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University Reporter - Volume 12, Number 09 - May 2008

1996-2009, University Reporter

This issue of the University Reporter includes articles on planning for the 2008 Commencement, the ethnic health reporting initiative based in the University's Center on Media and Society, the national “Chinese Bridge” Mandarin Chinese speech contest sponsored by UMass Boston's Confucius Institute, professor Jeffrey Dukes' work on climate change, the Center for Social Development and Education's showcase of its contributions to the field of research on children with disabilities, and other news from UMass Boston.

Luther's Two Kinds Of Righteousness And His Wartbug Postil, Makito Masaki

Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation

This study discusses how Luther exhorted people to live the Christian life. Luther understood the Christian life as a life of the saved sinner in himself and in his community. He understood that Christians live lives defined by two kinds of righteousness; that is, righteousness that God bestows, and righteousness that they produce. This study will be carried out by reviewing this basic understanding of what the Christian life is, and by examining Luther's preaching material, specifically a set of sermonic writings called The Wartburg Postil. The thesis of this survey is that in The Wartburg Postil, Luther used the …

Multi-Threat Containment With Dynamic Wireless Neighborhoods, Nathan Ransom

Theses

Advances in the areas of robotics have greatly increased the complexity and number of problems that groups of robots are able to solve. This work deals with the use of homogeneous and autonomous robots to dynamically form teams in order to solve a multi-threat containment problem. The multi-threat containment problem has the robot teams surround a number of threats which may occur randomly. Approaches with and without utilizing wireless communication are proposed and analyzed with a focus on the effects of using wireless. Simulation results show the benefit of the proposed integrated algorithm and its performance in different scenarios. Simulations …

Uv-Blocking Chemicals In Forest Canopy And Understory Lichens, May 2008, Katherine Rose Heal

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Lichens produce over eight hundred secondary metabolites, many of which are found nowhere else in nature. Many of these chemicals have UV-blocking properties, including usnic acid and many depsides. These chemicals could affect colonization success between understory and canopy lichens. In Monteverde, Costa Rica, a total of 244 lichens were extracted from six trees, half from canopy branch tips and half from the trunk in the understory. Canopy coverage was significantly higher in the understory (t-test, F = 88.78, p < 0.05). In the pooled population, usnic acid was present in the branch tips more often than on the trunks (after Yates correction factor X2 c = 26.23, df = 1, p = 3.03E-07). Conversely, depsides were present more often on the trunks (after Yates correction factor X2 c = 26.23, df = 1, p = 3.02E-07). The differences in the chemical constituents, which are associated with differences in lichen community composition, may reflect adaptations that allow niche partitioning along light gradients.

Influence Of Elevation, Host Species, And Host Size On The Density Of Mistletoe, Phorodendron Robustissmum (Viscaceae), May 2008, Jessica Rochelle Price

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Phorodendron robustissmum is an aerial hemiparasitic plant, dispersed by birds, that parasitize their hosts by tapping into the host’s vascular tissue. This research examines the density of mistletoe, Phorodendron robustissmum (Viscaceae) as a function of host species, host size, and elevation. This study was conducted in the Monteverde region in Costa Rica from 880- 1480 m. Data were collected on host species, density of mistletoe on two host species, elevation, and the diameter at breast height. ANCOVA and ANVOA showed that only host tree size influenced the clump density of Phorodendron robustissmum. Three different host species, Sapium glandulosum, Sapium laurifolium, …

Implementing A Native Medicinal Plant Garden In Monteverde, Costa Rica, May 2008, Cory Howes

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

The importance of plants has played a powerful role for medicine throughout human history. Tribes in Costa Rica once practiced Shamanism with native flora, but European settlement in the 15th and 16th centuries brought disease, killing much of the aborigines. With their loss, vast amounts of information had been lost regarding what plants they used for medicine. By implementing a garden at the Estación Biológica Monteverde in Monteverde, Costa Rica, an educational tool is created to give students first hand knowledge of 30 native medicinal plants found in Costa Rica. A booklet on the 30 plants was developed to educate …

Impacts Of Human Activity On Tropical Soil Quality In Relation To Future Land Productivity And Biodiversity, May 2008, Lauren Bolte

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

The high rates of tropical forest clearing followed by intensive agriculture may significantly degrade the soil’s original nutrient content and chemical composition, reducing future productivity and future restoration efforts. Land use impacts were determined by collecting soil samples from four sites in San Luis, Costa Rica. Three areas presented different agricultural uses, and the fourth was an area of forest, comparatively untouched by human activity. To evaluate existing nutrient levels, six tests were conducted from three soil samples from each site: ph, N, P, K, Al and Fe. Trends were found in that the site with the heaviest land use …

Differential Response To Vibration Stimulus In Metabus Gravidus (Araneidae) Communities, May 2008, John Mclaughlin

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

This study is an investigation on the effect of distance between neighboring spiders on the reaction to an artificially generated vibration stimulus. The study was conducted using a tuning fork at 320 Hz in order to generate a vibration intended to stimulate the spider web. Metabus gravidus individuals that were closer to the source of vibration (mean 9.5 ± 2.75 cm) tended to react by fleeing, and those farther from the source (mean 16.5 ± 4.8 cm) typically reacted by approaching. The spider closest to the source of vibration reacted by fleeing and approaching, while the neighboring spider exhibited no …

A Study Of Social Interactions And Web Dynamics In The Spider Anelosimus Sp., (Theriidae) In Monteverde, Costa Rica, May 2008, Molly Tolins

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Sociality in spiders represents serious evolutionary drawbacks, yet persists in some 20 species. Sociality of an undescribed species of spider, Anelosimus sp. (Theriidae), was studied in Monteverde, Costa Rica. The social interactions that were considered were: prey capture, kin recognition and web dynamics. I observed prey capture, whether adults or juveniles were attacking, and how long it took to first contact the prey. Adults preferentially attacked larger prey, while juveniles preferentially attacked smaller prey (p = 0.001, 2 = 10.517, df = 1, n = 23). There was also a trend showing that spiders in multiple-spider webs contacted prey faster …

Range Change In Cecropia And Azteca: The Effects Of Climate Change On Mutualistic Partners In Monteverde, Costa Rica, May 2008, Garrison Loope

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

The effects of climate change on the fauna of the Monteverde area has been well documented for vertebrate taxa such as birds, anurans, Norops spp, (Pounds 1999) and bats (LaVal 2004), but like the rest of the world little work has been done on the effects of climate change on invertebrates. This study examines the altitudinal ranges of the four species of Azteca and the three species of Cecropia living between 1500 and 700m in an area from Monteverde-Cerro Plano to San Luis. The current ranges of species are compared to elevations from a 1985 survey by John Longino (Longino …

Evaluating Costa Rica’S Program For Environmental Services Payments In The Monteverde Region, May 2008, Nathaniel F. Meyer

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Costa Rica’s environmental services payments or “PSA” (“Pagos por servicios ambientales”) program was created to provide an economic incentive for landowners to conserve forest, thus compensating them for the ecosystem services their conservation activities provide. This study was conducted to evaluate the program’s performance twelve years after its inception. By interviewing 20 private landowners in the Monteverde region, I ask (1) whether certain demographic parameters or property size affect participation, (2) whether the government is effectively informing farmers of the PSA opportunity, (3) what obstacles are preventing potential participants from successfully obtaining contracts, and (4) whether the program is functioning …

Emergence Patterns And Male Polymorphism In The Nonpollinating Fig Wasp Aepocerus Sp. (Torymidae), May 2008, Katelyn Burgess

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

This study was designed to investigate a perceived male dimorphism in the nonpollinating fig wasp Aepocerus sp. (Torymidae), as well as to examine emergence schedules of males and females as well as of different male morphs. I collected 100 Ficus pertusa figs and preserved the wasps that emerged from each fig every day for five days. I counted the number of male and female Aepocerus sp. that emerged from each fig each day, and I measured body size and degree of wing patchiness in males to assess whether the species exhibits male dimorphism. I found that males tend to emerge …

Comparison Of Fruit Removal In Tropical Tree Species Between Forest And Urban Areas – Monteverde, Costa Rica, May 2008, Dominic Derenge

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Tropical frugivorous birds are facing the effects of increased human land development. The conversion of forests to road and buildings interrupts the interaction forest trees and their frugivorous dispersers. This study uses the tree/frugivore mutualism to asses the effect proximity to human influences has upon a forest health. Measurements of the removal rates of Citharexylum costaricensis (Verbenaceae) fruits in a fragment near to the forest displayed significantly higher removal rates than in the urban fragment (Paired T-Test, T=0.996 df=15, p = 0.043, n =16). Separate trials with Solanum rugosum (Solanaceae) fruit displayed the same trend (Paired T-Tests, T = 0.695, …

Anti-Herbivore Defense Trade-Offs: A Comparison Of Passiflora Capsularis, Passiflora Helleri, And Passiflora Sexflora (Passifloraceae), May 2008, Sara M.L. Sirivanchai

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Plants in the Tropics must evolve strategies for combating high levels of herbivory with few available nutrients. This results in possible tradeoffs between chemical and structural defenses. Three species of tropical passion vines, Passiflora capsularis, Passiflora helleri, and Passiflora sexflora (Passifloraceae) were examined for possible tradeoffs in cyanide, leaf toughness, glands and pubescence as anti-herbivore defenses. One young and one old leaf were collected from ten individuals of each species and analyzed for cyanide concentration and leaf toughness. In addition, observations were made regarding habitat, pubescence and presence or absence of blade glands. From the results it is clear that …

Journal Of Food Law & Policy - Spring 2008, Journal Editors

Journal of Food Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

Dangerous Interpretations Of The Precautionary Principle And The Foundational Values Of European Union Food Law: Risk Versus Risk, Miguel A. Recuerda

Journal of Food Law & Policy

In their ordinary lives, many people try to avoid any situation involving risk that could cause themselves harm. On the other hand, others assume risk with greater facility because they are not sufficiently aware of it, or because they know that the probability of resulting damage is very low. Overwhelming worry in the face of any kind of risk would be paralyzing (we would not leave the house, eat in any restaurant outside of our home, drive, or fly). On the contrary, an attitude absolutely heedless of risks would end up causing innumerable damages, some of them irreparable. Common sense …

The Montclarion, May 01, 2008, The Montclarion

The Montclarion

Student Newspaper of Montclair State University

Protoporphyrin Ix Fluorescence Photobleaching Increases With The Use Of Fractionated Irradiation In The Esophagus, Brian W.Q. Pogue, Chao Sheng, Juan Benevides, David Forcione, Bill Puricelli, Norman S. Nishioka, Tayyaba Hasan

Dartmouth Scholarship

Fluorescence measurements have been used to track the dosimetry of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for many years, and this approach can be especially important for treatments with aminolevulinic-acid-induced protoporphyrin IX (ALA-PpIX). PpIX photobleaches rapidly, and the bleaching is known to be oxygen dependent, and at the same time, fractionation or reduced irradiance treatments have been shown to significantly increase efficacy. Thus, in vivo measurement of either the bleaching rate and/or the total bleaching yield could be used to track the deposited dose in tissue and determine the optimal treatment plans. Fluorescence in rat esophagus and human Barrett's esophagus are measured during …

Emergency Communications Between Water/Wastewater Utilities And Their Public And Local Governments Procedure For Message Content Analysis., Melanie Annette Hunt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the research is to assess the emergency communication messages that water and wastewater utilities used to correspond with the public during a crisis event. This assessment includes a review of data and disseminated messages provided by participating water and wastewater utilities. The work provides a coding procedure for quantitatively reviewing individual messages in a content analysis. This procedure shall be used for analyzing messages, developing trends and ultimately in deciding best management practices for message creation.

Examining The Scope Of Channel Expansion: A Test Of Channel Expansion Theory With New And Traditional Communication Media, Scott C. D'Urso, Stephen A. Rains

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This article draws on channel expansion theory to explore the selection and use of communication media by organizational members. Channel expansion theory scholars posit that media richness perceptions are dependent on experiences with communication partners, the message topic, and the communication media utilized. This study tests channel expansion theory in the context of new and traditional communication media. Respondents (N = 269) completed questionnaires regarding their use and perceptions of face-to-face, telephone, e-mail, or instant-messaging interactions. Results indicate that experience with channel, topic, partner, and social influence are all significant predictors of richness perceptions, when controlling for age and …

Polymerization Efficiency Of Glass-Ionomer And Resin Adhesives Under Molar Bands, Daniel John Rejman, Theodore Eliades, T. Gerard Bradley, George Eliades

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: To determine the degree of cure of a light-cured resin-modified glass ionomer (RMGI) under molar bands compared with a light-cured resin and a dual-cured resin.

Materials and Methods: The 3 cements used were Fuji Ortho LC, Eagle Spectrum resin, and Variolink II dual-cure. Each sample was indirectly light cured for 20 seconds (10 seconds occlusally, 10 seconds cervically) under sections of molar bands, and the degree of cure was evaluated with micro-MIR FTIR spectroscopy.

Results: The RMGI exhibited a significantly higher mean degree of cure (55.31%) than both of the resins (Eagle 19.23%; Variolink II, 25.42%), which did not …

Evaluating Recognition-Based Motion Capture On Humaneva Ii Test Data, Nicholas Howe

Computer Science: Faculty Publications

The advent of the HumanEva standardized motion capture data sets has enabled quantitative evaluation of motion capture algorithms on comparable terms. This paper measures the performance of an existing monocular recognition-based pose recovery algorithm on select HumanEva data, including all the HumanEva II clips. The method uses a physically-motivated Markov process to connect adajacent frames and achieve a 3D relative mean error of 8.9 cm per joint, better than recently reported results. It further investigates factors contributing to the error, and finds that research into better pose retrieval methods offers promise for improvement of this technique and those related to …

Prostate Cancer Patients’ Physiological Responses To Coloring A Mandala Or Working A Maze Puzzle, John Daniel Lorance Jr.

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

Prostate cancer presents the patient with numerous stressors including diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, possible income hardship, and social implications. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of a known stress-reducing art task on levels of stress, anxiety and immunity. Four participants diagnosed with prostate cancer were randomly assigned to either a control group that worked a maze puzzle or an experimental group that colored a pre-designed mandala. Pretest-posttest measurements included psychological and physiological indicators of stress, anxiety and immunity. In summary, coloring a pre-designed mandala enhanced immunity and significantly lowered levels of anxiety. This randomized, controlled investigation …

Integrating Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy Into Art Therapy: Depression Treatment In Juvenile Justice Settings, Elizabeth Illig

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This single case mixed methods research study integrated Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) into art therapy in the treatment of incarcerated adolescents experiencing a depressed mood. The review of the literature focused on depression treatment as approached by REBT practitioners and art therapists, and revealed that an integration of these approaches had not been previously attempted. Before the study commenced the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale-2 was administered to both participants. Then individual REBT-enhanced art therapy sessions were conducted. After the conclusion of these sessions the RADS-2 was re-administered, an exit interview conducted, and a formal analysis of the artwork was …

Machine Learning For Host-Based Anomaly Detection, Gaurav Tandon

Theses and Dissertations

Anomaly detection techniques complement signature based methods for intrusion detection. Machine learning approaches are applied to anomaly detection for automated learning and detection. Traditional host-based anomaly detectors model system call sequences to detect novel attacks. This dissertation makes four key contributions to detect host anomalies. First, we present an unsupervised approach to clean training data using novel representations for system call sequences. Second, supervised learning with system call arguments and other attributes is proposed for enriched modeling. Third, techniques to increase model coverage for improved accuracy are presented. Fourth, we propose spatio-temporal modeling to detect suspicious behavior for mobile hosts. …

The Effects Of Flaxseed Sdg On Perimenopausal Women With Mild Hyperlipidemia, Bonnie Marblestone Phd

Dissertations

In 2001, the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) expanded their guidelines for evaluation and treatment of hyperlipidemia which includes not only a low cholesterol diet and exercise, but also the use of plant stanols such as Flaxseed and Soluble fiber. According to the NCEP III guidelines, women with mild hyperlipidemia and low risk cardiac factors would not qualify for drug therapy to control their cholesterol. However, the use of plant stanols could be used as an alternative. As there are limited studies involving postmenopausal women in regards to treatment of heart disease, there is virtually no information or research on …

Private And Public University Students' Perceptions Of Cultural Adjustment Problems In Study Abroad Programs, Walter R. Heinecke Edd

Dissertations

In a world that is increasingly integrated by economics, communications, and politics, higher education is asked to deliver graduates who can function professionally in the international arena. One way to do this is through study abroad programs, which have skyrocketed in popularity among American students over the last 15 years, increasing by 83% to more than 205,000 students in 2007. Despite the obvious benefits associated with such programs, there are challenges to living abroad as well—especially for young adults. To get some sense of these challenges, during the 2005-2006 academic year 114 study abroad students from 2 Southern California universities …

School Web Sites Within The Educational Marketplace: A Case Study Investigating The Parents As Engaged Consumer-Users, Claudia Jane Beeman Edd

Dissertations

Schools -- like their corporate counterparts -- recognize the many advantages that the Internet affords. Today's schools vie for students, and thus use the web to market their services and showcase their management team (administrators, teachers, staff) and academic accomplishments. In a sense, then, web sites are the public face of education; those that are well-designed and multi-featured can enhance a district's public image and create the perception of excellence and competence. This case study explores how one suburban, K-8 school district approaches web site development, specifically, the process by which decisions about design, development, and maintenance are made (and …

Increasing The Performance And Realism Of Procedurally Generated Buildings, Brian Sowers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

As multimedia such as games and movies grow, so does the need for content. Textures, 3D models, expansive terrain, sound effects, and other data must be generated to support and enrich these multimedia productions. As this need for content continues to grow, two critical problems emerge: the cost of hiring artists to create the content becomes extremely large, as does the amount of memory needed to store and manipulate the content.;To combat these issues, procedural content generation, or content generated algorithmically rather than via an artist, has been introduced. Algorithmically generating content allows for rapid creation of large amounts of …

Feeding Behaviors And Performance Measurements In Bucks, Rams, And Bulls, Stephen John Chavez

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of the study was to determine if relationships exist with feeding behaviors of bucks, rams, and bulls and efficiency or residual feed intake (RFI). Animals utilized in this investigation were either producer consigned by species or West Virginia University animals. All animals were group-housed in pens (14.6 m x 51.2 m) with 156.2 m2 under roof at the Reymann Memorial Farm in Wardensville, WV over two years. Animals were fed complete nutritionally adequate rations ad libitum to meet daily growth requirements for each species. GrowSafe radio frequency technology (GrowSafe Systems Ltd.) was used to monitor animal identification, visit …