Digital Commons Network^™

Pcbs And Measures Of Attention And Impulsivity On A Continuous Performance Task Of Young Mohawk Adults, Bita Behforooz

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Past animal and human studies have shown that exposure to PCBs can result in a wide range of negative toxic effects. However, only a few studies have investigated the relationship between PCB exposure and attention and impulsivity. The present study examined the relationship between current body burden levels of PCBs and attention and impulsivity in young adults ages 17 to 21 from the Mohawk Nation of Akwesasne. The community is concerned because PCBs from industrial effluent have contaminated the local ecology and entered the Mohawk's food chain. Attention and impulsivity were measured by errors of omission and errors of commission …

Evaluation Of A Biopesticide Against Invasive Species For Native Species Restoration, Denise Ann Mayer

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Since their introduction in the 1980s, dreissenid mussels (Dreissena polymorpha and D. rostriformis bugensis) rapidly spread throughout North America and have had severe impacts on the ecology of freshwater ecosystems. A project was initiated in the early 1990s at the New York State Museum's Field Research Laboratory to discover and develop natural products to control industrial biofouling by dreissenid mussels. A strain of Pseudomonas fluorescens (Pf-CL145A), isolated from the sediment of a North American river, was found to be effective at killing dreissenids. The strain was patented for this use.

Life At The Watervliet Shaker Village : An Archaeological And Historical Approach, Joseph John Grygas

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

To date Shaker archaeology is currently in a relatively primitive stage. Most investigation at Shaker sites has resulted from construction projects and these surveys say very little about Shaker life. It was not until David Starbuck's 2004 "Neither Plain Nor Simple: New Perspectives on the Canterbury Shakers" did a major interpretive work on the Shaker's appear. An opportunity arose to work with the Shaker Heritage Society at Watervliet to do a limited survey at a Dwelling House site. This opportunity was used to test Starbuck's conclusions at another Shaker village. The findings reveal that the Shakers were indeed not strictly …

Confraternity And Community : Negotiating Ethnicity, Gender And Place In Colonial Tecamachalco, Mexico, Annette Dionne Richie

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Cofradías, lay religious brotherhoods introduced to New Spain by Mendicant friars in the mid-16th century, were optimal vehicles for corporate consciousness. This case study in colonialism, evangelization and ethnic politics centers on avenues and strategies for assessing, accommodating and rejecting cultural elements from "foreign" groups, as well as the freedom to assemble and incorporate, but also marginalize, others.

Darwin's Other Idea : Sexual Selection, Gender And Violence, Robert Samuel Moschgat

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation provides an empirical exploration of Darwin's theory of sexual selection, which views the male propensity to engage in short term mating strategies--sexual promiscuity and violence--as the result of sexual selection. Within an environmental context, biological father and mother household presence are expected to inhibit the initiation of short-term mating strategies and increase parental investment--paternal and maternal attachments, supervision, and protection. Whereas, structural disadvantage--living in poverty and in dangerous neighborhoods--is predicted to increase the initiation of a short-term mating strategies and compromise the parents' ability to protect their children and by weakening paternal and maternal attachments, thereby increasing the …

Creating Rna Aptamers To Modulate Function Of Human Estrogen Receptor Alpha, Daiying Xu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACT

Cardiovascular Reactivity And Recovery To Stressful Tasks Following A Mindfulness-Analog In College Students With A Family History Of Hypertension, Christoffer Grant

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Ninety-seven undergraduate students with a family history of hypertension participated in a study that evaluated the effects of a brief mindfulness-induction on cardiovascular reactivity and recovery to two stressors. Participants were randomized to either a mindfulness-induction or control condition and were then exposed to the cold pressor task (CPT) followed by the mirror-tracing task (MT). Blood pressure and heart rate were measured at baseline, post-induction, as well as during and immediately following each stressor. There were no group differences in reactivity to either stressor. Participants in the mindfulness-analog condition experienced significantly greater latency to systolic blood pressure recovery following the …

Distinct Functions Of The Fshr Ck2 Consensus Sequence And Ck2 Kinase Activity In Fsh Action, Kerri S. Kluetzman

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Human reproduction in the female is a complex process requiring coordinated control of gonadotropic hormone signaling in a temporal, spatial and contextually defined manner. Paracrine and autocrine signaling between granulosa cells and oocytes of the developing ovarian follicle result in production of steroids, inhibin and growth factors that dictate maturation, ovulation or atresia. Follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulation of the FSH receptor (FSHR), a G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) is a key regulator of these processes. Recent developments in GPCR molecular and structural biology have helped define activation and signaling mechanisms that will aid in further defining the etiology of infertility …

A Breast Cancer Stem Cell Model Created From Mmtv-Pymt Mice Applicable To Human Breast Cancer, Denise Grant Lanza

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Cancer stem cells are the seeds of tumor growth, but there are limited cell-based methods that exist to study the properties of these cells. To create a model of breast cancer stem cells, we isolated tumors from MMTV-PyMT mice. Two out of the four different cell types isolated survived in culture, CD44+CD24- and CD24+CD49f+CD44low. We found that we could initiate tumors with as few as 10 cells injected subcutaneously in the hind leg or orthotopically in the cleared fat pad with CD24+ cells. However, we could not initiate tumors with injection of CD24- cells. We found a requirement for TICs …

Maternal Caffeine Consumption And Risk Of Congenital Limb Deficiency Malformations, Lei Chen

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACT

Regulation Of The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor And The Signal Transducer And Activator Of Transcription 1 By Long-Term Estrogen Exposure In Breast Carcinoma Cells, Neal Englert

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The risk of developing breast cancer is known to be associated with a woman's lifetime exposure to estrogens, both endogenous and exogenous. Increased exposure to estrogens stimulates cellular proliferation, which is a widely accepted theory of estrogen receptor positive mammary carcinogenesis. The molecular mechanisms of gene expression regulation in response to long-term estrogen exposure (LTEE) of MCF-7 breast cancer cells were addressed in this study, with a focus on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1).

Physiology Of Yawning : Proximate Mechanisms Supporting An Ultimate Function, Melanie Lee Shoup-Knox

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Recent research suggests that yawning functions to cool the brain during periods of mild hyperthermia. Evidence for this hypothesis is largely behavioral, and includes reports of increased yawning during increases in ambient temperature and times of stress as well as an amelioration of yawning upon nasal breathing and forehead cooling. Little research has been published on the physiological mechanisms supporting a brain cooling function, however. The current set of studies explores human and animal physiological parameters in search of evidence of brain cooling during yawning. In humans, heart rate, skin temperature, and skin conductance findings suggest that yawning involves an …

The Catskill Commons Precontact Archeological Sites : Late Archaic Occupations In The Mid-Hudson River Drainage, Lori Jones Blair

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Archeological excavations conducted in advance of a retail development in the Town of Catskill, Greene County, New York revealed three precontact archeological sites occupying a distinct ecological setting connected to a wetland environment. The sites include a large, single-component site, Site CC3, accompanied by two smaller single-component sites, Sites CC1 and CC2.

Advanced Statistical Methods For Biochemical And Forensic Applications Of Raman Spectroscopy, Vitali Sikirzhytski

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This work is dedicated to the development and application of advanced statistical methods for biochemical and forensic applications of Raman spectroscopy. We developed a new concept of multidimensional Raman signatures for forensic identification of body fluid traces, which was successfully applied to the study of dried blood, semen, saliva, sweat and vaginal fluid stains. Several alternative advanced chemometric techniques were also successfully tested for the problems of pure body fluids discrimination and mixture analysis. Studies of body fluid mixtures with low blood and semen concentrations indicated that the detection limit of a minor contributor was as low as a few …

Evaluating How New York Natural Heritage Program Information Affects Development Projects In New York State, Tara Salerno

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Is New York Natural Heritage Program (NYNHP) information used to affect land-use decisions in New York State? A seemingly simple question, yet it had no answer. The NYNHP maintains a comprehensive database on the status and location of rare species and significant natural communities throughout New York State. The NYNHP uses this database to provide information to consulting firms, project applicants, developers, local governments, state and federal agencies, private organizations, non-profits, the environmental conservation community, and the general public (together referred to as requestors) with the intent that such information will be used to aid in land-use decisions that will …

The Value Of Human Life : An Individual-Level Determinant Of Violence, Maria Tcherni

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

My contribution to the study of causes of violence in criminology is introducing a theoretical concept of the Value of Life (VL) and developing an empirical solution to measuring it. The value that an individual implicitly assigns to the human life - both his/her own life and other people's lives - is a theoretical concept that synthesizes information about precursors, correlates, and determinates of violence. The VL concept provides a meaningful way to explain some phenomena not commonly associated with violent behavior (for example, reckless behavior with regard to one's health), while also illuminating some puzzling associations consistently found in …

Is It Prudent To Be Responsible? The Legal Rules For Charities That Engage In Socially Responsible Investing And Mission Investing, Susan N. Gary

Northwestern Journal of Law & Social Policy

Fiduciaries who invest assets held by a charity must act as prudent investors. This Article examines the legal rules that apply to these fiduciaries, examining the duty of loyalty and the duty of prudent administration for trustees of charitable trusts and directors of nonprofit corporations. The Article focuses on the duty to act as a prudent investor and the question of whether a charitable fiduciary can consider the charity's mission or purpose when making investment decisions. Recent developments in the laws that regulate investing by fiduciaries provide guidance, and the Article concludes that these rules permit consideration of a charity's …

The Role Of Expectancy In Prescription Stimulant Misuse, Alison Looby

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Misuse of prescription stimulant medication such as methylphenidate (MPH) has increased among college students over the past several years. Common motivations for misuse include enhancements in cognitive function and subjective arousal. Researchers have recently cited a need to better understand and develop treatments for this behavior. Expectancy effects, which impact initiation and maintenance of substance use, may also be implicated in one's decision to engage in prescription stimulant misuse. This study first examined whether subjective mood and cognitive performance could be elevated solely by one's expectation to receive MPH. Additionally, this study examined the efficacy of an expectancy challenge in …

Exploring The Applicability Of A Lean Six Sigma Framework For Performance Excellence To K--12 Education In New York State : A Soft Systems Approach, Thomas Daniel Buccino

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Based on current legislation, existing accountability systems, and organizational practice reflected by present data trends, the level of academic proficiency mandated for all students enrolled in New York State public schools by 2014 will not be achieved. Coincident with demands for higher performance, schools are experiencing unprecedented financial pressures. There is an urgent need for breakthrough change in performance associated with the public educational system. This requires a change in thinking, a change in culture, and a change in practice. As a proven transformational strategy, Six Sigma combined with Lean methods have demonstrated sustained success in achieving high levels of …

The Raven Loup : A Modern-Day Romance Novella, Andrew John Hamilton

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In her appropriately-titled study, Romance, Barbara Fuchs introduces the romantic in literature as the "textual strategy[:] a concatenation of both narratological elements and literary topoi, including idealization, the marvelous, narrative delay, wandering, and obscured identity, that [...] both pose a quest and complicate it". The purpose of this thesis is to creatively employ the "textual strategy" of romance, applying it to a story set in the near-present with modern-day symbols, events, and characters. With this in mind, the traditional romantic hero is a warrior, a general, or a knight with physical or mental prowess that goes beyond the scope of …

Features Of The Human Body And Voice : The Biological Impact On Perception And Attraction Through Multiple Sensory Domains, Roy Nathan Pipitone

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

A growing body of literature has shown that variation in the sound of a person's voice conveys important information about our underlying biology. The present studies further investigate how the human voice can be used as a medium that disseminates characteristics related to mate quality and attraction. The human voice has been shown to be affected by cyclic hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle, and raters show preferences for voice recordings at heightened fertility times compared to other times during the menstrual cycle. In the current studies, this finding was replicated multiple times and less masculine males were found to …

What Qualitative Research Has Taught Us About Occupational Stress, Joseph J. Mazzola, Irvin Sam Schonfeld, Paul E. Spector

Publications and Research

While many reviews of job stress and the stressor–strain relationship have been conducted, such reviews typically focus exclusively on quantitative data. In the current paper, we review qualitative studies on occupational stress that met two criteria: (1) the studies employed qualitative methods; (2) the stressors, strains and/or coping strategies were grouped into identifiable, higher-order categories. Results indicated that the nature of the stressors experienced varied by (a) occupation, (b) country, (c) seniority and (d) gender. The review further revealed that organizational constraints, work overload and interpersonal conflict were relatively universal stressors. Anger and annoyance were the most frequently reported psychological …

Book Review Of The Conversation Piece: Scenes Of Fashionable Life, By Desmond Shawe-Taylor, Ching-Jung Chen

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Advertising: A View From Around The Globe, Kelsey Cario

Honors Capstones

Through research and direct observation I have written this capstone to portray the differences in advertising around the world. In an effort to exemplify marketing strategy and promotion this thesis focuses on a myriad of cultural differences that impact the way consumers are attracted to products and how they make purchasing decisions. It grasps advertising differences amongst the United States and Europe, more specifically the United Kingdom and France. In order to accurately decipher the marketing differences the thesis works to show the history of advertising, how culture broadly influences advertising, different advertising mediums and how they are used in …

Global Education, Katrina Bade, Emily Goins

Honors Capstones

As the world continues to grow increasingly interconnected through the advancement in technology it is becoming vital to the success and enrichment of students to provide them with experiences and learning activities that promote global education. With the many resources the community, nation, and world has to offer, global education should be easily implemented into every classroom. Unfortunately it is not. Before conducting research, it seemed easy to assume that there was a lack of literature and resources readily available to educators that would allow them to integrate global education activities. On the contrary, there are many websites that promote …

The Role Of Executive Functions In Facilitating Soothing Behavior During Interactions With A Simulated Distressed Infant, Katie M. Laws

Honors Capstones

Prior work has noted the importance of parenting for supporting the development of emotion regulation in infants/children. The goal of this study was to examine the influence of adult EF on behavioral responses to infant distress. The current investigation used a novel methodological approach, the infant simulator paradigm (ISIM), to evaluate the effects of participant EF on soothing behavior during interactions with an inconsolable, simulated infant. Given the importance ofEF in regulation of behavior, it was predicted that participants with lower EF would engage in fewer soothing behaviors (i.e., sensitive vocalizations, soothing touch, distracting, and caretaking efforts) than participants with …

The Illusion Of Transparency And Public Speaking: A Study Of Social Anxiety, Chelsea Gloth

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is to determine whether participants who are informed of a phenomenon termed "the illusion of transparency" (Gilovich, Savitsky & Medvec, 1998) give higher quality speeches, feel and appear less anxious while delivering the speech, and give longer speeches. Participants consisted of 543 students from a Midwestern university. First they completed the FNE (Watson & Friend, 1969), and 31 of those with the top quartile of scores returned to the lab to give a 3-minute speech. Participants in the illusion condition were informed about what the illusion of transparency is, while those in the reassured condition …

Psyc 270.01: Fundamentals Of Learning, Kathryn Gwen Lamp

University of Montana Course Syllabi

No abstract provided.

2011 Annual Report, Children's Advocacy Institute, University Of San Diego School Of Law

CAI Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

The Bridge, Volume 8, 2011, Bridgewater State University

the bridge

Volume 8 Staff

Stephen Plummer, Editor-in-Chief
Josh Savory, Editor-in-Chief
Maggie Bouchard
Kate Camerlin
Liz Childs
Evan Dardano
Alexandrea Matthews
Kit McFarland
Alex Pawling
Matt Scott
Craig Sirois

Melanie McNaughton, Faculty Advisor
John Mulrooney, Faculty Advisor
Linda Hall, Alumni Consultant
Jillian Moore, Student Consultant
Courtney Parece, Student Consultant