Digital Commons Network^™

On The Anelastic Behavior Of Plasma Sprayed Ceramic Coatings: Observations, Characterizations And Applications, Gopal Dwivedi

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

Plasma sprayed ceramic materials contain an assortment of microstructural defects, including pores, cracks, and interfaces arising from the droplet based assemblage of the spray deposition technique. The defective architecture of the deposits introduces a novel anelastic response in the coatings comprising of their non-linear and hysteretic stress-strain relationship under mechanical loading. It has been established that this anelasticity can be attributed to the relative movement of the embedded defects under varying stresses; while the non-linear response of the coatings arises from the opening/closure of defects, hysteresis is produced by the frictional sliding among defect surfaces. Recent studies have indicated that …

In Search Of Mirna Function In The Mouse Neocortex And Cerebellum, Miao He

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

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are implicated in brain development and function, but the underlying mechanisms have been difficult to study in part due to the cellular heterogeneity in neural circuits. The cellular diversity of the brain necessitates studies at the level of individual neuron types. During my thesis research, I have taken two complementary approaches to study miRNA function in mouse neocortex and cerebellum. One is to analyze cell type specific miRNA expression profiles, and the other is to disrupt miRNA production in subpopulations of cortical GABAergic neurons. To establish genetic access of diverse interneuron subtypes, our laboratory has initiated the first …

Inhibition And Mechanism Of The 1,4-Dihydroxy-2-Naphthoyl-Coa Synthase (Menb) From Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Xiaokai Li

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

Tuberculosis is a common, deadly, and contagious disease that is caused by the Gram positive bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In order to better treat TB, novel antibiotics with shorter treatment periods and improved activity against drug-resistant and latent TB infections are urgently needed. The redox cofactor menaquinone is an essential component of the electron transport chain in M. tuberculosis and enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway for this cofactor are promising targets for anti-TB drug discovery. 1,4-Dihydroxy-2-naphthoyl-CoA synthase (MenB), is the sixth enzyme in the menaquinone biosynthesis pathway, and catalyzes the formation of DHNA-CoA from o-succinylbenzoate-CoA via Claisen condensation. In order to …

Fluid Structure Interaction (Fsi) For Evaluation Of Biomedical Implant Devices For Novel Hypertension Treatment Therapy, Dinesh Amirtharaj Peter

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

Drug-resistant hypertensive patients may be treated by mechanical stimulation of stretch-sensitive baroreceptors located in the sinus of carotid arteries. To evaluate the ability of custom devices to stretch the carotid sinus such that the induced stretch might trigger baroreceptors to increase action potential firing rate and thereby reduce hypertension, numerical simulations were conducted of several biomedical implant devices deployed in subject based carotid models. Two different carotid models were chosen to serve as virtual vascular environment for device deployment evaluation - a physiologic model and a diminutive non-physiologic model. Extravascular and endovascular device designs, custom built for the carotid models, …

Population Monte Carlo Sampling For High Dimensional Problems, Bingxin Shen

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

Many real-world data analysis problems involve estimating unknowns and approximating their posterior distributions when only partial or inaccurate/noised observations are available. In most cases, the system models are non-linear and/or non-Gaussian with high dimensions, where the posterior distributions cannot be obtained analytically. For the last few decades, many approximation schemes have been proposed to solve this problem. One group of tools favored in theory and practice are Monte Carlo (MC)-based methods. Population Monte Carlo (PMC) is one of the methods of the MC family for batch processing of data. PMC algorithms iterate on a set of samples and weights. The …

The Complexity Of Domestic Interiors: Laurie Simmons's Depiction Of Women's Identity In The Home, Lauren Elise Cesiro

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

Laurie Simmons was among a group of artists in the 1980’s working in photography, film, video, and performance who recognized the influence of the mass media on the American public. Simmons used her art practice to comment on these images tailored to the consumer. Much of her photographic work of dolls and dollhouses challenges the viewer’s concept of the relationship between women and their domestic interiors. This thesis examines three photographs from the following series: Color Coordinated Interiors (1982-1983), The Instant Decorator (2001-2004), and The Long House (2002-2004). In these series, Simmons presents the home as a complex environment that …

Gold Nanoparticles Cytotoxicity, Tatsiana Mironava

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

Over the last two decades gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been used for many scientific applications and have attracted attention due to the specific chemical, electronic and optical size dependent properties that make them very promising agents in many fields such as medicine, imagine techniques and electronics. More specifically, biocompatible gold nanoparticles have a huge potential for use as the contrast augmentation agent in X-ray Computed Tomography and Photo Acoustic Tomography for early tumor diagnostic as well these nanoparticles are extensively researched for enhancing the targeted cancer treatment effectiveness such as photo-thermal and radiotherapy. In most biomedical applications biocompatible gold nanoparticles …

A Feasibility Study On Using Supercritical Fluid Technology To Develop A Biomimetic 3d Porous Scaffold For Bone Tissue Engineering, Chi Zhang

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

? The key to designing a suitable material for bone replacement is to mimic the mineral component and the microstructure of natural bone. The novel artificial bone scaffold should have good mechanical properties, high porosity, bioactivity, and controllable degradation kinetics. In this work, a three-dimensional scaffold based on a polymer phase consisting of only naturally- derived components (gelatin and cornstarch) and a mineral phase (hydroxyapatite (HA)) was produced using supercritical CO2 as the foaming agent. By setting the pressure of the supercritical CO2 at 2500 psi and the temperature at 35??C, 3-D porous scaffolds were successfully fabricated and no organic …

Gender Differences In Competitive Balance In Intercollegiate Basketball, Jaret Treber, Rachel Levy, Victor Matheson

Economics Department Working Papers

This paper adds to the literature on competitive balance in college sports by comparing men's and women's NCAA basketball. Using data from the Division I National Championships, we find evidence consistent with the idea that women’s college basketball is less competitively balanced than men’s college basketball. We argue that this difference may be explained by a theory of player ability borrowed from evolutionary biology first promulgated by paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould and subsequently utilized in Berri (2004). An implication of this idea is that competitive balance in women’s NCCA basketball will naturally improve over time. This is good news for …

Initial Mlu Predicts The Relative Efficacy Of Two Grammatical Treatments In Preschoolers With Specific Language Impairments, Paul J. Yoder, Dennis L. Molfese, Elizabeth Gardner

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Purpose—We sought to confirm predictions based on past findings that pre-treatment mean length of utterance (MLU) would predict which of two grammatical treatments would best facilitate generalized and maintained grammatical development in preschoolers with specific language impairment (SLI).

Method—The participants were 57 preschoolers with specific language impairment (SLI). A randomized group experiment was used. The two grammatical treatments were Broad Target Recasts (BTR) and Milieu Language Teaching (MLT). MLU was assessed at Time 1 in two conversational language samples. Growth rate of productive grammar was quantified using growth curve modeling on the Index of Productive Syntax (IPSyn) from …

Comparative Ecology Of Sarcobatus Baileyi And Sarcobatus Vermiculatus In Eastern California, Rebecca E. Drenovsky, Alynn M. Martin, Molly R. Falasco, James H. Richards

Biology

Greasewood (Sarcobatus) is a succulent-leaved, halophytic shrub of North American origin. The genus comprises 2 species: Sarcobatus baileyi and Sarcobatus vermiculatus. Sarcobatus vermiculatus is common throughout much of western North America, but S. baileyi is much more limited in distribution and was previously thought to be endemic to Nevada. Here we document and describe a S. baileyi population in eastern California, comparing its morphology and ecology to an adjacent S. vermiculatus population. Morphologically, S. baileyi is smaller in stature but produces larger seeds; however, fewer S. baileyi seeds germinated and survived a 20-day laboratory incubation compared to seeds of S. …

The Impact Of Rap Music On Audience Values Structure, Janet Mignon Kucia

Dissertations

Music has long been an integral part of culture. Identity and leisure are but two of the myriad reasons cited for music consumption. Rap music is a relatively new genre of music that has enjoyed tremendous success as a commercial and underground movement. This particular genre has become an important part of musical culture and has recently become an area of interest from an academic perspective. In this project, research in the areas of media effects and values formation is explored. Additionally, lyrical content, usage and technological implications are discussed. The author reports on original research in which the correlation …

Learner Experiences Of Online Pre-Lecture Resources For An Introductory Chemistry Course At An Irish Higher Education Institution, Claire M. Mcdonnell

Theses

The principal aim of this case study was to investigate students’ experiences of using online pre-lecture resources and their perceptions of their learning environment for the Introductory Chemistry module concerned. A subsidiary aim was to probe the experience of the lecturer involved of designing and piloting these resources and his perception of their impact on students’ learning. The student cohort who participated were a group of 49 first year level 8 undergraduate chemistry students at Technologicl University Dublin. These students took an Introductory Chemistry module over their first semester, the aim of which was to bring the level of understanding …

Empirical Critical Loads Of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition For Nutrient Enrichment And Acidification Of Sensitive Us Lakes, Jill S. Baron, Charles T. Driscoll, John L. Stoddard, Eric E. Richer

Civil and Environmental Engineering - All Scholarship

No abstract provided.

New Faculty Appointments, 2011-2012, Lindenwood University

New Faculty Booklets

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Merra Land Surface Estimates In Preparation For The Soil Moisture Active Passive Mission, Yonghong Yi, John S. Kimball, Lucas A. Jones, Rolf H. Reichle, Kyle C. Mcdonald

Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group Publications

The authors evaluated several land surface variables from the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) product that are important for global ecological and hydrological studies, including daily maximum (T_max) and minimum (T_min) surface air temperatures, atmosphere vapor pressure deficit (VPD), incident solar radiation (SW_rad), and surface soil moisture. The MERRA results were evaluated against in situ measurements, similar global products derived from satellite microwave [the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observing System (EOS) (AMSR-E)] remote sensing and earlier generation atmospheric analysis [Goddard Earth Observing System version 4 (GEOS-4)] products. …

Relationships Among Rubus (Rosaceae) Species Used In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yinu Wang

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of using plants therapeutically including multiple species of the genus Rubus (Rosaceae). Fruits and other parts of Rubus plants have had a significant effect on human health and nutrition in both ancient and modern times. The pharmacological effects of Rubus include anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-stress, anti-cancer and anti-aging properties. One of the current challenges limiting further development of Rubus resources in traditional Chinese medicine is a poor understanding of phylogenetic relationships among Rubus species in general and especially among Asian species, and also the need for additional studies of phytochemicals. Several confounding factors are …

Synthesis And Structure Of A Substituted Pyridazine, Kiranmai Byrichetti

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Pyridazines are heterocyclic compounds with an N-N bond in their ring structure. Heterocyclic aromatic compounds are of great interest as a result of their novel properties and commercial applications. Our current research is focused on the potential role of pyridazines in next generation electronic devices that utilize organics as the semiconducting material. The synthesis of 5, 6-fused ring pyridazines beginning from fulvenes (Scheme 1) is described herein. These fused heterocycles will serve as synthetic models and building blocks for potential organic or organometallic conducting polymers.

Our goal was to modify the route of Snyder et al. previously reported for the …

Regulation Of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase In Pulmonary Myofibroblasts, Jonathan David Faughn

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an interstitial lung disease leading to decreased lung volume and eventual respiratory failure. At present, the median post-diagnosis lifespan is between three and six years. Myofibroblasts are collagen-secreting cells essential for wound healing, but also implicated in the fibroproliferation and extra cellular matrix deposition commonly seen in IPF. The nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathway is implicated in protomyofibroblast to myofibroblast transition and regulation. Previous work has shown that in pulmonary myofibroblasts, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is the primary NOS isoform expressed. The current study used cultured rat pulmonary myofibroblasts between passages two and five …

A Reply To King Et Al., Mark E. Swanson, Jerry F. Franklin, Robert L. Beschta, Charles M. Crisafulli, Dominick A. Dellasala, Richard L. Hutto, David B. Lindenmayer, Frederick J. Swanson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Hunger Artists: Yeast Adapted To Carbon Limitation Show Trade-Offs Under Carbon Sufficiency, Jared W. Wenger, Jeffrey Piotrowski, Saisubramanian Nagarajan, Kami Chiotti, Gavin Sherlock, Frank Rosenzweig

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

As organisms adaptively evolve to a new environment, selection results in the improvement of certain traits, bringing about an increase in fitness. Trade-offs may result from this process if function in other traits is reduced in alternative environments either by the adaptive mutations themselves or by the accumulation of neutral mutations elsewhere in the genome. Though the cost of adaptation has long been a fundamental premise in evolutionary biology, the existence of and molecular basis for trade-offs in alternative environments are not well-established. Here, we show that yeast evolved under aerobic glucose limitation show surprisingly few trade-offs when cultured in …

Beyond Risk: Emplacement And The Production Of Environmental Evidence , Joshua Reno

Anthropology Faculty Scholarship

I offer a counterpoint to the prevailing risk literature that focuses not on (mis)perceptions of danger but on the production and circulation of different forms of evidence and the environmental claims they promote. Rather than reproduce the epistemic dichotomies associated with risk discourse, I discuss attempts by waste-industry technicians, government inspectors, lawyers, area residents, and activists to generate persuasive accounts of a large, U.S. landfill and its porous boundaries. I argue that the differential influence of their various claims is best understood by examining what it means to know and care for a place.

Motivated Markets: Instruments And Ideologies Of Clean Energy In The United Kingdom , Joshua Reno

Anthropology Faculty Scholarship

This article examines efforts to reconcile capitalist and ecological values, focusing in particular on the instruments and ideologies that pervade the United Kingdom's developing renewable energy sector. In keeping with neoliberal models of economic knowledge and practice, renewable energy instruments target the motivations of individuals by using incentive programs to reach environmental policy goals. The argument focuses especially on the way newly implemented market devices shape and represent the motivations of energy producers, suppliers, and traders. The centerpiece of the U.K. government's initiative is the creation of an artificial market in renewability, bought and sold as a virtual commodity. Although …

To Get The Shot Or Not: Narratives, Rhetoric, And The Childhood Vaccination Crisis, Katherine M. Hurley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Parents in developed countries like the United States are questioning the need for and safety of childhood vaccinations. Incidences of disease have risen as fewer parents have vaccinated their children. Perhaps the most significant public figure to reinforce the choices of parents not-to-vaccinate is Jenny McCarthy, whose best-selling book details her theory about the cause of, and cure for, her son‘s autism. As I demonstrate, the study of the narratives is vital for understanding the vaccination crisis, not the least because of the extent to which McCarthy‘s (2007) story has echoed through parenting communities. I examine whether chosen anti- and …

Spatial Distribution Of Human Elephant Conflict (Hec) And Characterization Of Crop-Raiding Elephants In Kasigau Region, Kenya, Simon Kasaine Kagwa

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Human-elephant conflict (HEC) is complex and a serious elephant conservation concern across Africa and Asia where elephants are found. HEC occurs whenever people and elephants share common interests. For HEC to be ameliorated and elephant conservation to be successful locally and regionally, the distribution and implications of HEC should be understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the spatial distribution of HECs and characterize elephant herds in terms of herd size responsible for crop-raiding in Kasigau. The study was generally guided by two working a priori hypotheses: (1) farms near the bush edge or livestock watering points will …

Does The Biofuel Industry, With The Aid Of Certification Programs, Contribute To Sustainable Development?, James Michael Kierulff

Dissertations

Despite being a source of alternative energy and an avenue for broad economic development, a number of biofuel producers have demonstrated that the biofuel industry has significant potential for unleashing social, environmental and economic harm. To largely avoid such perils, the industry must demonstrate that it is operating in a sustainable manner, contributing to the sustainable development of all stakeholders who rely upon the industry‘s responsible operation. Recently minted, internationally developed certification programs have been developed to move the industry into sustainable compliance and to offer a means by which stakeholders can incentivize the industry toward greater levels of sustainability …

Contact Point, Arthur A. Dugoni School Of Dentistry

Contact Point

No abstract provided.

Faculty Guidebook, 2011-2012, Lindenwood University

Employee Handbooks

Information and guidelines for Lindenwood University faculty.

Graduate Bulletin | 2011-2012, Jacksonville State University

Bulletins & Catalogs | Graduate

Vol. 33, No. 1 (August 2011). Jacksonville State was granted University status in 1966 and began adding graduate programs to its curriculum at that time. Graduate bulletins and catalogs contain information on the academic calendar, policies and procedures, faculty, scholarships and tuition, and degree requirements for graduate programs.

Teacher Self-Efficacy Beliefs Related To Chronic Disruptive Behavior, Kalinda R. Jones

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the current study, elementary teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs regarding working with students displaying chronic disruptive behavior (CDB) were explored. CDB was defined as persistent observable actions that have a negative impact on academic or social functioning. To address the infrequently researched construct of self-efficacy beliefs specific to teaching students exhibiting CDB, a modified version of the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (short form) was used. Factor analysis results indicated the three self-efficacy factors of instructional strategies self-efficacy, classroom management self-efficacy, and student engagement self-efficacy. No significant relationships were found between each of the three types of teacher self-efficacy beliefs and …