Digital Commons Network^™

Cell Releasing System Using Light Responsive Photovoltaic Devices, Mohammod Khairul Kabir Bhuyan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Tissue and organ regeneration via transplantation of cell bodies in-situ has become an emerging strategy in regenerative medicine. Injected or implanted cells must be available in large enough numbers and suitable delivery methods must be found especially when implantation into the affected tissue is not possible. In addition, better understanding of how to mitigate the inflammatory reactions and how to degrade the cell carriers are needed. Current cell-based therapies are limited to injection or implantation of cell suspensions or implantation of cell sheets. Development of alternative systems to obtain cell sheets or other functional cellular structures are required. We are …

Impacting Earthquake Science And Geoscience Education: Educational Programming To Earthquake Relocation, Tina Louise Carrick

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This Dissertation is comprised of four studies: three related to research on geoscience education and another seismological study of the South Island of New Zealand. The geoscience education research is grounded in 10 years of data collection and its implications for best practices for recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority students into higher education in the geosciences. The seismological component contains results from the relocation of earthquakes from the 2009 Dusky Sound Mw 7.8 event, South Island, New Zealand.

In recent years, many have cited a major concern that U.S. is not producing enough STEM graduates to fit the forecasted …

Educator's Social Representations For Cooperating Teacher Effectiveness: Implications For Policy And Practice, Tami Greggerson

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify, examine, and compare core social representation systems for "cooperating teacher" and "teacher effectiveness" through perceptions of members of a regional committee spearheaded by the university, campus administrators, teachers from campuses who hosted student teachers (cooperating teachers), and student teachers through a three-part questionnaire. As well, this study aimed to compare and elaborate the meaning of each groups' core descriptive concepts for "cooperating teacher" and "teacher effectiveness" with those identified by Roberts' (2006) Cooperating Teacher Effectiveness model. Social representations were derived for each participating group of subjects utilizing the structural analysis approach suggested …

Short-Run Price Dynamics In Guatemala, Miguel R. Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

An equation is estimated to model short-run price dynamics for Guatemala using ordinary least squares. The data range from 1960 to 2012. Due to the lack of complete data for interest rates, fitted values for the deposit rate are calculated using the discount rate. The aim is to measure how the consumer price index responds to changes in monetary base, real output, interest rates and exchange rates. All coefficients have their expected signs. With the exception of real output, the coefficients are found to be statistically significant at a 5% confidence level.

Computationally Efficient Representation Of Statistically Described Material Microstructure For Tractable Forming Simulations, Nicholas Landry

Honors Theses and Capstones

The purpose of this project is to reduce a large statistical distribution of metal microstructure orientations to a manageable distribution to be used in metal forming simulations. Microstructure sensitive simulations at the macro-scale are impractical, because with so many state variables associated with material microstructure data, these simulations are extremely computationally expensive.

The goal was to develop a framework to accurately model plastic material response while representing the material microstructure in a more compact form, reducing 106 or more microstructure orientations to a significantly smaller statistical distribution of representative orientations. This will significantly increase the computational efficiency and make the …

Student Attitudes Towards Drinking Behaviors, Laura Gaines

Honors Theses and Capstones

The literature is relatively inconclusive regarding predictors of alcohol use; while some studies have demonstrated an association between high levels of social interaction and increased alcohol use, others have shown that a lack of social support is linked to drinking heavily. The current study was conducted with students at the University of New Hampshire; participants’ attitudes towards alcohol were assessed along with many psychosocial factors. Low levels of conscientiousness, parent and high school influence, frequently attending parties, and friend influence were most highly predictive of positive attitudes towards alcohol; multiple regression of these factors accounted for 30.1% of the variance. …

Insights From Project Feederwatch: Changes In The Abundance And Occurrence Of Birds In New Hampshire Over The Past 24 Years, Lee A. Sutcliffe

Honors Theses and Capstones

Changes in the climate and land use over time can lead to changes in the composition of wildlife communities. Using data from Project FeederWatch, we examine trends in the abundance and occurrence of birds documented in the winters from 1988 to 2012 in New Hampshire. Changes in abundance and occurrence are summarized for individual bird species as well as across species based on life history traits. In addition, we examined trends for the state as a whole as well as in subregions. We discuss these changes with regards to the variations of climate and land use that are occurring throughout …

Effects Of Keratin Filaments On Erk Signaling During Fas-Induced Death Of Cervical Cancer (Hela) Cells, Amanda Berger

Honors Theses and Capstones

Survival of cancer cells is influenced by a variety of factors, including physical elements such as keratin filaments. We know HeLa cells containing or lacking keratin 8/18 intermediate filaments (K+ and K- cells, respectively) are more sensitive to the death-inducing effects of Fas agonist compared to the cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) or TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand. Additionally, K- cells are more sensitive to Fas-induced death than K+ as shown by previous studies using mitochondrial activity and caspase activation assays. In the current study we tested the hypothesis that keratin filaments associate with the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade …

The Examination Of Organizational Respect In Relation To Organizational Culture, Amanda N. Walker

Honors Theses and Capstones

This paper is an in-depth examination of the connection between organizational respect and the strong roots of organizational culture. Throughout this thesis, we will examine the importance of management recognizing and implementing respect, how respect affects behaviors and characteristics of employees, and ways in which employees tend to feel the most respected. Additionally, we will closely examine the importance of establishing feelings of support, caring, and collaboration within an organization in efforts to create an environment filled with respect. Another concept that will be examined is the idea of person-culture fit, and how the alignment of values between employees and …

The Yield Curve As A Leading Indicator Across Countries And Time: The European Case, Tuan M. Nguyen

Honors Theses and Capstones

With the increasing demand for a better understanding about the relationship between yield curve and economic activities, this paper analyzes the data sets of seven countries in the European Union: Germany, France, Belgium, Spain, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Poland using quantitative analytical method. Based on previous literature, the expected hypothesis is: there is a strong relationship between the yield curve and the chance of an incoming economic contraction. The inverted yield curve, or the negative yield curve spread is considered as the tool to forecast the incoming contraction. Having been used as a rule of thumb for future reference …

The Experience Of Peer Leadership And Its Impact On Stem Success, A.E. Dreyfuss, Guannian Zeng, Yanna Chen, Janet Liou-Mark

Publications and Research

How do Peer Leaders view their leadership experience? A survey was administered during the Spring 2013 semester to current and former peer leaders at New York City College of Technology (“City Tech”) of the City University of New York (CUNY). The survey examined peer leaders’ perseverance and retention in their science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) disciplines, and their views on how the facilitation experience had impacted their personal and leadership growth and skills.

Students’ Attitudes About Peer-Led Team Learning Workshops In General Chemistry: A Critical Incident Study, A.E. Dreyfuss, Janet Liou-Mark

Publications and Research

How would students respond to open-ended questions regarding their experiences with PLTL workshops? This paper will present the results of a two-semester qualitative study on how students view workshop in their introductory chemistry courses, using Brookfield’s (1995) Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ). The five questions probe what stands out in the affirmative and negative, using key words: engaged, distanced, affirmed, puzzled or confused, and surprising. Collecting key moments from students in workshop, after several weeks of meeting, allow a grounded sense of how students view the workshop experience.

Implementing Mechatronics Design Methodology In Mechanical Engineering Technology Senior Design Projects At The Old Dominion University, Vukica M. Jovanovic, Jennifer G. Michaeli, Otilia Popescu, Moustafa R. Moustafa, Mileta Tomovic, Alok K. Verma, Cheng Y. Lin

Engineering Technology Faculty Publications

In recent years, the nature of engineering design has changed due to advances in embedded system design and computer technologies. It is rare to engineer a purely mechanical design that does not incorporate electrical and electronic components. Mechanical engineers and mechanical engineering technologists must possess a multi-disciplinary knowledge with the understanding of both mechanical and electrical systems. For this purpose, undergraduate programs in engineering technology have added mechatronics courses to their curriculum. Mechatronics is a design process that is multi-disciplinary in nature and integrates principles of many engineering disciplines including, but not limited to, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and controls …

The Cold Surrender Of Midnight's Passing, Dana Marie Roach

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Interactions Between Cyanobacteria And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus, Caroline E. Ward

Honors Theses and Capstones

One well-known pathogen that has been the topic of many recent studies is Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which causes thousands of foodborne illnesses a year, mostly from the ingestion of raw or undercooked oysters. It has been shown cyanobacteria can act as a long-term reservoir of Vibrio cholerae, another pathogenic Vibrio, by encasing the cells within mucilaginous sheaths during which Vibrios enter a viable but non-culturable state. In this study we investigated the interaction of V. parahaemolyticus with cyanobacteria to determine whether cyanobacteria aid in the longevity and survival of V. parahaemolyticus. We found that non-pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus …

Sexual Violence And Relationship Abuse Among College Students: The Bystander Intervention Process, Elizabeth J. Wible

Honors Theses and Capstones

This project investigated how college students describe bystander intervention in the context of sexual violence and relationship abuse compared to intervention in a general helping situation. The participants were 53 undergraduate students at a New England University. Prior to graduation, all of the participants were asked questions via audio controlled, face-to-face qualitative interviews that related to their helping behaviors during their time in college. The participant responses revealed that general helping is often a simple, one-time event if time permits it. However, helping in the context of sexual violence or relationship abuse revealed many serious barriers for the bystander due …

El Uso Del Quechua En El Perú: Una Investigación De Identidad Y Performance Cultural, Theresa A. Renker

Honors Theses and Capstones

Utilizando varias fuentes diversas de campos de estudio diferentes, este trabajo investiga temas de autenticidad y autoridad como son relacionados a los “performances” culturales que tantas personas indígenas son forzadas dar para evitar la discriminación cultural y sobrevivir económicamente. Este proyecto se enfoca en el doble siguiente: la sociedad peruana dominante rechaza el quechua por representar atraso, mientras a la vez frecuentemente idealizándolo como reliquia del imperio inca. Generalmente quechua-hablantes del Perú no tienen el espacio ni la autoridad cultural necesarios para establecer sus propias identidades distintas. Concepciones sociales de sus culturas y formas de hablar son construidas por una …

Animal-Assisted Therapy: Motives And Rewards, Kailee Victoria Collins

Honors Theses and Capstones

Animal-assisted therapy is a complimentary therapy utilized in health care to provide goal-directed therapy using dogs. The purpose of this study was to understand what motivates individuals to being animal-assisted volunteering and rewards that encourage and sustain animal-assisted volunteering. This mixed methods study employed quantitative methods, a demographic questionnaire and the Volunteer Motivation Index (VMI), which ranks motives most important to animal-assisted volunteers (N=15) and qualitative methods, a semi-structured interview (N=13). The participants ranked Values most important as a motive on the VMI. Social related variables were ranked low. Content analysis of the interviews yielded five themes: No Ordinary Dog, …

Investigating Geometric Representation In Rodents, Samantha Ann Arsenault

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Pile-Soil Interaction In Unsaturated Soil Conditions, Megan Hamilton

Honors Theses and Capstones

The degree of saturation has been proven to significantly affect geotechnical engineering designs for foundations. The changes in water content will influence the way the soil behaves, including its strength and stiffness parameters. These characteristics were analyzed for a uniform silty sand by developing P-Y curves, which relate lateral loading to lateral deformations. These P-Y curves were input into FB-Multipier, a software developed by the Bridge Software Institute. The software is capable of generating deformations as a result of user-defined loading cases. The results indicated that the middle range of degrees of saturation produced the least amount of deformation. This …

From Subject To Citizen And From Slave To Freedman: Labor Contracts At Two Moments Of American Transition, Rose Julia Phipps

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

Breaking The Mold: Four Asian American Women Define Beauty, Detail Identity, And Deconstruct Stereotypes, Allison Ginwala

Honors Theses and Capstones

The experiences of four women reveal how notions of outer beauty touch ideas of personal ethnic identity, racism, media-imposed pressure, and social stereotypes; shaping the lives of Chinese, Chinese American, and Asian American women.

Us Real Estate Investment Performance: 1983-2012, John F. Kerrigan

Honors Theses and Capstones

This study provides an overview of real estate investment performance over a 1983-2012 time period. The results show that although equity REITs outperformed all other assets on average annual return, on a risk-adjusted basis both private retail and apartment real estate outperformed all other assets. The study also found a recent trend in increased correlation between common stocks and REITs.

A Collapsar Model For Bright Linear Type Ii Supernovae And Numerical Simulations Of Multiple, Interacting Supernova Remnants, Dean D. Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation includes two projects. Part one applies the collapsar model to Bright Linear Type II supernovae. The collapsar model is commonly used to explain gamma-ray bursts. In this model, a stellar core collapses to a black hole surrounded by an accretion disk. In addition to the supernova caused by the core collapse, the black hole powers a high energy jet. Shocks within the jet create the gamma ray burst while the jet's later interaction with circumstellar material creates an afterglow. In a Type II supernova, the hydrogen envelope of the star results in a lower energy jet that does …

The Long-Term Impact Of Educational And Health Spending On Unemployment Rates, Zafer Pirim, William A. Owings, Leslie S. Kaplan

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This study used panel data regression analysis to evaluate the long-term effects of several measures of U.S. education expenditure on unemployment rates in 50 states and Washington D.C. over 25 years. The data included state-level statistics for fiscal effort, graduation rates, education spending per pupil, gross state product per capita, welfare spending, health spending, political party affiliation, union versus nonunion states, and unemployment rates. Results find that the best way to effectively reduce unemployment is investment in improving the quality of human capital through funding education. Findings specifically conclude that over the long term, investment in human capital through education …

On Creativity In Constitutional Interpretation, Pierre Schlag

Publications

In the present article a particular aspect of constitutional interpretation will be considered. This aspect is called "creative" and involves retrieving the meaning of an object of interpretation. It is with regard to this particular aspect or moment of interpretation that creativity is often viewed as something to be avoided, to be shunned. If the task at hand is to "retrieve" some meaning, then the idea that this meaning can be created, in whole or in part, seems quite simply antithetical to the enterprise at hand. It suffices to note that many jurists and legal thinkers believe that interpretation as …

The President And Congress: Separation Of Powers In The United States Of America, Harold H. Bruff

Publications

Although the framers of the Australian Constitution adopted many features of the United States Constitution, they rejected the separation of legislative and executive power in favour of responsible government in a parliamentary system like that of the United Kingdom. In doing so, Australians depended on existing conventions about the nature of responsible government instead of specification of its attributes in constitutional text. The United States Constitution contains detailed provisions about separation of powers, but unwritten conventions have produced some central features of American government. This article reviews conventions developed by Congress that constrain Presidents in the domestic sphere with regard …

Immigration And Cooperative Federalism: Toward A Doctrinal Framework, Ming H. Chen

Publications

What can the new federalism teach us about what is happening in immigration law? The changing relationship of federal-state government in the regulation of immigrants has led to the creation of “immigration federalism” as a field of scholarship. Most of this scholarly attention has been directed at resisting restrictionist legislation that encourages vigorous law enforcement against undocumented immigrants. The scholarly tilt is especially pronounced since the Supreme Court recently struck down several provisions of S.B. 1070, Arizona’s restrictive law enforcement legislation. However, law enforcement is only one type of regulation, and the overwhelming focus on it skews the broader debate …

Pragmatic Liberalism: The Outlook Of The Dead, Justin Deystone

Publications

At the turn of the twentieth century, the legal profession was rocked in a storm of reform. Among the sparks of change was the view that "law in the books" had drifted too far from the "law in action." This popular slogan reflected the broader postwar suspicion that the legal profession needed to be more realistic, more effective, and more in touch with the social needs of the time. A hundred years later, we face a similarly urgent demand for change. Across the blogs and journals stretches a thread of anxieties about the lack of fit between legal education and …

Missing The Forest For The Trees: Gender Pay Discrimination In Academia, Melissa Hart

Publications

Women in virtually every job category still make less than men. Academia is no exception. This Article will explore some of the structural explanations for this continued disparity and the continued resistance to seriously confronting those structural barriers to equality. Using the still-unfolding story of a charge of discrimination filed against a university, this Article examines the script that has become all-too-familiar in discussions about the gender pay gap, whether in academia or elsewhere. The basic storyline in pay discrimination litigation is this: Evidence is presented about the existence of a gap between men's earnings and women's earnings. The response …