Digital Commons Network^™

The Mountains And The Men, Caitlin Macdougall

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Religion, Russo-British Diplomacy And Foreign Policy In Anna Ivanovna’S Russia (1730-1740), Kyeann Sayer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The reign of Russian empress Anna Ivanovna (1730-1740) has been known primarily for disproportionate “German” influence, Anna’s refusing the “conditions” imposed by the supposedly backward-looking noble faction that engineered her succession, and unflattering court spectacle. Religion and foreign policy have received relatively little attention. Meanwhile, the formalization of Anglo-Russian diplomatic and trade relations during Anna’s reign has been seen as the triumph of “modern” nobility who rose as a result of the Petrine reforms. Examination of the concomitant diplomatic relations has focused on the strategies and personalities of Anna’s “German” advisers and portrays Russia as dependent. Finally, the Russo-Turkish War …

July 4, 1865: A Nation In Search Of Itself, Sorn A. Jessen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The eighty-ninth anniversary of the declaration of American independence from Britain, on July 4, 1865, caught the nation at a critical time in its history. The great national crisis of civil war was over, but the nation had not yet re-united. The thesis argues that in the aftermath of the Civil War, American nationalism could not be reconstituted on neither an ethnic nor a civic model. Rather, on the eighty-ninth anniversary of Independence, the course of American Nationalism fell out along lines decreed by historical memory. The narrative construction of the past in the present constituted the only common thread …

Cows And Plows: Science-Based Conservation For Grassland Songbirds In Agricultural Landscapes, Marisa K. Lipsey

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Temperate grasslands are among earth’s most imperiled ecosystems. In North America, steep declines of endemic songbird populations indicate that grassland loss and degradation may be approaching critical levels. Grasslands are agricultural landscapes largely (~85%) under private ownership with little formal protection status. Remaining bird populations depend on grazing lands that have not been converted to cropland. We combine regional data from a hotspot for grassland bird diversity (northeast Montana, USA; 26,500-km2) with continental data spanning the northern Great Plains (1,000,000-km2) to evaluate how land use and management influence bird distribution and abundance. Regionally, habitat used by seven grassland specialists spanned …

Abundance, Density, And Opinions About Columbian Black-Tailed Deer, Whidbey Island, Washington, Robert P. Wingard

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Obtaining reliable knowledge is the first step towards properly managing wildlife species. Columbian black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) on Whidbey Island, Washington have not been the subject of study, and little is known about the population, or the opinion of resident’s of Whidbey Island towards the deer population. However, wildlife managers suggest deer on the island may be overabundant or over social carrying capacity. Given the lack of empirical knowledge about the deer population or human opinions towards deer on Whidbey Island, I designed research to determine the abundance and density of Columbian black-tailed deer on Whidbey Island, …

Decadal Scale Responses Of Soil And Ecosystem Processes To Forest Restoration In Rocky Mountain Conifer Forests, Peter Ganzlin

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Decades of fire suppression have left much of the forest in the intermountain western United States exceedingly dense, and forest restoration techniques – including thinning and prescribed fire – are increasingly being used in an attempt to mitigate the potentially disastrous effects of severe wildfire, to enhance tree growth and regeneration, and to stimulate soil nutrient cycling. While many of the short-term effects of forest restoration have been established, the long-term effects on soil biogeochemical and ecosystem processes are largely unknown. In this thesis I present two manuscripts documenting and synthesizing these long-term impacts. The first chapter focuses on the …

A Needs Assessment: Barriers To Wildland Firefighter Fitness Training, Aria E. Mangan

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Abstract:

Mangan, Aria, M.S, Spring 2015 Health and Human Performance

A Needs Assessment: Barriers to Wildland Firefighters Fitness Training

Chairperson: Dr. Annie Sondag

Introduction: Working on a wildland fire can be physically and mentally taxing. Given the physical demands of the job, fitness is a key component in keeping wildland firefighters (WLFFs) healthy and safe from injury. Unfortunately little is known about physical training (PT) programs of WLFFs.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine motivators and barriers to PT in WLFFs. Personal, interpersonal, organizational and environmental factors that influence PT were identified. Strategies for overcoming barriers were …

Resilience Through Adversity And Aging: Historical Loss And Resilience In Adults From A Northern Plains Tribe, Desiree L. Fox

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Historical loss is a primary contributor to the well-being of American Indian people and their communities. Research has shown that these losses have contributed to modern-day physical and mental health disparities. Research has also shown that adverse experiences, such as historical loss, are associated with the development of resilience. Additionally, increased age has been found to be related to increased levels of resilience. An informal survey of members of a Northern Plains tribal community identified grief as a major area of concern. The present study is a secondary analysis of data that was collected from two culturally-anchored grief retreats. Participants …

Mental Illness, Poverty And Stigma In India: A Case–Control Study, Jean-Francois Trani, Parul Bakhshi, Jill Kuhlberg, Sreelatha S. Narayanan, Hemalatha Venkataraman, Nagendra N. Mishra, Nora E. Groce, Sushrut Jadhav, Smita Deshpande

Brown School Faculty Publications

Objective: To assess the effect of experienced stigma on depth of multidimensional poverty of persons with severe mental illness (PSMI) in Delhi, India, controlling for gender, age and caste.Design: Matching case (hospital)–control (population) study.Setting: University Hospital (cases) and National Capital Region (controls), India.Participants: A case–control study was conducted from November 2011 to June 2012. 647 cases diagnosed with schizophrenia or affective disorders were recruited and 647 individuals of same age, sex and location of residence were matched as controls at a ratio of 1:2:1. Individuals who refused consent or provided incomplete interview were excluded.Main outcome measures: Higher risk of poverty …

Development And Validation Of The 34-Item Disability Screening Questionnaire (Dsq-34) For Use In Low And Middle Income Countries Epidemiological And Development Surveys, Jean-Francois Trani, Ganesh M. Babulal, Parul Bakhshi

Brown School Faculty Publications

Background: Although 80% of persons with disabilities live in low and middle-income countries, there is still a lack of comprehensive, cross-culturally validated tools to identify persons facing activity limitations and functioning difficulties in these settings. In absence of such a tool, disability estimates vary considerably according to the methodology used, and policies are based on unreliable estimates Methods and Findings: The Disability Screening Questionnaire composed of 27 items (DSQ-27) was initially designed by a group of international experts in survey development and disability in Afghanistan for a national survey. Items were selected based on major domains of activity limitations and …

Measuring Participation For Persons With Mental Illness: A Systematic Review Assessing Relevance Of Existing Scales For Low And Middle Income Countries, Ganesh M. Babulal, Parul Bakhshi, Sunyata Kopriva, Sarah A. Ali, Susan A. Goette, Jean-Francois Trani

Brown School Faculty Publications

Background: Participation is increasingly becoming an important outcome for assessment in many fields, including development, disability and policy implementation. However, selecting specific instruments to measure participation has been a significant problem due to overlapping conceptual definitions and use of different theories. The objective of this paper is to identify participation instruments, examine theories/definition supporting their use and highlight scales for use in low and middle-income countries for persons with mental illness. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted to identify instruments intended to measure participation for individuals with severe mental illness. The search was limited to peer-reviewed articles published in …

Time-Limited Case Management For Homeless Mothers With Mental Health Problems: Effects On Caregiver Mental Health., Judith Samuels, Patrick J. Fowler, Andrea Ault-Brutus, Dein-In Tang, Katherine Marcal

Brown School Faculty Publications

Objective: In this study we test the effect of a time-limited case management model targeting homeless mothers who are experiencing mental health problems. Adapted from an empirically informed intervention to prevent recurrent homelessness among individuals, the Family Critical Time Intervention (FCTI) supports mothers with children for a 9-month period as they move from homeless shelters into affordable housing. The case management team uses a structured intervention to encourage mothers to create and maintain necessary connections in the community for key family supports. Method: We use a longitudinal randomized controlled trial (N = 210) to test whether homeless mothers referred to …

Mental Illness, Poverty And Stigma In India: A Case-Control Study, Jean-Francois Trani, Parul Bakhshi, Jill A. Kuhlberg, Sreelatha S. Narayanan, Hemalatha Venkataraman, Nagendra N. Mishra, Nora E. Groce, Sushrut Jadhav, Smita Deshpande

Brown School Faculty Publications

Objective: To assess the effect of experienced stigma on depth of multidimensional poverty of persons with severe mentalillness(PSMI) in Delhi, India, controlling for gender, age and caste. Design: Matching case(hospital)–control(population) study. Setting:University Hospital (cases) and National Capital Region (controls),India. Participants: A case–control study was conducted from November 2011 to June 2012. 647 cases diagnosed with schizophreniaor affective disorders were recruited and 647 individuals of same age,sex and location of residence were matched as controls at a ratio of 1:2:1. Individuals who refused consent or provided incomplete interview were excluded. Main outcome measures: Higher risk of poverty due to stigma among …

Antibiotic Resistance Among Bacteria Near Sewage Outfalls In Bermuda, Amanda Alker

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Antibiotic resistance among bacteria is a portentous global concern, which threatens the ability of medical professionals to successfully treat bacterial infections. In Bermuda, there is no wastewater treatment plant; therefore, about 4.3x106 L per day of untreated sewage is released into the ocean through two marine outfalls. Water samples were collected from 12 sample sites (outfalls, offshore sites, and onshore beach sites near the outfalls) over 4 sampling events between August and October, 2013. Water samples were analyzed for the presence of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus sp., and Staphylococcus aureus. Antibiotic susceptibility of each purified isolate was tested and classified using …

Native Versus Exotic Ants As A Food Source For The Ant Lion, (Myrmeleon Crudelis), David G. Brothers

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Solenopsis invicta, a fire ant originally from South America, has become an important exotic pest in the southeastern US. Solenopsis invicta is well known for its powerful sting and are known to attack native wildlife, such as hatchling sea turtles. I examined the suitability of S. invicta as prey for a native antlion, Myrmeleon crudelis, in South Florida. I compared the growth and survival over 12 week period of 16 ant lions fed S. invicta and 16 fed a native pyramid ant, Dorymyrmex bureni. I found antlions fed S. invicta had significantly lower growth and survival than antlions fed D. …

Inositol Pyrophosphate And Ubiquitin-Proteasomal Pathways Regulate Cell Signaling And Metabolism, Hector Mora

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

The prevalence of obesity and type-2 diabetes (T2D) related comorbidities in the US emphasize the need for their treatment. Enzymes implicated in these diseases are favorable targets due to their specific catalytic activity. The Chakraborty lab discovered that inositol hexakisphosphate kinase-1 (IP6K1), an enzyme that synthesizes the signaling inositol pyrophosphate IP7, promotes fat accumulation and insulin resistance. Thus, IP6K1 is a novel target in obesity/T2D. However, how IP6K1 expression, stability, and activity are modulated in vivo remains unknown. Recent experiments establish that IP6K1 interacts with a novel ubiquitin ligase, Ube4A. Studies are ongoing to determine the cellular role of Ube4A …

Thermoregulation Of The Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus Polyphemus), Abigail Schaffner

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Thermoregulation is a critical mechanism that allows reptiles to enhance physiological performances such as digestion, running, and embryo development. Gopherus polyphemus relies on thermoregulatory behavior to reach an optimum threshold for active behavior outside of their burrows. This study used internal and external temperature readings of tortoises found in the Abacoa Jupiter Greenway range VIA and compares them to behavior exhibited by the tortoise and environmental temperatures recorded. The results were compared to previous research conducted on gopher tortoises on sites of similar latitude and the results remained relatively consistent between study populations. A mean external carapace temperature of 31.8° …

Computers Make The Best Listeners: A History And Experiment On Natural Language Processing, Shan A. Raja

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

In this thesis I will be using natural language processing techniques, particularly text classification and language modeling with Naïve Bayes, to categorize data from social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram in order to optimize the user experience. The categorical classifications will serve as meaningful events that may occur in people’s lives so that the user may essentially filter posts for important content such as anniversaries, birthdays, job promotions, or relocation of friends in an application setting. I will apply the algorithm using the Java programming language and the Eclipse Integrated Development Environment.

Privacy And The Right To Free Speech, Alejandra A. Uribe

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Because of the nature of their jobs and lifestyles, public figures are more likely to suffer intrusive invasions into their private lives and cannot generally expect to receive privacy in public places. However, the right to respect for a person’s privacy and the right to freedom of expression are both vitally important rights. Drawing on a balancing test similar to that used by the European Court of Human Rights that attempts to give due weight to each right, I argue that, with matters that are considered to be private like medical issues, a right to free speech should not trump …

The Maturation Of Gabaergic Circuitry In Ferret Visual Cortex, Dominick Joseph Casciato

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Experience plays a critical role in maturation of cortical circuits. In visual cortex, experience-dependent development has been linked to the maturation of inhibitory interneurons. Parvalbumin-containing (PV) interneurons, a subtype of GABAergic interneurons, play an important role in cortical circuit function; however, it remains unknown how visual experience shapes their organization. We used immunohistochemistry to observe the organization of PV expression in visual cortex through visual maturity. Before visual experience, PV cell bodies and processes are most pronounced in layer 5, less in layer 2/3, and generally lacking in layer 4. Within 3 days of the onset of visual experience, PV …

Artificial Evolution Of Aconitase Via Heat-Shock Induced Oxidative Stress, Sean Crary

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Oxidative stress, where oxygen has an unpaired electron, has been shown to damage cellular components. These electrons injure local cellular machinery and have the potential to interrupt major protein pathways. Aconitase is a key polypeptide with multiple niches in the cell, and has been shown to be a target for free radical impairment. We utilize artificial evolution using heat shock to cause major oxidative damage. With up to 99% fatality and repeated exposure we have an effective way to select against aconitase mutants via respiratory deficient yeast on glycerol, a non-fermentable growth medium. In this experiment, we use the previously …

Morphometric Assessment Of Connectivity Of The Shallow-Water And Mesophotic Scleractinian Coral Montastraea Cavernosa, Samantha Faye Johnston

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Montastraea cavernosa is a widely distributed scleractinian coral found in temperate and tropical waters globally. Because it occurs in both shallow and mesophotic reefs, it is often referred to as a depth generalist. This study examined the morphometics of shallow-water and mesophotic cohorts in various locations in the Gulf of Mexico and used measurements of skeletal characteristics to assess morphological variation. Results from multivariate analyses showed that these characteristics differed significantly by site, not by depth, though there existed a significant site-depth interaction. Additionally, sites evaluated using a pairwise comparison showed that there were significant morphological variations as well, however …

The Effects Of Globalization On Early Childhood Education In China, Kaitlyn Mccoy

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

In this study I provide an examination of the varying effects of globalization that have impacted early childhood education programs, teaching methods, and other aspects of the pre-primary learning system in regions dominated by two of China’s ethnic minorities: Uyghur and Tibetan, compared to the impacts on Han area preschools. I look at non-Chinese early childhood education methods such as Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP), Montessori teaching, and bilingualism, and evaluate their prevalence in the different regions. To investigate this topic I use both historical sources and online data from preschools in China.

Cortical Development In An Intellectual Disability (Id) Mouse Model, Kaitlyn Shotwell

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant limitations in both adaptive behavior and intellectual function that arises prior to reaching adulthood. Studies revealed a prevailing correlation between patients with ID and a sporadic SYNGAP-1 gene mutation. The SYNGAP-1 gene encodes for the protein SYNGAP that controls intracellular signaling and is directly linked with synaptic transmission. Mouse models were used to analyze the structure of somatosensory cortical neurons in different layers of the cortex during brain development. Neurons of SynGAP-1 mutant mice in layer V of the somatosensory cortex displayed a much more complex structure than the wildtype …

The Anthropology Of Airlines: Flag Carriers, Nationalism, Place, And Identity, Evan Jackson

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2010 - 2019

In this study, I aim to explain the status of airline flag carriers as national and cultural symbols of their respected countries. With national interests and identity as part of their development, flag-carriers serve as “aerial ambassadors” representing their home nations. Through the media of design, uniforms, crew service, and advertising techniques, flag-carriers create a sense of place of their unique nations for both local and international passengers—promoting the “imagined communities” as coined by Benedict Anderson. Behind these flag-carriers are instances of public support and pride. The role of being an aerial ambassador emerges as the airline and nation become …

Identity Contests: Litigation And The Meaning Of Social- Movement Causes, Mary Ziegler

University of Colorado Law Review

No abstract provided.

Knowledge, Information, And Water Treatment Behavior Of Residents In The Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, Hari Katuwal, Mona K. Qassim, José A. Pagán, Jennifer A. Thacher, Alok K. Bohara

Development Journal of the South

Access to safe drinking water plays a crucial role in the overall social and economic development of a community. Unsafe water delivered to household taps increases the risks of waterborne diseases and threatens population health. Consumers can adopt a number of averting behaviors such as filtering or boiling their water. While these approaches are effective in reducing the likelihood of contracting a waterborne disease, not all households treat their water. Given this, it is important to develop a better understanding of factors that influence water treatment behavior. In this paper, we examine determinants of water treatment behavior using survey data …

Prevalence Of Child Malnutrition In North Kivu, Drc: Evidence From Bunyuka Parish, Sky Barlow, Zike Chen, Gavin Finnegan, Blaise Pascal Furaha, Brandon Pichanick, Cait Stadler, Julie Swensen, Leslie E. Ruyle, Kishore Gawande

Development Journal of the South

Sub-Saharan Africa is the second most undernourished region in the world, with an estimated 265 million people in 2009. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has the highest percentage of undernourished people in the region, 75% from 2004 to 2006. The Kivu region in Eastern DRC, in particular, has suffered through decades of conflict and lack of security and infrastructure obstruct data collection in this region. The main contribution of this paper is to present primary survey evidence on the prevalence of malnutrition in the village of Bunyuka in North Kivu. From a sample of over 700 mothers and …

Hslic Annual Report Fy2014-15, University Of New Mexico Health Sciences Library And Informatics Center

HSLIC Annual Reports

No abstract provided.

Merit-Based Sentencing Reductions: Moving Forward On Specifics, And Some Critique Of The New Model Penal Code, Rory Little

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.