MAKING SUMMER FEATURE: A HISTORY OF SFA STUDENT PRODUCTIONS

This thesis will discuss the documentary film Summer Feature: A History of SFA Student Productions, which I filmed, directed and produced. It will discuss how this documentary came into existence and the process I went through to film and edit the interviews featured in the final film. It will also detail the process of discovering the theme of the film, from the initial concept through post-production

Review of trace toxic elements (Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Sb, Bi, Se, Te) and their deportment in gold processing. Part 1: Mineralogy, aqueous chemistry and toxicity

A literature review on the deportment of trace toxic elements (Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Sb, Bi, Se, and Te) in gold processing by cyanidation is presented which compiles the current knowledge in this area and highlights the gaps. This review, together with further research on the gaps in the thermodynamics and kinetics of these systems, aims to support the development of computer models to predict the chemical speciation and deportment of these elements through the various stages of the gold cyanidation process. The first part of this review is a collation of the relevant information on trace element mineralogy, aqueous chemistry and toxicity, together with a comparison of two available software packages (JESS and OLI) for thermodynamic modelling. Chemical speciation modelling can assist in understanding the chemistry of the trace toxic elements in gold cyanidation solutions which remains largely unexplored. Many significant differences exist between the predicted speciation of these trace elements for different types of modelling software due to differences in the thermodynamic data used, the paucity of data that exists under appropriate non-ideal conditions, and the methods used by the software packages to estimate thermodynamic parameters under these conditions. The toxicity and environmental guidelines of the chosen trace element species that exist in aqueous solutions are discussed to better understand the health and environmental risks associated with the presence of these elements in gold ores

Project Whirligig: Modeling the Swarming Behavior of Whirligig Beetles

This project involved the automatic identification and extraction of whirligig beetle locations from video frames using a variety of computer vision and machine learning methods, and tracking the beetle locations over time. Preliminary work was also done on agent-based computer simulation that aims to replicate the beetles\u27 swarming motions

Investigation of complexation and solubility equilibria in the copper(I)/cyanide system at 25°C

The complexation of copper(I) by cyanide ions (CN−) in aqueous solution has been studied by glass electrode potentiometry at 25 °C and ionic strengths (I) of 1, 3 and 5 M in NaCl media. Overall formation constants, βn, for the equilibria: Cu+(aq) + nCN−(aq) ⇌ Cu(CN)n(n − 1)−(aq) with n = 2, 3 and 4, were quantified, along with the ionization constant (Kw) of water and the acid dissociation constant (Ka) of HCN(aq). The solubility constants *Ksn for the equilibria: CuCN(s) + (n − 1)HCN0(aq) ⇌ Cu(CN)n(n − 1)−(aq) + (n − 1)H+(aq) were also determined from a re-analysis of published solubility data for CuCN(s) in acidic cyanide solutions at I = 1 M(NaCl) and 25 °C. Because of the instability of uncomplexed Cu+(aq) and parameter correlations in the data, neither β1 nor the solubility product Ks0 (CuCN(s) ⇌ Cu+(aq) + CN−(aq)) could be reliably determined from the present data although estimates are presented

The Fragility of Persistently Economically Distressed Counties in Central Appalachia and the Promise of Public Leadership

Appalachia has long experienced economic distress, but significant progress has been made since the establishment of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) in the 1960s. However, many counties in central Appalachia continue to experience persistent economic distress despite several advantages that are normally conducive to progress. This study examines Rowan County, Kentucky in comparison to four other rural Kentucky counties with varying degrees of economic progress. Quantitative comparisons were made on the basis of out-migration, educational attainment, and industrial diversity. Qualitative data was then gathered till·ough interviews to understand decisive events that affected progress as well as long-term causes of change over time. Findings indicate that rural counties that experience persistent economic distress are comparatively fragile. Single events, such as a general economic downturn or departure of a company, can be devastating and long lasting. At the same time, interviews showed that political and community leadership can be decisive. This includes deliberate long-term planning; communication and cooperation between local governments, business, and community leaders; enthusiastic fostering of small business and local entrepreneurship; and a willingness to revise local policies and regulations (e.g., zoning, alcohol sales, and property taxes) in order to attract business and improve quality of life

Muscle Dysmorphia and the Effects of Emotion Regulation and Fitness Media

Research on Muscle Dysmorphia (MD) has identified various cognitive and behavioral variables related to other psychopathology (i.e., eating disorders, additive disorders) associated with increased levels of impulsivity, compulsivity, and difficulty regulating emotions. PURPOSE: The aim of the current study was to investigate the degree to which emotional dysregulation (EDys), through the mediating effects of compulsivity and impulsivity, influence one’s risk towards MD symptomatology. Due to recent findings relating social media and negative regulatory associations, exploratory analyses assessed the effect of ‘fitspiration’ content on the model. METHODS: Using MTurk with a Qualtrics survey, 129 adults (aged 23-69 years) completed a background questionnaire, the Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder Inventory, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale – Short English Version, and the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale – Modified for Body Dysmorphic Disorder. For mediation analyses, PROCESS Model 4 was used in SPSS, and Model 59 was used to assess if ‘fitspiration’ exposure moderated any of the paths. RESULTS: Higher EDys was related to higher impulsivity (a1 = 0.21; 95% CI [0.15, 0.28]) and compulsivity (a2 = 0.39; 95% CI [0.31, 0.48]). Higher compulsivity was associated with increased MDDI scores (b2 = 0.32; 95% CI [0.12, 0.53]), while impulsivity was not (b1 = 0.01; 95% CI [-0.29, 0.29]). A direct effect was found for both models (c1’ = 0.68; 95% CI [-0.56, 0.81]; c2’ = 0.55; 95% CI [0.42, 0.69]); only compulsivity mediated this effect (a2 x b2 = 0.13; 95% CI [0.04, 0.23]). ‘Fitspiration’ exposure did not moderate this model (aint = -0.08; 95% CI [-0.22, 0.06]; bint = 0.50; 95% CI [-0.22, 1.23]; cint = -0.23; 95% CI [-0.64, 0.19]). CONCLUSION: Compulsivity significantly mediated the relationship between EDys and MD symptomatology, implying higher scores of EDys were associated with greater compulsivity, and increased compulsive scores were associated with more MD-related cognitions and behaviors. While related to EDys, impulsivity was not associated with dysmorphic symptoms. Exploratory analyses found ‘Fitspiration’ content exposure did not significantly moderate the model utilizing compulsivity as a mediating variable

The Portrayal of Native American Stereotypes: A Semiotic Analysis of Sports Logos Overtime

Mascots and logos play a crucial role in the branding of sports teams. When establishing a logo, organizations want a sign or symbol that is meaningful and widely recognizable. This study examines the portrayal of Native American Indian stereotypes within sport team logos of the Cleveland Indians, the Atlanta Braves, the Washington Redskins, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Syracuse Orange, and the Illinois Illini over a 90 year period. The study consists of a semiotic analysis of six major sports team logos, their logo changes and a review of external factors over time. Practical implications as well as future research are discussed

Single-Cell Lipidomics Using Analytical Flow LC-MS Characterizes the Response to Chemotherapy in Cultured Pancreatic Cancer Cells

In this work, we demonstrate the development and first application of nanocapillary sampling followed by analytical flow liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry for single-cell lipidomics. Around 260 lipids were tentatively identified in a single cell, demonstrating remarkable sensitivity. Human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells (PANC-1) treated with the chemotherapeutic drug gemcitabine can be distinguished from controls solely on the basis of their single-cell lipid profiles. Notably, the relative abundance of LPC(0:0/16:0) was significantly affected in gemcitabine-treated cells, in agreement with previous work in bulk. This work serves as a proof of concept that live cells can be sampled selectively and then characterized using automated and widely available analytical workflows, providing biologically relevant outputs