Digital Commons Network^™

Reverse Recruitment: Activation Of Yeast Genes At The Nuclear Periphery, Terry Marvin Haley

Dissertations

The regulation of genes at the nuclear periphery is an evolutionarily conserved phenomenon in eukaryotes. The reverse-recruitment model of transcriptional activation postulates that genes are activated by moving to and contacting transcription machinery located at subnuclear structures. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae it has been reported that this platform for gene regulation may reside at the nuclear periphery. To test this hypothesis, I utilized a GFP-gene tagging technique, which uses LacI-GFP to visualize a tandem array of its DNA-binding sequence, to monitor localization ofSUC2 and GALL I found that both genes preferentially localized to the nuclear periphery when transcriptionally active. By developing …

Synthesis And Characterization Of Polymeric Materials Derived From Multifunctional Alkyl A-Hydroxymethylacrylates, Jean-Francois Morizur

Dissertations

The research presented in this dissertation covers the investigation of new materials derived from alkyl a-hydroxymethylacrylates (RHMA). The first project exposed in Chapter II involves the synthesis, characterization of RHMA-based reactive surfactants and their successful incorporation in acrylic latexes. The amphiphilic monomers testify of a good copolymerization behavior with other acrylic monomers such as methyl methacrylate and butyl acrylate although their extensive bulkiness. They led to the formation of well-defined polymeric particles via a seeded emulsion polymerization process and permitted decreasing significantly the water sensitivity of the resulting films as compared to film incorporating conventional emulsifier such as sodium dodecyl …

Use Of Monoclonal ∆-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Antibodies Chemically Bound To A Polystyrene Surface Using Glutaraldehyde For The Purpose Of Extracting ∆-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol And ∆-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Carboxylic Acid From Postmortem Whole Blood Samples For Analysis By Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry, Thomas Sidney Pittman

Dissertations

Quantitations of drugs and their respective metabolites in postmortem blood samples using gas chromatographic instrumentation is a primary analytical practice used to determine if drugs played a role in or were the cause of a victim's death. Postmortem blood samples often prove difficult to work with due to interfering substances formed during the putrefaction process. Attempts to eliminate interfering substances with present day extraction methods can be time-consuming, costly and often ineffective when dealing with drugs that exhibit toxicity or impairment at very low concentrations. This study was conducted using monoclonal antibodies chemically bound to a polystyrene surface to extract …

The Design, Synthesis, And Controlled Polymerization Of Cationic And Zwitterionic Norbornene Derivatives, David Allen Rankin

Dissertations

Ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) has been exploited for the controlled polymerization of cationic and zwitterionic norbornene-based monomers and employed in the preparation of homo- and block-copolymer systems in homogeneous organic media without the use of post-polymerization modification or protecting group chemistries. Relying on previous knowledge of certain halogenated alcoholic organic solvents capable of solubilizing hydrophilic monomers, the first study, describes the synthesis and controlled polymerization of a series of new permanently cationic ammonium exo-7- oxanorbornene derivatives M31 via ROMP, with the first generation Grubbs catalyst 17, in a novel solvent mixture comprised of 1:1 vol/vol 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE)/methylene chloride (CH2CI2). This …

Broadband Dielectric Spectroscopy Studies Of Nafion, David Walter Rhoades

Dissertations

In light of available literature regarding Nafion® materials, it is apparent that an information gap exists between the current state of understanding of Nafion relaxations and the dielectric behavior of these materials. Although the currently available dielectric relaxation data is accurate it is very limited in its scope—specifically in-depth broadband analyses are not available. As a result, very little information is available regarding the dependence of the relaxation processes on frequency and temperature. This presents an important opportunity for the exploration of the dielectric broadband relaxation behavior of Nafion® materials. The primary intent of this research is to quantify the …

Raft Synthesis Of Water-Soluble, Stimuli-Responsive Ab Diblock Copolymers, Ran Wang

Dissertations

A series of water-soluble, stimuli-responsive AB diblock copolymers were synthesized via the reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization technique employing 2-(2- carboxyethylsulfanylthiocarbonylsulfanyl)propionic acid (CTA26) as the RAFT mediating agent.

First, a series of diacid functional trithiocarbonate chain transfer agents (CTA's) were synthesized and examined for their effectiveness as mediating agents in controlling the polymerization of «-butyl acrylate (nBA). Overall, CTA26 demonstrated good control in the homopolymerization of nBA with respect to the molecular weight and the molecular weight distribution, as well as its ability to form block copolymers with high reinitiating efficiency, and thus was chosen as the CTA for …

The Influence Of Species And Context On Human-Dolphin Interactions, Deirdre Breen Yeater

Dissertations

Anthropogenic activities pose a threat to marine mammals around the world. Cetaceans that use coastal waters are at particular risk for potential disturbances caused by vessel traffic and human swimmers. Although many cetacean species are found near the coast of Utila, Honduras, little is known about their behavior or the effects of anthropogenic activities on their behavior. Whether the presence of boats and human swimmers led to short-term changes in dolphin behavior was investigated for three commonly sighted species of dolphins; rough-toothed (Steno bredanensis), spinner (Stenalla longirostris), and bottlenose (Turslops truncatus). The dolphins' behavioral activities, with and without other boats …

The Constitutional Protection Of Children In Ireland - An Analysis Of The Status Quo And Proposals For Reform, Oliver Fitzgerald

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Systematic Professional Development On Selected Areas Of Student Performance In Selected Missouri School Buildings, Clifford J. Carver

Dissertations

With the constraints under the No Child Left Behind Act, schools face the challenges of meeting extremely high standards with students. Recent research generally focuses on the role of professional development in school reform. Although a great deal has been written on the topic of professional development, the empirical literature on the topic is much less extensive. Few studies have actually documented its impact on student achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of systematic professional development on selected areas of student performance in selected Missouri school buildings. This research study was quantitative in nature and …

How Can Art Education Enhance The Content Subject Area In An Urban School Setting?, Lonnie Ford

Dissertations

Parents and educators have traditionally viewed it as mere "enrichment" rather than a viable and essential part of the school curriculum. To address this issue, professional groups such as the National Art Education Association (NAEA) have consistently advocated for the importance of art by framing it as another core subject area that should be valued as highly as science, math, social studies, and language arts. Unfortunately, such a stance ignores another critical argument for the value of art. When it is framed as a stand-alone core subject area, essential connections among art and the other disciplines are neglected.

In this …

A Study Of Teacher Leadership And Its Relationship With School Climate In American Public Schools: Findings From Sass 2003-2004, Donghai Xie

Dissertations

This study made inquiry into teacher leadership and its relationship with school climate in American public schools by using the data from SASS 2003-04 by National Center for Education Statistics. The study was focused on the statistical assessment of public school teachers' perceptions of teacher leadership in the areas of school operation and classroom operation. Another aspect to be inquired was teachers' perceptions of school climate in the dimensions of school leadership and teacher collaboration.

The results of descriptive analyses in the study indicated that the majority of public school teachers did not consider they had much influence over the …

International Aid Evaluation: An Analysis And Policy Proposals, Thomaz Kauark Chianca

Dissertations

Evaluation has been intertwined with international aid work since its inception in the late 40's-early 50's, but it is still an area with considerable room for improvement. If, as is often alleged, evaluations of international development efforts are methodologically weak they are misleading international agencies about the real impact of the sizable amount of resources being spent. A recent study by Chianca, described in this thesis, with a sample of 50 US-based international non-profit organizations (INGOs) illustrates the serious situation of the structure and practice of evaluation in those agencies.

A number of efforts to improve this situation have been …

Legislative Program Evaluation Conducted By State Legislatures In The United States, John S. Risley

Dissertations

This study examines how U.S. state legislative staffs conduct evaluations. The study addresses the ubiquity of state legislative program evaluation (LPE) units, the standards those units follow, the recommendations that LPE reports proffer, and the quality of the reports on several criteria. The study also addresses the feasibility of using metaevaluation to evaluate a large number of reports using solely the information contained in the reports.

The study uses metaevaluation criteria developed by combining aspects of, primarily, the Generally Accepted Government Auditing Standards (GAGAS) for performance audits, the Joint Committee's Program Evaluation Standards (PES), and, secondarily, Scriven's Key Evaluation Checklist. …

Supervision Experiences And Needs Of New-Entrant Professional School Counselors: A Qualitative Study, Shawn Allan Allan Bultsma

Dissertations

Although the field of professional school counseling has recognized the positive impact that supervision offers, discussion of its use with new-entrant school counseling professionals has been limited. This study responds to the limited discussion of supervision with new-entrant professional school counselors by describing the supervision experiences and perceived needs of 15 new-entrant professional school counselors.

Participants of this study described advantages and disadvantages of receiving supervision. When discussing supervision activities as new-entrant professionals, participants frequently confused the process of supervision with mentoring and evaluation. Supervision quality was described as deficient, and the structure of supervision varied among participants. Participants described …

A Proof Of Concept For Oppnets And Its Resource Utilization Techniques With Qos Constraints, Zill-E-Huma Kamal

Dissertations

The increased number of embedded devices/systems in our environment and the evolution of the internet as a service oriented network connote two things: the demand for ubiquitous computing, and, the abstraction of users as consumers and applications as services, as in Service Oriented Computing (SOC) and Web Service domains.

This Thesis studies Class 2 Opportunistic Networks, Oppnets--in short. Oppnets propagate dynamic interconnection of heterogeneous devices/networks/systems and the integration of their resources or services-such as computation, communication, sensing, actuation, and storage -irrespective of the discrepancies in hardware, software, protocols, or standards employed, to enable ubiquitous computing. The novelty of Oppnets …

You Will Come Safe From The Sea, Peter J. Geye

Dissertations

Set against the Minnesota North Shore of Lake Superior, "You Will Come Safe From the Sea" examines the lives of Olaf and Noah Torr, a father and son whose long estrangement began after Olaf survived a shipwreck on Lake Superior. Thirty years after the wreck, Olaf is dying of cancer and has asked his son home to help him die. Over the course of two weeks in November, the protagonists learn each other's lives and summon the courage to forgive. Multiple stories-within-the-story evolve, including the harrowing account of the wreck of the SSRagnarek (Olaf s ore boat), and Noah's own …

The Role Of Prediction In The Teaching And Learning Of Algebra, Lisa Kasmer

Dissertations

Research has shown that including prediction questions within reading and science instruction has been advantageous for students, yet minimal research existed regarding the use of such questions within mathematics instruction. In order to extend and build on our knowledge about the effects of prediction in mathematics instruction, this study explored the impact of this paradigm in the teaching and learning of algebra. Specifically, this study probed whether utilizing prediction questions provided students opportunities for engaging in mathematical thinking, retrieving prior knowledge, and discussing related mathematical ideas, could increase such students' conceptual understanding and mathematical reasoning in the content area of …

This Journey Is Not For The Faint Of Heart: An Investigation Of Challenges Facing Transgender Individuals And Their Significant Others, Emily Lenning

Dissertations

This study investigates the challenges imposed on transgender individuals and their significant others as a result of the deviant labels that have been used to stigmatize non-traditional expressions of gender. Using webbased surveys and an on-line focus group, the themes of language and its limitations, psychological trauma, and social challenges are explored and analyzed using discourse analysis. With a total of 311 subjects, 254 transgender individuals and 57 significant others, this research challenges the utility of gendered language as it is currently constituted, addresses the importance of significant others in understanding the transgender experience, and identifies the various social, psychological …

Interactive Visual Exploration Of Large Relation, Mustafa Sanver

Dissertations

As data become ubiquitous and immense in many activities from business decision making to scientific analysis, effective analysis of such data becomes an important research area. Data analysis requires active involvement of human beings and visualization is a powerful tool to capture profound insights from data. However, interactive visual exploration of massive data poses fundamental technical challenges to both data visualization and database management systems. Millions of billions of data records clutter the screen and existing database management systems are inadequate for overview-and-drill-down data access for interactive data exploration.

We have proposed a density-based methodology to address the above challenge. …

New Teachers' Perceptions On Their Preparation, Rosemary Cleveland

Dissertations

In this study, I inquired into new public school teachers' perceptions of how well prepared they were during their first year of teaching to handle a range of classroom and discipline situations by examining what percentages of new teachers felt that they were well prepared in classroom management. I also investigated whether there were possible variations in those percentages based on teacher gender, teacher level, and the percentage of minority students enrolled in school. Furthermore, I examined the relationship between new teachers' perceptions on their preparation in classroom management and their job satisfaction as well as their commitment to the …

Missing Data Treatment Of A Level-2 Variable In A 3-Level Hierarchical Linear Model, Xiaofan Cai

Dissertations

Data used in educational research often come with a hierarchical structure such as students nested in classrooms and classrooms nested in schools. Hierarchical linear model (HLM) analysis allows applied researchers to incorporate the hierarchical structure of the data into data analysis to examine effects of variables at each level. However, problems such as missing data pose analytical challenges of biased estimation. With missing data occurring in level-2 variables in a 3-level HLM analysis, the choice of the missing data treatment may affect parameter estimation at all levels.

This Monte Carlo simulation study was designed to compare performance of six missing …

Critical Components To Improve Literacy Learning For All Students, Marcia Harriet Kaye

Dissertations

The purpose of this multiple case study was to understand the critical components to improve literacy learning for all students. The central focus of the study involved looking at principles for classroom instruction in reading and writing that are essential for students to become good readers and writers. According to Allington and Cunningham, the following principles are critical: (a) the amount of time students spend on reading and writing each day, (b) the explicit teaching of comprehension strategies, (c) modeling writing and reading daily, (d) student engagement in thoughtful literacy learning, and (e) literate rich classroom environments.

Six classrooms were …

Mortality Prognostication In Long-Term Care Residents: The Mds-Chess Scale, Caroline Etland Phd, Msn, Cns

Dissertations

Quality end of life (EOL) care for the elderly continues to be a challenge, in part due to late referral for palliative and/or hospice services. The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the MDS-CHESS scale (Hirdes, Frijters & Teare, 2003) in predicting 6-month mortality in a stable American nursing home (NH) population. A secondary aim was to determine any differences in mortality between the 2 sites. A sample of 191 residents of two NHs was analyzed in a retrospective, correlational cohort study, using data collected from the federal MDS database. Correlational statistics and logistic regression were …

A Study Of The Effectiveness Of A School District's Mentoring / Professional Development Plan For Beginning Teachers, Henry William St. Pierre

Dissertations

The purpose of the study of the mentoring/ professional development program within the teaching profession was to determine the extent and perceived value of the existing formal mentoring program in the Fort Zumwalt School District. The study found that the district's mentoring and professional development program for new teachers is effective as perceived by both beginning teachers and their administrators. The instrument used in this study was a survey designed by the District and distributed to beginning teachers who finished their first year of teaching and the formal mentor program during the 2002-2003 through the 2006-2007 school years. Surveys were …

Transitioning Between The Requirements Of Accrediting Bodies In Athletic Training Education Programs: What Might It Take?, Jennifer O'Donoghue

Dissertations

Athletic training education accreditation recently transitioned from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) to the newly established independent accrediting agency: the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE).

The purpose of this case study was to utilize Western Michigan University's Undergraduate Athletic Training Education Program (WMU-ATEP), as an illustrative case, to examine and evaluate the effort and structural, curricular, human, and financial resources necessary to satisfy the requirements of the 2005 CAATE Standards for the Accreditation of Entry-Level Athletic Training Education Programs and Comprehensive Review for Accreditation Process when it transitioned from the 2001 CAAHEP …

Predictors Of Re-Hospitalization For Home Healthcare Patients, Brenda Fischer Phd, Msn, Mba, Rn, Cphq

Dissertations

The overall purpose of this study was to examine the predictive capability of OASIS admission data for acute care re-hospitalization of home healthcare patients. Secondary data analysis using logistic regression was conducted on retrospective data from OASIS collected during the time period of July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007. This study was conducted in a Medicare certified Home Health organization that is part of the largest public health system in California. The sample of 1802 patients with complete episodes of care was derived from a data set of 5,523 patients. All patients were included in the analysis and logistic …

A Quantitative And Qualitative Inquiry Into Moral Distress, Compassion Fatigue, Medication Error, And Critical Care Nursing, Jeanne Maiden Phd, Ms, Rn, Cns

Dissertations

A correlational embedded mixed method design was used for this study. A purposive sample of 205 critical care nurses (CCNs) provided quantitative data for the study. A focus group interview of five CCNs provided the qualitative data. The Moral Distress Scale (MDS), Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL), and Medication Administration Error (MAE) Scale and demographics form were used to measure quantitative data. Quantitative findings included the majority of participants were female (91.7%); mean age 47 (SD = 7.91) years; mean years worked as a nurse was 23 (SD = 8.48); mean years worked on respective unit was 13.6 (SD …

Dyspnea: Effect Of Auricular Acupressure In End Stage Lung Cancer Patients, A Pilot Feasibility Study, Roger Alan Strong Phd

Dissertations

Introduction: Dyspnea is a debilitating symptom, common in advanced lung cancer patients, and poorly controlled. The National Institutes of Health has promoted the need for research regarding end of life care symptom control. Purpose: Conduct a feasibility study evaluating auricular acupressure effects on dyspnea in hospice lung cancer patients. Theoretical framework: The UCSF School of Nursing Symptom Management Faculty Group's Model for Symptom Management was used for the conceptual framework. The model includes three dimensions: symptom experience, symptom management strategies, and symptom outcomes. The Human Energy Field Theory provided context for using auricular acupressure. Aim: Conduct a pilot study evaluating …

Obesity Risk Knowledge, Self-Efficacy, And Physical Activity In Families Of Adolescents, Elaine M. Rutkowski Phd, Msn, Rn, Cns

Dissertations

There were no significant relationships found between parental obesity risk knowledge and physical activity in their children. nor between parent's self efficacy and their children's physical activity. In addition there was no significant relationship between the adolescents' obesity risk knowledge and their physical activity. There was, however, a statistically significant relationship between adolescent's self efficacy and physical activity. The result of the correlation between parent's self-efficacy and their level of physical activity was not significant but approached significance (p = .07) and may be identified as a trend. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between parents who describe their …

The Nonprofit Ethics Survey: A Contextual Approach, Audrey Dawn Barrett Phd

Dissertations

Organizational ethics require the attention of nonprofit leaders as regulatory trends and accountability measures increase. In spite of this interest, little empirical research has been conducted on ethics assessment within the nonprofit sector and more importantly, no survey instrument currently exists exclusively designed for nonprofit organizations to assess the perceptions of ethics within their organization. This lack of tools and information prohibits comprehensive self-assessment, and forces a reactive, single-loop approach to ethical issues, rather than a feedback system based on actual data. To address this need, the Nonprofit Ethics Survey provides a practioner-friendly survey designed to assess the perceptions of …