Digital Commons Network^™

Creating Safe Spaces: Bergson, Affirmation, And The Constitution Of Lgbtq Identity, Timothy Ross Johnston

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

The central claim of this dissertation is that the ability to feel comfortable, both in terms of your identity and in your fluid movement through the world, is the result of what I call affirmative feedback loops. When your environment affirms and reflects your identity back to you, you become comfortable with yourself and in that environment. This affirmation can be as direct as someone explicitly affirming you (for example, when you come out) or it can be as subtle and quotidian as being able to display photos of loved ones in your workspace. I argue that caring for other …

The Chinese Equity Risk Factor Model Based On Heavy Tailed Distributions, And Its Application In Risk Management And Portfolio Optimization, Tianyu Lu

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

In financial risk and portfolio management, the heavy tailed distributions of one-dimensional asset returns and complex dependence structure among multi-dimensional asset returns are two widely discussed problems. Various distributions, which share the desired properties, such as heavy tails, skewness and kurtosis, have been introduced and applied into practice. On the other hand, factor modeling as a technique of dimension reduction, has been used in multivariate statistical analysis and econometric model building, especially in high-dimensional world of financial risk management In this dissertation, we study these two popular problems in risk and portfolio management. The findings are empirically examined through their …

Development Of Microreactor System For In Situ Investigation Of Rock-Brine-Co2 Interactions, Ashley Elizabeth Thompson

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

A microreactor has been developed for in situ, high-energy x-ray diffraction investigations of reaction process between carbon dioxide, brines and rocks. Our design is an evolution of a previous existing reaction cell developed by Diefenbacher et al [1]. | Several changes and improvements have been made to the new cell design: (i) the reactor chamber will be accessible through two points, whereby any combination of gases, liquids or fluids can be injected and investigated,(ii) the CO₂ flow and pressure will be controlled through a supercritical fluid pump which allows the cell to operate under a well-controlled pressure and flow …

Targeted Design Of Dual Kinase Inhibitors For Breast Cancer, Yulin Huang

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

Abstract of the Dissertation Targeted Design of Dual Kinase Inhibitors for Breast Cancer by Yulin Huang Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry and Structural Biology Stony Brook University 2013 In this dissertation, several projects for kinase drug design are presented. These projects employ computational techniques to study binding specificity and resistance of kinase inhibitors with breast cancer target proteins through structural and energetic analysis. In Chapter 1, an introduction to molecular targeted therapeutics for breast cancer and computational techniques for structure-based drug discovery is described. ErbB family members and IGFIR are important targets for breast cancer. In Chapter 2, we have …

Assembly And Inhibition Of Toxic Aî² 42 Oligomers, Darryl Steven Aucoin

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

The misfolding of the 42-residue amyloid beta protein has been strongly linked to Alzheimer's Disease. Prior to forming the amyloid fibrils typically associated with Alzheimer's Disease, the amyloid beta proteins associate to form a mixture of hexameric and dodecameric oligomers. This work investigates the process by which these proteins associate into oligomers and the mechanism by which different small molecule inhibitors prevent this assembly. NMR spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and size exclusion chromatography were employed to determine the rate at which monomers assemble into hexamers, dodecamers and fibrils, and to correlate these changes in structure with changes in toxicity to …

A Lifetime Of Magical Thinking, Victoria Johnston Boecherer

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

This project examines how the narrative structure of Joan Didion's two most recent works, The Year of Magical Thinking and Blue Nights, may be used to gain a better understanding of the author herself. Didion's use of the term " magical thinking" is accepted as a reasonable response to the grief she experiences following the deaths of her husband and daughter. An examination of her larger body of work indicates that magical thinking is a tactic of literary invention Didion has relied upon since childhood to restore order to her life when it becomes chaotic and unmanageable. Using Wayne Booth's …

Error Reduction In Parameter Estimation With Case Studies In Risk Measurement And Portfolio Optimization, Xiaoping Zhou

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

Parameter estimation is an important step in probabilistic and statistical modeling. Maximum likelihood estimators (MLE) are the classical parameter estimators. However, in the real world, for small samples or ill-posed problems maximum likelihood estimates may be difficult to find through direct numerical optimization, and are unstable and sensitive to outliers. In this dissertation, we study two popular problems in financial risk management and portfolio selection. The first problem is operational risk modeling. Data insufficiency and reporting threshold are two main difficulties in estimating the loss severity distributions in operational risk modeling. We investigate four methods including MLE, expectation-maximization (EM), penalized …

Volumetric Focus+Context Visualization Techniques, Xin Zhao

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

This thesis introduces new techniques and applications for volumetric visualization. Focus+context visualization and interaction techniques are used to navigate and interact with objects in information spaces. They provide in-place magnification of a region of the display without consequently losing any context representation. Diverse focus+context visualization techniques are of broad use in different application domains, such as geovirtual environments, navigation and visualization of large graphs or hierarchies, as well as the volume rendering (e.g. | for medical applications). However, how to accurately represent and highlight the focus objects while maximally keeping all the important context information (e.g. | shape features and …

Accessible Web Automation, Yury Puzis

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

The Web is far less usable and accessible for people with visual impairments than it is for sighted people. There are only a handful of screen-reader applications that improve web browsing accessibility by reading aloud the content of web pages. However, accessibility does not imply usability; blind people end up spending minutes on browsing tasks that take sighted people seconds. This lack of productivity using the Web poses a significant barrier for people with visual impairments in education, employment, healthcare, etc. Web automation, a process of automating browsing actions on behalf of the user, has the potential to bridge the …

Formal Analysis Of Dns Attacks And Their Countermeasures Using Probabilistic Model Checking, Tushar Suhas Deshpande

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

The Domain Name System (DNS) is an internet-wide, hierarchical naming system used to translate domain names into physical IP addresses. Any disruption of the service DNS provides can have serious consequences. We present a formal analysis of two notable threats to DNS, namely cache poisoning and bandwidth amplification, and the countermeasures designed to prevent their occurrence. Our analysis of these attacks and their countermeasures is given in the form of a cost-benefit analysis, and is based on probabilistic model checking of Continuous-Time Markov Chains. We use CTMCs to model the race between legitimate and malicious traffic in a DNS server …

The Genetic Diversity Of Endangered Fishes In The Northwest Atlantic, Shannon Joy O'Leary

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

Genetic diversity is the fundamental building block of biodiversity, harboring the adaptive potential of populations. The magnitude of the two main factors eroding genetic diversity, inbreeding and genetic drift, increases as the effective population size (Ne) decreases. Ne describes the number of reproductively mature adults effectively contributing to the next generation. In populations with overlapping generations, the effective number of breeders (Nb). Loss of genetic diversity has long been a concern for terrestrial and freshwater organisms, but traditionally less so for fisheries management due to the paradigm that marine fish populations are large, panmictic and thus resistant to the erosion …

Prey Plasticity Responses To A Native And Nonnative Predator, Alexandra Hooks

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

Phenotypic plasticity in response to environmental stimuli is exceedingly common across systems and taxa. For instance, predation risk in many gastropods can induce a variety of defenses including growing thicker shells, growing shells of different shapes, and developing apertural teeth. However, the role of coevolution between species that produce these defense responses and their consumers is not well known. This thesis examines the responses of an ovoviviparous gastropod (Littorina saxatilis) with low dispersal from three different habitats (marsh habitat, rocky habitat, and cobble stone habitat) to the presence of chemical cues from a native (Dyspanopeus sayi) and nonnative (Hemigrapsus sanguineus) …

Outcome Of Radiologically Placed Tunneled Haemodialysis Catheters, Raza Sayani, Muhammad Anwar, Tanveer-Ul-Haq, Nauman Al-Qamari, Muhammad Asif Bilal

Department of Radiology

Objective: To study the outcome of radiologically placed double lumen tunneled haemodialysis catheters for the management of renal failure.STUDY Design: Case series.PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Interventional Suite of Radiology Department at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from April 2010 to June 2011.METHODOLOGY: All consecutive patients who were referred to the department of radiology by the nephrologists for double lumen tunneled haemodialysis catheter (Permacath) placement during the study period were included. Patients with septicemia, those for whom follow-up was not available, those coming for catheter exchange or who died due to a noncatheter related condition were excluded. A radio-opaque, …

The Behavioral And Physiological Effects Of Long-Distance Translocation On Western Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Oreganus), Kory Hayden Heiken

Master's Theses

Long-distance translocation (LDT), the relocation of an animal outside of its home range, is a popular strategy for mitigating conflict between humans and venomous snakes. While LDT has been demonstrated to prevent a snake’s return to the location of capture, it may result in increased mortality, magnitude and frequency of movements, and activity range sizes. Thus, it has generally been discouraged. However, the effects of LDT on stress physiology and thermoregulation have gone largely unstudied in reptiles. To elucidate these effects, we conducted an experimental LDT on Western Rattlesnakes (Crotalus oreganus) on Vandenberg Air Force base in California. …

Active Learning Using Model-Eliciting Activities And Inquiry-Based Learning Activities In Dynamics, Jeffrey Phillip Georgette

Master's Theses

This thesis focuses on a year-long project of implementing active learning in undergraduate dynamics courses at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo from 2012-2013. The purpose is to increase conceptual understanding of critical dynamics concepts and to repair misconceptions of the students. Conceptual understanding in Dynamics is vital to understanding the big picture, building upon previous knowledge, and better understanding the behavior of engineering systems. Through various hands-on activities, students make predictions, test their conceptions, and solve real world problems. These active learning methods allow students to improve their learning of Dynamics concepts. Education research on active learning is present in …

Functional 3-D Cellulose & Nitrocellulose Paper-Based, Multiplex Diagnostic Platforms Without Coupling Agents, Mackenzie Elizabeth Tageson

Master's Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to demonstrate device functionality of 3-D paper-based, multiplex platforms, µPADs, without the use of coupling agents between layers. Previously, these platforms were fabricated with double-sided tape and cellulose powder to try to augment proper fluid routing, but difficulties with this method occurred. An acrylic housing unit with strategically placed pressure tabs was designed to aid horizontal and vertical fluid routing through the platform, thus eliminating the inconsistencies associated with coupling agents. Channel characterization studies, a COMSOL^TM simulation, and development time studies were performed to aid device design and demonstrate device functionality.

The implementation …

Design Of A Low Power Cargo Security Device Using A Micropower Ultra-Wideband Impulse Radar, Brian M. Wihl

Master's Theses

Each year, thousands of cargo containers are broken into during shipping, costing billions of dollars in lost and damaged goods. In addition to removing its contents, intruders can also add unwanted and dangerous materials to a container, posing a threat to National Security. The possibilities of cargo container break-ins require that the containers go through check points at which they are physically searched. These searches often require the opening of the container, unloading and inspecting all cargo, and then loading the container and resealing it. This is a long and costly process.

Because of the high costs of break-ins and …

Investigation Of Parameters Influencing Reverse Fault Rupture Propagation To The Ground Surface, Kevin V. Stanton

Master's Theses

Surface fault rupture poses a serious threat to infrastructure in many seismically active regions, but knowledge about the factors which control the likelihood of surface displacement is limited. Current probabilistic frameworks rely only on fault mechanism and moment magnitude to predict the probability of rupture to the ground surface. However, recent work has shown that there may be other parameters which also deserve consideration. For example, statistical analyses have demonstrated that variation in near surface material stiffness may significantly affect the probability of surface rupture over reverse faults. In addition, numerical investigations indicate that the rupture history of native soil …

Measuring The Counter/Assumption Model's Effect On Argumentation Quality, Evan D G Ovadia

Master's Theses

This thesis presents a new platform called See the Reason, built upon a tree- structured argumentation model called the Counter/Assumption model. In the Counter/Assumption model, a topic is posted first, then under that topic, reasons for and against, and for each reason, counterarguments, and for any counterargu- ment, more counterarguments. The model enables us to systematically determine whether a claim is “tentatively true” or “tentatively false,” in an effort to motivate people to make their side’s claims tentatively true and the opposing side’s claims tentatively false, thus encouraging conflict. Research suggests that debates with more conflict are better, so this …

Invisible Minority: People Incarcerated With Mental Illness, Developmental Disabilities, And Traumatic Brain Injury In Washington's Jails And Prisons, Bette Michelle Fleishman

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Filling In The Holes In Whistleblower Protection Systems: Lessons From The Hanford Council Experience, Jonathan Brock

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

The Money Or The Media? Lessons From Contrasting Developments In Us And Australian Whistleblowing Laws, Terry Morehead Dworkin, A.J. Brown

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

An Inconsistent Invitation: Am I Invited To Be A Party? How Not Affording Party Status To Youth In Washington Dependency Hearings Can Be A Violation Of Due Process, Laura Baird

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

Faculty Senate Newsletter, December 2013, Louisiana State University And Agricultural & Mechanical College

LSU Faculty Senate Publications

Message from President: Discussion of higher education policy today takes place in the language or practicality: of productivity, of graduation targets, and of workforce development. Yet politics, even of the most pragmatic variety, is compounded as much of speculation and fantasy as of data, experience, or “reality.” Policy discussions quickly turn from what is to what should be. For decades—since the heyday of Margaret Thatcher—privatization has been heralded by “the silent majority” as the best way to increase efficiency. In academe, the twentieth-century dream of a lean, dynamic government has expressed itself in a faith in production line metrics such …

The Effects Of Precipitation Manipulation On Carbohydrate Dynamics And Mortality In A Piñon-Juniper Woodland, Lee Turin Dickman

Biology ETDs

Drought-induced forest mortality is an increasing global problem with far-reaching consequences, yet mortality mechanisms remain poorly understood. Depletion of non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) stores has been implicated as a major factor in drought-induced mortality, but experimental field tests are rare. We conducted an ecosystem-scale precipitation manipulation experiment and evaluated leaf and twig NSC dynamics of two co-occurring conifers with different water regulation strategies; the relatively drought-averse piñon pine (Pinus edulis) and relatively drought-tolerant oneseed juniper (Juniperus monosperma). Experimental drought caused decreased leaf starch in dying trees of both species and increased allocation to glucose and fructose in juniper, consistent with osmoregulation …

An Insurmountable Obstacle: Denying Deference To The Bia’S Social Visibility Requirement, Kathleen Kersh

Michigan Journal of Race and Law

In the last fifteen years, the Board of Immigration Appeals has imposed a requirement that persons seeking asylum based on membership in a particular social group must establish that the social group is “socially visible” throughout society. This Comment argues that the social visibility requirement should be denied administrative deference on several grounds. The requirement should be denied Chevron deference because Congress’s intent behind the Refugee Act of 1980 is clear and unambiguous and, alternatively, the requirement is an impermissible interpretation of the statute. The requirement is also arbitrary and capricious under the Administrative Procedures Act. This Comment argues that …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Superintendents’ And Principals’ Experiences In A Shared Professional Development Process, John R. Severson

Dissertations

For this qualitative study, I explored and described how superintendents and principals interpreted and experienced a sustained professional development process focusing on instruction and student learning, a form of Elmore’s Superintendents in the Classroom (SITC) Network. Specifically, I examined how the addition of principals in the SITC learning model experience changed the superintendents’ and principals’ knowledge and beliefs as well as their behavior in three areas: their individual experiences, the working relationship between superintendent and principal, and the way they now think about and encourage student learning.

For this phenomenological study, superintendents and principals were selected and individually interviewed from …

Molecular Dynamics Simulations Using Advanced Sampling And Polarizable Force Fields, Tugba Kucukkal

All Dissertations

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out for aqueous dipeptides, water over self-assembled monolayer (SAM) surfaces, and the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) ion channel. The main goal is to use advanced methods to increase the accuracy of molecular dynamics simulations while seeking solutions to problems relevant to chemistry, biophysics and materials science. In addition, activation energies of several cyclodimerization reactions were studied quantum mechanically. The simulations of the aqueous dipeptides and SAM surfaces involve modeling and detailed analysis of interfacial water, which is of interest to a range of fields from biology to materials science. For example, water has a …

Three Essays Evaluating Health Impacts Of The National School Lunch Program, Janet Peckham

All Dissertations

This research focuses on the health impacts of participation in the National School Lunch Program, a program providing free and reduced-cost lunches for income-eligible students and minimally subsidizing lunches for income-ineligible students. In the past decade, increasing incidence of childhood obesity, particularly among low-income individuals has drawn scrutiny over the NSLP's role in the health of student-aged children.

The first chapter introduces the reader to the NSLP, providing a history of the program since its inception at the turn of the 20th century and addressing current issues in the economic literature regarding health impacts of program participation. The second chapter …

Building The Science Of Healthcare Public Reporting: Integrating Anecdotal Information To Enhance Sensemaking, Kapil Chalil Madathil

All Dissertations

Anecdotal information about a healthcare consumers' interaction with care providers and hospital facilities is becoming increasingly available to the public in the form of YouTube videos and as discussion posts on peer-support groups. This form of information can potentially jeopardize the utility of reports generated by Federal entities as it potentially diverts consumer attention from more reliable measures of quality. This dissertation investigates how a health consumer's choice of care is influenced by anecdotal information on the care process available on YouTube. This research then investigates the effect of information presentation methods such as narratives and active engagement with quality …