Digital Commons Network^™

Industrial Ships' Wake Propagation And Associated Sediment Resuspension In The Venice Lagoon, Morgan Elise Gelinas

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

Shallow water, breaking waves have been observed along the shoals east of the Malamocco-Marghera canal in the Venice Lagoon after the passage of large (>100 m length) industrial ships. These waves are characterized by a solitary, asymmetrical trough that increases in asymmetry as it propagates over the neighboring shoals. The waves create massive sediment resuspension events due to high water particle velocities. This resuspension is of ecological and economic concern in the Venice Lagoon due to the high level of sediment contamination from the nearby Porto Marghera industrial zone and the necessity for increased dredging, respectively. Water level, water …

Community Assembly Dynamics And Consequences Of Invasion: Tests With The Sarracenia Purpurea Model System, Sarah Gray

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

The central theme of this dissertation research addresses fundamental ecological questions about community assembly (which species are found in a given place). This includes our understanding of the role of abiotic stresses in environments, species invasions, system resistance to invasion and the impacts of invaders. The natural, model aquatic community found in leaves of the pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea, was used to experimentally test the effects of different biotic interactions, abiotic factors, and characteristics of different species on the success of invasion by a new species in a community. These factors were looked at individually as well as in combination, …

Mechanical And Chemical Characterization Of Chitosan Hydroxyapatite Composites, Hani Abdo Mubarez

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

Hydroxyapatite is a very interesting ceramic that has been explored recently for various biomedical applications ranging from bone pastes and cements to tissue scaffolds due to its biodegradability and biocompatibility. However, its ceramic behavior makes it hard to use due to its high brittleness. It has been demonstrated in the literature that a composite of Chitosan polymer and hydroxyapatite has high mechanical strength. Chitosan is biocompatible, biodegradable, nontoxic, anti-bacterial, and is soluble in diluted acidic solutions. In this thesis, we study the effects of varying the processing parameters on the mechanical and chemical properties of the composite. The processing parameters …

Identification And Modulation Of Electrophysiological Markers Of Reward Sensitivity, Relevance To Drug Addiction, Muhammad Adeel Parvaz

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

Drug addiction is primarily a disease of the brain's reward system. The resulting compromise in reward sensitivity traces its roots to the striatal reward circuitry, where excess dopamine is released by the acute administration of the drug of abuse; chronic use is in turn associated with a hypodopaminergic state. In individuals with cocaine use disorder (CUD), these maladaptive changes in striatal dopamine are shown to be predictive of the choice for cocaine over other non-drug rewards. This deficit in reward sensitivity may therefore be bi-pronged, such that CUD manifest hyposensitivity to non-drug-related rewards (e.g. money) as well as hypersensitivity to …

Tamar's Secret, Nadine Evelyn Mcinnis-Bridgeman

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

Tamar's Secret,97 pages

Healthcare Issues In The United States And Beyond With Existentialist Philosophy, Kristen D'Entremont

Senior Honors Projects

Healthcare Issues in the United States and Beyond with Existentialist Philosophy

Kristen D’Entremont
Faculty Sponsor: Gail Faris, Women’s Center

The importance of quality healthcare is a personal matter for each and every individual across the globe. We cannot go a day without considering the impact that proper health through good nutrition, disease prevention, and access to care has on our bodies. The topic of medical care has interested me for many years and has lead me to the major and position that I am in today. As a senior, majoring in Biology with a pre-medical focus, I will begin the …

Finding The Beat In Music: Using Adaptive Oscillators, Kate M. Burgers

HMC Senior Theses

The task of finding the beat in music is simple for most people, but surprisingly difficult to replicate in a robot. Progress in this problem has been made using various preprocessing techniques (Hitz 2008; Tomic and Janata 2008). However, a real-time method is not yet available. Methods using a class of oscillators called relay relaxation oscillators are promising. In particular, systems of forced Hopf oscillators (Large 2000; Righetti et al. 2006) have been used with relative success. This work describes current methods of beat tracking and develops a new method that incorporates the best ideas from each existing method and …

Swarm Control Through Symmetry And Distribution Characterization, Georgi Dinolov

HMC Senior Theses

Two methods for control of swarms are described. The first of these methods, the Virtual Attractive-Repulsive (VARP) method, is based on potentials defined between swarm elements. The second control method, or the abstraction method, is based on controlling the macroscopic characteristics of a swarm. The derivation of a new control law based on the second method is described. Numerical simulation and analytical interpretation of the result is also presented.

Simultaneous Measurement Of Normal And Friction Forces Using A Cantilever-Based Optical Interfacial Force Microscope, Byung I. Kim, Jeremy R. Bonander, Jared A. Rasmussen

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

We measured normal and friction forces simultaneously using a recently developed cantilever-based optical interfacial force microscope (COIFM) technique for studies of interfacial structures and mechanical properties of nanoscale materials. We derived how the forces can be incorporated into the detection signal using the classical Euler equation for beams. A lateral modulation with the amplitude of one nanometers was applied to create the friction forces between tip and sample. We demonstrated its capability by measuring normal and friction forces of interfacial water at the molecular scale over all distance ranges.

Cuttlefish Learning Efficiency In A Food Retrieval Task, Jasmine Schonwald

Biology Theses

Class Cephalopoda is thought to contain the most intelligent invertebrates thus far discovered. It has been found that cuttlefish have the capacity for learning (Boal et al. 2000, Darmillaq et al. 2003, Darmillaq et al 2006, Graindorge et al., 2006; Karson, Boal and Hanlon, 2003). It has also been shown that cuttlefish can navigate in sophisticated ways, such as within a maze (Graindorge, et al., 2006; Karson, Boal and Hanlon, 2003). The goal of this experiment is to determine the correlation between learning and navigation in cuttlefish. Cuttlefish were placed in an oval tank divided into …

Integration Of Communication Constraints Into Physiocomimetic Swarms Via Placement Of Location Based Virtual Particles, Joshua J. Haley

HIM 1990-2015

This thesis describes a change to the Physiocomimetics Robotic Swarm Control framework that implements communication constraints into swarm behavior. These constraints are necessary to successfully implement theoretical applications in the real world. We describe the basic background of swarm robotics, the Physiocomimetics framework and methods that have attempted to implement communications constraints into robotic swarms. The Framework is changed by the inclusion of different virtual particles at a global and local scale that only cause a force on swarm elements if those elements are disconnected from a swarm network. The global particles introduced are a point of known connectivity and …

Developing Mechanisms For The Transfer And/Or Adjustment Of Rock Lobster Shares Between Sectors In Western Australia And South Australia., Chris Reid

Fisheries Management Papers

The purpose of this report has been to investigate potential reallocation mechanisms for the transfer and/or adjustment of catch shares between sectors and the requirements to allow for their implementation, with particular reference to their application in the Western and South Australian rock lobster fisheries. While the report focuses on the commercial and recreational sectors of these fisheries, potentially all non-commercial fishing sectors could be included under a given mechanism in the same manner as that outlined for the recreational sector, subject to the appropriateness of allowing the sector’s allocation to be transferable

Developing Mechanisms For The Transfer And/Or Adjustment Of Rock Lobster Shares Between Sectors In Western Australia And South Australia, Department Of Fisheries

Fisheries Management Papers

No abstract provided.

Faculty Notes - John Carroll University, John Carroll University

Faculty Notes - John Carroll University

May 2011, Volume 4, Issue 2

Women's Dynamic Role In The United States House Of Representatives, Andrew C. Bolender

HIM 1990-2015

At the outset of my studies, my goal was to look at women's role in the United States Federal Government. The study was to span from the inception of the United States Government to the present. The purpose of the study was to highlight the large gender gap in the United States Government. However, I soon found there to be an overwhelming amount of material to discuss. Realizing the limited amount of space I had to fit my findings, I narrowed the topic to women's role in the United States House of Representatives. Even with this narrowed scope, the gender …

A Comparative Review Of The Works Of Feldman, Sternberg, Gardner And Eisner And The Resulting Practical Application For The Secondary Art Classroom, Heather Denmark

HIM 1990-2015

Some fields come and go, but there will always be a need for older generations to teach the younger generations. For this reason, teachers will always be needed. The material that they choose to teach can sometimes determine the outcome of a nation. Take a look into German and Roman histories; they are littered with teachers convincing students that their way is right. I think that it is imperative that we research the full potential of what we are teaching our students. For that reason, my thesis will consist of analyzing and synthesizing the research of Feldman, Sternberg, Gardner and …

Identification Of Physiological Substrates Of Plasmodium Falciparum Pfpk5, A Cdk-Like Kinase, Catherine Sullenberger

HIM 1990-2015

Malaria is one of the most devastating infectious diseases causing 1-3 million fatalities a year. The majority of these cases occur amongst children in developing countries. Malarial strains in these areas are exhibiting increasing resistance to canonical treatments proving the importance of new drug targets for anti-malarials. Identification of new drug targets is dependent upon a better understanding of the molecular biology of the parasitic agent of malaria, Plasmodium. The regulation of Plasmodium's complex life cycle is still not well understood. Elucidation of signaling pathways involved in Plasmodium cell cycle regulation will provide insights into how the parasite thrives in …

Ua35/11 Arête May 2011, Honors College

Arête: Honors College at WKU Newsletter

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Two Methods For T Cell Epitope Mapping: “Cell Free” In Vitro Versus Immunoinformatics, Timothy J. Messitt, Frances Terry, Leonard Moise, William Martin, Anne S. De Groot

Institute for Immunology and Informatics Faculty Publications

Background: Methods for identifying physiologically relevant T-cell epitopes are critically important for development of vaccines and the design of therapeutic proteins. As the number of proteins that are being evaluated for putative immunogenicity expands, rapid and accurate tools are in great demand. Several methods to identify T-cell epitopes have been developed, the most recent of which is a cell free system consisting of a minimal set of proteases incubated with HLA DRB1*0101, HLA-DM and whole antigen. Isolation and sequencing of the HLA bound peptides using mass spectrometry allows for the prospective identification of immuno-dominant T-cell epitopes.

Results: We present here, …

Promises And Human Rights: The Obama Administration On Immigrant Detention Policy Reform, José Villalobos

Departmental Papers (PS)

This article evaluates the Obama administration’s efforts towards reforming U.S. immigration detention policies. Over the past decade, immigrant rights advocates have increasingly criticized certain policies of the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) system of immigration detention, including the widespread use of private contractors, lack of proper oversight, grouping of violent criminals and non-violent undocumented immigrants (particularly minority women and children) in holding cells, and neglect of detained immigrants in need of medical attention. In reviewing these developments, I contend that the Obama administration must take substantive steps towards reforming the existing system, particularly by instituting legally enforceable standards with …

2010-2011 General Education Assessment Report, Lindenwood University

General Education Assessment

2010-2011 General Education Assessment Report

Floral Color Change And Maintenance Of Old Flowers In Lantana Camara (Verbenaceae), May 2011, Andrew M. Quinn

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Young flowers of Lantana camara are yellow and positioned in the center of the inflorescence with a ring of older, red flowers around them. This study investigates how changes in flower color and presence/absence of nectar influence robbers and pollinators of L. camara. It was found that a significant proportion of older, red flowers (mean = 20.3 percent) contain nectar. In addition, the majority of yellow and red flowers (estimated 90 percent) appear to have pollen and are receptive to pollination. Both pollinators and robbers preferred yellow flowers. Pollinators took nectar from a greater proportion of yellow flowers (e.g. 57 …

Amphibian Adaptability To Habitat Transformation And The Effect Of Rainfall During The Dry Season On Their Activity Pattern, May 2011, Amber Brossard

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Amphibians are being forced to change their habits and lifestyles to adapt to human transformations. Some species of amphibians are becoming dependent on man-made ecosystems to carry out their life cycles. Also, climate change is affecting the seasonality by changing the amount of precipitation and the phenology of amphibians. This study was conducted in San Luis Costa Rica in an area characterized by a pre-montane wet forest during the dry season (April 2011). Pitfall traps and drift fences were set up in a forest location and in a man-made pond location to compare the number species within each location. Rainfall …

Aquatic Macro-Invertebrate Community Composition Differences Between The Atlantic And Pacific Watersheds In Monteverde, Costa Rica, May 2011, Tim Curry

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

There are large differences between slope seasonality in Monteverde, Costa Rica. The Pacific slope receives less rainfall, and has a better-defined wet and dry season. This study looked at how these differences affect aquatic benthic macro-invertebrates composition. Five different rivers were sampled, three on the Atlantic slope, and two on the Pacific slope. There was no significant difference between the two slopes in species richness, evenness, or number of species. There were differences in species composition between the two slopes. This study exemplifies how areas in close proximity can have different species compositions. For conservation purposes, this study demonstrates how …

Pollination Syndrome And Nectar Protection In Brugmansia Suaveolens (Solanaceae), May 2011, Elizabeth Mejicano

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Specialization between plant and pollinator species has resulted in the development of pollination syndromes in which suites of floral traits attract specific pollinators. While plants use nectar as a reward to attract pollinators, they must also defend themselves, either chemically or morphologically, against nectar robbers. Brugmansia (formerly Datura; Solanaceae) has been described as possibly sphingid, hummingbird, bee, or bat pollinated, underscoring how little is known about pollination in this genus. It is also heavily protected chemically, including the flowers. One aim of this study was to examine floral traits and compare them to known pollination syndromes to determine the most …

An Examination Of The Effects Of Mindfulness And Task-Relevant Attentional Focus On Running Performance, Anthony R. Atchley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the effect of mindfulness and task-relevant attentional focus on running performance. WKU psychology undergraduate students were assigned to one of two conditions: task-relevant attentional focus experimental training and no training control. Participants in the experimental condition received training designed to optimize the use of attentional focus strategies in a running context. Trait level mindfulness was examined as a covariate. Participants were compared on two mile run times and the use of attentional focus strategies. Differences were expected to reveal the effectiveness of the training by showing faster running times in the …

School Readiness: Parent Perceptions, Behaviors, And Child Ability Related To Ethnicity And Socioeconomic Status, Courtney N. Baldwin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This project used data from the School Readiness Survey (SR) of the 2007 National Household Education Surveys Program collected by the National Center for Education Statistics Institute of Education Science. A subsample of 1,712 to 2,622 subjects who participated in the survey was used for this project. The purpose of the study was to examine parent perceptions, behaviors, and reported child ability related to school readiness and the effect ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) had on each comparison. Variables from the existing data were matched to one of the five domains of School Readiness: Health and Physical Development, Social and …

Development Of A Math Interest Inventory To Identify Gifted Students From Underrepresented And Diverse Populations, Gabrielle M. Snow

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current investigation supports the objectives of Project GEMS (Roberts, 2008), a grant funded program whose objectives include the development and validation of a protocol to identify students from underrepresented and diverse populations as gifted in the content areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Identification of students from low-income and diverse populations as gifted has been a struggle with current assessment techniques (Baldwin, 2005). Project GEMS aims to address this problem through development of interest measures specific to the STEM areas for use within an identification protocol. The current project developed a measure to assess interest in mathematics. The …

The Western Kentucky University Teaching Gardens: Landscape Design And Establishment Plan, Claudia Stetter

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this thesis is to design a landscape plan for Teaching Gardens at the Western Kentucky University Agriculture Research and Education Center. The landscape plans were selected based upon the available 5.3 acres surrounding the greenhouse, vineyard, and Exposition Center. Planning included goals and objectives, analysis of the available site, landscape design plans, and connecting the Teaching Gardens to the current curriculum. This thesis also includes related areas to the development of Teaching Gardens such as: summary of courses with related topics to Teaching Gardens, programs that will be used throughout the community, and a listing of current …

Do Radiologists, Radiology Administrators, And Radiology Technologists Believe There Is Over Utilization Of Cat Scan And Mri Exams And If So What Do They Recommend To Ameliorate The Issue?, Joseph Gonzales

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Objective: Purpose of this study was to assess the opinions of Radiologist, Radiology Technologist, and Radiology Administrators, as to their belief if CAT Scan and MRI are over utilized, to determine if there are best practices in place if there is over utilization, and set the basis for future studies. Methods: After analyzing several methods, it was determined the most appropriate way to understand what individual's thoughts are, and what they are doing was to reach out to the above groups using a descriptive survey. A survey using the Website www.surveymonkey.com was created to investigate the opinions of radiologists, radiology …