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In the United States today, there are roughly 12 million undocumented immigrants. As a result of exploitation, limited rights, and cultural segregation, immigrant groups are pressuring government officials to pass legislation that would enable immigrants to acquire their basic civil rights. Unfortunately, ideological differences have prevented politicians from finding a bipartisan solution. Therefore, President Obama issued an executive order, which gave immigrants a better pathway to citizenship. This action could potentially have great effects on America's political landscape. Using exit poll data, demographic and geographic statistics, this presentation attempts to display how an Executive Order of this nature, could create a new Democratic Southwest region of the United States because of the large Hispanic electorate in such areas as Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. A new Republican stronghold in the northern states of America could develop as well. These implications could be felt as soon as the 2016 Presidential Election.
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The proposed study will examine the impact of a media literacy-cognitive dissonance intervention on women's internalization of the thin ideal, eating disorder symptomology, life and body satisfaction. KSC females will be recruited and randomly assigned to one of two conditions: intervention or control. Participants in the intervention condition will watch a 30-minute media literacy video, engage in approximately a 30-minute discussion and complete a questionnaire packet, which includes the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory, Body Image States Scale, Sociocultural Attitudes towards Appearance Questionnaire and the Anorexia-Bulimia Inventory. Participants in the control condition will only be required to complete the questionnaires. It is hypothesized that participants exposed to the intervention will score significantly higher on measures of body and life satisfaction and significantly lower on eating disorder symptomology, compared with the control condition.
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The riots associated with the Keene Pumpkin Festival of 2014 exposed many divisions between the Keene, NH residents. This paper presents the results of ethnographic research conducted to uncover socially constructed realities embedded in responses to the 2014 Pumpkin Fest riots. This ethnographic inquiry included interviews, participant-observation, analysis of news articles, and commentary. During the family-friendly community event, participants were unaware of an extremely different type of celebration of Pumpkin Fest occurring on adjacent streets. Between the Pumpkin Fest footprint and the Keene State campus, chaotic parties escalated into riotous behaviors that carried on throughout the night, surrounded by police. While some students contributed to the clean up the next day, a buzz of opinions concerning the possible cause(s) began to flare. In the following weeks, different socially constructed narratives, roughly aligned with different interest groups, emerged.
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Roundabouts have numerous benefits with regard to safety, cost, and environmental sustainability. Student researchers gathered questionnaire and field observation data on the feasibility of converting the Central Square traffic pattern into a roundabout. Results show that approximately two-thirds of the sample (n=72) surveyed felt that traffic in downtown Keene was 'inefficient' or 'somewhat efficient.' A majority (85%) stated that traffic flow in Keene has improved since roundabouts were installed around town. While very few cars wait at the lights in the early morning and late evening, during the middle of the day up to 18 cars idle at the lights. Other research indicates that exhaust created when cars idle at stoplights is reduced by 32-42% when roundabouts are installed. We conclude that the lights in the Square can be switched to blinking yellows during certain times of the day, or during the whole day. The City of Keene should consider options for removing stoplights to reduce the number of idling cars and exhaust created by those cars.
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This project seeks to further the understanding of how river chemistry is altered by beaver dams and aims to measure concentrations of ions in water samples using an analytical separation technique called capillary electrophoresis (CE). Using standard chemicals and calibration curves, the CE method will quantify inorganic ion species. These ions will be analyzed in water samples collected from rivers with beaver ponds interspersed between free-flowing sections. The measured ion concentrations will be compared in free-flowing reaches versus beaver ponds to assess the impact of beaver dams on the in-stream chemical state. To measure this, the CE instrument separates mixtures within a glass capillary and measures each ion individually. A specialized detector is connected to the instrument for measuring separated ions where concentration is a function of conductivity. Positive ions of interest can be separated in under eight minutes, and negative ions of interest can be separated in under six minutes.
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Although scholars have focused on the legislative goals of the Tea Party Caucus in Congress, no study examines whether Tea Party members operate predominantly as policy seekers or as electorally driven vote maximizers. Therefore I ask: Did incumbent Republican legislators join the Tea Party Caucus before the 2010 elections to boost their chances of passing extremely conservative bills or to increase their reelection prospects? To answer this question, I examine the legislative records of these incumbents from 2002 to 2010 to see whether they routinely promoted a conservative strategy that conflicted with and was more extreme than the Republican platform. I also examine the level of voter support that these incumbents received before and after joining the Tea Party Caucus to see whether they enjoyed electoral gains from their new caucus membership. I find that Tea Party incumbents failed to use policy-seeking strategies and worked to maximize their electoral support.
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Thiosemicarbazones are an interesting class of metal binding compounds. They have been shown to display biological activity including anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial and anti-tumoral properties. Further, both the unbound compound and their metal complexes have shown anti-tumor activity, however the metal complex was found to have enhanced pharmacological activity. The properties of these compounds can be differentiated by adding and changing substituents on the ring that contain varying electronic effects. A variety of novel thiosemicarbazones compounds have been developed and reacted with palladium or platinum complexes to make their corresponding productions. The goals are to synthesize and structurally characterize the ligands and metal complexes using X-Ray Diffraction which is an effective method for determining molecular structures of crystalized compounds. Eventually the library of complexes will be investigated to see the effect changes in structure have on their biological activity.
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The range of applications for gold complexes is rapidly growing since they have potential uses in chemical and biological sensing, electronics, and the pharmaceutical industry. This project involves the preparation of complexes of gold derived from caffeine, a well-known stimulant that is commercially available. Interestingly, the molecular structure of caffeine includes an imidazole ring and, as such, it is susceptible to chemical transformations, including the formation of carbene derivatives. More specifically, methylation of the unsubstituted nitrogen on caffeine forms an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursor, which was converted to the corresponding thione and selone derivatives. These monodentate ligands have been coordinated to gold(I) halides, and these results will be described in detail in this report. These gold complexes serve as molecular models for the binding of thiones and selones to gold surfaces.
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This study used a mixed methods approach to examine the topic of public housing in Keene, New Hampshire, a small city in central New England. A Resident Satisfaction Survey was designed to inform Keene Housing about their property managers' performance and learn more about residents' needs. This survey evaluated Keene Housing tenants' attitudes regarding safety, food security, and access to childcare programs, healthcare and technology. Other survey questions explored elements such as criminal activity and technology access. Quantitative and qualitative survey results were synthesized and were statistically analyzed to explore differences between public housing properties. The results indicated that there is a lack of programs for Keene Housing tenants to utilize, and confirmed that residents have unequal access to key services within the community. Also, we found a significant difference among housing properties with regard to resident satisfaction.
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Many different species of microalgae live on the surface of eelgrass leaves and can limit the growth and survival of the eelgrass. Microalgae are single-celled photosynthetic organisms, and overgrowth by epiphytic algae has been implicated in the decline of seagrasses worldwide. Traditionally, microalgae have been identified using microscopy, which is difficult, time consuming, and relies on qualitative observations. The purpose of this research project is to develop an analytical method to measure extracted photopigments as a means of microalgae identification. High Performance Liquid Chromatography will be used to separate and measure photopigments chlorophyll a, fucoxanthin, and zeaxanthin, which are common to many microalgae communities. Calculated ratios of the three photopigments can be used to identify microalgae taxonomy. Results from this project will investigate the relative abundance of different microalgae communities on eelgrass collected from field sites in Massachusetts and examine how algal community structure varies with eelgrass health.
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Why are American women having fewer children? There are two arguments in the literature. Firstly, with social security in place, there is less reliance upon grown children to support their elderly parents. Further, rising wages for women working outside the home can lead to higher child care costs. I hypothesized that fertility depends on child care costs and the number of women in full time work. A regression with data from the Center for Disease Control and the Bureau of Labor Statistics from the 1980s to 2012 showed that child care costs had the greatest effect on fertility.
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The current study examined the impact of three experimental conditions on women's body satisfaction (BS), self-esteem (SE) and eating disorder symptomology (EDS). Specifically, participants were exposed to either underweight, average weight, or male models. Participants were 91 females from Keene State College and the Keene community. Participants viewed 20 images of models, completed questionnaires and had their height and weight measured. The results showed that women exposed to images of thin models had lower BS compared to the women exposed to average weight models; there were no other significant findings between groups. However, there were significant correlations between BS and EDS, BS and SE, and SE and EDS. Lastly, participants with the highest BMI discrepancies had the lowest body satisfaction scores.
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With climate change an increasing concern, the push towards alternative energy sources from fossil fuels is very strong. Biodiesel fuel is one such alternative; however, it is important to consider that the combustion of biodiesel may contain toxic and harmful organic compounds that are emitted into the atmosphere. For this study, airborne particulate matter was collected on filters over a ten-day period for both diesel and biodiesel fuels at two workspace locations within the Keene Recycling Center. Collected particulate matter was categorized by size using multiple filters within an impactor device. Filters were analyzed for the presence of 61 different organic compounds using gas chromatography mass spectrometry with high sensitivity. Results will be presented that compare the differences in chemical content found in the emissions from the two fuels and examine these chemical differences with specific ranges of particulate matter size.
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This study aims to investigate the relationship between attachment style, physiological responsivity and relationship satisfaction in dating and non-dating college students. Other than a requirement of 18 years of age, there are no exclusionary criteria for participants. Self-report questionnaires will be used to measure participants' attachment style (The Security Scale and The Coping Strategies Questionnaire) with each parent and to measure relationship satisfaction (Couple's Satisfaction Index). Physiological responsivity (skin conductance and breathing patterns) will be measured during the viewing of 5 conflict video clips. These short vignettes have been borrowed from Hollywood films for their depiction of relational conflict. For instance Revolutionary Road shows a hostile relationship, The Break-Up depicts a volatile relationship, The Pursuit of Happiness conflict avoiding, and It's a Disaster shows a validating relationship. This study is examining the correlation between hypotheses.
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A flow experience is categorized as a state of effortless attention, where a mindset of complete concentration becomes so focused that it leads to total absorption of an activity (Csikszentmi halyi, 1997). Maslow (1959) regarded these as 'peak experiences', defined by moments of happiness and encouragement that ultimately give one a sense of one's true potential. The current study uses musicians as the sample group. Due to perceived controlability of flow, (Jackson, 1995) expertise will be controlled for in order to increase the probability of participants reaching a flow state. The current hypotheses states that the effortless attention that gives rise to peak performance during a flow state is due to synchronization of attention and reward networks in sensory-motor regions of the brain known as convergence zones (Damasio, 1989). Participants were asked to bring in one song to be performed over five trials. EEG, GSR, and arterial blood flow were all measured along with the Flow State Scale developed by Jackson and Marsh (1994).
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Begin with any positive integer n. Write it as the sum of two smaller positive integers, say a and b. Compute the product ab. Repeat the same step in any order for each of the smaller numbers a and b. Continue this process until the only numbers left are 1s. Add up all the products. Regardless of the order in which the final 1s are obtained, the sum of the products will be the same. This talk will present the mathematics needed to explain why the products are the same and show how the ideas may be extended to other types of products whose sums will again be identical.
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While biodiesel is considered a greener alternative to diesel fuel, there is little information on health effects from exposure to biodiesel and diesel particulate matter (PM) generated in 'real world' combustion operations. PM is comprised of chemicals which induce production of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which have been linked to adverse health effects in humans. During the summer of 2014, PM samples were collected inside the cabin of a heavy duty front loader that operated on both fuel types. I exposed a human lung cell line to PM from each fuel type and measured the ROS generated. Our team also analyzed PM for water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) in order to investigate potential associations between WSOC and ROS. In this talk, I will present our experimental results examining the impact of fuel on PM composition and ROS generation. The overall goal is to better understand biodiesel's potential health effects.
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A family of proteins with very similar amino acid sequences known as Argonautes is found in all plants and animals. Proteins from this family play critical roles during an organism's development and helping the plant or animal fight off harmful viruses. Argonautes carry out these tasks by silencing a specific set of the organism's own developmental genes as well as genes encoded by viruses, relieving the cell of unnecessary or even harmful genetic codes. This phenomenon of destroying certain genes has immense scientific and pharmaceutical implications. In this set of experiments, we examine one of the ways in which an Argonaute protein's activity is controlled. We aim to create a system to study the role of the Argonaute4 protein in the mustard plant Arabidopsis thaliana and how its abundance fluctuates in order to meet the changing needs of the plant during its life cycle.
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Nathaniel Bowditch (1773-1838) was an American mathematician who pulled himself out of a life of poverty through self-education. Fulfilling an early passion for mathematics, he taught himself advanced topics by reading the works of the masters; he learned Latin, French, and German on his own to read mathematical texts. He became an influential mathematician, influencing future generations of research mathematicians. Bowditch corrected the mathematical tables of existing navigational references and the mathematical work of such luminaries as Newton and Laplace. In this talk we discuss how Bowditch was influenced by predecessors and in turn influenced future generations. He explained mathematics in a way accessible to all, inspiring American navigators and educators, as well as earning the respect of contemporaries, including Thomas Jefferson. Our purpose is to reveal that the mathematical work of early eighteenth century Americans, particularly Bowditch, was at a higher level than many believe.
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Binary stars are two stars that are gravitationally bound in orbit about one another. In fact, the majority of stars in the universe belong to binary or multiple star systems. Studying binary stars is important because measurements of their orbits provide astronomers with the easiest and most precise method to determine their masses. Due to the large number of binary systems and their continually changing positions, it is of great importance for measurements to be updated periodically. The US Naval Observatory maintains a catalog of all known binary stars called the Washington Double Star catalog. This catalog encourages and, to a great degree, relies on amateur astronomers to make the measurements. Students spent the Fall Semester 2014 learning how to assemble and use a telescope to make measurements and analyze data describing several different binary systems using three separate methods. The results compare well with cataloged values.
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This study examines a bicycle and pedestrian trail between Keene and Walpole, NH that provides recreation opportunities for local residents and seasonal visitors. The trail accommodates a variety of activities throughout the year. Our study focuses on trail conditions and the potential for the rail trail to encourage tourism in the Monadnock Region. Data from trail users and local businesses were obtained through surveys administered on the trail and through an online survey platform. These were statistically analyzed to identify trends. Data on trail conditions and use were obtained from traffic counters, GPS trackers, and visual observations. Using GIS, trail conditions were individually rated in terms of surface material, texture, and moisture, then the three ratings were combined into a final score of trail 'ridability.' A final map of trail condition rankings and amenities was produced to help promote the trail and surrounding towns as a cycling tourism destination.
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The fraction 16/64 has the unusual property that if one simplifies it to lowest terms the result is 1/4, which is also the result if one (illegitimately) cancels the 6's. This is an example of a weird fraction. Once a weird fraction is identified, an infinite sequence of weird fractions can be created. This talk will present the process of generating weird fractions and discuss some of their properties.
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Solar flares are large energy releases observed at the surface of the sun, capable of outputting the energy equivalent of 160 billion megatons of TNT. Caused by a build-up in magnetic energy, these enormous eruptions result in an emission of radiation spanning the entire electromagnetic spectrum, including large fluxes of x-rays, as well as particles accelerated near the speed of light. Both have far-reaching and harmful effects on Earth and its inhabitants. The focus of this investigation is the initial, impulsive phase of the solar flare. This includes the process of magnetic reconnection, a high-energy plasma phenomenon considered the cause of flare initiation. This presentation will examine the impulsive phase by comparing x-ray emissions of two distinct and powerful flares that occurred on January 7th, 2014 with x-ray observations from an atmospheric balloon survey conducted over Antarctica as well as multi-wavelength observations from several other Earth and space-based observatories.
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Organometallic catalysts are a diverse class of molecules utilized in the manufacture of natural products, pharmaceuticals, and other specialty chemicals. As further efforts are made to understand catalytic mechanisms and abilities, a broader range of viable and economical alternatives to existing production methods can be established. Currently, there is a need to design new complexes that can function selectively and under ?green?, or environmentally sustainable conditions, such as avoiding excess solvent and energy usage or reducing chemical waste. This research reports the synthesis and characterization of novel thiosemicarbazone ligands and their associated palladium(II) complexes. An examination of the catalytic activity of these compounds, under mild conditions (lower temperatures) with aqueous solvents (reduced hazardous waste), has shown them to be effective in cross-coupling reactions. The formation of new carbon-carbon(C-C) bonds through cross-coupling has simplified existing synthetic routes and made an extensive category of new chemical compounds possible to produce.
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Fatty Acid synthase (FASN) is an enzyme that catalyzes the production of fatty acids. It has been observed that this enzyme is elevated in cancer cells, since fatty acids are required as both a fuel source and for the synthesis of cell membranes. Thus, inhibitors of fatty acid synthase are being researched in the treatment of breast and other cancers. A series of new compounds that are similar to a previously identified fatty acid synthase inhibitor are prepared in this project in order to determine how the structure influences the biological activity. The synthesis and characterization of the new compounds will be presented. It is expected that the biological activity of this series of compounds, which will be determined by collaborators, can help identify the structural features important for fatty acid synthase inhibition. This could then lead to improved compounds for testing the inhibition of this enzyme in cancer models.
