Digital Commons Network^™

Cache-Oblivious Data Structures For Massive Data Sets, Haodong Hu

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

[to be added]

Characterization Of Nucleo-Cytomplasmic Transport Of The Transcription Factor Stat5a, Janaki Kannan Iyer

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

[to be added]

The Roles Of The Ift & Bbs Proteins In Drosophila Mechanosensory And Chemosensory Cilia, Eugene Lee

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

[to be added]

Comics: The Underappreciated And Underdeveloped Art, Matt Taylor Hirst

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

This thesis will specifically focus on the mode of expression in comic books rather than the content. It will be more concerned with questions of how people read comics than why they read comics. The questions of how people read comics can most productively be handled with semiotics, the branch of the philosophy of language that deals with signs. So far, this is just following in the footsteps of two pioneers in the field of semiotics. Both Umberto Eco and Roland Barthes have spent some time examining the nature of comics as a medium. The benefit of examining comics from …

Regulation Of Fungal Morphogenesis, Qiao Zhang

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen in humans. It typically lives as a harmless commensal as part of the human gut and skin flora, but under some conditions it causes mucosal infections. In immunocompromised patients it can also cause lifethreatening systemic infections. C. albicans is a multimorphic organism, and the ability to undergo morphological transition from budding to hyphal growth is associated with its virulence. This morphological switch was reported to be regulated by different signaling pathways. One key pathway is cAMP-PKA signaling pathway. The single adenylyl cyclase in C. albicans is CaCdc35, which was reported to interact with …

Sequence To Topography Relationship In Membrane-Inserted Hydrophobic Helics, Shyam S. Krishnakumar

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

Hydrophobic α-helices have been widely used to study membrane protein sequencestructure relationships in model membranes. Our lab has developed fluorescence methods to determine the topography of membrane-inserted hydrophobic helices, and to understand the equilibria describing their topographic stability. Using this model membrane system, the minimum hydrophobic length necessary to form a transmembrane (TM) helix in membranes was investigated. Sequences with 13 consecutive hydrophobic residues were found to be the minimum necessary to form a predominantly TM state in a bilayer with a biologically relevant width. The ability of these short hydrophobic sequences to form TM helices in the presence of …

Tribal College Culture-Based Education Impacts American Indian Students In North America, Loann Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

Life Circle Tribal College (a pseudonym), as other tribal colleges, claims its purpose for existence is to help increase American Indians' access to affordable and culturally relevant vocational and academic postsecondary education. This study sought to answer the following questions: (1) How did students and staff at Life Circle Tribal College perceive Life Circle Tribal College as fulfilling the cultural portion of its mission? (2) What impact did students and staff feel the culture-based education approach used at Life Circle Tribal College had on students' lives in their educational pursuits at the tribal college, in their current and future relationships …

Modulation Of Tgf-Beta Signaling By Proinflammatory Cytokines In Articular Chondrocytes., Jorge A. Roman-Blas, David G. Stokes, Sergio A. Jimenez

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: The normal structure and function of articular cartilage are the result of a precisely balanced interaction between anabolic and catabolic processes. The transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) family of growth factors generally exerts an anabolic or repair response; in contrast, proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 1 beta (IL-1beta) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) exert a strong catabolic effect. Recent evidence has shown that IL-1beta, and TNF-alpha, and the TGF-beta signaling pathways share an antagonistic relationship. The aim of this study was to determine whether the modulation of the response of articular chondrocytes to TGF-beta by IL-1beta or TNF-alpha signaling pathways …

Executive Functioning And Memory Performance In Adhd And Asperger's Syndrome, Kristi A. Walen

Theses and Dissertations

The diagnosis of ADHD requires the exclusionary criteria for any Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), making it impossible to have comorbid disorders. This study investigated executive function and memory differences between 11 children with Asperger’s syndrome, 13 children with ADHD, and 36 controls, all ranging in age from 7-16 years. Executive function was assessed using Conner’s Continuous Performance Test (CPT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST), Tower of London Task (TOL), Trail Making Test, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF), Grooved Pegboard Test, and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT). Memory was assessed using a subtest from the Wide Range Assessment of Memory …

Judicial Decision Making In The Supreme Court Of Canada: Updating The Personal Attribute Model, Donald R. Songer, Susan W. Johnson

Faculty Publications

This study seeks to add to the current understanding of the political nature of the Supreme Court of Canada. We analyze a data set consisting of all nonunanimous published Supreme Court decisions for the period 1949 to 2000. A prior study by Tate and Sittiwong (1989) suggested a model of judge attributes for the period 1949 to 1985. We build on that analysis by extending the time period to 2000, which allows the impact of gender also to be assessed. We find that since the Court gained substantial docket control, the types of cases the Court hears has changed from …

Coping With The Dragon: Essays On Pla Transformation, Neyla Arnas, Tai Ming Cheung, David C. Gompert, Stuart E. Johnson, Martin Libicki, Timothy Lo, Duncan Long, Michael Mcdevitt, James Mulvenon, David Shlapak

Books

Should the independence movement in Taiwan regain political momentum, however, the potential for U.S. military intervention in the Taiwan Strait would increase. Further, the perception of U.S. vulnerability in the region could invite assertiveness. So, despite the fact that armed conflict between the United States and China is in no one’s interest, China’s burgeoning power requires that critical factors in U.S. plans for the defense of Taiwan be examined. This collection of essays offers just such an examination. It looks at China’s growing strength, the strategies underlying U.S. plans for military intervention in the Strait, U.S. vulnerabilities, and options for …

Leadership Behaviors That Improved Student Achievement In Three Selected Georgia High Schools, Cynthia Freeman-Smalls

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership behaviors that improved student achievement in three selected Georgia high schools. The participants were chosen based on successfully achieving adequate yearly progress (AYP) during 2005-2006 school years, as outlined by the Georgia Department of Education. Fifteen leaders from three Georgia high schools were interviewed to examine their roles in improving student achievement. Research protocol questions guided the interview to capture the essence of the work of leaders. Each participant answered seven questions derived from the review of literature to identify the leaders behavior that improved student achievement. The qualitative, phenomenological …

Political Rivalry In Rhode Island: William H. Vanderbilt Vs. J. Howard Mcgrath: The Wiretapping Case, Debra A. Mulligan

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

The 1939 wiretapping case bared many of the intra- and inter- party struggles that had been festering during the interwar years. Pitting Democrat J. Howard McGrath and Republican William H. Vanderbilt, two energetic and ambitious rival politicians, against each other, this scandal raised the issues of the right to privacy and the legality of using evidence obtained through electronic surveillance. Additionally, the case exposed the heated rivalry between the old and new guard within the Republican Party, while simultaneously restoring harmony among the competing forces within the Democrat Party.

Human Shields, Homicides, And House Fires: How A Domestic Law Analogy Can Guide International Law Regarding Human Shield Tactics In Armed Conflict, Douglas H. Fischer

American University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Dangers Of Credulity: Mary Robinson And The Trope Of Victimization, Jeffrey Paul Kozee

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

A prodigious professional poet admired by Samuel Taylor Coleridge; a courtesan idealized for her unparalleled beauty; a famed actress and mistress to royalty known to live beyond her means in an era of exploding print culture: Mary Robinson found herself portrayed incongruously in motley of mediums. While the leading portrait artists of the day, Thomas Gainsborough, George Romney, and Sir Joshua Reynolds, were painting dazzling portraits of Mrs. Robinson, she found herself lampooned in the satirical cartoons of James Gillray and Thomas Rowlandson. The multifarious representations of Mary Robinson seem an apt commentary on her tumultuous life. Intriguing in their …

Accelerating Computed Tomography On Commodity Graphics Hardware, Fang Xu

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

[to be added]

Choreographing Race: An Analysis Of Black Performance And White Audience, Katrina Dyonne Thompson

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

[to be added]

Studies On Biological Evolution And Biological Networks: A Statistical Physics Approach, Koon-Kiu Yan

Stony Brook Theses and Dissertations Collection, 2006-2020 (closed to submissions)

[to be added]

Rideability Issues For Asphalt And Concrete Specification Modifications, Brad Rister, Clark Graves

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Concerns have been raised regarding the differences between the incentive/disincentive determination procedures as well as the pay adjustments for rideability between asphalt and concrete projects. This report will attempt to do the following:

1. Address the differences between concrete and asphalt rideability specifications by looking at Kentucky’s historical rideability specifications and the specifications of peer states.
2. Review the necessity to revise current specifications based on historical rideability data, peer states rideability specifications, technological advancements in placement of roadway materials, and technological advancements in measuring rideability after construction.
3. Evaluate the monetary impact of a revised rideability specification on the latest year’s data. …

Fiscal Year 2007 Fhwa-536 Report For The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Steven Douglas Kreis

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requires state transportation agencies to submit a biennial report on local highway finances. The purpose of these reports is to provide FHWA with the data it needs to capture the financing of highway activities at the local level. Based on this information, it can identify trends in revenue, expenditures, investments, and program development, and in turn make decisions about future investments. The report, FHWA-536, asks agencies to report on four areas of local highway finance: 1) disposition of highway-user revenues; 2) revenues used for roads and streets identified by source and funding type; 3) road …

Entrainment And Stimulated Emission Of Ultrasonic Piezoelectric Auto-Oscillators, Richard L. Weaver, Oleg I. Lobkis, Alexey Yamilov

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Theoretical modeling and laboratory tests are conducted for nonlinear auto-oscillating piezoelectric ultrasonic devices coupled to reverberant elastic bodies. the devices are shown to exhibit behavior familiar from the theory of coupled auto-oscillators. in particular, these spontaneously emitting devices adjust their limit-cycle frequency to the spectrum of the body. It is further shown that the auto-oscillations can be entrained by an applied field; an incident wave at a frequency close to the frequency of the natural limit cycle entrains the oscillator. Special attention is paid to the phase of entrainment. Depending on details, the phase is such that the oscillator can …

Singapore's Exchange Rate Policy: Some Implementation Issues, Hwee Kwan Chow

Research Collection School Of Economics

Reflecting the small open nature of its economy, Singapore has adopted an exchange rate-centered monetary policy framework since 1981. The exchange rate regime in Singapore is an intermediate regime that follows the basket-band-crawl system. With this managed float system, the MAS has successfully deterred speculators from attacking the domestic currency for most of the past three decades. At the same time, the flexibility accorded by the managed float system aided Singapore in escaping from the 1997–1998 Asian crisis relatively unscathed. In order to advance our understanding of the hitherto successful operation of Singapore's exchange rate policy, we examine the following …

Postmodern View Of The Hidden Curriculum, Linda W. Dickerson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation will address the hidden curriculum and the impact that it has on the contemporary classroom. In the twentieth century, America is facing a variety of crises, one being the state of the national educational system, and part of this crisis is the public image that the educational system presents to the public eye through the hidden curriculum. Every institution has a public image or the side of it which first meets the eye, but often these images are deceptive. Schools present a public image in that schools teach much more than they claim to teach and they complete …

Race, Class, And Tracking: What Keeps African American Males From Pursuing College Degrees?, Sonja Renee Richardson-Shavers

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Using critical race theory (Crenshaw, Gotanda, Peller, & Thomas, 1995; Delgado & Stefancic, 1995, 2001; Ladson-Billings, 1998) as the theoretical framework and narrative inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) as the research methodology, this study explored the stories of 4 African American males to discover how race, class, and tracking affected their higher education opportunities. Participants were selected based upon their chosen curriculum; 2 participants represented a college preparatory curriculum, and represented a technical preparatory curriculum. Stories were collected via individual and focus group interviews in a predominantly Black high school in middle Georgia. Additional methods included school portraiture, participant profiles, …

Phenomenology, Film And Curriculum Theory: An Inquiry Into The Intellectual Persona Of Teachers, Tara Danielle Britt

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Teachers have lost autonomy due to the restraints placed on them by local and state standards and standardized testing. I am concerned that teachers have lost sight of their purpose as intellectuals who guide students in the development of critical thinking skills. In this dissertation, I used film to examine teachers' abilities to think critically. I used the phenomenological perspective of Maurice Merleau-Ponty and Vivian Sobchack to examine how teachers physically and mentally react to representations of teachers and teaching as selected films depict them. I considered how the teachers' embodiment of film played a part in guiding them to …

Leadership Behaviors That Contribute To Teacher Morale, Vickie Tantee Randolph-Robinson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this era of increased accountability and increased pressure to improve our public schools, elementary school leaders, working to meet the provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001, are focusing on developing effective leadership behaviors as they face the complex challenges of meeting organizational goals within their elementary schools and maintaining or increasing staff satisfaction. Leadership behavior has long been of interest in industry, business, military, and the government; on the whole, research shows that focusing on social factors such as morale, group interaction, and supportive relationships has a strong effect on productivity and success. The …

Implementing Career Academies In A Large, Comprehensive High School, Delmas Lee Watkins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine the experiences of high school individuals in implementing and sustaining Career Academies in a large comprehensive high school. The Career Academy is a high school reform model that integrates school-to-work elements in a personalized learning environment. The Career Academy structure provides partnerships between high schools and employers to enhance students' exposure to career development and work-based learning opportunities. The Career Academy model has proven to be a successful reform initiative for keeping students in school and positively impacting their post-secondary outcomes. Success is dependent of the contingent on the full implementation including …

Development Of Effective Discipline Practices Of A Rural Georgia Elementary School, Laurie Hale Lewis

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

For U. S. schools, never had there been a crisis on the scale of what happened at the Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, when two students killed 12 students and one teacher, and injured 21 others before committing suicide (Barrios, 2001). Violence, or the threat of violence, has a direct impact on the quality of education provided and on the way teachers and students work together in the classroom (Winett, 1998). Welldisciplined, effective schools are not a product of chance; it takes administrators, teachers, students, and parents working together to provide an environment conducive to learning (Marzano & …

Study Of The Implementation Of A Professional Learning Community In One Middle School In Georgia, Jana Maria Underwood

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As public demands for school accountability continue to increase due to federal legislation such as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, educators struggle to meet rising minimum standards. In an effort to address these pressures and search for ways to improve, educators consider implementing a professional learning community model which focuses on the improvement of teaching and learning. While attributes and characteristics of professional learning communities are documented in the literature, little is known about how the model is established or sustained. The purpose of this case study was to understand how one middle school implemented a professional …

Administration Of Higher Education Extended Campus Locations With A Distance Learning Component: An Analysis Of Best Leadership Practices At Columbia College, Don Stephen Stumpf

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to analyze the leadership practices of extended campus directors in the context of the administration of distance learning programs. The leadership practices of the 30 extended campus directors working for Columbia College of Missouri, at various locations around the country were measured using the Leadership Practices Inventory - Self (LPI - Self). This survey instrument was distributed using a secure email account established for the purposes of this study. The researcher analyzed the quantitative data collected from the study using the one-sample z-test to complete a comparison of the leadership practices of the directors …