Although over 120 arboviruses are human pathogens responsible for causing a significant and expanding global health burden, a detailed understanding of the complex interactions between these pathogens and their hosts, particularly invertebrate hosts, is lacking. Defining these interactions is necessary if we are to understand the selective pressures and, therefore, evolutionary, adaptive, and epidemiological potential of arboviruses. This requires experimental infection and evolution studies, particularly in vivo, with natural hosts. The results presented …


The Effectiveness Of Etymological Elaboration As A Method Of Teaching Idioms To Adolescent English Language Learners, Julia L. Coryell Jan 2012

The Effectiveness Of Etymological Elaboration As A Method Of Teaching Idioms To Adolescent English Language Learners, Julia L. Coryell

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The prevalence of idioms in both spoken and written English makes learning to comprehend and produce them important for English language learners. It may be particularly important for preadolescent and adolescent learners to become proficient with idioms because of their need to fit in with peers and the frequency with which idioms occur in classroom communication and academic texts. Idioms pose difficulties for non-native speakers because of their nature as both formulaic and figurative language, their cultural specificity, and the fact that their figurative meaning cannot necessarily be determined from the literal meanings of the constituent words.


A Study Of The Effects Of Inosine Incorporation Into Dna Due To Defects In Purine Biosynthesis In Escherichia Coli, Jonathan Spence Church Jan 2012

A Study Of The Effects Of Inosine Incorporation Into Dna Due To Defects In Purine Biosynthesis In Escherichia Coli, Jonathan Spence Church

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Deamination of purine bases can result in the formation of xanthine and hypoxanthine which can be miscoding and mutagenic in DNA. There are several mechanisms for the introduction of deaminated bases into DNA including simple hydrolysis, nitrosative chemistry and through the action of deaminase enzymes. A fourth method was recently presented which describes how deaminated purines can be incorporated into DNA due to defects in purine biosynthesis. Using fluctuation analysis, spontaneous mutation rates were studied in bacterial mutants that were deficient in specific genes involved in purine biosynthesis and dNTP precursor pool maintenance, including purA (adenylosuccinate synthetase), guaA (GMP synthetase), …


The Impact Of Parental Alcohol Use On Alcohol-Related Cognitions, Cathryn Frances Glanton Jan 2012

The Impact Of Parental Alcohol Use On Alcohol-Related Cognitions, Cathryn Frances Glanton

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This research was designed to examine parental and cognitive factors that are structurally related to intention for alcohol consumption in college students as well as potential gender differences in these relationships. Multiple-group comparison was used in structural equation modeling to assess data-to-model fit of the hypothesized model. Perceived parental alcohol use, positive expectancies, abstinence self-efficacy in social situations, and intent to drink alcohol were structurally modeled and examined. Seven hundred and fourteen college students completed a number of self-report measures in the data collection stage of the study. Results showed good fit indices of the hypothesized model in both men …


Evaluation Of Suny Satellite-To-Irradiance Model Performance Using Ecmwf Gems Daily Aerosol Optical Depth Reanalysis Data, Kyle Frederick Itterly Jan 2012

Evaluation Of Suny Satellite-To-Irradiance Model Performance Using Ecmwf Gems Daily Aerosol Optical Depth Reanalysis Data, Kyle Frederick Itterly

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The current version of the State University of New York (SUNY) radiative transfer model (RTM) uses climatological monthly averages derived from a National Renewable Energy Labs (NREL) gridded dataset to parameterize aerosol optical depth (AOD), water vapor and ozone. This is mostly due to the limited availability of high spatially and temporally resolved observations. Several global chemical transport models are analyzed and compared in depth to determine which daily AOD dataset should be implemented into the SUNY Model. After thorough comparison, the chemical transport model chosen was the Global and regional Earth-system Monitoring using satellite and in-situ data (GEMS) model …


Habitat Associations And Occupancy Modeling Of Marsh Birds In The Hudson Valley Region Of Eastern New York, Lauren Jorgensen Jan 2012

Habitat Associations And Occupancy Modeling Of Marsh Birds In The Hudson Valley Region Of Eastern New York, Lauren Jorgensen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Populations of many North American marsh birds have declined over the past few decades, a trend commensurate with declines in wetland habitat area. Substantial declines in populations of breeding marsh bird species in New York State are associated with declines in wetland habitat area due to urbanization. The objective of this study was to examine what habitat and landscape features increase the probability of occupancy for nine target marsh bird species in New York State. This research was conducted in the Hudson River Valley region of Eastern New York, a region which is characterized by varied topography and geology, a …


Remote Sensing Of Cloud Properties Using Oxygen A-Band Spectral Measurements, Siwei Li Jan 2012

Remote Sensing Of Cloud Properties Using Oxygen A-Band Spectral Measurements, Siwei Li

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Clouds play an important role in the climate system through their radiative effects and their vital link in the hydrological cycle. Detailed knowledge of the three dimensional (3-D) distribution of cloud macrophysical and microphysical properties is crucial to properly characterize radiative forcing by clouds and to quantify the response of the climate. In this study, a multi-layer cloud detection algorithm is developed by utilizing photon path length distributions retrieved from oxygen A-band spectral measurements. Case studies from measurements at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Southern Great Plains (SGP) site demonstrate that this photon path length method can detect multi-layer clouds …


Exploring Growth Trajectories Of Problem Behavior In Young Children, Bethany Lynn Mccaffrey Jan 2012

Exploring Growth Trajectories Of Problem Behavior In Young Children, Bethany Lynn Mccaffrey

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Given the negative outcomes associated with problem behavior and the heightened risk for children with disabilities to display problematic behavior, the current study implemented hierarchical linear modeling to explore the growth trajectories of problem behavior in a nationally representative sample of preschool children with disabilities. Results indicated child and contextual risk factors were associated with varying levels of problem behavior at 5.5-years-old. Further, cross-level interactions between age and disability classification and age and gender were found to be significant, indicating variations in the trajectories of problem behavior from 3- to 8-years-old can partially be explained by child disability and gender.


New Destinations In Context : Explaining The Changing Geography Of Immigrant Settlement, Chris Galvan Jan 2012

New Destinations In Context : Explaining The Changing Geography Of Immigrant Settlement, Chris Galvan

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The main objective of this dissertation is to determine what factors predict the growth or decline in foreign-born populations over the last three decades. In order to present a comprehensive analysis, this project also examines racial and ethnic differences within foreign-born population growth and the role that the unit of analysis has in affecting results in such analyses. These objectives are motivated by a number of gaps in the current literature on foreign-born population growth, especially the research on population growth in new destinations of immigrant settlement. Specifically, the primary contributions of my dissertation are that it addresses the following …


Predicting Depressive Symptoms From Acculturative Family Distancing Theory : A Study Of Adult Taiwanese Parachute Kids, Hsin-Hua Lee Jan 2012

Predicting Depressive Symptoms From Acculturative Family Distancing Theory : A Study Of Adult Taiwanese Parachute Kids, Hsin-Hua Lee

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The current study applied Hwang's (2006a) theory of Acculturative Family Distancing (AFD) to adult Taiwanese parachute kids (Hamilton, 1993), partially replicating and extending Hwang et al.'s (2010) study, which tested relations among AFD, family conflict, and depression. The term parachute kids refers to individuals who immigrated to North America as children or adolescents unaccompanied by parents. It was hypothesized that greater cultural value incongruence and communication breakdown, constructs measured by Hwang's (2006b) AFD Scale, would predict greater family conflict, as measured by the Family Conflict subscale of the Social Interaction Scale (SIS-FC; Kessler et al., 1994), and family conflict would …


Modeling Of Megavoltage And Low Energy Focused X-Ray Beams Using Mcnp5, Hassan Abbas Jan 2012

Modeling Of Megavoltage And Low Energy Focused X-Ray Beams Using Mcnp5, Hassan Abbas

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In this thesis 6 and 18 MV photon beams for a Varian linear accelerator were simulated using a general purpose Monte Carlo code MCNP5 (Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code). The potential of MCNP5 is explored to calculate the dose in high dose gradient regions. In addition, MCNP5 was used to model another geometry, low energy focused x ray beams created with polycapillary optics, to explore their potential to provide a different skin-sparing technique for radiation therapy.


Measurement Of Electron Spin Transport In Graphene On 6h-Silicon Carbide(0001), Joseph Abel Jan 2012

Measurement Of Electron Spin Transport In Graphene On 6h-Silicon Carbide(0001), Joseph Abel

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The focus of this thesis is to demonstrate the potential of wafer scale graphene spintronics. Graphene is a single atomic layer of sp2-bonded carbon atoms that has high carrier mobilities, making it a desirable material for future nanoscale electronic devices. The vision of spintronics is to utilize the spin of the electron to produce novel high-speed low power consuming devices. Materials with long spin relaxation times and spin diffusion lengths are needed to realize these goals. Graphene is an ideal material as it meets these requirements and is amenable to planar device geometries.


On Combinatorial Models For Representations Of Classical Lie Algebras, William Louis Adamczak Jan 2012

On Combinatorial Models For Representations Of Classical Lie Algebras, William Louis Adamczak

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Lenart and Postnikov have constructed a simple combinatorial model for the characters


La ProbléMatique Du Retour Dans Les Films Et Romans Africains : Analyse Comparative D'Œuvres Pré-IndéPendance Et Contemporaines, Anoumou Amekudji Jan 2012

La ProbléMatique Du Retour Dans Les Films Et Romans Africains : Analyse Comparative D'Œuvres Pré-IndéPendance Et Contemporaines, Anoumou Amekudji

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

L'évolution du monde de nos jours est à l'origine des migrations de plus en plus importantes entre les continents. Cet accroissement des flux migratoires fait que la thématique de l'immigration occupe depuis les années 1980 une grande place dans les oeuvres de cinéastes et écrivains africains francophones vivant en Afrique ou en Occident. Les oeuvres des années trente et soixante mettaient beaucoup plus l'accent sur le séjour des immigrés dans leurs pays hôtes, tandis que celles publiées à partir des années 1980 s'intéressent au retour dans leurs pays d'origine. L'objectif de cette thèse est d'étudier l'évolution de la problématique du …


Bioengineering Embryonic Microenvironment For Exploring Stem Cell-Breast Cancer Cell Interactions, Nurazhani Abdul Raof Jan 2012

Bioengineering Embryonic Microenvironment For Exploring Stem Cell-Breast Cancer Cell Interactions, Nurazhani Abdul Raof

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Embryonic stem (ES) cells and breast cancer cells share similar signaling pathways that allow cells to proliferate and differentiate. However, signaling molecules in cancer cells are misexpressed. Cell microenvironments that consist of many factors such as soluble factors, extracellular matrices, and neighboring cells, play a pivotal role in determining cellular fate. The exposure of ES cell microenvironments to cancer cells may address the missing components in the tumor microenvironment, which could inhibit tumorigenesis or reprogram cancer cells into a less invasive phenotype. In this thesis, in vitro ES cell microenvironments have been engineered three-dimensionally via alginate hydrogel encapsulation and patterned …


Acts Of Defiance : Local Policy Innovation And Diffusion In Same-Sex Marriage, Karyn Teressa Andrade Jan 2012

Acts Of Defiance : Local Policy Innovation And Diffusion In Same-Sex Marriage, Karyn Teressa Andrade

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Like many other controversial social issues, same-sex marriage has followed the ebb and flow of the political stream for almost 30 years in the United States. What pulled this policy issue out of the policy stream and placed it front and center in the public's mind were the actions of a handful of local officials who, in the winter of 2004, acted against the status quo and instituted public policies in favor of same-sex marriage. This research provides a case study analysis of the six localities whose officials acted in defiance of law and social custom, and began issuing marriage …


The Development And Regulation Of Civil Society : Perspectives From The Andes, Susan Marie Appe Jan 2012

The Development And Regulation Of Civil Society : Perspectives From The Andes, Susan Marie Appe

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation is an empirical analysis of a government policy tool--registry of civil society organizations--targeted toward civil society, how civil society and nonprofit organizations respond to the policy tool, and how it influences the development of civil society. The theoretical framework is based on concepts from literature on mapping civil society, policy studies, nonprofit studies, and development studies. The analysis is based on data collected through administrative and legislative documents and 82 interviews with nonprofit leaders in Ecuador and Colombia, South America.


Occupational Stress And The Homosexual Police Officer, David John Barton Jan 2012

Occupational Stress And The Homosexual Police Officer, David John Barton

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation analyzed occupational stress among homosexual officers. Previous researchers have investigated occupational stresses experienced by racial, ethnic and gender minority police officers; however, research has not examined the occupational stresses experienced by homosexual officers. This study utilized an internet survey to gather quantitative data that were statistically analyzed for similarities and differences in how homosexual officers perceive stressors common to all officers and stressors experienced only by minority subgroups, including discrimination. Because homosexual officers have the unique ability to disguise their minority status, this study also examined whether the officers' choices to reveal or conceal their sexual preference affected …


Utilizing Social Networks In Times Of Crisis : Understanding, Exploring And Analyzing Critical Incident Management At Institutions Of Higher Education, Martha Jo Asselin Jan 2012

Utilizing Social Networks In Times Of Crisis : Understanding, Exploring And Analyzing Critical Incident Management At Institutions Of Higher Education, Martha Jo Asselin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

crises


Two Roads To Safety : The Central America Human Rights Movement In The United States, David J. Bassano Jan 2012

Two Roads To Safety : The Central America Human Rights Movement In The United States, David J. Bassano

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation examines the efforts of three US NGOs to defend human rights in Central America in the 1980s. It analyzes the campaigns of Amnesty International USA, the National Lawyers Guild, and the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, and compares their goals, methods, and effectiveness in protecting Central American human rights. By analyzing the ways in which the NGOs ameliorated the effects of human rights violations in Central America, primarily through their refugee assistance programs, it demonstrates that the movement had a more positive influence on human rights than is generally reflected in the existing literature.


Family Meetings : Facilitators Reflect On Neutrality And Family Empowerment, Ona B. Belser Jan 2012

Family Meetings : Facilitators Reflect On Neutrality And Family Empowerment, Ona B. Belser

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract


Random Processes Of The Form X(N+1) = Anxn + Bn (Mod P) In Two Dimensions, Scott Christopher Bianco Jan 2012

Random Processes Of The Form X(N+1) = Anxn + Bn (Mod P) In Two Dimensions, Scott Christopher Bianco

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A common way for computers to generate pseudo random number sequences is by using recurrences such as Xn+1=aXn+b (mod p) where a, b, and p are fixed integers. Even though this process generates pseudo random numbers it is completely determined by X0,a,b,p. Chung, Diaconis, and Graham, found bounds as p → infinity for the random process Xn+1=aXn+bn (mod p) where a is a fixed integer, and bn is either -1,0, or 1.


Predictors Of Reactive Aggression Among African American And European American Children : The Role Of Perceived Discrimination, Racial Socialization, And Negative Affect, Marvella Alexandria Bowman Jan 2012

Predictors Of Reactive Aggression Among African American And European American Children : The Role Of Perceived Discrimination, Racial Socialization, And Negative Affect, Marvella Alexandria Bowman

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Drawing upon the ecological systems perspective of Bronfenbrenner (1986) and Spencer's Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory (PVEST; 1995, 2003), as well as a reformulation of the frustration hypothesis by Berkowitz (1989), the present study sought to examine a model positing that perceived discrimination acts as a risk factor for reactive aggression; that positive racial socialization messages would buffer against the impact of perceived discrimination on reactive aggression; and that negative affect mediates the relation between the interaction of discrimination and racial socialization and reactive aggression in a sample of 70 African American and European American children (9-13 years of …


How Patrol Officers Make Decisions : Comparing A Structural Model To A Process Model, Heidi Bonner Jan 2012

How Patrol Officers Make Decisions : Comparing A Structural Model To A Process Model, Heidi Bonner

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A heavy research emphasis on the discretionary decision-making actions by police has led researchers to conduct a substantial amount of work regarding the individual, situational, organizational, and neighborhood influences on police behavior. The culmination of all this work results in one main conclusion - the majority of findings regarding the causes of police behavior are mixed. Further, current models of police behavior account for only a small amount of the variation.


A Novel Fabrication Technique For Three-Dimensional Nanostructures, Ravi Kiran Bonam Jan 2012

A Novel Fabrication Technique For Three-Dimensional Nanostructures, Ravi Kiran Bonam

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Three dimensional micro- and nano-structures are commonly used in the field of Photonics, Optoelectronics, Sensors and Biological applications. Although numerous physical models are developed, a major challenge has been in their fabrication which is commonly limited to conventional layer-by-layer techniques. In this dissertation, a novel method for fabricating three dimensional structures using Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) will be presented.