Digital Commons Network^™

Essays On Internal Migration In Developing Countries, Tamara Gurevich

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

This thesis investigates the determinants and implications of migration decisions made by individuals in households, using Indonesia as a case study. The thesis consists of two chapters. In each chapter I study respectively the effects of local recent flood events on individuals' and households' decision to leave their origin community, and the effects such migration decisions may have on subsequent health of migrant household members. In chapter 2 of this dissertation, I quantify the effect of migration on subsequent health of migrants using a potential outcomes framework design that exploits exogenous impacts of floods on migration to reduce concerns regarding …

Essays On The Impact Of Health Information Technology On Patient Outcomes, Ryan Michael Mckenna

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

This dissertation consists of three chapters surrounding the impacts of health information technology systems (HIT) on hospital inpatient outcomes. In an effort to eliminate inefficiencies in the US health care sector, policymakers have made a concerted effort to encourage hospitals and physicians to adopt health information technology systems. In Chapter 2, I construct a unique dataset on health information technology adoption and health outcomes in New York State to conduct a hospital level analysis identifying the impact of adopting HIT on inpatient outcomes (rates of adverse drug events and severity-adjusted mortality). Unlike previous studies, the patient population is not restricted …

Education Dynamics In A Developing Country: Evidence From Indonesia, Elif Deniz Sumengen

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

There is an urgent need for upper secondary-level and above educated people in Indonesia. According to a recent report, Indonesian companies cannot fill 50% of their entry level positions. To increase the educational attainment, government has been implementing various polices, such as school construction program, compulsory education and allocating 20% of its budget to education, but inadequate enrollment at upper secondary and tertiary levels and the quality of education still remain as big problems. To shed a light on these urgent and recent problems, I ask four questions: a) What is the effect of school quality on tertiary attainment? b) …

Analog Circuit Design Knowledge Mining And Circuit Causal Information Modeling, Fanshu Jiao

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

This thesis proposes novel approaches for analog circuit design knowledge mining and circuit causal information modeling. In particular, knowledge mining discovers and decomposes analog circuit design knowledge into three components: (1) a conceptual hierarchy for a group of circuit topologies, (2) circuits' performance capabilities (including trade-offs and bottlenecks), and (3) circuits' design causal reasoning strategies. Causal reasoning strategies lead to the development of reasoning-based topology synthesis and design verification, thus bring new perspective to existing approaches. Extended from performance capabilities, the thesis proposes circuit causal information modeling, which models relations of parameters deciding circuit performance attributes and coupling with other …

Shrouded In The Womb Of A Savage, Cradled In The Arms Of An Ape: Gothic Scenes Of Racial Recapitulation In The Making Of The American Ãœbermensch | Shrouded In The Womb Of A Savage, Cradled In The Arms Of An Ape: Gothic Scenes Of Racial Recapitulation In The Making Of The American Übermensch, Ian Anthony Bacchus

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

Slavery is often put forward as the crucial horror that haunts the nation, and is touted, as Leslie Fiedler noted, as “the proper subject for American Gothic†. This thesis does not dispute a historical location for the American Gothic, but it argues for a different starting place for the self-consciously Gothic impulse in the literature of the nation. It is not the original sin of slavery that underpins the American Gothic, but the original anxiety experienced by an infant nation as it first distances itself from its ancestral country, and then asserts its independence and superiority. It is an …

Elaine's "Priceless" Pearls And Enid's Faded Dress: The Self And The Thing In "Lancelot And Elaine" And "The Marriage Of Geraint", Jordan Elizabeth Plavnicky

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

This thesis takes an object-oriented approach to Tennyson’s Idylls of the King through an analysis of Elaine’s pearled sleeve in “Lancelot and Elaine†and Enid’s faded dress in “The Marriage of Geraint.†It considers the pearl as a thing; a thing that can be exchanged, a thing against which one can orient and identify the self, and finally a thing that exists already within English cultural history. It considers Enid’s dress as a material garment upon which numerous meanings can be inscribed. The thesis argues that Elaine and Enid each demonstrate the unique role women have in relation to their …

From Text To Screen: John Green And The Rise Of Digital Literacy, Jessica Pond

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

Social media is rapidly becoming more prevalent in modern society. Businesses, politicians, and educators are using social media as an increasingly important tool of communication and information. In my thesis, I examine the implications of the growing importance of social media on young adult authors and the way that literacy is perceived. While social media is often seen as existing purely for entertainment, many educational professionals are bringing aspects of social media into classrooms as instructive and informational tools. Through close examination of the works of John Green and his activities on social media, this thesis addresses the ways in …

Toward Reliable Analysis Of Individual Genomes, Jason O'Rawe

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

High-throughput DNA sequencing technologies have given us the power to understand genetic disease at extraordinarily detailed resolution. It is now possible to sequence a person’s whole genome and search for the genetic markers that contribute to specific disease, or even markers that contribute to the possibility of developing a new one. However, the task of understanding and sifting through billions of data-points is not a trivial one. There are diverse statistical, algorithmic and practical implementation challenges that must be met so that we can accurately and reliably analyze the vast swaths of data that come from human DNA sequences. Indeed, …

Harnessing Redox Regulation Of Ptp1b: A Novel Path To Therapeutic Design, Ioana Rus Rus

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

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is an important negative regulator of signaling by the insulin and leptin receptors. PTP1B-null mice are sensitized to insulin and resistant to diet-induced obesity, making PTP1B a prized target in the pharmaceutical industry for therapeutic intervention in type two diabetes and obesity. Efforts to develop inhibitors of PTP1B focused on the active site pocket; however, those efforts have been hindered by poor oral bioavailability of the compounds. Our lab has exploited the conformational changes associated with redox regulation of PTP1B to devise an alternative method of inhibiting the enzyme. Reactive oxygen species, generated in response …

The Integration Of Mathematics In Middle School Science: Student And Teacher Impacts Related To Science Achievement And Attitudes Towards Integration, Luisa Mchugh

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

Contemporary research has suggested that in order for students to compete globally in the 21st century workplace, pedagogy must shift to include the integration of science and mathematics, where teachers effectively incorporate the two disciplines seamlessly. Mathematics facilitates a deeper understanding of science concepts and has been linked to improved student perception of the integration of science and mathematics. Although there is adequate literature to substantiate students’ positive responses to integration in terms of attitudes, there has been little empirical data to support significant academic improvement when both disciplines are taught in an integrated method. This research study, conducted at …

Examining The Effects Of Binegativity On Components Of Sexual Identity And Internalizing Symptomatology Among Bisexual Women Using A Longitudinal Study Design, Christina Dyar

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

Recent research indicates that experiences of binegativity (stigmatization of bisexuals) have detrimental impacts on components of sexual identity (e.g. | sexual identity uncertainty and internalized binegativity) and mental health (e.g. | internalizing symptoms, substance abuse). The current study is the first to longitudinally examine the impact of experiences of binegativity on components of sexual identity and mental health. 180 cisgender bisexual women completed three surveys assessing a total of four timepoints. Results indicate that experiences of binegativity predict subsequent increases in internalized binegativity, which in turn, predict increases in sexual identity uncertainty and strength of identification as heterosexual and lesbian …

Increasing College Students’ Interest And Engagement In Stem: A Comparison Of Strategies For Challenging Stem Stereotypes | Increasing College Students’ Interest And Engagement In Stem: A Comparison Of Strategies For Challenging Stem Stereotypes, Jiyun Elizabeth Shin

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

Increasing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates has become an important part of the education agenda in the U.S. in recent years. Stereotypes about STEM (i.e. | belief that STEM abilities are innate, and that European American men are best suited for STEM) have been identified as one of the critical factors that may contribute to low recruitment and retention of STEM students. Drawing from the literatures on biological essentialism and role models, this study compared different strategies for challenging STEM stereotypes among undergraduate students in STEM and non-STEM fields. STEM stereotypes were challenged directly with research articles that …

The Making Of A Habit: The Moderating Role Of Construal Level On The Development Of Automaticity, Allison Marie Sweeney

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

Through practice, erratic behaviors become consistent. Numerous daily actions, including health-related behaviors such as exercise, are guided by habits that function automatically. However, considerable variability exists in the time it takes for a new behavior to become consistent and automatic. To date, little research has examined why the speed of habit formation varies across individuals and situations. I tested whether focusing on the concrete procedures of action (concrete thinking) facilitates the development of behavioral consistency and automaticity more so than focusing on the abstract purpose of action (abstract thinking). In Experiment 1, I examined whether concrete vs. abstract thinking influences …

Intactivism: Understanding Anti-Male Circumcision Organizing In The U.S., Amanda Owyn Kennedy

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

While in the U.S. routine medical circumcision of male infants has long been justified on medical grounds, scholars have also pointed to surrounding discourses that suggest deeply held cultural prejudices, fears of sexuality, and racial contagion. However, little scholarship has addressed the questions of masculinity, despite a massive polemical literature that swirls around it. This dissertation takes those polemics, and several organizational efforts, as its source of data to understand the “Intactivist†movement as a social movement. Like all social movements, the Intactivist movement has many branches, is organizationally diverse and rhetorically diverse. So, how does the movement coalesce, and …

The Limits Of Isomorphism: Global Investment Law And The Asean Investment Regime, Sungjoon Cho, Jürgen Kurtz

Chicago Journal of International Law

This Article probes the unique ontogenetic path of ASEAN’s regulation of foreign investment by juxtaposing global investment law with the ASEAN investment regime. While the former delivers a powerful heuristic on isomorphism that ASEAN exhibits in its strong reflection of global investment norms, the latter sheds critical light on ideological and analytical blind spots by exploring distinct heterogeneities in ASEAN’s investment regulation. Those heterogeneities, especially preferences towards non-legal forms of cooperation and tailored flexibilities to pursue public and development outcomes, are not simply outliers, but reflect important historical and cultural values inherent to ASEAN and its members. The insights uncovered …

Exploring Pedagogical Factors In Early Years Literacy Development In Mombasa Island Sub-County: The Case Of Tawakal Primary School, Julia Kavata Munyasya

Master of Education

Literacy development is influenced by several factors like teacher methodology, use of resources, administrators‟ practices, parental involvement and others which are very important as this study has confirmed. In Mombasa Island, most schools enjoy adequate books, qualified teachers, favourable learning environments, reasonable teacher-child ratio and others. However, these factors do not seem to have translated to effective learning outcome. This study therefore sought to explore pedagogical factors that either enhanced or hindered literacy development in Early Years using qualitative approach and intrinsic case study. It was confirmed that single factors as outlined above could not be used to determine the …

Dance Usm! Program [2016], University Of Southern Maine Department Of Theatre

Programs 2016-2017 Season

Directed by Maria Tzianabos

Introduction Of Biosimilar Therapeutics Into Nephrology Practice In The United States: Report Of A Scientific Workshop Sponsored By The National Kidney Foundation, Jay B. Wish, Chaim Charytan, Glenn M. Chertow, Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh, Alan S. Kliger, Robert J. Rubin, Jerry Yee, Steven Fishbane

Nephrology Articles

Biosimilars are biologic medicines highly similar to the reference product with no meaningful clinical differences in terms of safety, purity, and potency. All biologic medicines are produced by living cells, resulting in an inherent heterogeneity in their higher order structures and post-translational modifications. In 2010, the US Congress enacted legislation to streamline the approval process for biosimilars of products losing patent protection, with the goal of decreasing costs and improving patient access to therapeutically important but expensive biologic agents. In 2015, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first biosimilar agent through this pathway. Approval of additional biosimilar agents …

Security Techniques For Sensor Systems And The Internet Of Things, Daniele Midi

Open Access Dissertations

Sensor systems are becoming pervasive in many domains, and are recently being generalized by the Internet of Things (IoT). This wide deployment, however, presents significant security issues.

We develop security techniques for sensor systems and IoT, addressing all security management phases. Prior to deployment, the nodes need to be hardened. We develop nesCheck, a novel approach that combines static analysis and dynamic checking to efficiently enforce memory safety on TinyOS applications. As security guarantees come at a cost, determining which resources to protect becomes important. Our solution, OptAll, leverages game-theoretic techniques to determine the optimal allocation of security resources in …

The Constitutionality Of Prison Privatization: An Analysis Of Prison Privatization In The United States And Israel, Stacey Jacovetti

Global Business Law Review

This note analyzes the constitutionality of the current state of prison privatization in the United States under the non-delegation doctrine and the due process clause. Furthermore, this note analyzes the Israeli Supreme Court's ruling holding prison privatization as unconstitutional under the Basic Law of the Right to Human Dignity and Liberty. Subsequently, an argument is made that the current authority for the utilization of private prisons in the United States is insufficient to establish the use of private prisons as constitutional. As such, this note argues that the overall scheme of privatization should provide for more detailed contracts--similar to those …

Prefatory Matter And Table Of Contents

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

Fsma: The Future Of Food Litigation, Robert Shawn Hogue

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

Woodward Material Replenishment Loop Implementation, Peyton J. Gunnison

Honors Capstones

At Woodward Rock Cut Campus purchased material is required at each production cell in the Integration loop at the Rock Cut Campus. The purchased parts come from suppliers and begin by being stored in the warehouse, which is external to Woodward. A truck is used to transport the needed kits and point of use storage bin between the warehouse and the Rock Cut Campus. Currently there is not a schedule in place to efficiently move the carts from the warehouse to the production lines. The project’s main objective is to develop a functional and efficient reusable kitting replenishment loop. The …

Non-Invasive Lifestyle Modifications That Mitigate The Non-Modifiable Risks Of Breast Cancer In Potential High Risk Patients, Angelica Rosinski

Honors Capstones

Breast cancer is most common invasive cancer occurring in US women. The standard treatment for breast cancer includes surgery, systemic therapy (e.g., chemotherapy, biotherapy, targeted therapy) and radiotherapy. The Healthy People 2020 initiative promotes education and prevention instead of treatment. Therefore, non-invasive lifestyle modifications should be developed to decrease the risk of developing breast cancer among women at population risk and those who carry a genetic mutation conferring increased breast cancer risk. Diet, weight management, and exercise as methods to reduce breast cancer are examined within this literature review. These lifestyle adjustments should be introduced to individuals who are at …

Comedy Of Politics: How Satire Affects The Attitudes Towards A Politician, Marcus Braymer

2016 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Throughout history, satirists have mocked politicians. However, in recent years politicians have involved themselves in satire, making appearances on shows like Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show. These appearances and the increasing interest in satire has led to one question, does satire affect the public opinion of politicians? In order to answer this question an experiment was designed by creating three original videos. The videos showed a fictional politician’s support of an issue, a satirist making fun of this politician, and the politician making an appearance with the satirist to make fun of himself. Participants watched these videos and …

Identification Of The Plateau Of Cadmium Extraction From Aqueous Solution By Invasive Macrophyte: Eichhornia Crassipes, Micalah Spenrath

2016 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Cadmium is an extremely deleterious heavy metal characterized by high toxicity, environmental disruptiveness and difficult removal. Utilizing an aquatic macrophyte, Eichhornia crassipes, as a phytoremediant of cadmium has been shown to be experimentally viable and less environmentally degrading than conventional methods of heavy metal remediation. To further understand the time required to optimize cadmium uptake and minimize the rerelease of contaminants, E. crassipes was studied to identify the plateau of cadmium extraction. The experimental plants were housed in aquatic environments with cadmium concentrations of 5 ppm for 144 hours. Water samples were analyzed in atmosphere in a Shimadzu EDX- 7000 …

The Role Of Wnt3a In Bone-Muscle Biochemical Crosstalk And Promoting Myoblast Differentiation Among Mouse Primary Muscle Cells, Sarah Daggs

2016 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

Bone and muscle crosstalk is a newly emerging field that focuses on the ability of bone cells and muscle cells to communicate with each other through mechanical and biochemical mechanisms. Until recently, the secretory function of both bone and muscle cells has largely been unexplored. My thesis focuses on continuing my faculty mentor’s current research on bone-muscle crosstalk by analyzing the effects of WNT3a, an important bone-secreted factor of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, on myogenesis. Myogenesis is the process of producing muscle cells from stem cells in the embryonic stages of development and the regeneration of muscle tissue after cell injury …

The Effect Of The Feminist Movement On Women’S Political Involvement In The United States, Natalie Thomas

2016 Fall Honors Capstone Projects - Archive

As of 2016, the United States of America ranks 99th in the world --out of 193-- for women in legislature despite a long history of women’s rights movements. I compared the timeline of the feminist movement in the U.S. to the history of women’s political gains to determine what effect, if any, the women’s rights movement had on political engagement. With the chronology compared, it is easy to see if there were any specific points in the feminist movement that motivated women to become more politically active. Women’s political involvement increased after the 19th amendment was ratified, following World War …

Nanoscale Solutions To Tailor Fiber Architectures For Realizing Composites With Triumvirate Properties, Vishnu Priya Ramineni

All Theses

The paramount need for the development of multifunctional, smart and adaptive material systems for application in industries like automobile, aeronautical and aerospace is undeniable. Polymer composites are fast becoming the primary material options to this demand in light of their superior mechanical properties, low density, high corrosion resistance and easy manufacturability. The design flexibility offered in terms of achieving higher specific properties and light weighting is the key reason behind their success. Among all the properties that composites possess, it is the stiffness, strength and toughness that most applications mandate. These properties however, provide complimentary and contrasting characteristics for composites …

Effect Of Manures On Food Waste Degradation In Biocell, Md Nur Basit Zaman

Civil Engineering Theses - Archive

Proper disposal of food waste is a challenge due to adverse effect on the environment through generation of excessive leachate and greenhouse gas (CH4). After food loss through the food supply chain, the food waste ends up mostly in landfills. A study by EPA showed food waste to be the second largest component found in landfill. However, food waste imposes major cost on landfill management, and demands a potential alternative disposal solution that can negate the adverse effects. Though anaerobic digester and composting are possible solutions for food waste disposal, the former is highly expensive while in later solution, a …