Digital Commons Network^™

Homologous Strand Exchange And Dna Helicase Activities In Plant Mitochondria, Daqing Song

Theses and Dissertations

Homologous recombination is critical for generating genetic variation in living organisms by exchange and rearrangement of DNA. Most of our knowledge about homologous recombination is limited to processes in bacteria or in eukaryotic nuclei. In E. coli, homologous recombination is dependent on the RecA protein. Higher plant chloroplasts have RecA-like strand exchange activity. However, little is known about these mechanisms in higher plant mitochondria. I have detected a RecA-like strand exchange activity in soybean mitochondria. This activity forms joint molecules in the presence of ATP, Mg2+, and homologous DNA substrates. In addition, the E. coli single-stranded DNA binding (SSB) protein …

How Virtues And Values Affect Marital Intimacy, Natalie Jan Stevens

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to better understand how virtues and values affect marital intimacy. Ten married couples were given a marital satisfaction assessment and participated as individuals in 1-1/2 hour interviews which were audiotaped and then transcribed. Using grounded theory and also the constant comparative method, researchers were able to generate a theory involving a core theme of showing love for self and other, which strongly contributes to increased intimacy. This process is connected to living virtues and to becoming other-oriented. Two different ways of "being" were found to be connected both with showing love, living virtues, increasing …

A Mathematical Model Of Adhesion Interactions Between Living Cells, Casey P. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis presents a simple force-based model of moving and interacting cells that incorporates a realistic description of cell adhesion and applies it to a system of spherical cells. In addition, several results in matrix theory are proved with the end of showing that the equations produced by the model uniquely determine the motion of the system or cells.

Accelerated Ray Traced Animations Exploiting Temporal Coherence, Darwin Tarry Baines

Theses and Dissertations

Ray tracing is a well-know technique for producing realistic graphics. However, the time necessary to generate images is unacceptably long. When producing the many frames that are necessary for animations, the time is magnified. Many methods have been proposed to reduce the calculations necessary in ray tracing. Much of the effort has attempted to reduce the number of rays cast or to reduce the number of intersection calculations. Both of these techniques exploit spatial coherence. These acceleration techniques are expanded not only to exploit spatial coherence but also to exploit temporal coherence in order to reduce calculations by treating animation …

Suitability Of The Nist Shop Data Model As A Neutral File Format For Simulation, Gregory Brent Harward

Theses and Dissertations

Due to the successful application in internet related fields, Extensible Markup Language (XML) and its related technologies are being explored as a revolutionary software file format technology used to provide increased interoperability in the discrete-event simulation (DES) arena. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed an XML-based information model (XSD) called the Shop Data Model (SDM), which is used to describe the contents of a neutral file format (NFF) that is being promoted as a means to make manufacturing simulation technology more accessible to a larger group of potential customers. Using a two step process, this thesis …

Microbial And Chemical Affects On Leachate From Calcareous Soils Treated With Wastewater Effluent, Craig M. Paul

Theses and Dissertations

Increasing human populations are placing greater strain on water resources, prompting the use of treated wastewater effluent for irrigation in some areas, including the desert regions of the Western United States. To determine the potential effects of using secondary effluent for irrigation, we applied wastewater effluent and irrigation waters to natural and artificially constructed calcareous soils in greenhouse and field lysimeters, and in soil columns. The leachate from one field lysimeter contained increased fecal coliform counts than the effluent. Leachate coliform counts were decreased or not significantly changed in two field lysimeters. Electrical conductivity (EC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), chloride …

Saturday Nights Alone, Daniel C. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

This novel blends first-person narrative prose with conventions of screenwriting to create a voice consistent with its main character, Rick Morgan, who's trying to escape his life as a real estate agent by becoming a screenwriter. As Rick struggles to write a new screenplay he finds it difficult to divorce his creative mind from the troubles of his personal life. As a result his preoccupations with destroying his boss and taking back the girl the boss stole from him, work their way into Rick's new project. The motif of art imitating life imitating art forces Rick to question long held …

Tauser Killed Both Dogs And Other Suburban American Family Folklore, Kristina Whitley Gashler

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis attempts to answer the questions "What purposes do family pets and the narratives we tell about them serve in modern American society?" and "What do these stories tell us about what Americans value and about where we locate our ‘value center’?" In Chapter 1, I discuss how Americans define loyalty in our pets now that our animals generally no longer help us work. I conclude that since the shift from agricultural to suburban settings, animals prove their loyalty individually and in human-like ways, rather than as "good" members of their own species, but at the same time because …

Research On Minority-Girl Education In China: Critique And Recommendations, Jiesu Luo

Theses and Dissertations

Minority-girl education in China is a new field of research. This study seeks to explore into this field through reviewing and analyzing the available studies that have been done. This literature has been collected through searching library holdings, Computer Assisted Research Search, and online searching. The criteria against which the literature is to be reviewed and analyzed are in the form of questions and are divided into six categories of introduction, theoretical framework, method, results, discussion (conclusion/recommendations), and abstract or summary; so that all the aspects of a study can be examined. The research filed of minority-girl education in China …

Increasing Expressive Vocabulary Through Non-Traditional Instruction, Lisa C. Washart

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined vocabulary teaching techniques. Its major purpose was to discover ways of teaching vocabulary to students that motivate them to use the words and allow them to understand and use these words appropriately. This study utilized a qualitative approach, examining instruction through the use of a case study. The study took place in an inclusive fifth grade classroom of twenty-five students. Sixteen of these students participated in the study. A checklist, student writing samples, and field notes were used to gather data surrounding varied forms of instruction and the ability of students to use newly learned words. Collected …

Standardized Educational Assessments: The Effects On Teachers In A South Jersey Elementary School, Ashley P. Root

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore how standardized testing affects teaching methods. The major aspects of this qualitative study focus around two questions: How do the pressures and incentives inflicted by standardized achievement tests affect or change teacher instruction? The site for the research is in an elementary school in Gloucester Township, New Jersey. The population for this study consists of teachers ranging from kindergarten teachers to fifth grade teachers. My research is based on interpretation of data gathered by investigation and examination. I used observations, analysis of materials, survey responses, and questionnaires as the basis for my …

The Connection Between Gender And Literacy In A First Grade Classroom, Jessica V. Feldman

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a qualitative case study that explores the connection between literacy and gender in a first grade classroom environment. The subjects for this study are twenty first grade students in a regular education classroom located in a southern New Jersey elementary school. For this study, students were observed with the attempt to answer three questions: 1) What gender stereotypes have these first graders internalized coming into the classroom? 2) How are these gender beliefs expressed in the language arts classroom? 3) What are teachers doing to foster these biases in their students? Data collected includes student writings, discussions, …

Inclusion: A View From Students And Teachers, Elizabeth A. Carroll

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine students' and teachers' opinions on the inclusion model and its implementation in classrooms today. This study was conducted in an elementary school (grades one through five) in a K-12 public school district in Roosevelt Township, New Jersey. The participants were 27 second and third grade multiage students as well as 7 second and third grade teachers with varied teaching experiences and certifications. Teacher participants completed open-ended questionnaires while student participants completed surveys in which they used a rating scale to assign their comfort level with varied example situations. Data from the surveys …

No More Worksheets: A Pre-Service Teacher's Look At Manipulatives, Kathren Field Barraclough

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the use of manipulatives during math. This is done by examining manipulatives in reference to student interest, diverse learners, student response, and student opinions. The study was conducted in an elementary school in the Winslow Township school district located in the Camden County region of South Jersey. All seventeen participants were taken from a collaboratively taught first grade classroom. Collection of data was done through the use of video tape, student journals, tests and my personal observations. Data was triangulated through the examination of multi-sources (video, journals, tests, observations), and themes, scores …

Whole-Body Vibration And Its Effects On Electromechanical Delay And Vertical Jump Performance, Deja Lee Stevenson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of whole-body vibration on electromechanical delay and vertical jump performance. Twenty college aged subjects participated in 10 intervals of whole-body vibration (WBV) at a frequency of 26 Hz and amplitude of 5 mm. Each interval consisted of 60 s of WBV in a half-squat followed by 60 s of rest. After 5 intervals, subjects had 6 min of rest before the final 5 intervals. Each subject also participated in the control which included the same 10 intervals in a half-squat without the WBV. Tests were conducted to assess electromechanical delay …

Phylogeny And Biogeography Of Ice Crawlers (Insecta: Grylloblattodea): Evidence From Six Molecular Loci, Karl J. Jarvis

Theses and Dissertations

Ice crawlers (Insecta: Grylloblattodea) are rarely encountered insects that consist of five genera representing 26 species from North America and Asia. Asian grylloblattids are the most diverse, but North American ice crawlers (genus Grylloblatta) are known for their adaptation to cold conditions. Phylogenetic relationships among grylloblattid species and genera are not known. Late Pleistocene glaciations had a major effect on the current Grylloblatta distribution, because their specific habitat requirements restrict them to small geographical areas. Six genes were sampled in 37 individuals for 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, histone 3, 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and cytochrome oxidase II (COII) from 27 …

Crustacean Phylogenetic Systematics And Opsin Evolution, Megan L. Porter

Theses and Dissertations

Composed of a chromophore bound to an integral membrane protein (opsin), visual pigments are phenotypically characterized by the wavelength of maximal absorption (λmax). The underlying molecular mechanism controlling λmax is the interaction between the opsin amino acid sequence and the chromophore. While a plethora of studies have looked at structure/function relationships in vertebrate opsins, fewer studies have investigated similar issues in invertebrates. Furthermore, those few studies undertaken in invertebrate systems suggest different mechanisms of spectral tuning and photoactivation compared to vertebrate systems. This dissertation research is focused on expanding our knowledge of opsin evolution in invertebrate systems, particularly from non-insect …

Exploring The Effect Of Literature Circles On Reading Comprehension And Motivation, Christina Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of literature circles on elementary school children. It was hypothesized that a third grade class that read independently through the use of the literature circle structure will show greater gains in reading comprehension and reading motivation than when the same third grade class does not experience the literature circle structure. The sample included a predetermined class of 24 third-grade students, which consists of 9 females and 15 males.

The non-treatment conditions consisted of small group guided reading lessons. The treatment conditions consisted of the implementation of literature circles. Student reading …

Reading Comprehension Evaluated Through Electronic Storybooks And Traditional Print Storybooks, Erika Lynn Crescenzo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether electronic text storybooks, when compared to printed storybooks, affect students' comprehension skills. Reading comprehension is a process by which the reader constructs meaning with the text. With electronic texts, the computer is able to control the number of words that are displayed to allow the student to read at their own pace. Dramatization along with special text features used in electronic storybooks presents the text in a way that differs from the traditional printed storybook. These changes grasp the readers' attention both visually and verbally. Eliminating the decoding of the text …

An Evaluation Of A Service-Learning Approach To Assist In Achieving The Goals Of A Comprehensive Guidance Program, Kathryn Ann Stott

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was twofold: (a) to investigate how a service-learning class assisted in achieving the goals of a comprehensive guidance and development program in a junior high school, and (b) to examine the effects of a service-learning class on junior high school students. Thirty students who had been in the service-learning class participated in semi-structured interviews. Parents and teachers were also interviewed to cross-validate student perceptions. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed to identify core meanings. Using phenomenological analysis, eight major themes were identified: personal awareness, social skills development, learning skills, career interests, character education, application of …

Assessment Of Cell Death Parameters In Bovine Parvovirus-Infected Ebtr Cells, Lubna Salah Eldin Abdel Latif

Theses and Dissertations

Bovine parvovirus (BPV) is a helper-independent parvovirus. It has a small icosahedral capsid with a single stranded DNA genome. It is a highly stable virus with a narrow host range. It causes acute gastroenteritis in calves. It is considered to be a cytolytic virus because it kills the host cells. However, the mechanism by which the virus causes cell death is not known. The work described in this thesis assessed different parameters of cell death in BPV infected embryonic bovine tracheal (EBTr) cells. There are several ways for viruses to induce cell death. Viruses can induce apoptosis in the infected …

Fortune Personified And The Fall (And Rise) Of Women In Chaucer's Monk's Tale And The Autobiographical Writings Of Christine De Pizan, Leona C. Fisher

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will posit that a query of the medieval trope, Fortune, can be read as a query into femininity. Fortune is depicted with many quintessentially medieval feminine traits, and women in texts that discuss Fortune often have Fortune's traits. While texts that link Fortune and femininity usually do so to censure women, some writers turned the trope to their advantage for just the opposite purpose. Both Chaucer in the "Monk's Tale" and Christine de Pizan personify Fortune to subtly point out the flaws in antifeminist medieval view of women. This thesis explores the ways in which these writers cleverly …

Autologous Fibrinogen Purification And Concentration For Use In Fibrin Sealant, Steven M. Alston

Theses and Dissertations

Fibrinogen concentrates are used widely as a sealant during and after surgery to reduce blood loss. Commercially available fibrin sealants are made from pooled human blood, which carries the risk of blood-borne diseases, and are expensive. These concerns have brought to focus the need for autologous fibrinogen concentrates. This need has been addressed by utilizing a unique approach in which fibrinogen is precipitated from plasma with protamine. The physical properties of fibrin sealant prepared from fibrinogen precipitated with protamine were evaluated. The optimal precipitation conditions included a plasma protamine concentration of 10 mg/mL at room temperature. Under these conditions 96% …

The First Year Foreign Language Program In An Elementary School, Sean Hengst

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project was to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a first year elementary school foreign language curriculum, so that appropriate objectives and activities could be planned for the second year of the program. The intern selected a sample of ten students from each grade level. He used oral and written assessments to measure content mastery and conducted interviews to determine student attitudes toward the program. The intern also analyzed the French teacher's lesson plans to determine the amount of time spent teaching each objective and what teaching strategies were successful. After analyzing the data, the intern …

Disproportionate Representation Of Minority Students In The Special Education Program At The Kingsway Regional School District, Anthony J. Fitzpatrick

Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this study were to (a) determine the proportion of representation of minority students in special education programs on a federal, state, and district-wide level; and (b) determine the needs of the Kingsway Regional School District in addressing any disproportionate representation that exists. The subject sample was the special education population in the United States as determined by IDEA. The sample population would be studied to ascertain the proportion of representation and the determination standards used to classify them. It was concluded that Kingsway did not have a problem with disproportionate representation but rather an issue with consistent …

Determining The Optimum Number Of Increments In Composite Sampling, John Ellis Hathaway

Theses and Dissertations

Composite sampling can be more cost effective than simple random sampling. This paper considers how to determine the optimum number of increments to use in composite sampling. Composite sampling terminology and theory are outlined and a model is developed which accounts for different sources of variation in compositing and data analysis. This model is used to define and understand the process of determining the optimum number of increments that should be used in forming a composite. The blending variance is shown to have a smaller range of possible values than previously reported when estimating the number of increments in a …

Design, Development And Evaluation Of Chinese Radical And Character Tutorial By Hypermedia, Su-Ling Hsueh

Theses and Dissertations

This project report describes the instructional design, development and evaluation of the Chinese Radical and Character Tutorial (CRCT) project. The web-based CRCT project integrated hypermedia resources (audio, video, graphics, animation and hyperlinks) to teach undergraduate and graduate students basic Chinese radical and character recognition and writing. One-to-one test, expert review and small-group test were utilized in the formative evaluation. Statistical significance was found in the small-group test, which suggests that supplemental hypermedia material can effectively facilitate student learning of Chinese reading and writing outside of the classroom. Moreover, the qualitative data indicated that students enjoyed using CRCT's drills, feedback features …

An Experimental Study In Promoting Collaborative Instructional Activities, Kathleen Galarza

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this experimental study was to determine which public relations methods would best inform the first through fifth grade classroom teaching staff at Holly Heights School about the work of the library media center, the roles of the library media specialist, and the research that states how important collaborative educational activities are for students, so that teaching staff members would choose to participate in some type of collaborative instructional activities with the library media specialist to benefit the students. This study was conducted with 18 first through fifth grade teaching staff members at Holly Heights Elementary School in …

Barriers To Young Adult Patronage Of Public Libraries: A Survey Of New Jersey Librarians, Deborah A. Swierk

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how public librarians in New Jersey responded to the external and internal barriers to young adult patronage as identified by the 1995 National Center for Educational Statistics study and the 1999 Public Libraries as Partners in Youth Development initiative. The researcher conducted a purposive online survey of New Jersey public librarians who were members of the New Jersey Young Adult and Children's (NJYAC) Iistserv and served young adults. Responses to the online survey totaled 77 or 16%. Percentages were used to analyze the data and Microsoft Excel was used to generate charts …

A Gis Model For Predicting Potential "High Risk" Areas Of West Nile Virus By Identifying Ideal Mosquito Breeding Habitats, Robert Charles Wallis

Theses and Dissertations

West Nile virus has become a major risk to humans since its first appearance in New York City in 1999. Physicians and state health officials are interested in new and more efficient methods for monitoring disease spread and predicting future outbreaks. This study modeled habitat suitability for mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus. Habitat characteristics were used to derive risk maps for the entire state of Mississippi. Statistical significance tests yielded objective evidence for choosing among many habitat variables. Variables that were significantly correlated with diagnosed human cases for 2002 were combined in weighted linear algebraic models using a geographic …