Digital Commons Network^™

The Utility Of The Assist For Estimating Substance Use Treatment Utilization And Predicting One-Year Entry To Treatment Among Opioid, Alcohol, And Cocaine Users In A Primary Care Setting, Adam Chess

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Dental Anxiety Among Patients Attending A University Dental Clinic, Maria Vallejos

Master's Theses

Visiting the dentist may generate anxiety for many individuals. Some suffer from severe dental anxiety, and consequently avoid dental appointments. Despite the advances made in modern dentistry, anxiety about dental treatments remain prevalent. Health care professionals should attempt to identify these individuals to provide better care and improve access to dental care. Objectives: (a) examine the prevalence of dental anxiety and its association with the type of dental care sought (routine care/ emergency care); (b) explore when the patient suffers more anxiety, and (c) examine the possible relation between dental anxiety and sociodemographic factors. Methods: 120 Eligible participants …

Caractérisation Et Organisation Des Espaces Et Des Seuils Par Les Personnages Féminins Dans Cinq Romans D’Emile Zola, Pauline Levy Valensi

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Easy Breathing For Schools: A Promising School - Based Asthma Program, Jing Marrero

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Light And Electron Microscopy Analysis Of Gold Nanoparticle Penetration In Stiffness Varying 3d Tumor Spheroids, Mathangi Madhavan

Master's Theses

Mechanical properties have always been considered one of the primary biomarkers in distinguishing normal cells from tumor cells. The prime purpose of this thesis was to study and analyze the penetration of gold nanoparticles in different stiffness , same sized and varying time-points 3D tumor spheroids using light and electron microscopy techniques. Recently a lot of attention has been given to the culture of cancer spheroids for applications such as drug delivery, nanoparticles interaction, and penetration. Such analysis requires high-quality imaging modalities like transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In this study, a set of spheroids were cryo-sectioned to study the distribution …

Circulating Heat Shock Protein Responses During Exercise In A Hot And Humid Environment, Virgilio Lopez Iii

Master's Theses

Given that hyperthermia and other exercise-stress induce cellular release of HSPs into circulation, it is important to consider the contribution of circulating HSP concentrations ([HSPs]) on systemic inflammation associated with exertional heat stroke pathophysiology (EHS). We compared the circulating [HSP90alpha], [HSP60], [HSP70], and [HSP27] in two athletic events with high and low incidences of EHS. The aims were to characterize the changes in circulating [HSPs] from pre- to post-event and to elucidate the potential for HSPs as EHS susceptibility biomarkers. Thirty (age: 44±11year; height: 174.89±9.5cm; mass: 74.2±14.05kg; BMI: 24.11±3.13kg × m^-2; %body fat: 19.74±4.03%) and fifty-six participants (age: …

Assessment Of The Effects Of Riparian Buffer Zones On Water Quality In The Jinghe Catchment Using The Annagnps And Remm Models, Cong Liu

Master's Theses

Direct discharge of sediments and agricultural chemicals into rivers is a major areal source for surface water pollution. This study was conducted to evaluate the impact on water quality by converting riverside crop fields to riparian buffer zones at river basin scale. The Jinghe catchment of the Weihe River basin in China, a heavily cultivated watershed in the middle reach of the Yellow River basin, was selected for this study. The Annualized Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollution Model (AnnAGNPS) was used to simulate water and sediment loadings from upland fields. These generated upland loadings then were used as inputs to run …

Development Of Tools For A 3d Reconstructed Intracortical Volume Around Microelectrode Arrays, Aparna Nambiar

Master's Theses

Extensive research using penetrating electrodes implanted in the central and peripheral nervous systems has been performed for many decades with significant advances made in recent years. While these penetrating devices provide proximity to individual neurons in-vivo and perform effectively for several months, they are prone to failure over a year and longer. 2D Histology studies using serial tissue sections have been extremely insightful over the years in identifying and quantifying most of these factors such as astrocytic scar formation, microgliosis, and neuronal death, around the implant sites. However, there are significant limitations of 2D histological studies in providing a holistic …

La Contribution De L’Espace Et De La Temporalité Dans L'Oœuvre De Pierre Pevel A La Reconsidération De La Fantasy, Oceane Rouxel

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Transitioning Back To The Community: Barriers Experienced By People With Acquired Brain Injury Or Physical Disabilities, Deborah Pacik

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Opioid Use And Opioid Use Disorder Services In Connecticut, Julie Christensen

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Social Determinants Associated With The Employment Of Athletic Training Services In Secondary Schools, Sarah Attanasio

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Protein Nanoparticles For Use In Photodynamic Therapy, Melissa Limbacher

Master's Theses

Bovine serum albumin was cross-linked under controlled conditions to form protein colloidal nanoparticles, and particle size has been controlled from 20 to 100 ± 10 nm by choosing appropriate reaction conditions. The particles are then labeled with a small set of fluorescent dyes and the absorption as well as the emission wavelengths of the colloids (GlowDots) are controlled without changing the particle size, unlike quantum dots. GlowDots are convenient for cellular imaging and therefore, we examined their photochemcial stabilities under defined sets of conditions. For example, GlowDots that have peak absorption wavelengths at 494, 543, and 576 had sufficient stabilities …

Current Status Of Professional Networks Addressing Sex Education In The United States: An Initial Exploratory Thematic Analysis, Aliya Subhit

Master's Theses

Sex education in the United States has been a highly debated topic. The history of sex education depicts the changing narratives of both the public and the government’s ideals on the topic. Due to the discrepancy between the publics attitudes and perceptions versus the governments ideals, this thesis is the first of its kind to conduct an initial thematic analysis of available bodies of knowledge across the five core mental health disciplines (i.e., marriage and family therapy, psychiatry, clinical psychology, clinical social work, and psychiatric nursing) to determine how the current state of sex education programs in the U.S. is …

L'Almanach De La Seconde Moitié Du Xixe Siècle: Formes Et Fonctions D'Un Nouvel Objet Informationnel De Rupture Moderne, Clemence Lucchini

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Cranial Neural Crest Cell Differentiation Towards An Osteoblastic Fate, Sean Congdon

Master's Theses

The world health organization estimates that craniofacial defects affect between 2-3% of all live births, with complications ranging from aesthetic issues to severe mental retardation (Marcucio 2015). It is estimated that for a pathology resulting in craniofacial aberrations, each affected individual costs society ~1 million dollars in corrective and palliative care (Singh 2014). Current investigations into genetics underlying these defects have revealed 564 human (HPO 2017) and 3297 murine (MGI 2017) genes thought to be involved in craniofacial pathologies. Facial development requires a population of cells known as Cranial Neural Crest Cells (CNCCs) to properly migrate from the neural plate …

The Burden Of Child Sexual Abuse In Connecticut Emergency Departments, 2011 To 2014, Kathryn Bentivegna

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Comprehending Events On The Fly: Inhibition And Selection During Sentence Processing, Yanina Prystauka

Master's Theses

In our everyday conversations we talk about how things or people change. Instantiations of objects in their different states need to be maintained during language comprehension for future selection of the relevant state, as in The chef will chop the onion. And then/but first, she will weigh the onion. Previous fMRI studies (Solomon et al, 2015) demonstrated that selecting between multiple competing representations of the same object token, such as the intact and the chopped onion, elicits increased activation in the brain area associated with conflict resolution -- left pVLPFC. When there is no cue to the earlier introduced …

The Effects Of Dietary Nitrate Supplementation On Swimming Performance In Collegiate Swimmers 2018, Christopher Daniel Mosconi

Master's Theses

The desire for performance enhancement is a common goal amongst athletes. Recently a number of studies have reported various performance enhancing effects of dietary nitrate (NO3-) via beetroot juice (BRJ) supplementation. Research has indicated that the various performance enhancing effects of BRJ can be attributed to a decrease resting systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and submaximal volume of oxygen consumption (VO2), while increasing vasodilation and mitochondrial efficiency. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether BRJ supplementation improves swimming performance in collegiate level swimmers. Methods: Eight collegiate trained swimmers underwent a double-blind 5-day chronic supplementation …

Aspects Of Weight Management In Ncaa Division Iii Collegiate Wrestlers 2018, Matthew Martone B.S., Cscs

Master's Theses

Objective: The purpose of this study was to observe the weight management habits of division III collegiate wrestlers during the week leading up to a competition. Methods: Subjects reported to the lab on Monday morning after an overnight fast. Subjects were measured for height and weight and were asked to provide urine and blood samples for analysis of hydration and creatine kinase activity, respectively. Throughout the week, subjects were weighed in and out of practice to monitor daily weight fluctuations. Subjects also self-recorded all food and drink consumption throughout the 5-day period. On Saturday morning, approximately 1 hour before weigh-ins …

The Effectiveness Of Men's Lacrosse Shoulder Pads In The Attenuation Of Linear Impact Forces 2018, Ryan S. Dambach

Master's Theses

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Men’s lacrosse is a sport that is growing in popularity. The mandatory shoulder pads have no limit of use standards and are rarely studied. The purpose of the study was to measure peak impact force (IF) of new and used lacrosse shoulder pads. METHODS: Six lacrosse shoulder pads, three new models (Warrior MPG 8.0 shoulder pad, STX Jolt shoulder pad and Warrior Player’s Club Hitlyte shoulder pad) and three used models of the same shoulder pads with at least four seasons of use (Warrior MPG shoulder pad, STX Jolt shoulder pad and Warrior Player’s Club Hitlyte shoulder pad) were …

The Effects Of A Low Dose Of Caffeine On Bat Swing Performance In Fatigued And Non-Fatigued Female Softball Athletes 2018, Brianna Ferchen

Master's Theses

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if caffeine ingestion decreased time to contact (TTC), and increased peak hand speed (HS), peak bat barrel speed (BS), and power (P) during a softball bat swing by fatigued and non-fatigued female athletes from an NCAA Division III varsity softball team. Methods: A randomized, single blind counterbalanced design was used to determine if 200 mg of caffeinated gum produced an ergogenic effect on nine female softball players (mean ± SD; age: 19.4 ± 0.7 yrs; height: 169 ± 6 cm; weight: 76.85 ± 10.82 kg) during a softball swing after chewing …

Effects Of Competition Variables And Prior Attempts On Approach Run Velocity During A Pole Vaulter's Final Clearance 2018, Nathaniel S. Ashton

Master's Theses

Approach run velocity of a vaulter is strongly correlated to the highest height a vaulter clears in pole vault competition and the number of attempts taken throughout a competition influences pole vault strategy. Since approach run velocity greatly affects the crossbar height cleared and number of attempts affects time spent in the competition, perhaps a better approach to determine optimal competition strategy is to first identify how competition variables influence approach run velocity. The purpose of this study was to determine if the approach run velocity during a pole vaulter’s last clearance can be predicted by: (1) the number of …

The Relationship Between Stryd Power And Running Economy In Well-Trained Distance Runners 2018, Casey Austin

Master's Theses

A novel running wearable called the Stryd Summit footpod attaches to a runner’s right or left shoe and measures running power output. The developers of the product purport that the footpod’s power and form power measures may correlate with metabolic data gathered in a lab. PURPOSE: Explore the relationship between power output and running economy at threshold pace. METHODS: Seventeen well-trained distance runners, 9 males and 8 females, completed a running protocol at threshold pace. Participants ran two discontinuous four-minute stages: one with their self-selected cadence (SS), and one with cadence lowered by 10% (LC). Metabolic data, power, and form …

The Effects Of A Short-Term, Unilateral, Lower-Body Resistance Training Program On Balance In College-Aged Resistance-Trained Participants 2018., Daniel Semprini

Master's Theses

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a short-term, unilateral, lower-body resistance training program would significantly improve static and dynamic balance in experienced college-aged resistance-trained participants when compared to a control group’s regular, bilateral lower-body resistance training program. Participants: A total of twenty-four participants were recruited to participate in the study. Four participants ended up dropping out due to injury and time constraints, leaving the final total sample size at twenty. Methods: Participants completed a series of three questionnaires (International Fitness Scale, International Physical Activity, and Sociodemographic Questionnaire) and the informed consent. The participants were randomly divided …

Learning To Run On An Lbppt: Neuromuscular And Metabolic Adaptations 2018, Jordyn Naylon

Master's Theses

Previous research on lower body positive pressure (LBPP) treadmills have focused primarily on muscle activation (EMG), spatiotemporal variables, and metabolic differences from running on a standard treadmill. The current study aimed to establish the necessary accommodation time needed for runners to display reliable metabolic and neuromuscular responses on the LBPP treadmill. Fifteen habitually trained runners (11 males, 4 females, average± SD VO2Max=62.81 ± 5.43mL.kg-1.min-1) ran a total of 3, 15-minute trials on the AlterG® treadmill during a single testing session. For each trial, the AlterG® was set to support 30% of body weight at 70% of the speed at which …

Integrated Computer Science Unit For Early Exposure To A Diverse Population, Di Hoang

Master's Theses

Reports from major tech companies, such as Airbnb, Facebook, Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Yahoo, indicate that gender diversity and ethnic diversity are lacking in the tech industry [22]. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projected a 24% increase in the number of software development positions (roughly an increase of 300,000 jobs) between 2016 and 2026 [64]. The main motivation behind this thesis is to expose computer science to young children and encourage teachers to include computer science in their classrooms in the hope of contributing to the current effort of increasing diversity within tech fields in the next decade.

This …

Sok: A Practical Cost Comparison Among Provable Data Possession Schemes, Alex Michael Bartlett

Master's Theses

Provable Data Possession (PDP) schemes provide users with the ability to efficiently audit and verify the integrity of data stored with potentially unreliable third-parties, such as cloud storage service providers. While dozens of PDP schemes have been developed, no PDP schemes have been practically implemented with an existing cloud service. This work attempts to provide a starting point for the integration of PDP schemes with cloud storage service providers by providing a cost analysis of PDP schemes. This cost analysis is performed by implementing and analyzing five PDP schemes representative of the dozens of various PDP approaches. This paper provides …

Analysis Of Verification And Validation Techniques For Educational Cubesat Programs, Noah Weitz

Master's Theses

Since their creation, CubeSats have become a valuable educational tool for university science and engineering programs. Unfortunately, while aerospace companies invest resources to develop verification and validation methodologies based on larger-scale aerospace projects, university programs tend to focus resources on spacecraft development. This paper looks at two different types of methodologies in an attempt to improve CubeSat reliability: generating software requirements and utilizing system and software architecture modeling. Both the Consortium Requirements Engineering (CoRE) method for software requirements and the Monterey Phoenix modeling language for architecture modeling were tested for usability in the context of PolySat, Cal Poly's CubeSat research …

Optimizing The Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model For Uncertainty Assessment With Serial, Multicore And Distributed Accelerations, Andrew Adriance

Master's Theses

Hydrology is the study of water. Hydrology tracks various attributes of water such as its quality and movement. As a tool Hydrology allows researchers to investigate topics such as the impacts of wildfires, logging, and commercial development. With perfect and complete data collection researchers could answer these questions with complete certainty. However, due to cost and potential sources of error this is impractical. As such researchers rely on simulations.

The Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model(also referenced to as DHSVM) is a scientific mathematical model to numerically represent watersheds. Hydrology, as with all fields, continues to produce large amounts of data …