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The Effect Of Predator Chemical Cues And Conspecific Alarm Signals Upon Behavior In Early And Late Developmental Stages Of American Toad (Bufo Americanus) Tadpoles, Carol Lynette Johnson

Masters Theses

The chemosensory capability and subsequent habitat choice of larval American toad (Bufo americanus) tadpoles were quantified using choice of refuge with both early and late developmental stages. Treatments were performed with two tadpole densities to ascertain the effect of social aggregations upon behavior. Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and predaceous diving beetle larvae (Dytiscus sp.) predators were used to condition water. Conspecific tadpoles as well as Southern leopard frog (Rana sphenocephala) tadpoles were used to prepare treatment extracts.

Tadpole density (n=10 and n=20) had no significant effect upon the percentage of tadpoles seeking cover …

Degradation Of Trazine Compounds Via Metallic Iron Under Acidic Conditions, Tracy Dombek

Masters Theses

The degradation of dissolved dimethoxyatrazine (2-chloro-4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazine), terbutylazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-terbutylamino-1,3 ,5-triazine) and deisopropylatrazine (2-amino-4-chloro-6-ethylamino-1,3,5-triazine) via metallic iron was studied as a function of solution pH. Generally, degradation was more rapid the lower the solution pH and higher the compound pKa. For dimethoxyatrazine k_SA (k_SA= k' (min^-1)* V (L) / M (g) I SA(m²/g)) was found to be 1.33 (± 0.07) E-4 min^-1 m^-2 L at pH 2, 6.1 (± 0.6) E-5 min^-1 m^-2 L at pH 3 and 4.4 (± 0.6) E-5 min^-1 m^-2 L at pH 4. For …

"Retracing Our Steps": Storytelling, Time, And Traditional Referentiality In Mama Day And Absalom, Absalom!, Christine Ann Roth

Masters Theses

Gloria Naylor and William Faulkner turn to the history and tradition of oral storytelling in their novels. Mama Day and Absalom, Absalom! especially present the concepts and techniques of the storytelling act. The complexities of the audience-performer dynamic and non-linear time in an oral storytelling event create obstacles for the teller (the writer) and confuse the role of the audience (the readers). Writers create the role of listening audience for the readers, changing the accepted rules of the readers by asking them to become participants. In Mama Day and Absalom, Absalom!, Naylor and Faulkner create connections between audience …

Current Trends In Psychological Testing, Kimberle L. S. Crawford

Masters Theses

Discussions about the adequacy of psychological measurement and assessment can quickly become controversial therefore; I expect some strong reaction to portions of this manuscript. Debates about the usefulness of criticism of psychological testing are longstanding: Even early psychologists such as Cattell and Jastrow disagreed on this issue. To be clear, I do not believe that use of contemporary tests should cease. I share the view that "psychological tests often provide the fairest and most accurate method of making important decisions" (K. R. Murphy & Davidshoffer, 1988, p. xii).

My first purpose, then, is to provide a historical survey of relevant …

A Component Analysis Of Nondirective Play Therapy, Jane E. Wilson

Masters Theses

We evaluated the effects of nondirective play therapy on the inappropriate play of three developmentally normal children with conduct problems . Specifically, we examined the effects of attention (contingent vs noncontingent) and the play environment (enriched vs impoverished) using a reversal design. Our goal was to isolate one of these two variables as the primary effective component of nondirective play therapy for a particular child. For two subjects, attention remained contingent upon inappropriate play across conditions and the play environment was manipulated. Inappropriate play increased for one of these participants in an impoverished environment. For the third participant, an actual …

A Comparison Of Greek Vs. Non-Greek Living On College Adjustment During The Sophomore Year, Matthew Watkins

Masters Theses

Though research with living environment and student adjustment as their focus have been conducted, the majority have focused on academic adjustment and "cognitive growth." This study was conducted to determine if a relationship existed between certain living environments (Greek and Non-Greek housing) and a student's adjustment to college in 5 areas corresponding to the scales that comprise the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ). The SACQ is composed of five scales: Academic Adjustment, Social Adjustment, Personal-Emotional Adjustment, Attachment subscale, and an Overall scale of adjustment. Results indicated that Non-Greek students were significantly better adjusted on the psychologically-oriented scale (the Personal-Emotional …

Audre Lorde's Expansive Influence On Black Lesbians: Jewelle Gomez, Cheryl Clarke, And Kate Rushin, Denise L. Fitzer

Masters Theses

Audre Lorde, who named herself black, feminist, lesbian, mother, poet, and activist, was a pioneer for black lesbians everywhere. In her poetry and prose, Lorde challenged the myths and taboos associated with black women, lesbians, and feminists. Although her work focused on a broad range of topics that illuminated her many identities, she concentrated most heavily on issues of multiple oppression and its resulting fear and silence. In naming herself, Lorde urged others to do the same — to fight the self-imposed and socially-imposed silence surrounding triple oppression.

Countless women from the black community of writers have paid tribute to …

A Neural Network Methodology For Path Planning And Coordination Of Car-Like Robots, Prasanna Venkatesan Sadagopan

Masters Theses

"A car-like indoor mobile robot is a kinematically constrained robot that can be modeled as a 2D object translating and rotating in the horizontal plane among well- defined obstacles. The kinematic constraints impose that the linear velocity of the robot is along its main axis (no sideways motion is possible) and restrict the range of admissible values for the steering angle. The goal of this study is to combine neural network techniques and motion planning algorithms to create a new methodology for coordinating the motion of multiple car-like robots avoiding collision with polygonal obstacles in a work environment. An incremental …

Reconstitution And Characterization Of Membrane Proteins, Sarah Mia Pates

Masters Theses

“A membrane protein, cytochrome c reductase, was crystallized and examined using transmission electron microscopy. Two-dimensional crystals were prepared by two methods. In Method 1, the protein was solubilized in 50 mM Tris-Acetate (pH 6.0)/0.5 mM EDTA70.05% (w/v) Triton X-100 and reconstituted into a mixture of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine (4:1), dissolved in the same buffer. The Triton X-100 was removed from the mixture by dialysis in the presence of Bio-beads (SM-2) at approximately 25-30 °C. Method 2 was the same as Method 1, except that the vesicles were fractionated before reconstitution, and the pH and temperature for crystallization were 7.0 and …

Cellular Automata Study Of The Feasibility Of A Parallel Optical Computer, Jason Robert Lane

Masters Theses

"The speed of modern electronic computers has inherent design limitations which will soon be reached. A possible substitute is the optical computer. In this project, the feasibility of the optical computer is explored by designing and building a parallel optical system. This system is used to test the basic principles that would govern a parallel optical computer. The system is based on the principle of cellular automata, which is a simulation technique used to study interactions of objects in a system. The following goals were set. The system would be based on cellular automata. A one-dimensional array with nine cells, …

Older Women's Beliefs About Hormone Replacement Therapy: A Qualitative Study, Cheryl Luann Rush Towne

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Knowledge Regarding Three Popular Dietary Supplements: Chromium Picolinate, Creatine, And Androstenedione, Terry L. Williams Jr.

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Reproduction Partitioning In Polygyne Nests Of The Yellowjacket Vespula Squamosa, Stephanie A. Stewart

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Emergence And Reproductive Patterns In The Japanese Beetle, Popillia Japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), Steven J. Van Timmeren

Masters Theses

Sex-biased emergence patterns are common in insects resulting in either protandry (males emerging before females) or protogyny (females emerging before males). The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman, has been shown to exhibit protandry but shows some characteristics of a protogynous species. For example, females mate and oviposit multiple times and this species displays last male sperm advantage. This study investigated the emergence and egg laying patterns of Japanese beetles in east-central Illinois. Although variation existed among study sites none showed protandry and overall they displayed protogyny. Females did not initiate oviposition until several days after emergence and the number of …

Critical Fantasies: Structure Of Chinese Folk Tales, Saihanjula He

Masters Theses

Folk tales provide a unique source of information for cultural studies. They come from the people. Springing from the people's imagination in a social context, they carry historical truths, stir up political undercurrents, and reveal social facts that official history books will not and cannot tell. In a time when writing was a privileged form of expression, the oral folk tale popularly communicated the injustices committed by the upper class, and gave the powerless voices of their own. Common themes of folk tales all reflect, to various degrees, the people's desires to rise above environmental, cultural, social and class constraints …