Digital Commons Network^™

Physicians’ Opinions On Connecticut’S Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, Carolyn Kwiat

Master's Theses

Background: The increase in prescription opiate misuse has become one of the largest public health crises facing the United States. Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) are large online databases that states use to monitor prescribing and filling of controlled drugs by physicians and pharmacies to identify patients who are misusing prescription drugs and to reduce the prevalence of opioids misuse. However, the literature is not conclusive as to whether or not PDMPs are effective in decreasing opioid misuse, and the rates of PDMP usage among physicians remains low, even in states where usage is mandatory.

Objectives: To investigate physicians' attitudes …

Combined Universal Kriging And Kalman Filter Techniques To Improve Wind Speed Prediction For Northeastern U.S., Alexander Samalot

Master's Theses

The scope of this study is to identify and improve wind speed prediction errors for storms that have impacted the Northeastern United States during 2003-2014. Accurate wind speed prediction under storm occurrences is significant to identify and assess impacts to the environment and critical infrastructure. Post-processing of a numerical weather prediction model (Weather Research and Forecasting-WRF) was used in the form of Universal Kriging for spatial interpolation and Kalman Filter for bias reduction. Two strategies for using the Kalman Filter in combination with Universal Kriging are investigated and assessed. Universal Kriging of Kalman Filter corrections reduced all error statistics of …

3-D Coverage Path Planning For Underwater Terrain Mapping, Zongyuan Shen

Master's Theses

This thesis presents an autonomous approach of 3-D coverage of underwater terrain using multi-level coverage trees. An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) equipped with multi-beam sonar sensors, Doppler velocity log (DVL) and inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors is used to achieve this goal. The underwater 3-D search space is represented by a multi-level coverage tree which is generated online based on the obstacle information collected by the AUV. The nodes of the tree correspond to safe sub-areas for AUV navigation which are identified based on obstacle density in neighborhood of free cells. Standard tree traversal strategies like depth-first-search (DFS) and breath-first-search …

Key Differences Between Hepatic And Intestinal Apoc3 Regulation And Expression, And Implications For Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Gabrielle West

Master's Theses

In the intestine, apoC-III delays chylomicron secretion, and causes a decrease in chylomicron size. Once apoC-III is in circulation, apoC-III delays triglyceride-rich remnants clearance by inhibiting lipoprotein lipase and liver low-density lipoprotein receptor. In humans, high levels of plasma apoC-III directly result in hypertriglyceridemia. ApoC-III is a critical cardiovascular risk factor, and humans expressing null mutations in apoC-III are robustly protected from cardiovascular disease. Because of its critical role in elevating plasma lipids and CVD risk, the factors that regulate apoC-III expression in the liver have been determined, and include glucose, insulin (through FoxO1), and dietary fat. Considerably less is …

Investigating The Physiological And Behavioral Responses To Fear In A Virtual Reality Fear Conditioning Paradigm, Emily Errante

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of New England Oyster Aquaculture On Sediment Nitrogen Cycling: Implications For Nitrogen Removal And Retention, Amanda Marie Vieillard

Master's Theses

In this three-year, seasonal study of sediment nitrogen (N) biogeochemistry, we used stable isotope techniques to measure the N cycling reactions nitrification, denitrification (DNF), and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA). Rates were compared to dissolved inorganic nitrogen exchanges between the sediment and overlying water to assess denitrification efficiency (DE). All measurements were performed on sediments underlying (oyster) and removed from (control) oyster aquaculture in two oyster farms in the Northeast, USA.

Overall, DNF was small relative to release of DIN from sediment to the overlying water. Based on DE, both sites were found to favor N recycling over N …

Individual Differences In Sensitivity To Homophony In Visual Word Recognition, Henry George Wolf Vii

Master's Theses

Most research involving division of labor and visual word recognition has focused on the typical reader. More recently, there has been a shift toward research involving individual differences in division of labor between readers. While the imageability effect has been established as a measure of individual differences in use of the semantic pathway, a measure of the phonological pathway has yet to be established. The current study investigated the homophone effect in a semantic categorization task as one such possible measure. Data was also collected regarding imageability, wordlikeness, and pseudohomophony in a lexical decision task. Additionally, participants completed a battery …

Entap: Software To Improve The Quality And Functional Annotation Of De Novo Assembled Non Model Eukaryotic Transcriptomes, Alexander Hart

Master's Theses

EnTAP (Eukaryotic Non-Model Transcriptome Annotation Pipeline) was designed to improve the accuracy, speed, and flexibility of functional gene annotation for de novo assembled transcriptomes in non-model Eukaryotes. This software package addresses the fragmentation and related assembly issues that result in inflated transcript estimates and poor annotation rates. Following filters applied through assessment of true expression and frame selection, open-source tools are leveraged to functionally annotate the translated proteins. Downstream features include fast similarity search across three repositories, protein domain assignment, orthologous gene family assessment, and Gene Ontology term assignment. The final annotation integrates across multiple databases and selects an optimal …

Kinetics Of Copper Uptake In Periphyton Under Natural Stream And Wastewater Effluent Exposures, Katelyn Turpin-Nagel

Master's Theses

The aim of the present study was to examine the uptake kinetics of copper to periphyton, a biofilm community of heterotrophic and autotrophic species, under freshwater and wastewater effluent exposure conditions. Copper uptake kinetic experiments were run using a constructed trickle apparatus, where short-term exposures were completed using environmentally relevant total copper concentrations. The differences in periphyton surface bound copper and intracellular uptake kinetics were observed and modeled by examining periphyton copper content, periphyton cellular binding parameters, and metal speciation based on dissolved organic matter (DOM) characteristics. First-order rate kinetics were used to analyze the differences in initial uptake rates …

The Role Of Bmp Signaling In Mediating Stimulatory Effects Of Fgf-Fgfr Signaling On Odontoblast Differentiation In Dental Pulp, Karen Sagomonyants

Master's Theses

Odontoblast differentiation is dependent on multiple signaling molecules, including growth factors stored in the extracellular dentin matrix. Our previous studies have demonstrated that Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2) exerted stage-specific effects on odontoblast differentiation in primary dental pulp cultures. FGF2 stimulated differentiation of functional odontoblasts expressing high levels of Dmp1 from early progenitors but inhibited the terminal differentiation of functional odontoblasts to fully differentiated odontoblasts expressing high levels of Dspp. These stimulatory effects involved activation of FGFR and ERK1/2, and increased levels of expression of Bmp2, Runx2, and Osx (components of BMP signaling) suggesting the involvement of …

Effects Of A Standardized, Freeze-Dried Grape Powder In Adults With Metabolic Syndrome, Quinn Duclos

Master's Theses

Diets rich in fruits and vegetables have been correlated to lower disease risk. This is thought to be due to bioactive components such as: vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids, and polyphenols. Grapes are a food source of many bioactive components, including polyphenols. The effects standardized, freeze-dried, grape powder (GRAPE) were examined in adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Twenty men and women (aged 30-70 y) were instructed to consume 60 g/day of GRAPE (equivalent to 2.5 cups fresh grapes daily) or nutritionally-matched placebo powder in a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover intervention study for 13 weeks. This included 2-week run-in, 4-week intervention (GRAPE …

Development Of An In-Situ Passive Sampling Device For Munitions Compounds And Sulfate, Joseph K Warren

Master's Theses

Passive sampling is a novel method of analyte concentration from the environment that strives to bring greater ease to field sampling regimes than traditional liquid-solid phase extractions (SPE). It is easier to deploy than a Niskin bottle or CTD rosette, and easier to recover than hoisting up dozens of liters of water. Passive sampling also offers the opportunity for wider exploratory studies, as compounds can be selectively extracted back in lab, rather than having to select a particular phase SPE and follow phase-specific elution methods. In this study, Ethylene Vinyl Acetate copolymer (EVA) was used as a marine sorption and …

Determinants Of Tree Sway Frequency In Temperate Deciduous Forests Of The Northeast United States, Amanda Bunce

Master's Theses

Trees are the most common cause of utility damage and power outages during storms in the northeastern United States. Previous studies on tree sway and risk-of-wind-throw have largely been conducted in heavily managed, even-aged, monospecific coniferous stands, while relatively little is known for northeastern mixed temperate deciduous forests. Past studies have suggested a relationship of fundamental vibrational frequencies (FVF) to wind-firmness. The objective of this study was to identify factors determining tree sway frequency in temperate deciduous forests from characteristics of tree architecture, stand structure and wind conditions. To this end, the motion of 41 trees across nine different species …

Role Of Nrf2 In The Regulation Of Ppar Expression In Mice, Fabio Carvalho

Master's Theses

The peroxisome-proliferator activated receptors (Ppars) are a family of ligand-dependent nuclear receptors, which promote transcriptional activation of target genes. Pparα regulates genes involved in hepatic fatty acid transport, uptake and metabolism. Several of these target genes are upregulated by hypolipidemic fibrate-type drugs. Clofibrate (CFB) is a prototype for this class, and a well-known Pparα activator. CFB treatment also prevents liver injury by acetaminophen (APAP) in a Pparα-dependent manner. Similarly, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is an important genetic determinant of susceptibility to APAP hepatotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to analyze the potential interaction between Pparα and …

Force-System Generated By Rigid Archwires With V-Bends: A 3-D Analysis Of Varying Activations, Meenakshi Vishwanath

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Regulation Of Proliferation, Apoptosis, And Metastasis In Prostate Cancer Cells By Dax-1 (Nr0b1)- An Androgen-Induced Orphan Nuclear Receptor, Roxxana Valeria Beltran Valencia

Master's Theses

DAX-1 (Dosage-sensitive sex reversal, adrenal hypoplasia congenita, critical region on the X-chromosome, gene 1) is an unusual member of the Nuclear Hormone Receptor superfamily that has the ability to interact with other Nuclear Receptors (NRs) and transcriptional co-repressors and co-activators. While DAX-1 plays an important role in adrenal and gonadal development, recent studies have elucidated the role DAX-1 plays as a transcriptional repressor and its influence on the progression of different types of cancers. The primary aim of this thesis research project is to investigate the role of non-aromatizable androgens in inducing DAX-1 expression and to determine how DAX-1 influences …

Rank Aggregation Of Feature Scoring Methods For Unsupervised Learning, Tara N. Yankee

Master's Theses

The ability to collect and store large amounts of data is transforming data-driven discovery; recent technological advances in biology allow systematic data production and storage at a previously unattainable scale. It is common for biological Big Data to have an order of magnitude or more features than samples. Feature scoring with selection is therefore an essential pre-processing step to finding meaningful clusters in these data. Many feature scoring algorithms have been proposed; they are based on dramatically different ideas about what constitutes a “good” or “important” feature. Motivated by studies in data classification, we use a rank aggregation (RANKAGG) method …

Privacy Leakage Via Write-Access Patterns To The Main Memory, Tara M. John

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of De-Icing Salt Contamination Of Groundwater In A Shallow Urban Aquifer, Lukas Mcnaboe

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Investigating Program Evaluation Implemented By Rural Education Systems To Determine The Efficacy Of Speech-Language Telepractice Services, Allyson Doreen Montgomery

Master's Theses

Given the importance of providing speech-language services to students in rural areas, school districts have begun adopting telepractice as a primary service delivery model (American Speech-Language and Hearing Association [ASHA], n.d.b; Forducey, 2006; & Polovoy, 2008). However, as the demand for telepractice grows, so does the need for a strong method of program evaluation (ASHA, 2005a). The purpose of this study was to investigate the methodologies district level administrators use to evaluate effectiveness and ensure the validity of telepractice services. Two district level administrators from distinct rural educational cooperatives participated in this study. Both were from two distinctive Midwestern states …

Effects Of A 12-Week Exercise Intervention On Joint Kinetics During Curb Negotiation In Cancer Survivors, Anastacia Fraijo

Master's Theses

Cancer is very prevalent in the United States and many people who live with cancer are older adults. Cancer and cancer treatments can be very difficult on the body causing many symptoms that can increase the survivor’s risk of falling. Risk of falling can be even greater when people are required to negotiate obstacles such as curbs or stairs. Research has shown that exercise can reduce symptoms of cancer and cancer treatments and potentially decrease risk of falling. Fourteen cancer survivors, recruited from University of Northern Colorado Cancer Rehabilitation Institute, completed a pre assessment session followed by a gait assessment …

The Differential Expression Of Gene Cohorts Over The Course Of Development In Type I And Type Ii Layer V Pyramidal Neurons Of The Mouse Medial Prefrontal And Primary Somatosensory Cortex, Ryan Shaun Pevey

Master's Theses

Two of the most challenging problems in neuroscience may be the characterization of different neuron types and determining the various decision points over the course of development that defines those different cell types. Part of the problem is that for the clear majority of neuron types, no single gene so far has been shown to act as a type marker. Instead it seems that signatures involving multiple genes are necessary to define each type. The identity of the genes in these signatures remains an important gap in our knowledge. However, recent developments in bioinformatics have produced population level transcript sequencing …

How Did We Get Here? An Inquiry Into Pop Culture, Pop Culture Icons, And America's Support Of The Degradation Of Humanity Through Mass Media Consumption, Thomas Steele

Master's Theses

This thesis focuses on the contemporary human condition associated with the consumption of current entertainment media. Sampling on modes of thought from anthropological, biological, psychological, sociological, and biographical points of view I sought to define what it means to be uniquely human. Furthermore, I sought to compare and contrast contemporary human interactions as described through research studies associated with tabloid news sources, and the entertainment industry. The results of this study were then articulated through four works of art that visually describe that which was found amongst a variety of resources. They describe the rise and fall of the careers …

The Influence Of Parental Communication About Sexual Health On Quality Of Emerging Adult Romantic Relationships, Jaclyn Denise Powers

Master's Theses

The research on relationships between parent-child communication about sexuality and sexual communication between adult partners is currently lacking. The current study aims to examine the influence of parent-child sexual communication on adult sexual communication when those children reach adulthood and engage in romantic relationships. Parent-child sexual communication, attachment styles, sexual attitudes, and partner sexual communication were examined for influence on the physical and emotional relationship satisfaction of emerging adults. Study 1 included a quantitative analysis with 553 emerging adults participating in an online survey, and study 2 incorporated a qualitative analysis with an additional 7 emerging adults participating in online …

Exploitation Of Land And Labor In Appalachia: The Manipulation Of Men In Ann Pancake's Strange As This Weather Has Been, Britani W. Baker

Master's Theses

Ecofeminism is traditionally interested in the relationship between patriarchal domination of women and nature. Ann Pancake’s novel Strange As this Weather Has Been critiques the way the coal mining industry has affected the Appalachian people and land. The novel reflects natural ecofeminism, which views the connection between women and nature in essentialist terms. This outdated mode of ecofeminism leads to a reinforcement of gender stereotypes and a misrepresentation of the relationship between gender, nature, and culture. This study of Pancake’s novel employs a material ecofeminist approach to both critique and develop the novel’s gender politics. Material ecofeminism, even as it …

The Effects Of Plickers As Response Cards On Academic Engagement Behavior In High School Students, Morgan G. Mccargo

Master's Theses

Multiple studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of increasing student opportunities to respond for increasing academically engaged behavior. The use of response cards has held the most efficacy in terms of increasing opportunities to respond, yet no research has been done with the addition of a technology component. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utility of technology-based response cards on increasing academically engaged behavior of students in three high school general education classrooms. It is hypothesized that the use of Plickers® will increase academically engaged behavior classwide and decrease disruptive behavior across students in all three classrooms.

Solitary And Social Object Play In The Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops Truncatus), Briana M. Cappiello

Master's Theses

Many comparative studies have focused on the emergence of solitary and social play in early development. However, few consider observer and parallel forms of solitary play. In this study, use of video analysis revealed that there is a significant difference between the frequency of solitary, observer, parallel, and social object play states, in calf, juvenile, subadult, and adult bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). While juveniles engaged in solitary play significantly more than any other age group, both juveniles and calves engaged in observer and social play significantly more than adults and subadults. Within their own age group, calves, juveniles, …

"There Was No Sign Of Man In It": Casting Dracula As Posthuman And Valuing The Progressive Vampire, Mary Elizabeth Wolverton

Master's Theses

Although not an immediate commercial success, Dracula has since become a seminal example of Gothic horror at the fin-de-siècle, leading not only to film, stage, and television adaptations, but also to literary reimaginings and a plethora of scholarship. I argue that the vampires in Dracula do not fit into the traditional critical understandings of the vampire; rather, they belong in two different but related categories recently theorized by science fiction studies and related to human evolution: transhuman and posthuman. I suggest that a reading of the novel that prioritizes the pervasive influence of evolutionary theory on Victorian literature encourages …

Environmentally-Driven Variation In The Population Dynamics Of Gulf Menhaden (Brevoortia Patronus), Grant D. Adams

Master's Theses

Gulf Menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) is an abundant forage fish distributed throughout the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM). Gulf Menhaden support the second largest fishery, by weight, in the United States and represent a key linkage between upper and lower trophic levels. Variation in the population dynamics can, therefore, pose consequences for the ecology and economy in the NGOM. Here we aim to understand variation in the individual and population dynamics of Gulf Menhaden throughout ontogeny and how such variation relates to environmental processes. We utilized a suite of fishery-dependent and –independent, remote sensing, modeled, and in situ data …

Biodiversity And Phenology Of The Epibenthic Macroinvertebrate Fauna In A First Order Mississippi Stream, Jamaal Bankhead

Master's Theses

I used Hester-Dendy multiplate samplers and stick and leaf samples to collect the aquatic insects of Granny Creek, a first-order perennial stream in southern Mississippi, on twelve sampling dates from March 2014 to June 2015. The dominant insect/invertebrate group in Granny Creek was the dipteran family Chironomidae. Forty-two distinct taxa of chironomid larvae were collected over the duration of my study. Two of the dominant chironomid subfamilies in my samples, the Orthocladiinae and the Chironominae, displayed a phenological pattern in which the Orthocladiinae were more prevalent, both in terms of number of species and in abundance of individuals, in the …