Digital Commons Network^™

Are People Reading Local News? A Content Analysis Of Popular News Stories On Nine Newspaper Websites, Peter Shiang Chen

Master's Theses

The news industry has come under tremendous pressure in the last decade. None more so than the newspaper industry, which has seen all aspects of its operation: readership, revenue, staff, distribution and reputation decline dramatically. This study uses content analysis to examine the reading habits of news consumers from nine newspaper-based websites from the Advance Publishing chain. The samples were the stories in the “most popular this hour” list, examined every 5 days from August to September, 2014. These stories were separated into categories such as news, sports, business, etc., and further coded based on their proximity to the news …

Reducing Disruptive Behavior In High School: The Good Behavior Game, William Blake Ford

Master's Theses

Disruptive behavior in the classroom setting negatively impacts the learning process in various ways, interfering with the educational process of individual students, the teacher, and/or the class as a whole. Class-wide levels of disruptive behaviors worsen these impacts and are often related to problems with a teacher’s classroom management techniques and abilities. Group contingency interventions, such as the Good Behavior Game (GBG), are often used to provide teachers with evidence based management strategies while improving student behavior in the class. Furthermore, group contingency interventions, such as the GBG, can be conceptualized as Tier I or Tier II interventions within a …

A Study On Photodegradation And The Fate Of Pyrogenic Carbon, John Thomas Howell

Master's Theses

Accounting for all possible sources of atmospheric CO₂ is a pressing issue today due to the increasing effects of climate change. Estimates suggested that on the order of 1.3 million tons of dissolved pyrogenic carbon (pyDOC) could be entering the northern Gulf of Mexico annually. Assessing the fate of pyDOC in aquatic systems is crucial to understanding ecosystem impacts and potential feedback to climate change. Current research indicates that despite a generally lower susceptibility to biodegradation than their unpyrolyzed equivalents, pyrogenic carbon is not environmentally inert. While the role of microorganisms on the fate and transformation …

Effects Of Pre-Release Physical Stressors On Post-Release Success Of Hatchery-Reared Spotted Seatrout, Taylor Westbrook Guest

Master's Theses

Alteration of habitat associated with coastal development and increased demand for food and recreation can result in the depletion of fisheries resources such as the Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), the Gulf of Mexico’s most popular recreational fish. Stock enhancement, or the release of cultured fish to supplement wild populations, is one potential tool for managing important fisheries resources. Although much effort has gone into marine stock enhancement, the effectiveness of stocking is not well established, and techniques for ensuring success have not been developed. Although the basic biology of the Spotted Seatrout is well known, comparatively little is known about …

Seasonal Variation In Corticosterone, Stress Responses, And Physiology In The Northern Cardinal Cardinalis Cardinalis, Benjamin Matthew Duckworth

Master's Theses

Seasonal regulation of the adrenocortical response (e.g., ‘stress response’) appears to be ubiquitous in mid- to high-latitude vertebrates. Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are a Temperate dwelling passerine of Tropical-descent with a wide species range (tropics to Northern Temperate zones). This species encounters a wide variety of environmental conditions and strong seasonality, however corticosterone (CORT, the main adrenal stress hormone) has not been studied with regards to changes in seasonal levels. I initially analyzed samples from cardinals collected between 2007-2011 from the Lake Thoreau Environmental Research and Educational Center (Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA). The data suggested seasonal differences of CORT, with higher …

Impacts Of The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill On Microbial-Mediated Cellulose Decomposition In Mississippi Gulf Coast Salt Marshes, Jerrid Shawn Boyette

Master's Theses

Field studies were conducted to examine the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on rates of marsh organic matter decomposition. Decomposition in surface and subsurface marsh sediments was assessed in stands of Spartina alterniflora and Juncus roemerianus in 9 Mississippi Gulf Coast marshes exposed to differing oiling intensities. The cotton strip bioassay technique was used as a proxy for cellulose decomposition. In addition, rates of microbial respiration, fungal biomass (ergosterol) and nutrients (C:N, C:P) of surface sediment cotton strips were also quantified. Subsurface cotton strip decay, as determined by losses in tensile strength, were significantly different among marsh …

Marine Snow Settling Velocities At An Oil Spill Site And A Control Site In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Clayton Hugh Dike

Master's Theses

After budgeting for response efforts and natural processes, over one million barrels of oil from the BP oil spill were unaccounted for. A hypothesis coined "The Dirty Blizzard" formed subsequent to observations of large and numerous oiled marine snow aggregates amidst the surface slick proposed that a large quantity of oil sank to depth via the aggregates. Having reached the seafloor, aggregates were subject to microbial degradation and to redistribution due to bottom currents. To assist in characterizing redistribution of particles near the seafloor, sediment traps, marine snow cameras, and acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) were deployed at two sites …

Deciphering The Functional Collaboration Of Mid And Bric-A-Brac 2 As Potential Regulators Of Cellular Proliferation Within Adult Drosophila Ovaries, Petra Visic

Master's Theses

Stem cell niches are highly organized and specialized microenvironments located within specific tissues of both vertebrate and invertebrate organisms [1]. In Drosophila melanogaster, three distinct stem cell niches have been identified within the ovary including the germline stem cell (GSC), follicle stem cell (FSC), and escort stem cell (ESC) niche. Recently, Fregoso-Lomas et al. [2] reported that Gurken/Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) signaling is modulated within posterior ovarian follicle cells by Midline (Mid). The mid gene encodes a T-box transcription factor protein that specifies cell fates in the developing heart [3][4], central nervous system [5][6], epidermis [7], and eye …

Assembly And Annotation Of The Common Walnut (Juglans Regia) Transcriptome, Jeanne F. Whalen

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Role Of Health Insurance Status On Emergency Department Utilization And Subsequent Hospitalization In The Connecticut Emergency Mobile Psychiatric Services Population, Ran Zhao

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Exploring Sexual Differentiation In The Tammar Wallaby Using Transcriptomics, Jenny Y. Kwok

Master's Theses

Sex determination and sexual differentiation are some of the most well studied topics in human development. Sex determination is the point where the undifferentiated gonad becomes committed to the ovarian or testicular pathway. This event can be triggered genetically or environmentally. Sexual differentiation occurs after sexual determination and involves the maturation of the gonad, which in turn, coordinates the corresponding physical and behavioral phenotypes. Disorders of sexual development (DSD) are among the most common congenital abnormalities seen in humans and are increasing at an alarming rate. Congenital DSDs can be caused by genetic, hormonal, and/or environmental stimuli. Increased exposure to …

Gradient Effects Of Reading Ability On Talker-Specific Perceptual Learning, Shayna R. Marmon

Master's Theses

Abstract

The acoustic signal of speech is a complex signal that simultaneously cues the linguistic content of a talker’s message and the identity of the talker. Traditional models of speech perception proposed that the properties of the acoustic signal that cue linguistic meaning and talker identify were distinct. However, a growing body of evidence challenges this traditional view, indicating that linguistic and talker-specific phonetic information are tightly linked in language comprehension. One of these benefits is increased intelligibility of the spoken message when listening to a familiar talker compared to an unfamiliar talker. Just as experience with a talker’s voice …

Exploring The Physiological Role Of Vibrio Fischeri Pepn, Sally L. Cello

Master's Theses

The primary contributor to Vibrio fischeri aminopeptidase activity is aminopeptidase N, PepN. Colonization assays revealed the pepN mutant strain to be deficient at forming dense aggregates and populating the host’s light organ compared to wildtype within the first 12 hours of colonization; however the mutant competed normally at 24 hours. To address the role of PepN in colonization initiation and establish additional phenotypes for the pepN mutant strain, stress response and other physiological assays were employed. Marked differences were found between pepN mutant and wildtype strain in response to salinity, acidity, and antibiotic tolerance. This study has provided a foundation …

Evaluating Urban Design Strategies For Climate Change Adaptation In Los Angeles, Kerby Andrew Olsen

Master's Theses

Human interference with the Earth’s climate, through the release of greenhouse gasses (GHGs), is estimated to have already increased average statewide temperatures in California by 1.7° Fahrenheit (F), with a further 2.7°F of warming expected by mid-century. The negative impacts of increased temperatures may be especially acute in mid-latitude cities that currently enjoy a mild climate, such as Los Angeles (LA), which are projected to warm to a point that will significantly affect human health and well being. The built environment increases urban temperatures through building materials that readily absorb heat from the sun, a lack of vegetation, a lack …

Making Contact: Towards An Understanding Of The Reach Of A Peer Delivered Health Intervention To Reduce Hiv Risk Among African Americans And Hispanics Involved With Drugs In Hartford, Connecticut, Christopher Heneghan

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Bicycle Tourism Plan For Economic Development: A Template For Rural Agricultural Towns And A Case Study For The City Of Winters, California, Marisa Rene Lee

Master's Theses

Bicycling is a method of tourism transportation that is healthy, non-invasive, environmentally responsible, and economically sustainable. It allows freedom, mobility, and sightseeing potential that is not made possible by other modes of transit. Thousands of bicycle tourists travel from all over the globe annually to explore California on touring bikes via established cycling routes and robust determination. Thousands of additional domestic and international visitors take weekend trips, plan family vacations, travel for business, or tour California from abroad, many of whom are excellent candidates for local and regional bicycle touring at a more gentle intensity level.

The increasing popularity and …

Survey Of Phytoseiids (Acari: Phytoseiidae) On The Central Coast Of California, Maria Elena Murrietta

Master's Theses

Phytoseiids were collected March through November, 2006 and 2007, from leaf samples of avocados, cherimoya, caneberry, grape, and strawberry from a combined total of 24 sites. The most diverse collection of phytoseiids was identified on grape with seven different genera and 12 different species followed by caneberry with 7 genera and 7 species. Strawberry was the least diverse with three genera and three different species. The most significant presence of type I and type II phytoseiids were located on caneberry and strawberry while avocado, cherimoya and grape were dominated by type IV species. Reasons for the difference in diversity could …

Increasing Expression Of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen In Maize Through Breeding, Erin Suzanne Miller

Master's Theses

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a common virus, with two billion people infected worldwide. It causes approximately 600,000 deaths each year, despite the availability of an effective vaccine since 1982. Maize as a platform for oral vaccination can supply a heat stable vaccine, which does not require syringes or trained personnel to administer. The Hepatitis B Surface antigen was transformed into maize and this seed was used to evaluate expression levels through the breeding process. The transgene was transferred into two elite maize inbreds by backcrossing. Highest expressing ears were selected each generation until approximately 99% commercial parent was …

A Three-Dimensional Anatomically Accurate Finite Element Model For Nerve Fiber Activation Simulation Coupling, Shain Ann Fischer

Master's Theses

Improved knowledge of human nerve function and recruitment would enable innovation in the Biomedical Engineering field. Better understanding holds the potential for greater integration between devices and the nervous system as well as the ability to develop therapeutic devices to treat conditions affecting the nervous system. This work presents a three-dimensional volume conductor model of the human arm for coupling with code describing nerve membrane characteristics. The model utilizes an inhomogeneous medium composed of bone, muscle, skin, nerve, artery, and vein. Dielectric properties of each tissue were collected from the literature and applied to corresponding material subdomains. Both a fully …

A Wearable 1.6ghz Non-Invasive Midfield Wave-Based Blood Glucose Sensor, Danielle Nishida

Master's Theses

A non-invasive glucose sensor has been sought after by millions of Americans living with diabetes and scientists alike. Current blood glucose sensors approved by the FDA involve an invasive collection technique coupled with costly chemical analysis materials, which continue to bring pain to the growing diabetic population in America. Previous research of non-invasive sensing methods has shown promise, but the difficulty of transmitting power through tissue has degraded the sensing consistency and accuracy needed to reach the consumer market. This has been overcome with recent research in midfield wave power transmission at Stanford University, which has provided an opportunity for …

Identification Of Saccharina Groenlandica (Phaeophyceae) Around The Svalbard Archipelago: Dna Barcoding Using Cytochrome C Oxidase Subunit 1 (Coi), Anniken Lydon

Master's Theses

In the Arctic, brown algae (kelps) and seaweeds are ecologically important: providing habitat, protection, and nutrients for invertebrate and vertebrate species living in nearshore environments. Migrations of biota between the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans have occurred periodically during Earth’s history leading to colonization of the Arctic Ocean. Around 3.5 Mya the “Great Trans-Arctic Biotic Interchange” occurred and the Laminariales order of kelp, thought to be of North Pacific origin, underwent a massive radiation and speciation event around the Arctic Ocean. Phylogenetic analysis performed on “Laminaria-like” specimens collected from six sampling locations around the Svalbard Archipelago identified …

Nutrient Removal From Clarified Municipal Wastewater Using Microalgae Raceway Ponds, Justin Andrew Kraetsch

Master's Theses

Shallow, mixed raceway ponds can be used to grow microalgae for the dual purposes of wastewater treatment and biofuel feedstock production. To improve the environmental sustainability of microalgae biofuels and to alleviate resource limitations, nutrients remaining after biofuel production should be recycled for additional cultivation. This thesis considers three topics: wastewater treatment by algae, nitrogen and phosphorus assimilation by algae, and algae cell disruption to facilitate nutrient recovery.

The main experimental work was done in pilot raceway ponds growing polycultures of microalgae on clarified municipal wastewater. In addition, two lab-scale pretreatment technologies were tested for their ability to disrupt cells, …

Native Small Mammal Use Of An Invasive Grass: Heermann's Kangaroo Rats (Dipodomys Heermanni) And Veldt Grass (Ehrharta Calycina) In Coastal California, Juliana P. Trunzo

Master's Theses

Invasive species are generally regarded as detrimental to native communities because they cause increased competition and community structure alterations. There is therefore a critical need to understand the ecological processes underlying the establishment and spread of invasive species. While most studies to date have focused on the role of competition in species invasions, trophic dynamics may also play a fundamental role in the establishment and spread of non-natives, especially in cases when a non-native species experiences differential predation pressure relative to a native competitor. Herein I explore the potential for differential granivory pressure by a native rodent (Heermann’s kangaroo rat, …

Comparison Of Regular Ringer's Solution And Glucose Ringer's Solution On The Longevity Of The Hirudo Medicinalis' Retzius Cell, Nicole Arielle Peretti

Master's Theses

In 1882, Sydney Ringer, a professor of medicine at University College in London, experimented with the frog ventricle to better understand how each constituent of blood influences contraction. The ultimate goal was to create an artificial circulating fluid to use for the perfusion of isolated organs, in this case, a frog heart. Today, Ringer’s solution is still used in research for physiological studies requiring the survival and maintenance of specimens outside of their host bodies. One such example is the use of medicinal leech ganglia for electrophysiological measurements. In this thesis, I am comparing two Ringer’s solutions, original versus added …

The Proteomic Response Of The Carcinus Maenas Y-Organ Over The Course Of The Molt Cycle, Mark S. Hamer

Master's Theses

Molting in arthropods is a complex process governed by regulatory mechanisms that have evolved and adapted over millennia to allow these animals to grow, despite being confined by a hardened exoskeleton. We isolated the molt-regulating Y-organs (YO) from the common shore crab Carcinus maenas at molt stages B, C_1-3, C₄, and D₀ to assess how changes in protein abundances might underline the unique physiology of each of these stages. We found that changes in protein abundance were most notable in the postmolt stages (B and C_1-3), where an increase in energy metabolism and …

Host Plant Feeding Preferences Of The Adult Asiatic Garden Beetle, Maladera Castanea Arrow (Coleoptera:Scarabaeidae), Laura E. Eckman

Master's Theses

The Asiatic garden beetle (AGB), Maladera castanea Arrow, is an invasive pest of crops, ornamentals, and turfgrass that has been minimally studied since the 1930s. Experiments were performed in 2011 and 2012 to investigate adult AGB feeding preferences and seasonality in Connecticut, with the goal of supporting informed planting and monitoring decisions. A common garden field experiment involved counting beetles on three cultivars each of basil, beet, carrot, eggplant, kohlrabi, parsnip, hot pepper, sweet pepper, and turnip. A no-choice laboratory experiment produced values of mass and area of leaf disks consumed. This included the same basil, beet, and kohlrabi varieties …

Fabrication, Optimization And Characterization Of Synthetic Polymer Based Micro-Nano-Structured Composite Scaffolds For Bone Regeneration, Aditi Subramanian

Master's Theses

Various scaffold properties have been explored to understand the influence of physical and chemical properties on cellular behavior. Surface morphology is one property, which can be varied by modifying fiber diameter, and has been shown to play a role in cellular attachment, proliferation, and differentiation. The effect of fiber diameter on cellular proliferation and differentiation has offered varying results: some favor nanofibers and others favor microfibers in terms of their ability to encourage proliferation and cellular differentiation. In this study, the surface morphology was altered by modifying the fiber diameter of electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL). This study suggests that though higher …

Structural And Thermal Stability Characterization Of Protein-Fatty Acid Adducts, Dhurga Dharmaraj

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Proteins are biological molecules that have an important application as a catalyst for various reactions. The sensitivity of protein to denature at high temperature limits its industrial application where a catalyst that works at high temperature is required. Some protein denature even at optimal room temperature. The primary interest of this study is to protect the protein for thermal denaturation by stabilizing proteins within the capric acid (a ten-carbon chain fatty acid) micelle. The protein-Capric acid adducts showed reversible thermal denaturation when the Capric acid (CA) concentration was present above the critical micellar concentration (CMC). Although the secondary structure …

Indoor Location Tracking And Orientation Estimation Using A Particle Filter, Ins, And Rssi, Cameron Ramin Nouri

Master's Theses

With the advent of wireless sensor technologies becoming more and more common-place in wearable devices and smartphones, indoor localization is becoming a heavily researched topic. One such application for this topic is in the medical field where wireless sensor devices that are capable of monitoring patient vitals and giving accurate location estimations allow for a less intrusive environment for nursing home patients.

This project explores the usage of using received signal strength indication (RSSI) in conjunction with an inertial navigation system (INS) to provide location estimations without the use of GPS in a Particle Filter with a small development microcontroller …

Embedded Power Active Contact Lens, Benny Ng

Master's Theses

This thesis designed and fabricated an active contact lens that notifies the user during the detection of an external wireless signal. The lens contained a printed antenna to communicate with a 2.4GHz system and provide inductive charging operating at 13.56 MHz. The lens utilizes a CBC005 5µAh thin film battery by Cymbet as a power source. A custom IC was designed using the On Semiconductor CMOS C5 0.6 µm process to manage the battery and drive the display. A printed single element display using electrochromic ink was chosen as it is able to indicate the user when activated while staying …