Digital Commons Network^™

Commencement Program (June 2015), Csusb

CSUSB Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Panel: "Academic Collaborations In International Settings: Equity And Quality In Education Through Stem Education", Csusb - Latino Education And Advocacy Days (Lead)

Latino Education and Advocacy Days (LEAD) Video Recordings

No abstract provided.

Influence Of Saltwater Intrusion, Climate, And Development On The Ground Water Supply Of San Juan Island, Scott Joel Adolphson

All Master's Theses

Freshwater availability is a serious resource concern, due to the needs of its increasing population. This issue is especially critical in coastal regions, both due to supplying the growing number of people migrating to these areas and the higher potential for saltwater intrusion into groundwater supplies as water demands increase. This study assessed the degree of saltwater intrusion on San Juan Island, Washington, including its extent, contributing factors and the implication for the water resource availability. Results indicate that saltwater intrusion levels have not increased significantly in the study area, yet the size of the area threatened has increased. Saltwater …

On A New Method For Interior Lighting Design, James Duff

Doctoral

In 2009, Christopher Cuttle began to challenge the suitability of the metrics contained within current lighting design standards and guidance. In short, Cuttle proposed a move away from providing an amount of light that relates to the difficulty of a visual task and instead, providing an amount of light that relates to the brightness of a space. This sense of brightness would be estimated by a new lighting metric, Mean Room Surface Exitance. The research presented in this thesis strove to examine, critically evaluate, analyse and investigate the merit of changing indoor lighting standards to include Mean Room Surface Exitance. …

Communication Sciences And Disorders (Csd) Graduate Students' Preparedness To Work With Individuals Who Are Bilingual, Elizabeth M. Harbaugh

Honors Theses

This study addresses the overall competence of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD) graduate students working with individuals who are bilingual. It examined the different CSD graduate programs in the United States and identified key variables that lead to students' preparedness. The author surveyed 238 individuals, consisting of first and second year graduate students and individuals working in their clinical fellowship from 30 different graduate programs. The data were collected from both Mississippi and the total population and were compared as an example of possible future research pertaining to SLP preparedness needed when working with individuals who are bilingual. The results …

Economic Optimization Of An Ethylbenzene Process, Erin L. Dyer

Honors Theses

This report describes the process of optimizing an existing design for a chemical plant that produces the chemical intermediate ethylbenzene. For an engineer, economic optimization involves manipulating the design variables of a chemical process in order to improve the economic outcome of the project. In this case, the objective of the optimization was to maximize the net present value of the ethylbenzene plant. After analyzing the net present value of the existing design, the team conducted subsequent analyses on the operation of the process, adjusting variables such as temperature, pressure, and flow rate in order to minimize the costs of …

Pro-Aromatic Dye Components For Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: Thienothiophene And Indolizine, George A. Puneky

Honors Theses

Four D-π-A dyes based on a 3,4-thienothiophene Ï€-bridge were synthesized for use in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs). The pro-aromatic building block 3,4-thienothiophene has been reported to stabilize dye excited-state oxidation potentials. This lowering of excited-state energy levels permits for increased absorption into the near-infrared (NIR) region using relatively low molecular weight dyes. Strong donor functionality based on triaryl- and diarylamines are employed in the dye designs to raise both the ground and excited-state oxidation potentials to values capable of generating DSC devices with good open-circuit voltages. Solubility, aggregation, and TiO2 surface protection were addressed by examining an ethylhexyl alkyl chain …

A Visualization Tool For Survey Responses And A Unifying Interface Redesign, Iva Cramer

Honors Theses

As an intern for financial software company FNC, Inc. during the summer of 2014, my fellow interns and I began an innovation project for creating and analyzing surveys for better client feedback methods. I have continued this project even after the internship, and this thesis covers that continuation: the visualization of survey responses and the redesign of the page on which they are contained. The project detailed here was to revamp the survey statistics page with a coherent layout that matches the rest of the site in addition to overhauling the actual graphs and charts for aesthetic and accuracy.

The Power Of An Actively Managed Portfolio: An Empirical Example Using The Treynor-Black Model, Alexander D. Brown

Honors Theses

The focus of this thesis is to examine the added benefits of actively managing a portfolio of securities from an individual investor's perspective. More specifically, managing a market portfolio with the combination of a selected few actively managed securities can, in some instances, create excess return. The active portfolios are formed based on the firms' specific industries or region in which they operate. The idea is that an investor can forecast that a specific industry will outperform or underperform other industries during different periods in the market. Using the investor's forecasts can provide excess returns if the forecast is accurate. …

The Doctor/Patient Relationship In End-Of-Life Care: A Game Theoretic Model, Stephan A. Castellanos

Honors Theses

End-of-life care is a sensitive subject because it deals with life and death, as well as dealing with the nature of that death. In its most basic form, end-of-life care can be divided into two distinct pathways: aggressive treatment and methods, or palliative treatment and care. This paper explores the history surrounding these two routes and the implications that surround them. A review of the literature reveals that in many cases palliative care can increase in quality-of-life. An important part of the decision between aggressive and palliative care are the patient's and the doctor's feelings towards certain aspects of end-of-life …

Chemical Process Optimization For Dummies, Troy Mannino

Honors Theses

Chemical process optimization is a daunting task. The purpose of this work is to summarize and organize successful approaches which may be employed by the chemical process engineer when confronted with optimization problems. In general, optimization is making any process better; common goals are to increase the efficiency or maximize the economic potential of a process. The improvements made to a process during optimization are generally measured in terms of an objective function. Since the purpose of any industrial chemical process is to be profitable, objective functions most often have units of dollars. The objective function is dependent upon changes …

The Dimerization Kinetics Of Ncad12 With A Mutated Cis-X-Pro Bond, Victoria Mcclearn

Honors Theses

VICTORIA RAE McCLEARN: DIMERIZATION KINECTICS OF NCAD12 P16A (Under the direction Dr. Susan Pedigo) Calcium binding causes a conformational change into a strand swapped dimer for the cadherins. However, regardless of the sequence similarity for Epithelial Cadherin (ECAD) and Neural Cadherin (NCAD), they respond to the presence of calcium differently. For NCAD, the rate of assembly and disassembly depends upon the presence of calcium, whereas for ECAD the rate of exchange is independent of calcium. Studies into a kinetic model to explain the differences between the rates have been recently conducted. It is believed that ECAD uses an X-dimer intermediate …

Towards The Synthesis Of A Swallowtailed Perylene Monoimide, Wyatt S. Whicker

Honors Theses

This project was initiated in conjunction with Dr. Justin Youngblood from the University of North Texas. The goal was to synthesize a molecule to be used in solar cell testing. The target molecule involved combining donor and acceptor groups to make a combination that would be able to transfer electricity in a unilateral direction to increase efficiency in solar cells. My project involved the donor portion, a perylene monoimide donor with a long alkyl swallowtail to impart solubility. While the final molecule was not synthesized, the proposed procedure for making such a molecule was improved upon. A perylene tetracarboxylic dianhydride …

The Effects Of Hg2+ On Secondary Structures Formed By T-Rich Dna, Zachary Boynton

Honors Theses

Single stranded DNA that forms secondary structures has been a popular area of research in recent years. Much research has also been done in the field of heavy metals binding to DNA. Recently, it has been discovered that mercury in the presence of thymines will form T-HgII-T bonds. It is our hypothesis that single stranded DNA rich in thymine residues will form into a structure similar to i-motifs, formed from C-rich single strands, in the presence of mercury. Based on spectral changes during a mercuric titration, it is evident that mercury induces a structural change in T-rich DNA. We then …

A Look Into Process Optimization, Joshua Hunter Lambert

Honors Theses

The goal for this paper is to inform the reader on the optimization process in chemical engineering design. The reader will gain knowledge about the step-by-step process as well as terminology of the optimization journey. Optimization takes a great amount of work, and it can be a daunting task if one gets caught up in the minute details. However, I will show that looking at the big picture will drastically ease the process and make optimizing much simpler. A base case will first be presented. The base case should be modeled using a process simulator, and then an economic analysis …

An Examination Of The Theory Of Alternate Routes To High School Graduation And Its Implication On Mississippi's Educational System, Kimberly L. Hardges

Honors Theses

During Mississippi's 2014 Regular Legislative Session, Representative John L. Moore, Chair of the Education Committee, introduced House Bill 767 (HB 767). The goal of HB 767 was to create a pilot program that would remove the requirement for passage of Subject Area Tests as a mandatory requirement for graduation... and to establish the minimum composite score to be attained on the ACT assessment to qualify a student for graduation and for college and career readiness1 in the state of Mississippi. By a vote of 118-1 HB 767 passed the House. The bill was then transmitted to the Mississippi State Senate …

Death, Maintenance And Revitalization Of The Quechua Language In Peru: A Case Study With A Focus On San Pedro De Cajas, Madeline Fumi

Honors Theses

I would like to express my gratitude to several individuals who continuously supported me throughout the process of my thesis research and writing. I am very grateful to my advisor, Dr. Maria Fionda, whose constructive criticism helped challenge and develop my critical thinking and writing skills. A special thanks goes to my second reader, Dr. William Schenck, and my third reader, Dr. Felice Coles, who gave me useful feedback regarding how to incorporate my qualitative findings in my thesis to support my main arguments. I would also like to thank Maria Teresa Alvarado for her help with numerous Spanish translations …

Method Development For The Detection And Quantitation Of Illicit Drugs In Fingerprints Using Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Mass Spectrometry, Madison Roussel

Honors Theses

The purpose of this research was to develop a method for the detection and quantitation of caffeine and 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9- tetrahydrocannabinol in fingerprints using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). The matrix used was 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB). The presence of the analytes was confirmed by analysis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9- tetrahydrocannabinol was chosen as the drug of interest because it is the major metabolite of tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive component of marijuana. Marijuana's popularity as a recreational drug continues to increase with its legalization and decriminalization across the country. It is critical to establish methods for the quantification …

X-Dimer Mutations And Their Effects On The Folding Stability And Assembly Of Ecad12 At The K14-D138 Interface, Martha Kaitlyn Coghlan

Honors Theses

Classical cadherins were first identified by their function in mediating calcium-dependent cellular adhesion and constitute a large family of cellular adhesion receptor proteins whose differential binding is central to the development and maintenance of tissue architecture. The interface underlying the binding interaction reveals that all classical cadherins share a common adhesive interface in which the portion of the β-A strand closest to the N-terminus is swapped between EC1 domains of the adhesive partner protomers. A second dimeric configuration, known as the 'X-dimer', is the face-to-face association of two protomers in which their orientation is dictated by three symmetrical noncovalent interactions …

Oxygen Saturation During A Simulation Dive Response: Development Of An Experimental Protocol For An Undergraduate Physiology Laboratory, Michael S. Pergola

Honors Theses

There are issues concerning the amount of learning that actually takes place in the laboratory environment, and whether or not it is worth the investment of money, resources, and time. A laboratory protocol was designed to examine the human dive response, with the goals of generating multiple robust variables, creating a truly integrative laboratory experiment and improving lab education. The objectives of this exercise were to promote critical thinking, maximize collaboration, minimize social loafing and student engagement, promote critical thinking, and meet as many of the National Science Foundation's core competencies and assess effectiveness in achieving these objectives. The dive …

Characterization Of Epithelial Cadherin Domain 1, Molly Edmondson

Honors Theses

Cadherins are a family of cell-surface glycoproteins that aid in cell adhesion between two proximal cells. The characteristic cadherin extracellular structure consists of five ~100 amino acid domains connected by seven-residue linker regions. Cadherins mediate adhesion via adherens junctions by forming a strand-swapped structure between identical protomers from apposing cells. Upon calcium binding, the swapping of the N- terminal strands between protomers allows for the symmetrical docking of a conserved tryptophan residue in the N-terminal strand into the hydrophobic pocket of its partner protomer. The two most-well-studied members of the classical cadherin family are Neural- (N-) and Epithelial- (E-) cadherin. …

A War On Women? The Malleus Maleficarum And The Witch-Hunts In Early Modern Europe, Morgan L. Stringer

Honors Theses

This thesis explores the topic of gender and witchcraft, specifically why women were so heavily represented in witchcraft trials. The demonology text, The Malleus Maleficarum was analyzed. Several other demonological texts were also analyzed and then compared to one another regarding their statements about women, men, and witchcraft. Then historiography pertaining to gender and witchcraft were analyzed and critiqued. The Malleus Maleficarum contains a high degree of misogyny, but it presents an extreme misogynistic view that is not present in other demonology texts. The argument that the Early Modern European Witch-Hunts were a war on women fails to account for …

Development Of Methods For Determining Dry Deposition Of Mercury Using An Ion-Exchange Membrane: Relative Rates Of Mercury Dry Deposition At Sardis, Enid, And Grenada Lakes, Ruiqi Feng

Honors Theses

This research focuses on studies developing methods to measure dry deposition of mercury (Hg) using an ion-exchange (IX) membrane to capture gaseous mercury species in the air. Mercury is a toxic heavy metal that is spread globally through the atmosphere. Atmospheric Hg deposits to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems through wet and dry deposition. While routine methods have been developed to study wet deposition of Hg, measuring dry deposition of Hg is more problematic and often overlooked. In this study, we developed an inexpensive means to deploy a polyethersulfone cation exchange membrane in the field by dangling it within a polycarbonate …

Effects Of Synthetic Blood Plasma On Calcium Dependent Dimerization Of Ncad12, Brent Treadway

Honors Theses

Neural Cadherin (NCAD) is one of three Type 1 vertebral classical cadherins that function as the primary transmembrane component in cell-to-cell interactions at adherens junctions. Adhesive interactions mediated by this protein are calcium dependent with three calcium-binding sites between each of its five extracellular domains. NCAD is very important in many cell-to-cell interactions because of its function in development and in immune and neurological synapses. Generally, in vitro studies of calcium dependent dimerization of NCAD are conducted in a nonphysiological buffer (NaCl + HEPES: SEC buffer). In order to study dimerization in more physiologically relevant conditions, I created a synthetic …

The Use Of Immersive Visualization For The Control Of Dental Anxiety During Oral Debridement, Carmelo Padrino-Barrios, Gayle B. Mccombs, Norou Diawara, Gianluca De Leo

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Immersive Visualization (IV) eyewear on anxious, adult patients during oral debridement.

Methods: Thirty adult volunteers (n=23 females n=7 males) were enrolled in the study. Participants were required to be 18 years or older, exhibit at least moderate anxiety (score 9 or higher) on the Corah's Dental Anxiety Scale-Revised (DAS-R), and be generally healthy. Individuals were excluded from participation if they presented with severe dental calculus, periodontal disease, or dental caries, were taking psychotropic drugs, had a history of convulsive disorders, vertigo, or equilibrium disorders, or required antibiotic premedication. …

Performance Of Dental Hygiene Students In Mass Fatality Training And Radiographic Imaging Of Dental Remains, Tara L. Newcomb, Ann M. Bruhn, Loreta H. Ulmer, Norou Diawara

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose: Mass fatality incidents can overwhelm local, state and national resources quickly. Dental hygienists are widely distributed and have the potential to increase response teams' capacity. However, appropriate training is required. The literature is void of addressing this type of training for dental hygienists and scant in dentistry. Hence, the purpose of this study was to assess one facet of such training: Whether the use of multimedia is likely to enhance educational outcomes related to mass fatality training.

Methods: A randomized, double-blind, pre- and post-test design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of comparable educational modules for 2 groups: a …

Tsgl A Thread Safe Graphics Library For Visualizing Parallelism, Joel C. Adams, Patrick A. Crain, Mark B. Van Der Stel

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Multicore processors are now the standard CPU architecture, and multithreaded parallel programs are needed to take full advantage of such CPUs. New tools are needed to help students learn how to design and build such parallel programs. In this paper, we present the thread-safe graphics library (TSGL), a new C++11 library that allows different threads to draw to a shared Canvas, which is updated in approximate real-time. Using TSGL, instructors and students can create visualizations that illustrate multithreaded behavior. We present three multithreaded applications that illustrate the use of TSGL to help students see and understand how an application is …

A Study Of The Impact Of Ph On The Structure And Stability Of Epithelial Cadherin, Catherine Abadie

Honors Theses

Epithelial (E-) cadherin is a transmembrane protein whose function lies in cell-to-cell adhesion. It is a transmembrane component of adherens junctions of epithelial tissues, thereby connecting the actin cytoskeletons of adhered cells. It has five extracellular domains, a small transmembrane portion, and a cytoplasmic tail. The molecule must bind calcium in order to form an adhesive dimer with a cadherin molecule emanating from an adjacent cell. Cancer of the epithelial tissue, carcinoma, is accompanied by acidification of the tissue and a loss in cell adhesion. The long-term goal of this project is to determine the effect of a decrease in …

Issues Of Online Distance Education: Learning Motivation Of Current And Prospective School Teachers, Anna Toom

Graduate School of Education Publications and Research

In this work, LM in three categories of students – motivated, unmotivated and overmotivated – was explored. Fifty graduate students, which were current and prospective school teachers and took the author’s online psychology courses in 2012-2013, participated in the study. The research methodology included developing the rules of coding students’ course work, designing the 100-scale of LM for representing their individual as well as collective data, and collecting info about students’ academic achievement in this course. According to the results, students’ LM has two co-existing components – pragmatic (grade-oriented) and cognitive (knowledge-oriented). Three mentioned categories of students differ in quantity …

A Study Of Students’ Orientation In The Virtual Classroom, Anna Toom

Graduate School of Education Publications and Research

One of the most important features determining successful adjustment and learning in the virtual classroom (VCR) is an individual’s ability to quickly, independently, and flexibly orient oneself in the new learning environment. It means grasping the idea of information-technological resources as well as the course organization with its academic, administrative, technical, and communicational requirements. In our pilot study, we investigated this ability of twenty five students enrolled in the author’s online psychology class in 2015. The research methodology included an analysis of the students’ preparation for their study and an evaluation of correlations of these data with students' previous online …