Digital Commons Network^™

Density Functional Calculations Of Physical Properties Of Sodium Oxide, Meagan Leigh Thompson

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

Sodium is the sixth most abundant crustal element; as such, it is found throughout a variety of mineral systems where it is typically represented as an oxide (Na₂O). However, due to high reactivity, neither Na nor Na₂O are naturally occurring and are volatile. The difficulties in acquisition and safe handling present challenges to traditional experiments. However, these difficulties can be overcome by advances in computational methods in solid state physics. While such computational experiments are demanding, the relative simplicity of structure makes Na₂O a reasonable candidate for this type of analysis. This thesis presents …

Structural And Energetic Determinants Of Function In The Heterotrimeric G-Proteins, Noel Carrascal

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

The heterotrimeric G-proteins are important in signal transduction that triggers important biological functions in cells of living organisms. The use of theoretical models to study these proteins gives additional insight into mechanisms of signal transduction and molecular recognition events in the cell. With that objective in mind, molecular dynamics simulations of a heterotrimeric G-protein reveal structural and energetic differences among the states of its signaling cycle. The simulations are stripped explicit waters and analyzed in search of determinants of function with the help of backbone clustering and continuum electrostatic models such as Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) and generalized-Born (GB). The energies are …

Trans-Translation Dependent Degradation Of Mrnas And Proteins, Zhiyun Ge

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

The translation of mRNAs without in-frame stop codons results in the following problems: the ribosomes are stalled and sequestered on the defective mRNA, the incomplete polypeptides produced are potentially toxic to the cells, and the defective mRNA can result in more futile translational cycles. Bacteria have developed a unique system, called trans-translation to resolve all of the above-mentioned problems. The key players of the trans-translation system are tmRNA and its protein cofactor SmpB. One part of my work showed that the system mediates the degradation of non-stop mRNAs by recruiting RNase R to stalled ribosomes through the interaction between the …

Development Of A Single Photon Detector For Fluorescent Spectrometry, Dmytro Gudkov

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

I present a novel single photon spectrometer and discuss its use for ultra-fast and highly accurate detection of quantum dots and micro-beads encoded with compositions of various types of quantum dots. The spectrometer receives a polychromatic light through a fiber input. The received light undergoes color decomposition by a diffraction grating and is further detected by a 32-channel PMT (Hamamatsu, Japan) operating in single photon counting mode. Due to a novel, highly advanced analog/digital circuitry operating in GHz range, the 32-channel single photon detector has a unique performance: it supports detection of up to 108 photon/s/channel, data acquisition rate at …

The Experience Of Korean American First Born Or Only Sons In The United States: Privilege Or Burden?, Heesoo Karina Kim

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

Summary: Qualitative interviews were conducted to examine the dynamics of gender roles, tradition, culture, and parental expectations, often influenced by Confucian values, of Korean American first-born or only sons. Theories of stress, identity, and acculturation may inform how gender and status affect outlook on life, relationships, duties, career, and mental and physical health. Method: 47 Korean Americans, ages 18-40, of whom 35 were first-born or only sons, were interviewed. For corroborative data, 12 siblings (five younger brothers and seven sisters) were also interviewed. A semi-structured, open-ended, 25 question guide was used for interviews which were then recorded and transcribed. Results: …

Nanoscale Metal - Organic Ligand Interactions For Applications In Environmental Remediation And Catalysis, Prashant Kumar Jha

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

Ever since the proposal of correct structure of CoCl3*6NH3 by Alfred Werner in 1893 the field of coordination chemistry has only grown and has become the center of chemical science owing to wide ranging applications in the fields of catalysis, medicine, biochemistry and organometallic chemistry. This dissertation deals with novel application of coordination chemistry from three different perspectives. The first explores the fate of a known contaminant (uranyl ion) in ground water with natural organic matter (NOM) using simple analogous aromatic and aliphatic molecules (catechol and oxalic acid). It was found that not only the immediate complex formed, long term …

Model-Based Techniques For Dependable Decision Making In Groups Of Agents Operating Autonomously, Meng Wang

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

Massively distributed embedded systems are rapidly emerging as a key concept for many modern applications. Autonomous agents with mobile sensors are breakthrough concept in technology. However, providing efficient and scalable decision making capabilities to such systems is currently a significant challenge, especially to have flexible strategies with predictable performance in hard-to-predict conditions. My thesis first proposes a goal-oriented model to allow automated synthesis of distributed controllers, which implement and interact through models of different semantics. Scalability of descriptions is realized through defining the nature of interactions that can occur among decision modules while leaving to task of optimally implementing these …

An Examination Of The Effectiveness Of An 8-Week Bikram Yoga Program On Mindfulness, Perceived Stress, And Physical Fitness, Zoe L. Hewett, Lynda B. Ransdell, Yong Gao, Linda M. Petlichkoff, Shelley M. Lucas

Kinesiology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Previous research reports positive effects of yoga on health. The physical and psychological outcomes of participation in Bikram yoga are under-researched despite its increasing popularity, and this type of yoga may be significant with regards to stress management due to its unique method of practice. This study was designed to assess changes in levels of mindfulness, perceived stress, and physical fitness after participation in an 8-week Bikram yoga program. Fifty-one participants aged 20–54 years (mean, 31.57 years) were recruited by word of mouth from a large university located in the Northwestern United States. Participants attended a minimum of 20 Bikram …

Are Nursing Students’ Clinical Skills Competency And Self-Confidence Levels Improved Via Video Ipods? A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study, Margaret M. Hansen Edd, Msn, Rn

Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Research and Publications

Background: Mobile technologies allow students the opportunity to enhance learning while away from the traditional classroom setting. However, educational outcome research is lacking in the use of mobile health (m-health) applications in healthcare professional practice development.

Objectives: The aim of this pilot study was to discover whether male and female urinary catheter insertion videos delivered via iPods increases students’ skills competency and self-confidence levels.

Methods: A prospective replicated study including second year, semester two, undergraduate nursing student participants (NSP) (N=16) was conducted: nine control participants (no video iPods) and seven intervention participants (video iPods). Nursing students attending a mandatory skills …

La Religiosité Dans La Tragédie Du Roi Christophe D’Aimé Césaire, Clément Moupoumbou

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

The struggle for liberation and the acquisition of independences by black people are embodied by the protagonist, Christopher in La Tragédie du roi Christophe by Aimé Césaire. In addition, a spiritual dimension was needed to unite black community across the globe. King Christopher is a source of spiritual inspiration which is grounded on faith in hard work whose aim is the ongoing uplift of man. Therefore, there is a sort of religiosity in La Tragédie du roi Christophe, which does not necessarily conjure up a divine entity to look for a long term solution, for instance the quest for freedom …

Assessing The Efficacy Of A Modified Therapeutic Community On The Reduction Of Institutional Write-Ups In A Medium Security Prison, Lee Maglinger

Dissertations

This study explored the impact a modified Therapeutic Community (TC) had on reducing institutional disorder as documented by institutional write-ups. Substance abuse treatment programs are typically evaluated in terms of their ability to prevent relapse and reduce recidivism. The current study examined the efficacy of a modified TC in relation to these parameters but also explored its overall impact on prison safety and security for both the inmates and staff of a medium security prison located in Kentucky. Specifically, the number of institutional write-ups exhibited by clients participating in a modified Therapeutic Community was compared with the number of write-ups …

Response To Autism: An Assessment Of Services For Students With Autism In Kentucky's Public Schools, Leigh Anne Roden

Dissertations

The full implementation of school-based autism services has grown in importance over the past few decades. School systems are expected to provide high-quality educational services for students with autism spectrum disorders. Though several organizations provide recommendations for appropriate program components, Kentucky does not supply education agencies with a means of evaluating the current autism services offered within their districts and schools.

This descriptive study examined the current level of implementation of school-based autism services within an educational cooperative in Kentucky. The research was conducted to determine whether or not school districts are fully implementing essential program components as recommended by …

Perceived Gender-Typing Of Successful Managerial Characteristics, Sarah Holtzen

Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Previous research has indicated that the characteristics associated with successful business managers are more often attributed to men in general than to women in general. This paper seeks to examine the current state of perceived gender-typing of the characteristics associated with successful business managers. Using the Schein Descriptive Index (Schein, 1973), undergraduate business students (N=177) were asked to rate women in general, men in general, or successful business managers on a set of 92 descriptive terms. Intraclass correlation coefficients were computed to estimate the ANOVA between groups. Respondents were also asked to describe in their own words what they believe …

Object Recognition Based On Shape And Function, Akihiro Eguchi

Computer Science and Computer Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores a new approach to computational object recognition by borrowing an idea from child language acquisition studies in developmental psychology. Whereas previous image recognition research used shape to recognize and label a target object, the model proposed in this thesis also uses the function of the object resulting in a more accurate recognition. This thesis makes use of new gaming technology, Microsoft’s Kinect, in implementing the proposed new object recognition model. A demonstration of the model developed in this project properly infers different names for similarly shaped objects and the same name for differently shaped objects.

Legal Discourse, Conceptual Metaphors, And Basic Writing Programming: A Study Of Ayers V. Fordice, Joyce Olewski Inman

Dissertations

In what ways does legal discourse influence our perceptions of students labeled as basic writers and these students’ perceptions of themselves? How does standards-based discourse affect student writers’ abilities to define themselves in academe? This dissertation involves an examination of legal and public discourse surrounding Ayers v. Fordice, one of the most prominent desegregation cases in higher education, in an attempt to answer these questions. Its intent is to explore how conceptual metaphors prevalent in these discourses affect our understandings of basic writing programming in the state of Mississippi but also in the field of composition more globally.

My …

Understanding Captive-Takers Motivations, Methods And Targets, Jean Garner Larned

Dissertations

Understanding Captive-Takers Motivations, Methods and Targets is the ultimate goal in order to help those who train, manage and prevent hostage taking events which include police officers, negotiators, recovery personnel, academics and psychologists. The overall lack of literature relating to the topic of captive-taker motivations is another impetus for this dissertation. There is a dearth of scholarly material in any of the main areas of understanding kidnapping/captive-taking/hostage-taking from the perspective of the perpetrator within law enforcement, psychology, private sector or academia. It is anticipated that this research study and the data garnered from it will assist academics, psychologists, private corporations, …

Groundwater Chemistry Of The Weaber Plain: Preliminary Results, Adam Lillicrap, Paul Raper, Richard J. George Dr, D L. Bennett

Resource management technical reports

In 2008, the Ord Irrigation Expansion Project was approved by the Western Australian Government to develop irrigated agriculture on the Weaber Plain. Construction of the M2 supply channel connecting the ORIA and the Weaber Plain, and the final period of irrigation design, environmental management and related approval processes, commenced later in 2009. This process followed a protracted period of public and private industry planning and environmental assessment (Kinhill 2000). This report summarises an analysis of groundwater salinity trends on the Ivanhoe and Weaber plains and the preliminary results of an intensive water-quality sampling program carried out in 2010 as part …

Ole Miss Engineer 2011-2012

Ole Miss Engineer

No abstract provided.

Dayton Lawyer, Winter 2011-12, University Of Dayton

Dayton Lawyer

No abstract provided.

Dietary Supplement Education In A Senior Population, Kimberly G. Elder, Sarah A. Nisly

Scholarship and Professional Work – COPHS

Background. Dietary supplements are widely used among United States senior citizens for various indications. Potential dangers with supplement use include the lack of regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the possibility for drug-supplement interactions. Senior focused education may in- crease the safe use of dietary supplements by older adults.

Objective. The primary objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a pharmacist driven educational seminar in a local senior population.

Methods. Participants aged 55 years and older in one of three senior programs were eligible for inclusion. Initially, a needs-assessment interview was con- ducted …

Stock Assessment For The Shark Bay Scallop Fishery, Mervi Kangas, Errol Brown, Marie Shanks, Arani Chandrapavan, Adrian Thomson

Fisheries Research Reports

The Shark Bay scallop fishery is based on a single species Amusium balloti and is the most valuable scallop fishery (AUD 10-57 million) in Western Australia. This species is short-lived, has fast growth and highly variable recruitment which is primarily environmentally driven. The scallop fishery consists of two classes of licences, A and B. There are fourteen Licensed Fishing Boats with A Class licences that target scallops and account for approximately 70% of the catch. There are twenty-seven Class B licences, which primarily fish for prawns (in the Shark Bay Prawn Managed Fishery) with scallops a secondary target species. Restructuring …

Landmark Report (Vol. 29, No. 3), Kentucky Library Research Collections

Landmark Report

Newsletter published by the Landmark Association; this local group advocates the preservation, protection and maintenance of architectural, cultural and archaeological resources in Bowling Green and Warren County, Kentu

Effects Of Professional Development On Using Differentiated Instruction With Gifted And Talented Students In The Library Media Center, Kristi Lynn Hayes

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Library media specialists (LMSs) have a unique position within a school, which is the opportunity to reach out to every student, especially to gifted and talented students who can benefit from having more advocates within their learning communities. Collaborating with other education professionals is beneficial to all students and many library media specialists already make this a normal part of their job responsibilities. The LMSs who are participants of Project CATALYST (Collaboration among Teachers and Librarians Yields Successful Teaching) are required to collaborate with classroom teachers in order to provide more enriching opportunities for students when they come to the …

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of An Internship Program, Daniel Jackel

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The traditional way to learn about social sciences in a university setting includes taking courses that teach theoretical frameworks and scientific methodologies that are required for one’s major area of study. The courses that are taught to students are determined by what major they sign up for. After a student has taken all required courses,what skills does the student have to take with him after graduation?

Whether participation is pursued solely for academic credit, for career development, or for civic engagement, an experiential experience typically enhances a student’s connection between academic content and “real world” applications. Bridging the gap between …

A Comparison Of Current Anuran Monitoring Methods With Emphasis On The Accuracy Of Automatic Vocalization Detection Software, Jacob Douglas Eldridge

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Currently, a variety of methods are available to monitor anurans, and little standardization of methods exists. New methods to monitor anurans have become available over the past twenty years, including PVC pipe arrays used for tree frog capture and Automated Digital Recording Systems (ADRS) used to remotely monitor calling activity. In addition to ADRS, machine-learning computer software, automated vocalization recognition software (AVRS), has been developed to automatically detect vocalizations within digital sound recordings. The use of a combination of ADRS and AVRS shows the promise to reduce the number of people, time, and resources needed for an effective call survey …

Facial Expression Discrimination In Adults Experiencing Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Brian N. Lee

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The present study examined the impact of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) on adults’ ability to discriminate between various facial expressions of emotions. Additionally, the study examined whether individuals reporting PTSS exhibited an attentional bias toward threat-related facial expressions of emotions. The research design was a 2 (expression intensity) x 3 (emotional pairing) x 2 (PTSS group) mixed-model factorial design. Participants for the study were 89 undergraduates recruited from psychology courses at Western Kentucky University. Participants completed the Traumatic Stress Schedule to assess for prior exposure to traumatic events. A median split was used to divide the sample into two groups …

Scopophobia, Kristin Eller

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

[First paragraph of Preface]

I set out to write an essay three years ago that started with the line “I always find God in the bathroom—don’t ask me why,” which is entirely true and says so much while explaining so little. Within a page and a half I briefly introduced a scene, a memory,where I had sequestered myself in a toilet stall in the bathroom on my sorority’s dorm floor at Eastern Kentucky University. I mentioned the scenario—I was hiding from a serial rapist who, for some reason, decided I’d be a good target—in just a few paragraphs and moved …

Effects Of Synthetic Cortical Bone Thickness And Force Vector Application On Temporary Anchorage Device Pull-Out Strength As Related To Clinical Perspectives Of Practicing Orthodontists, Ira Rothstein

Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

December 2011.

A thesis submitted to the College of Dental Medicine of Nova Southeastern University of the degree of Master of Science in Dentistry.

Background: Temporary anchorage devices (TADs) provide a versatile means by which orthodontic anchorage can be established without the need for patient compliance and complex force systems. Their use is predicated on their ability to remain stable throughout the course of treatment in which they are needed. This has been shown to be the result of "primary stability" which is achieved through mechanical interlocking of the screw threads with the surrounding bone immediately upon placement. Therefore, evaluating …

December 2011 Minutes, Usm Council Of Chairs

Council of Chairs

Minutes of the December 2011 meeting of the USM Council of Chairs.

Fast Super-Resolution With Affine Motion Using An Adaptive Wiener Filter And Its Application To Airborne Imaging, Russell C. Hardie, Kenneth J. Barnard, Raúl Ordóñez

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Fast nonuniform interpolation based super-resolution (SR) has traditionally been limited to applications with translational interframe motion. This is in part because such methods are based on an underlying assumption that the warping and blurring components in the observation model commute. For translational motion this is the case, but it is not true in general. This presents a problem for applications such as airborne imaging where translation may be insufficient. Here we present a new Fourier domain analysis to show that, for many image systems, an affine warping model with limited zoom and shear approximately commutes with the point spread function …