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Average Budgeted Salaries Of Faculty Staff 2009-2010, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Gives the average salaries of faculty broken down by rank and college and the distribution of salaries of the professional and scientific category.

Women's Labor Markets In Costa Rica, Kelsey Rinehart

Honors Program Theses

In this paper I explore the factors affecting women's labor force participation and wages in Costa Rica. First, I will investigate the role of education in women's labor markets. Second, I address the impact of dual labor markets and government policies on the participation and earnings of women. Finally, I recommend possible policy changes for Costa Rican labor law to benefit women.

Indigent Defense In America: Racially Or Geographically Unjust?, Lisa Karen Akre

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of my research is to investigate the link between indigent defense funding and race. First, I explain the various approaches that states have implemented to deliver legal defense to the indigent. Second, I describe the current lack of funding and its consequences. Third, I examine what effect race has on the indigent defense system. Finally, based on the conclusions drawn from examining both race and funding for indigent defense, I evaluate the effectiveness of the delivery of indigent defense to individual states and regions within the United States.

The Relationship Between Employment And Alcohol Consumption Among College Students, Justin Michael Sprung

Honors Program Theses

This study examines the relationship between employment and alcohol consumption among college students in order to determine whether one variable influences the other. A survey was utilized to investigate this relationship. A total of 687 students from the University of Northern Iowa, 226 males and 461 femal.es, participated in the study. The results indicated no significant relationship between student employment and alcohol consumption. However, it was found that alcohol consumption was significantly related to residency and gender. The findings of this study suggest that factors other than employment may play a more important role in determining the level of alcohol …

Erotics Of Textuality, Megan M. Gallagher

Honors Program Theses

In understanding the complex nature of textual studies, an important aspect, but often overlooked as just a part of the publishing process, is the different set of biases that each editor imposes on the text. What is often studied is the relationship of the author to the text and developing the enjoyment that one can experience in the exploration of what is referred to as authorial intent. This concept of authorship, however, is one that is distinct to the modem audience. When one considers a text in a modem literacy the single person responsible for what is thought of as …

The Effect Of Homocysteine On Development Of Contractions And Expression Of Β-Catenin In Chick Embryo Precardiac Mesoderm, Michelle Lee Formanek

Honors Program Theses

In the chick embryo, homocysteine (Hcys) is teratogenic at elevated levels, causing neural tube defects and cardiac malformations. There is evidence for several Hcys mechanisms of action, including inhibition of cyclin A and cdk2 in the cell cycle, increasing cytosolic calcium levels, and acting as a calcium chelator within adhesion molecules. Elevated Hcys also promotes detachment of endothelial cells, increases migration and proliferation of trunk neural crest cells, and acts as an antagonist to the NMDA receptor that mediates sympathetic pathways to the cardiovascular system. Elevated Hcys' effects on the cell cycle, intracellular and blood calcium levels, and cell proliferation …

Reading Is For Girls: Examining Gender Differences In Reading Attitudes, Molly Jo Mcallister

Honors Program Theses

Recent research across the nation suggests that boys across the country view reading more negatively than girls. To investigate these trends on a more local level, a reading attitudes survey was conducted at two Eastern Iowa high schools to determine whether boys in this area do in fact view reading more pessimistically than girls. This survey was performed in ninth grade English classrooms at the two schools asking students to respond to various belief statements about reading. Students then rated their own feelings on a scale from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree," and designated whether they were male or female …

Cedar Rapids Flood Of 2008: Manmade Or Statistical Anomaly?, Beth Kolsrud

Honors Program Theses

One of the main research questions for this thesis is what factors caused the flooding last summer and why was it so extreme? This is an important question to answer because it is vital to understand what causes a flood of this magnitude so communities can take steps to avoid or minimize damage that may result from floods in the future. The second question is what impact does this flood have on flood insurance? Flood insurance is one tool used to protect property owners from substantial loss due to flooding and plays a vital role in recovery after a flood, …

Telos: An Interactive Platform For Broadcast Management, Andrew L. Knight

Honors Program Theses

The following thesis project is an attempt to consolidate a number of media management tools under a single interface, allowing for a streamlined, yet powerful, approach to the organization and distribution of multimedia content. The Total Electronic Listing Operations Suite, or Telos, is the main component of the thesis and the result of over a year of research and development. The two adjunct components are this review article (a commentary on the process, design, and implementation of the software), and the product overview, available at http://www.uni.edu/unitv/guide.html

Treatment Options For Neuropathic Pain, Sara Akre

Honors Program Theses

Neuropathic pain is caused by injury to or disease of the nervous system. It affects many people around the world and is a symptom of several diseases. In the United States, it is estimated that up to 3% of Americans have neuropathic pain, which costs the healthcare system $40 billion annually (Gilron et al. 2006). It is, unfortunately, difficult to ameliorate or eliminate due to the complexity of the nervous system and its plasticity and is, therefore, a chronic condition. Health care professionals continually struggle to treat patients' pain and, since tolerance to painkillers is easily built up, this often …

Managing Risk In Life Insurance With Your Genetic Information: The Issues, The Options, And The Speed Of Progress, Michelle Gogerty

Honors Program Theses

legislation is already in place to restrict the use of genetic information in the health insurance industry (Genetics and Public Policy Center 2008) and several states have similar laws restricting its use in the life insurance industry as well (National Conference of State legislatures 2008}. It is only a matter of time before national legislation applicable to life insurance is enacted on the matter and I expect it to come within the next five years. Unless both insurers and consumers actively protect their rights to privacy, equality, and profitability, the result of that legislation may be very harmful to one …

Spatial, Geologic, And Land Use Characteristics Of Sinkholes In A Karst Landscape: Waverly, Iowa, Adam Richard Campbell

Honors Program Theses

The city of Waverly and its surrounding area in the Waverly Quadrangle has the fortune of having a large supply of groundwater that is easily accessible. However, the karst landscape that comprises much of the quadrangle has made the groundwater supply vulnerable to degradation from point and non-point contamination. Thus, it is crucial to explore the properties of sinkholes in the region to determine their threat to groundwater. To determine this threat, it is necessary to examine the characteristics of where and under what circumstances sinkholes develop. The Waverly Quadrangle is located entirely within the Iowan Surface. The bedrock in …

The Effect Of Elevated Homocysteine On The Expression Of Cadherins 6b, 7, And 11 In Migrating Neural Crest Cells Of Chick Embryos, Chelsea L. Reinhard

Honors Program Theses

Following neurulation in the chick embryo, the pleuripotent neural crest cells (NCC) migrate from the dorsal neural tube to form a variety of tissues, including the dorsal root ganglia, craniofacial cartilage, melanocytes, and the adrenal medullae. Type II cadherins, calcium-dependent mesenchymal cell adhesion molecules, are expressed in NCCs prior to and during migration, including a period of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Among teratogenic substances known to cause congenital malformations, including heart and neural tube defects, which involve NCCs, homocysteine (Heys) is a natural blood amino acid known to disrupt EMT. The purpose of this thesis was to study the effect of …

Assessing The Potential Habitat Value Of Biomass Production Fields For Grassland Birds, Mandy Larson

Honors Program Theses

In this paper, I researched the habitat requirements of grassland birds in general, including an in-depth analysis of the specific habitat requirements of four selected species: Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus), Dickcissel (Spiza Americana), Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), and Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis). In the second part of my research, I evaluated three possible scenarios that could be used for biomass production in Iowa and reviewed the methods producers employ in establishing and managing their fields. I evaluated area, species diversity, timing of harvest, edge habitats, and fertilizers/chemicals used during production. Then I compared these three biomass production scenarios to the habitat …

Ambigrams: The Art And The Math, Callie Kronlage

Honors Program Theses

Because ambigrams are a relatively new concept, I found little mathematical research on them. Throughout this paper, I will address the role of ambigrams as a mathematical entity, an artistic outlet, and even an educational tool. Along with ways to use ambigrams, there are also descriptions of the nine different types of ambigrams, and a chart that can be used to create two of the most common types of ambigrams. Mathematically, ambigrams contain many symmetrical aspects, which are important to the study of Geometry. Within this, I have researched mathematical aspects of three of the ambigram types and found some …

What's Up With Fiddler Crabs: Does Larval Dispersal Render Genetic Similarity In The Disjunct Distribution Of Uca Minax (Uca: Ocypodidae)?, Alexa Warwick

Honors Program Theses

The red-jointed fiddler crab, Uca minax, has a disjunct distribution along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts in North America. Previous studies have not found any significant discrepancies in morphology, physiology, or allozymes between the two groups of U.minax. The primary objective of this study was to use DNA sequence data to test whether genetic variation is consistent with patterns of morphological, physiological, and allozyme variation of the disjunct populations. We collected mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I and nuclear internal transcribed spacer sequences from approximately 100 individuals distributed across the range. Phylogenetic analyses of the haplotypes revealed no genetic differentiation …

Preliminary Development Of Quantitative Immunoassays For Mitochondrial Proteins, Adriann Hovey

Honors Program Theses

Mitochondria are medium-sized organelles in which most cellular metabolic reactions are carried out. In postmitotic cells that are aged or diseased, such as myocardial, skeletal, and brain cells, abnormally large mitochondria ("giant mitochondria") are often observed. Mitochondrial size and shape are controlled by mitochondrial fusion and fission and disruption of this process may lead to their abnormally large size (Nauratil, Terman, Arriaga, 2008). These giant mitochondria exhibit variations from normal metabolism and altered membrane potentials (Nauratil et al., 2008). An increased number of giant mitochondria may therefore disrupt cell function (Nauratil et al., 2008). This accumulation may result either from …

University Of Northern Iowa 2004-2009 Strategic Plan: Progress Report [2008-2009], University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

A report detailing the progress on the strategic goals within the University of Northern Iowa's strategic plan.

This individual report was created in 2009.

Oral Argument In Flores-Figueroa V. United States

Postville Project Documents

The transcript of the oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court of the case of a Mexican citizen working in East Moline, Illinois who was convicted of identity theft. The grounds for the appeal were that the petitioner did not know that the social security and alien registration numbers he used were assigned to other people.

Transcript Of Hearing Before The Judiciary Subcommittee, Erik Camayd-Freixas

Postville Project Documents

The statements of Erik Camayd-Freixas, David Leopold, Robert R. Rigg, and Lora Costner before the U.S.House Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law concerning the Agriprocessors plant immigration raid in Postville, Iowa.

Oral Statement Of Camayd-Freixas, Erik Camayd-Freixas

Postville Project Documents

The oral and written statements of Dr. Erik Camayd-Freixas, who served as a translator for those detained after the Postville raid. He appeared before a Congressional committee. Also included in the document is his personal account of what it was like to be an interpreter for the detainees.

Complaint Letter To U.S. Attorney General, James A. Benzoni

Postville Project Documents

A letter to Eric Holder listing perceived ethical violations of the Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Iowa during and after the immigration raid at the Agriprocessor plant in Postville, Iowa.

Camayd-Freixas Brief To Senate Judiciary Committee, Erik Camayd-Freixas

Postville Project Documents

Dr. Erik Camayd-Freixas addresses the occurrence of ethical violations during the Postville raid. Also included is a letter from Congresswoman Zoe Logren to Michael Mukasey and Michael Chertoff on the treatment of the detainees from the Postville raid, including affivavits from Marvin Danilo Perez-Gomez and Mardoqueo Valle-Callejas on their treatment during the raid, with translation by Erik Camayd-Freixas.

Chirla Press Release, Coalition For Humane Immigrant Rights Of Los Angeles

Postville Project Documents

A press release in both English and Spanish from the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles calling for immigration reform on the first anniversary of the Postville raid.

Camayd-Freixas Corrections To Transcript, Erik Camayd-Freixas

Postville Project Documents

Corrections to the transcript of his statement on the Postville raid to a Congressional subcommittee in 2009.

Presentation At The Reform Immigration For America Immigration Summit, Gallaudet University, Washington Dc, June 4, 2009, Mary Mccauley

Postville Project Documents

Mary McCauley recounts the experience of offering support to those impacted by the Postville raid on May 12, 2008 to a summit on immigration reform.

Closing Remarks, Prayer And Rally First Anniversary Of The Raid, St. Bridget’S Church, Postville, Iowa, May 12, 2009, Mary Mccauley

Postville Project Documents

The closing that Mary McCauley gave at the prayer service marking the one-year anniversary of the Postville raid.

Archdiocesan Pastoral Staff, Advent Day Of Reflection, January 16, 2009, Mary Mccauley

Postville Project Documents

A reflection on hope and what gave the Mexican and Guatemalan immigrants hope through their experiences.

Reflection Given During Prayer Service On The Occasion Of The Visit Of Rigoberta Menchu To Postville, Iowa, November 8, 2008, Mary Mccauley

Postville Project Documents

A reflection on the Postville immigration raid given at a prayer service for the visit of Rigoberta Menchu on November 8, 2008.

Prayer Service On The Anniversary Of The Postville Raid Program

Postville Project Documents

Program of the prayer service at Saint Bridget's Catholic Church on the anniversary of the Postville raid, May 12, 2009.