Digital Commons Network^™

A Novel Method For The Production Of Potentially Therapeutic Human Monoclonal Antibodies In Vitro, Adria L. Bykowski

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

We have developed a novel approach for the production of potentially therapeutic human monoclonal antibodies in vitro. This method holds great promise for generating therapeutic antibodies against infectious disease, cancer, and inflammation. The complex nature of current methods for producing human monoclonal antibodies is a major impediment to large scale passive transfer immunotherapy. Our novel technique utilizes Epstein-Barr virus immortalized tonsil or peripheral blood B cells from healthy human volunteers. These B cells are forced to undergo non-specific differentiation to become mature IgG antibody producing plasma "like" cells that continuously proliferate in vitro. Using this method, millions of transformed B …

Rapid Identification Of New England Freshwater Copepods Using A Novel Genetic Barcode, Elisah B. Allan

Master's Theses and Capstones

Identification of freshwater calanoid and cyclopoid copepods is limited to adults of certain sexes because morphological keys are mostly based on mature reproductive structures, necessitating an alternate method. Genetic barcodes are an additional tool for distinguishing species using variation in short segments of DNA. I tested the utility of the 28S rDNA D3 expansion segment as a barcode for identifying five species of calanoids and five species of cyclopoids from multiple lakes from New England. Neighbor-joining trees grouped all conspecifics together with high bootstrap support, except for Leptodiaptomus minutus. Comparisons of intra- vs. interspecific variation revealed a barcode gap for …

Exploring Decision Making By Occupational Therapists In A School Setting, Jason J. Backes

Master's Theses and Capstones

Occupational therapists working in schools make many decisions regarding evaluation and services to support a student's special education. Six school-based occupational therapists from the Midwest shared, through interviews, how they chose assessment methods and tools for a particular student and how their evaluation findings were used to make service delivery decisions for that student. This group of therapists addressed team members' concerns, focusing on how sensory processing, handwriting, and functional skills influence a student's schoolwork performance. Their decisions regarding assessments were determined by the needs of the student and the questions raised by the educational team. Their evaluation information contributed …

Evaluating Scale To Achieve Optimal Image Classification Accuracy In New Hampshire Forests, Brianna L. Heath

Master's Theses and Capstones

New England forest complexity creates obstacles for land cover classification using satellite imagery. New methodologies such as object-oriented image analysis exhibit potential to improve classification. Although these methods have proven more accurate than traditional methods, it has been unclear what resolution yields the most accurate classification. As high resolution imagery increases classification difficulty and lower resolutions may not provide sufficiently detailed maps, this study explored the use of object-oriented classification to classify several resolutions of satellite imagery (Landsat TM, SPOT, IKONOS) at various spatial scales.

Although Landsat TM imagery yielded the highest accuracy, all classification results were unacceptable for practical …

Evaluating Accuracy Issues In Mapping Benthic Habitats: An Investigation In The Causes Of Misclassification And The Importance Of Segmentation Parameters, Meghan E. Graham

Master's Theses and Capstones

Benthic habitats are some of the most difficult habitats to map using remote sensing. In a study of six bays in the Texas Gulf Coast, maps were created from digital aerial imagery. Using an object-based image analysis (OBIA) approach, the image was classified with the Classification and Regression Tree (CART) technique to produce a draft map. The draft map was then extensively manually edited to produce a contractor map. Accuracy assessments of both maps revealed that the two were not significantly different. The objective of this study was to determine why the editing did not improve the draft map. Our …

Spectral Effects Of A Calcium Amendment On Red Spruce Foliage At Laboratory And Stand Scale, Will Robinson Kessler

Master's Theses and Capstones

Three sets of measurements were made to determine the effects of an October 1999 whole-watershed Ca-application on the chemical and spectral properties of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) foliage at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Results of our measurements showed significant differences between the Ca-treated watershed (WS1) and a nearby reference watershed (WS6). Foliar chemistry data collected in 2007 showed that concentrations of Ca, Sr, and oxalate remain higher in WS1, and the increase in oxalate is strongly linked to the level of total Ca, possibly by a Ca-oxalate crystal precipitation response. High-resolution laboratory spectral data measured from 400-2500 nm …

The Effect Of An Experiential, Adventure Based "Anti-Bullying Initiative" On Levels Of Resilience: A Mixed Methods Study, Jesse Beightol

Master's Theses and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of an experiential, adventure based program on levels of resilience. Specifically, a mixed methods, quasi-experimental design was implemented to measure the impact of an Anti-Bullying Initiative on students self reported Goals and Aspirations, Problem Solving, Empathy, and Self Efficacy traits. Quantitative data was gathered using the Anti-Bullying Initiative Survey and converged with results from focus groups, interviews, and program observations to assess both program outcomes and processes. Results indicated that this adventure education program did affect levels of resilience in the individual students as well as their school and home …

An Environmental Characterization Of Unbound Mining Residuals From The Tri-State Mining District, Scott Greenwood

Master's Theses and Capstones

The mining and processing of mineral ores presents significant waste management issues due to the large quantities of waste generated and the environmental characteristics of that waste. Conventional waste management options are considered unsustainable and impractical, therefore consideration of alternative options, such as recycling, require investigation. This research analyzed the environmental characteristics of three mining residual samples from the Tri State Mining District to determine if they could be potentially recycled into an unbound highway application.

Testing found that all three samples could be a potentially acceptable aggregate substitute if implemented correctly. Leaching tests showed that the materials did not …

Study Of Gas Diffusion Layers In Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (Dmfc), Jason Morgan

Master's Theses and Capstones

An automated single-cell fuel cell system has been designed and fabricated in this work. The apparatus is capable of operating on both hydrogen and methanol fuels, and can control the mass flow rates and humidity of the inlet gases, and temperature and pressure of the cell with a LabVIEW program. A series of experiments are conducted to determine the optimum cell operating temperature (75°C), methanol concentration (4 molar), methanol flow rate (3 mL/min) and catalyst loading on Gas Diffusion Layers (GDLs) (∼2.5 mg/cm2). A new anode GDL is fabricated by optimizing the hydrophobicity in the substrate and microporous layer (MPL), …

A Study Of Organizational Culture In Campus Recreation: A Competing Values Approach, Scott Butch

Master's Theses and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to assess organizational culture in campus recreation departments and its links with organizational effectiveness. The competing values theory and subsequent framework was used to determine if there were significant differences in the organizational cultures of campus recreation departments based upon specified dependent variables including their administrative unit (academics, athletics, business operations or student affairs), their institutional size (small, medium, medium-big, or large), and their institutional control (public or private). A quantitative survey instrument based upon the competing values framework was used to sample campus recreation directors and professional staff members in institutions of higher …

I Complexation Of Iron(Ii), Nickel(Ii), Copper(Ii) And Zinc(Ii) By Hexadentate Tripodal Aminopyridyl Chelators Ii The Potential Of Curcumin In Medicine: Synthesis And Iron Coordination Chemistry Of Curcuminoids, Joon Hyung Cho

Master's Theses and Capstones

Chapter 1. Binding properties of tach-3-MeOpyr with Zn(II), Cu(II), Fe(II) and Ni(II) have been studied and compared to other tachpyr family metal complexes. The hypothesis was that weak binding between metals and the tachpyr ligand family might be responsible for its lower cytotoxicity towards cells. However, the electronic and structural data in solution do not demonstrate any signs of weaker binding for Cu(II), Fe(II) and Ni(II) between tach-3-MeOpyr and tach-3-Mepyr. While tachpyr, tach-3-Mepyr and tach-3-MeOpyr all have similar binding properties toward Fe(II) in an oxygen free environment, the rates of oxidative dehydrogenation of their Fe(II) complexes in air are substantially …

The Effectiveness Of An Adventure Travel Summer Camp Program On The Life Effectiveness Of Adolescents, Jeffrey Lane

Master's Theses and Capstones

The field of positive youth development encompasses a broad spectrum of youth programs and organizations. Outdoor and adventure education programs are well-positioned to be a part of the movement toward a positive developmental approach to youth programming. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an adventure-travel summer camp program (Longacre Expeditions) had positive effects on the life effectiveness of adolescent participants. The study measured attributes of Life Effectiveness of participants using the Life Effectiveness Questionnaire Version-H (LEQ-H). The instrument was administered at the commencement, conclusion, and six months following the program. Composite LEQ data and subscale data were …

Factors Affecting Insulin-Stimulated In Vitro Glucose Oxidation In Rat Epididymal Adipocytes, Lisa C. Merrill

Master's Theses and Capstones

Since Martin Rodbell published his collagenase method for isolating rat adipocytes from their stromal-vascular matrix in 1964, researchers have modified the procedure in an attempt to maximize results. These modifications are also purported to decrease the interlaboratory variability observed by researchers who utilize this procedure. Strict adherence to these modifications does not, however, necessarily result in robust, repeatable in vitro insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation. The purpose of this study was to optimize Rodbell's procedure for measuring in vitro glucose oxidation in rat adipocytes, and to measure the effect of meal feeding on this process.

Adipocytes from rats in 26 optimization experiments …

The Interpretation Of Sarcasm By Typically Developing Children And Children With Lld In The School Age Population, Kristin D. Shepperd

Master's Theses and Capstones

The present study was conducted to obtain information about the interpretation of sarcasm by typically developing children and children with language learning disabilities in the school age population. Prior research indicates sarcasm comprehension is a difficult semantic task for typically developing children to acquire, and thus it is likely that children with language learning disabilities, who have been shown to have significant semantic difficulties, are at risk for delayed acquisition of sarcasm comprehension. Participating children took a 24 question multiple-choice sarcasm test. Results demonstrated significant differences in sarcasm comprehension between children with language learning disabilities and their typically developing peers. …

The Role Of Ompd In Adherence Of Salmonella Enterica Serovar Typhimurium To Macrophages And The Effects Of Mannan-Binding Lectin In Initial Attachment, Donna Louise Terrio

Master's Theses and Capstones

The binding of macrophages to the outer membrane porin proteins, OmpC and OmpD, and the effects of mannan-binding lectin (MBL) were investigated. MBL was isolated from pig serum in a multi-step affinity chromatography process and the purity of the samples was determined via sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) under reducing conditions. An Immunoglobulin G (IgG) Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to detect MBL. Porcine MBL was present in serum in approximately 30, 32 and 34 kDa monomeric forms. Bacterial binding assays were performed using Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium wild-type, ompC-deficient and ompD-deficient bacterial strains. These experiments were …

Community Literacy As Seen Through The Eyes Of Families, Linda Graham

Master's Theses and Capstones

This study is a series of interviews conducted with three families participating in a family literacy program in rural NH. These families were asked a series of questions about their participation in community literacy events and supports to reach a synthesis of what families do that is inherently strong.

Readings from across the literature on early childhood education, literacy and poverty and families were supported by the interviews. It is in the cross referencing that strengths were identified and weaknesses documented.

Strengths were seen in friendships, storytelling, book exchanges and the use of outdoors. Weaknesses were seen in access to …

Deaf People In A Hearing World: A Qualitative Study Of Cultural Identity Issues, Brianna J. Daisy

Master's Theses and Capstones

The primary goal of this study was to determine the potential factors that influence the process of cultural identity development for deaf people in a predominantly hearing world. This qualitative study utilized a phenomenological research design in an effort to capture the essence of the experience of growing up deaf and the meaning each participant made of his experiences as they related to his life. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five male participants ranging in age from mid-20s to mid-30s. The interviews were transcribed and thoroughly analyzed to pull out common themes and ideas, leading to the conclusion that the …

"I Remember When I Learned That": Gender Differences In The Use Of Episodic Memory, Rhyannon H. Bemis

Master's Theses and Capstones

The experiments in this thesis were designed to investigate age and gender differences in the use of episodic memory. In experiment 1, children, ages 4 to 9 years, answered general knowledge questions and were asked how they knew the answer to these questions. Results indicated that there were some difference in the proportion of episodes girls reported. Girls' episodes also contained more details. Experiment 2 investigated source monitoring as a potential mechanism for children's use of an episodic recall style using a "drawer-task" with narratives as one of the source types. There were no gender differences, but there were age …

Reentering The Community A Criminal: A Case Study Of Jail Inmates Released From The Strafford County Department Of Corrections, Jillian Marie Kalosky

Master's Theses and Capstones

The current study examines inmates' transition into the community upon release from the Strafford County Department of Corrections (SCDOC), a rural county jail in New Hampshire, in 2006. The present goals are to analyze the degree to which these individuals were able to successfully reintegrate into the community and to identify potential risk factors for future engagement in crime. To meet these goals, the current study utilizes (1) data collected during pre-release discharge plan meetings (n = 160); (2) data retrieved from the official SCDOC corrections database, which reports any arrests and/or incarcerations that have resulted since release (n = …

Efficacy Of Available Treatments For Children And Adolescents With Behavioral Diagnosis As Measured By Resiliency And Cafas Scores, Laura Wickman

Master's Theses and Capstones

Many treatment options are available to children and adolescents with behavioral disorders who seek services from CMHCs. Little research addresses the efficacy of these services.

This researcher examined data from existing clinical records. ANOVA and MANOVA were calculated to determine effects of treatment setting on change in CAFAS and resiliency scores and to determine if any difference in treatment exists between those clients who improved on resiliency and CAFAS scores and those who didn't.

Clients receiving services in the office and natural setting showed greater improvement on BRC risk scores than clients receiving only office-based services. Clients who showed improvement …

The Impact Of Federal Violence Against Women Grants Upon Two New Hampshire Cities: Case Disposition And Police Report Writing, Catherine Anne Seabury

Master's Theses and Capstones

In 1994 the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was passed in the United States, and with it came a host of changes for the many cities and towns throughout the country which were granted federal funds in order to combat domestic violence.

Although these structural changes appear to have been successful, little empirical research has been conducted with the goal of accurately reporting what, if any, improvements have occurred within communities as a result of VAWA funding.

This research examines the impact of federal VAWA funds on two New Hampshire cities---Manchester, which has been receiving VAWA funding since 1995, the …

Parents And Peers: Assessing The Impact Of Same-Sex Parent-Adolescent And Same-Sex Peer-Adolescent Associations On Teen Delinquency, Alexander Conrad Keller

Master's Theses and Capstones

Prior research drawing on Social Bond Theory finds mixed evidence that parental influences are associated with a modest decrease in delinquency, but few studies have disaggregated maternal and paternal influences to examine their individual impacts on teen delinquency. The studies that have did not examine whether same-sex parental influences moderate delinquent peer influences on teen delinquency. The present study argues that (1) same-sex parent-adolescent associations may have important main effects on delinquency and (2) that same-sex parent-adolescent influences may simultaneously interact with peer delinquency such that delinquent peer influences decrease among youth whose same-sex parent exert strong parental influences over …

The "Loyalist Problem" In The Early Republic: Naturalization, Navigation And The Cultural Solution, 1783--1850, Emily Iggulden

Master's Theses and Capstones

Traditionally, studies of the Loyalists from the American Revolution highlight their wartime experience or explore their post-war experience as exiles in other areas of the British Empire. Instead, this study begins in 1783 and focuses on the majority of Loyalists who stayed in the United States after Independence. Using legal documents, personal correspondence, and popular newspapers the "Loyalist Problem in the Early Republic," analyzes the legal and cultural dimensions of citizenship from the Loyalist's perspective. It suggests that the Loyalists played a significant role in the legal and cultural formation of American citizenship and national identity. Additionally, it explores the …

Journalism Of Affirmation?, Ben Carder

Master's Theses and Capstones

Polls and studies suggest news outlets appeal to specific "niche" audiences; where news broadcasts seemingly "give the people what they want," through their reporting. Does the broadcast news media manipulate news content in a manner that is consistent with their "niche" audience?

Because Democrats and Republicans have differing views on the economy's vitality, this study analyzes how the media frame unemployment data: what elements of an unemployment report are emphasized; how much time is devoted to a certain aspect of it across networks? This study believes news networks "spin" unemployment reports positively or negatively, depending on their "niche" audience and …

A Model For Integrating Collaborative Life-Story Writing Into Counselor Training Programs, Jennifer Schroeder Andrews

Master's Theses and Capstones

Given the fundamental role of narrative deconstruction and reconstruction of client stories within the counseling profession, this thesis proposes creation of an elective course for counselor trainees based upon activities constructing personal experience narratives collaboratively in student dyads and in groups. The course was developed to facilitate three elements of professional and personal development: increased application of knowledge---specifically, knowledge of core counseling theories and tenets, social constructivism and narrative construction; interpersonal and relational skills; and judgment and maturity.

A review of the literature related to existing standards and precedents in counselor training, and the relationship to and use of collaborative …

Psychoeducational And Therapeutic Group Counseling For Central American Female Immigrants, Amy Dolores Deutsch

Master's Theses and Capstones

There is a significant and increasing amount of Latinos immigrating to the United States. They face many challenges in successfully adapting to life in this country. These challenges are several and include cultural differences, premigration and migration trauma, economic hardship, lack of facility with the language, and attitudes of United States citizens toward immigrants. The needs of Latino immigrants are unique, and the costs of not addressing these needs are likely to be significant. As the United States becomes increasingly more racially and culturally diverse, it is encumbent upon those in the helping professions to prepare to serve a radically …

Upstairs, Downstairs: Subnational Incorporation Of International Human Rights Law At The End Of An Era, Martha F. Davis

Fordham Law Review

No abstract provided.

Subcritical Water And Carbonated Water Extraction Of Anthocyanins From Grape Pomace, Lydia Rice, L. R. Howard

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Grape pomace, a by-product of juice and wine processing, is a rich source of anthocyanins, antioxidant compounds that may afford protection against cancer and coronary heart disease. Unfortunately, traditional extraction of these antioxidants involves use of organic solvents, which pose serious safety and disposal problems for industry. Clearly a need exists for “green” extraction technologies—such as use of subcritical water—that eliminate or reduce the amount of organic solvents. In this study, we determined the efficacy of subcritical and carbonated water in extraction of anthocyanins from red grape pomace. Extraction variables including particle size, pomace mass, and temperature were optimized, and …

The Scale Of Networks?: Local Climate Change Coalitions, Hari M. Osofsky, Janet Koven Levit

Chicago Journal of International Law

Spring 2007 was a heady time for climate advocates. The fourth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change expressed an overwhelming scientific consensus that anthropogenic climate change is a serious problem. The US Supreme Court not only addressed climate change for the first time, but also found that the US Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") had abused its discretion in denying a petition asking it to regulate motor vehicle emissions . The UN Security Council also took an initial look at climate change, with a ranging debate over its security implications. Amid that furor, it is perhaps unsurprising that another …

Killer Waves, Fiction To Fact: Fiction To Inspire Nonfiction Research In The Intermediate-Grade Classroom, Barbara Ruben, Barbara Liles

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

A description of a literature-based unit on tsunamis that uses the emotional connection of fiction as a stepping-stone to informational research. This unit uses literature circles to motivate curiosity in young readers about science. The emotional connection a reader has with fictional characters bridges fiction and nonfiction and makes nonfiction research more relevant. As is true in all learning, when students have an authentic reason to explore informational text, the learning becomes deeper and more lasting.