Digital Commons Network^™

The Use Of Analog Functional Analysis In Assessing The Function Of Mealtime Behavior Problems., Peter Anthony Girolami

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Some children exhibit disruptive and self-injurious behavior during mealtime, limiting the positive interaction between care giver and child, and decreasing the probability of a nutritionally adequate intake. Research has demonstrated the utility of functional analysis (i.e., identifying controlling variables of problem behavior) for the development of effective non-aversive interventions for a variety of behavior problems. This study applied the methodology of an analog experimental (functional) analysis of behavior to the specific interaction between care givers and children exhibiting mealtime behavior problems. Five conditions that resemble feeding situations were constructed to identify contingent relations between the mealtime behavior problems exhibited by …

The Effects Of The Malaysian Department Of Wildlife And National Parks' Environmental Education Program On The Environmental Knowledge And Attitudes Of 13-17 Year Old Students., Ebil Yusof

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The study focused on the effects of the Malaysian Department of Wildlife and National Park's (DWNP) environmental education program on the environmental knowledge and attitudes of the secondary school students. Conducted between May 11, 1998 and August 11, 1998, this study was designed to reflect three objectives: (1) to determine the effect of participation in the DWNP's environmental education program on environmental knowledge and attitudes of 13-17 year old Malaysian students, (2) to identify demographic factors that contribute to the change of environmental knowledge and attitudes, and (3) to establish base line data for future evaluation of the effectiveness of …

Trade And The Environment: A Political Model Of International Public Goods Problem., Qingshui Zhou

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In recent decades there has been a debate over the entwined issues of trade and the environment, and the 1990s witnessed a great rise in global environmental concerns. The purpose of the present study is to seek a cooperative solution to these concerns. Postwar environmental movement, interaction of trade and the environment, and the reconciliation issues are reviewed. Methodologies to studying these issues are categorized into (1) international trade approaches, and (2) environmental economics approaches. A political model-cost sharing game is then proposed. Specifically, environmental problems resulting from trade are treated as international public goods and the issue of optimal …

The Effects Of Teaching In A Professional Development School And The National Council Of Teachers Of Mathematics Professional Standards., Laora Dauberman Brizendine

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' (NCTM) Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics presents a vision of what necessary components should be included in teaching mathematics to support the reforms presented in the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards . The six Professional Standards offer insight, guidance, and vignettes explaining how a mathematics teacher at the K–12 levels can and should guide their students in the attainment of mathematical power. The Holmes Group, a consortium of Deans from Colleges of Education within large research universities in the United States, has as its primary goal to reform teacher education programs as well as …

"A Diamond Guitar": Translation And Analysis., Natalia Barranca

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

I translated a Truman's Capote short story: "A Diamond Guitar". I chose this short story because I found it very interesting when I read it. Besides it was not translated into Spanish yet. And, I also analyzed the meaning of the most important symbols that appear in the short story. I also analyzed some problems that I had with the translation.

La Influencia De La Arquitectura En Tres Novelas De La Posguerra., Maria De Las Mercedes Rodriguez Fuentes

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

En este trabajo se analiza la influencia que ejerce la arquitectura en tres novelas de la posguerra española: Nada de Carmen Laforet, Señas de identidad de Juan Goytisolo y El cuarto de atrás de Carmen Martín Gaite. Esta arquitectura aparece, aquí, como telón de fondo y afecta tanto a los estados anímicos de los personajes así como a la narración. Ayuda, además, a crear ese ambiente de opresión en el que se vivía después de un cambio político y como consecuencia la desorientación de los protagonistas. Se trata también a la arquitectura como estructura de la narración y como ésta …

Preschool Teaching Experience And Special Education Support Systems: A Survey Of Western Pennsylvania., Stephanie Ann Sterling

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

A regional descriptive study was conducted in Western Pennsylvania, throughout a five county area. Preschool teachers (N= 80, return rate 23.7%) of three and four year old children were surveyed to gain descriptive information about their preparation and training as a preschool teacher and their experience with preschool children with disabilities in their classrooms. Results indicate that most teachers have a Bachelors degree although many did not have this degree in early childhood education. It was found that almost every preschool has at least one child with disabilities enrolled in its program, but only half of the preschool teachers surveyed …

Javadiff: A Chicory Tool For File Comparison., Lingyi Zheng

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The application (javaDiff) has been developed as a tool for Chicory project during one year of work for me as a graduate student in computer science department, West Virginia University. The purpose of this project is to compare files, visualize file differences, edit files and merge files. The work consists of object oriented design, algorithm implementation, user interface programming, updating Java code from Java awt (JDK1.1.2) to Swing, system integration, etc. The purpose of this thesis is to introduce javaDiff. We will discuss the whole application from designing to integration. Some important information like user menu will be attached in …

Is The Gypsy Moth Winning? Intervention And Defoliation In West Virginia During 1986-1996., Monica Ann Vint Fleming

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Gypsy Moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), has been an exotic pest in West Virginia for at least fifteen years. The initiation of treatment to prevent defoliation has been an important method that helps to reduce the spread of, and the area defoliated by, this pest. This research study identifies the recent expansion of the gypsy moth population and the extension of the affected area, documents the defoliation, and evaluates the treatment of gypsy moth infestation in West Virginia for the years 1986 to 1996. Repeated defoliation by the gypsy moth damages and kills trees and has hygiene and aesthetic consequences. The …

The Relationship Of Leadership Frame Use Of Departmental Chairs To Faculty Job Satisfaction As Perceived By Selected Departmental Faculty Members., Saralyn Grenga Mathis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study was designed to examine the relationship between faculty job satisfaction and the leadership frame use of that faculty member's immediate superior, usually the departmental chair, as perceived by the faculty member. One hundred and seventy-two faculty members who had no administrative title and who held a full-time position as a professor, associate professor, or assistant professor at any of the five West Virginia public, Southern Regional Education Board four-year VI institutions of higher education completed The Mohrman-Cooke-Mohrman Job Satisfaction Scale and Bolman and Deal's Leadership Orientations Instrument (other version). Descriptive statistics and one-way analyses of variance were used …

The Effect Of Postorganizers On Mathematics Achievement Following Lectures., Karen E. Mitchell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This experiment examined the impact of an enhanced graphic postorganizer on the amount of learning and retention college students realized from mathematics lectures given during a full semester. The study was a quasi-experiment in which intact classes of intermediate algebra students with similar mathematical backgrounds either completed the written postorganizer developed for the experiment after each lecture or took a quiz over the same lecture. The postorganizer emphasized concepts, definitions, relationships and student-developed explanations rather than procedures. The planned difference among the groups was the amount of involvement that the students had with the postorganizer. Students in the four groups …

Studies Of Far From Equilibrium Condensed Matter Systems: Euler Buckling Instability And Molecular Beam Epitaxy., Dorel I. Moldovan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

We use numerical modeling and scaling theory methods to investigate the time evolution of three types of condensed matter systems far from equilibrium. We study buckling instability of flexible chains of molecules, buckling instability of tethered membranes and Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) Growth Model. We find that the buckling of the flexible chain is similar to coarsening phenomena such as the spinodal decomposition. Evolving chain profile is like a wave with a wavelength λ(t) that grows, via coarsening, as a power of time. The evolving chain is like a rough object with transversal roughness w(t) growing as a power of …

A Comparison Of Performance Of Students Referred For Gifted Evaluation On The Wisc-Iii And Binet Iv., James Edward Mullins

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The present study examined the performances of students referred for placement in gifted programs on the WISC-III and Binet IV. The first research question asked which subtests and index scores of the WISC-III relate most strongly to placement. All subtests except Arithmetic and Coding were significantly correlated with placement. Both the Verbal Conceptualization Index (WVCI) and the Perceptual Organization Index (WPOI) Scores were found to be significantly correlated with placement. In addition, discriminant function analyses were computed. Both WVCI and WPOI were found to be significant predictors of placement. Of the WISC-III subtests, all were significant predictors except Information (WINFO) …

Sulfur Chemistry: Structure And Reactivity Of Substituted Thioureas And Aminothiols Of Physiological Importance., Claudius Mundoma

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Complex mechanisms of oxidation of selected sulfur compounds by various oxidants are studied. Chapter 1 is an overall introduction to the field of sulfur chemistry with emphasis on chemical reaction dynamics and the biological significance of aminothiols and substituted thioureas. The rest of the dissertation can be divided into 3 parts based on the type of information obtained from the reaction systems studied. Chapters 2 gives an overview of most of the experimental methods used to come up with a reasonable answer to a given kinetics problem. Chapters 3 and 4 form the basis of the first part in which …

Effects Of Hypertension And Dietary Salt On Myogenic Activity In The Microcirculation: Possible Roles Of Nitric Oxide And Angiotensin Ii., Timothy Robert Nurkiewicz

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project's first study determined if hypertension and/or dietary salt are associated with an altered myogenic response in skeletal muscle arterioles. Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) fed low-salt (LS) or high-salt (HS) diets were enclosed in a ventilated box with the spinotrapezius muscle exteriorized for intravital microscopy. Box pressurizations caused similar increases in arterial pressure that were completely transmitted to arcade bridge arterioles, which constricted in WKY-LS, SHR-LS and SHR-HS, but not in WKY-HS. Arteriolar myogenic responsiveness was not different between WKY-LS and SHR-LS, but was greater in WKY-LS than in WKY-HS. Arteriolar myogenic responsiveness was also greater …

The Use Of Propositional Structures And Subgoals In Solving Multi-Step College Statistical Word And Formula Problems., Deborah Joan Hendricks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This experiment studied the effect of size and format of instructions given to college students enrolled in an introductory statistics course on the number of errors committed and the amount of time required in order to complete a problem. A 3 (size) by 2 (format) factorial design was used. The three sizes of instruction given were propositional structures, subgoals, and complete algorithm. The two formats used were word and formula. The dependent variables used to study errors were Completed Errors, Total Errors, and Accuracy. The dependent variables used to study time were Solution Time, Steps Attempted, Errors per Minute, and …

The Relationship Between Hypermedia Features And The Learning Style/Cognitive Control Of Hypermedia Developers., Jun Hu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study investigated the effect of learning style and cognitive control on hypermedia developers' perceptions and implementations of hypermedia features. The study reviewed the hypermedia features articulated by the 19 hypermedia developers in two graduate courses, as well as the implementation of those features in the final projects they produced. By using two sets of databases, those hypermedia features were categorized into 16 feature domains, and were then grouped by the developers' learning styles (diverger, assimilator, converger, and accommodator) and cognitive controls (field dependent, field mixed, and field independent). Comparisons were made on the features articulated and implemented by each …

A Study To Identify Operational Computer Lab Models And To Develop An Instrument To Assist In Evaluating Programs That Provide Computer Technology To Accommodate Needs Of Students With Disabilities In Higher Education., Carol H. Kann

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The problem of this research is to identify operational computer lab models and to develop an instrument to assist in evaluating programs that provide computer technology to accommodate needs of students with disabilities in higher education. The following research questions were answered: (1) What operational models for adaptive computer labs are currently being used within college and university environments? (2) What criteria are used to evaluate these operational models? (3) Can a self-evaluation instrument be designed to assist institutions of higher education determine the quality of their adaptive computer labs? A modified Delphi technique was used to arrive at consensus …

Mixed-Mesophytic Forest Understory Communities And Edge Effect: The Role Of Canopy Gaps In Edge Composition And Structure., Cedric Edwin Landenberger

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Temperate forest canopy gaps are generally characterized as spatially discrete patches whose biophysical properties are a function of gap size and age acting in conjunction with subcanopy composition and structure. The surrounding gap environment is rarely considered, although there are reasons to suggest that gaps may be influenced by adjacent canopy openings such as agricultural fields, roads, and timber harvests. Experimental canopy gaps (∼75 m 2) were created adjacent to silvicultural clearcuts (∼5 ha.) in second-growth mixed-mesophytic forest to better understand the effect of clearcutting on adjacent canopy gap understones. Gaps were created on west- and south-facing edges at 15 …

The Effects Of Learning Geometry Using A Computer-Generated Automatic Draw Tool On The Levels Of Reasoning Of College Developmental Students., Lalah W. Larew

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The following study investigated the cognitive growth of college developmental geometry students enrolled in a one-semester course in introductory Euclidean Geometry. A quasi-experimental research design was used to determine if changes in cognitive growth occurred when students used a computer-generated automatic draw tool as an instructional aid. The subjects were a control group of 36 community-college students who learned geometry in a lecture-based formal and 27 students from the same college who learned geometry by using the automatic draw tool, GeoExplorer , for one-third of their instructional time. The van Hiele Theory of levels of thought in geometry was used …

Improvement Of Instruction In Special Education: An Ethnographic Look., Wanda Lee Letendre

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to understand how a special education supervisor, four beginning special education teachers and their building principal experienced improvement of instruction. The study was conducted in four special education classrooms in a county with a school-aged population of approximately 14,000 students. The county was located in a rural, upper Southern state. Data were collected primarily from January through June of 1997. Using qualitative methodology, data were collected by use of participant observation, interviews, and analysis of documents pertinent to improvement of instruction. Field notes, transcripts, and pertinent information from documents were entered into Ethnograph software …

Ferriin Oxidation Of Benzylic 1,2-Diols: A Mechanistic Approach., An Liu

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The oxidation of d,l-1,2-bis(4-cyanophenyl)-1,2-ethanediol by ferriin (i.e., Fe(III)(1,10-phenanthroline)3 has been investigated. In contrast to the oxidation of other 1,2-diaryl-1,2-ethanediols, the presence of a pyridine base is required. Careful investigation of the kinetic behavior of this system reveals non-isosbestic point behavior. A complex mechanism is proposed to account for this oxidation reaction. This mechanism is in contrast to the normally observed outer-sphere electron pathway oxidation mechanisms of ferriin.1 The rates of ferriin oxidation of cis - and trans-1,2-diphenyl-1,2-cyclohexanediol have been found to be dramatically different. Cis-1,2-diphenyl-1,2-cyclohexanediol reacts a minimum of 104 times faster than the corresponding trans-isomer.2 Implications for the oxidation …

The Effects Of An Internet Skill-Building Module On Safety And Environmental Graduate Students' Internet Anxiety, Likelihood To Use The Internet, And Learning Internet/Intranet Content., David A. Ealy

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The use of technology in training has grown a great deal over the past five years, and the tools have improved which has produced several changes in the way training is being designed and delivered. These delivery methods include the Internet, and electronic performance support systems. Today's trainers must possess a different set of skills needed to perform in an increasingly technological environment. At the present time, little research is available on the effects of Internet anxiety, and most of the related research revolves around computer anxiety. The study was designed to examine the effects of an Internet Skill-Building Module …

A Qualitative Study Of Five West Virginia K-12 Ruralnet Project Teachers Merging The Internet Into Their Instruction And How The Internet Affects Professional Practice., David A. Falvo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This qualitative study explores the day-to-day classroom work of five West Virginia K–12 RuralNet Project teachers, highlighting the drama of integrating technology into learning and showing how these teachers build and refine relationships to foster their sense of professionalism, through the use of technology. This study shows how teachers use the Internet as an instructional resource and as a tool for connecting to other people within and outside of the learning community. The participants of this study began to learn new technology skills during the summer of 1995. Today, they are integrating Internet technology into their daily teaching and planning …

Localized Innovation: A Geography Of The Petro-Chemical Industry In The Kanawha Valley Of West Virginia., Jay Dean Gatrell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation investigates the Kanawha Valley petro-chemical industry. By identifying an intersection between the local dependence and the more applied innovation-based economic development literatures, this research operationalizes theories of local dependence. Conceptually, it is observed that the local dependence of Kanawha Valley residents, politics, and industry are the result of local decision making. Based on these decisions and experiences, ad hoc and planned social structures are constructed that reproduce the conditions of everyday life. Drawing on the case study, the dissertation expands the definition of local social structures to include innovation infrastructures. These specialized structures maintain, promote, and expand high …

A Distributed-Memory Implementation Of Kiva-3 With Refinements For Large Eddy Simulation., Aytekin Gel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In spite of the tremendous advancement of computer technology within the last decade, today's grand challenge problems are still beyond the numerical simulation capability of the most state-of-the-art hardware. Fluid dynamics problems involving the prediction capability for turbulent flows represent one example for such situations. Large eddy simulation (LES) is a viable alternative to direct numerical simulation (DNS) of turbulent flows due to the fact that certain portion of the detailed small-scale information resolved in DNS is suppressed in LES technique in order to make the computational problem more tractable. However, even with LES, today's challenging problems require accurate schemes …

Risk Based Capital Requirements And The United States Loan Market., Sudip Ghosh

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examines the effect of risk-based capital (RBC) requirements were introduced to the U.S. banking industry in the early 1990s and its influence on bank loans. A great deal of work has been spent on issues surrounding the credit crunch. Now the question is whether it is a coincidence of some kind that implementation of RBC requirements and the credit crunch happened around the same time or whether RBC requirements resulted in the credit crunch. Another issue is whether the impact of RBC requirements on U.S. bank lending behavior is permanent or temporary. The research focuses on the theoretical …

The Utilization Of Electronically Disseminated Research In Academic Personnel Decisions., Sylvia Anne Hawranick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examined the current status and use of electronically disseminated research (EDR) in academic personnel decisions. The population included 236 institutions classified as Research 1 or 2, or Doctoral 1 or 2, according to the Carnegie Foundation's Classification. The Chief Academic Officer of each institution was identified as the contact person. A cover letter and survey were sent to each institution, and 100 institutions (44.1%) responded.

The data was analyzed by institution type, and the results were reported based on responses to each survey question. Key findings included:

1. Technology Usage: Over 97% of respondents had access to a …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of The Drosophila Circadian Clock Mutation Double-Time(S) On Double-Time Protein Levels, Nuclear Localization Of Per And Temperature Compensation., Shu Bao

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The gene double-time (dbt) is a molecular component of the circadian clock. It encodes a protein kinase that is likely to be involved in the phosphorylation and degradation of period protein (PER). Immunoblot analysis with an antibody produced for this thesis showed that double-time protein (DBT) levels do not undergo a detectable circadian oscillation, and that the levels of DBT are comparable in a short-period mutation (dbtS ) and wild-type flies. Immunocytochemical detection of PER in head sections of dbtS and wild-type flies demonstrated that PER enters photoreceptor nuclei later and disappears sooner in dbtS than in wild type flies. …

I. Steroid Hormone Enrichment Of Brine Shrimp (Artemia Salina) Nauplii. Ii. Factors Associated With Acute Bacterial Infection That Limit Fertility., Amanda R. Barker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of incubation of Artemia nauplii with steroids prior to the first feeding instar II stage of Artemia development. Decapsulated Artemia cysts were incubated at a concentration of 3 g cysts/L in hatching media (1 L seawater at 1.030 SG, 0.08 g highly unsaturated fatty acid supplement) and either 20 mg 17β-estradiol (E2) or 17 αmethyldihydrotestosterone (MDHT) dissolved in 3 mL 70% ethyl alcohol or ethyl alcohol alone (control). Cysts were cultivated at 18-20° C for 24h. Nauplii were collected by filtering culture media, and were rinsed in 1 L fresh water. Artemia …