Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluation Of The Use Of Climatically Controlled Pankar-Huyus Modules For Cultivating Lettuce, Lucio Guillermo Rocabado Paco

Theses and Dissertations

Pankar-huyus are becoming an alternative solution to the Bolivian Altiplano's climate problems for agriculture and to help provide adequate nutrition for the inhabitants of this region. Pankar-huyus are small modules with mild ambient temperatures that cover roughly 4 m^2. They are built underground and are covered by agrofilm caps that, in this study, were partially opened by day and closed at night. This study evaluated the climactic parameters of minimum and maximum temperature, minimum and maximum relatively humidity inside the pankar-huyus, wind velocity outside and inside the pankar-huyus at 40 cm from the soil and at the level of the …

The History Of The World, Ruby Wescoat

Theses and Dissertations

This Thesis is my effort to understand what subjects I find interesting and why. In the processes of writing and making sculpture, I discovered that my underlying fascination is in history. I am interested in places and objects for their individual qualities, but I also want to know how they relate to the world. If I am drawn to an ancient place or object, I want to examine how it fits into the contemporary world, and visa versa. The complexity of these relationships is increased by the vast number of histories (or stories) that are intertwined in the world. Over …

The Doubtful Hero: An Artist's Journey, Heather N. Falks

Theses and Dissertations

THE DOUBTFUL HERO: AN ARTIST’S JOURNEY

By Heather N. Falks, MFA

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in Theatre at Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2015

Director: Noreen Barnes

Graduate Studies Director, Department of Theatre

This thesis documents my role as director of Time Tells, an ensemble based, multi-media, devised theatre piece. I address my specific responsibilities when leading an ensemble to create new work and produce it for the public. I identify the problems the ensemble faced and account how I mediated when dealing with conflict. …

Regulation Of Fc Receptor Expression And Signaling On Murine Mast Cells, Hey Jin Chong

Theses and Dissertations

Mast cells have long been appreciated as the primary effector cells in allergy and asthma, and recently have been implicated in other inflammatory diseases. Using high density oligonucleotide probe arrays, we assessed genome-wide transcriptional profiles after FcεRI aggregation for 90 minutes, 5 hours and 24 hours. We describe novel gene regulation in response to FcεRI signaling, including altered expression of CD44, Pari, osteopontin, Nur77, E4BP4, and NDRG 1. In addition, the gene encoding FcεRI β was downregulated 5 hours after mast cell activation according to both microarray analysis and RPA, and western blotting confirmed the downregulation of the beta subunit …

Reflections, Laura Love Higbee

Theses and Dissertations

Much of my artistic inspiration comes from my walks in nature. I explore the many different textures of stones, wood chips, tree bark, water ripples, lily pads, birds' feathers, and webbed feet. I find that the reflections on the surface of a pond, and the shadows and highlights on my subjects, are most beautifully captured as they are veiled by the dusk sunset. Sometimes I prefer to capture an image more inclusive of the environment. Other times I am more intrigued by the up close view of a subject, sometimes abstracting it. Through photography I can capture the quiet moments …

Fauxtopia, Raymond William Kampf

Theses and Dissertations

To all who come to this fictitious place:Welcome.Fauxtopia is your land. Here, age relives distorted memories of the past, and here, youth may savor the challenge of trying to understand the present. Fauxtopia is made up of the ideals, the dreams and the fuzzy facts which have re-created reality... with the hope that it will be a source of edutainment for all the world.Ray KampfFauxtopia DedicationApril 1st, 2004

Landescape, Dragana Crnjak

Theses and Dissertations

Shape, color and line are three basic elements I use to explore the possibilities of visual language. The process in itself is important since what is left on the paper are simply records of moments from which a work is constructed. These moments are mixtures of my memory, my everyday observation, my struggles and hopes. The starting point is always in between known and unknown, and it is always a new attempt for clarity. Rather than expressing what I already understand and know, I have a need to change my working methods quite often in order to expand my own …

Pcr Detection Of Streptococcus Mutans And Streptococcus Sobrinus In Dental Plaque Samples From Low, Moderate, And High Caries Risk Children, Ajit A. Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to correlate the presence of Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus with the incidence of dental caries in children as detected by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).Methods: Subjects between the ages 2 to 16 years of age were used in this study. After the subjects received a dental examination, dental plaque samples were collected by rubbing a toothpick on the buccal surface of the most posterior tooth in each quadrant of the mouth. Children were grouped into low, moderate, and high caries risk categories by two different Caries Risk Assessment Tools (CAT 1 and …

Behind The Fire Line, Thomas Petzwinkler

Theses and Dissertations

BEHIND THE FIRE LINE A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University, 2004. Major Director: Jim Long, Department Chair. Behind the Line of Fire is a documentary of the professional lives of a group of firefighters. Inspired by the events of September 11th, it has been an ongoing journey for me as I continue to interact with an photograph these individuals doing the job that they live for. My goal for this project has been to work within the guidelines of a documentary, a genre that has a rich, diverse, …

The Longterm Effects Of Television Mediation On Lds Young Single Adults: An Exploratory Study, Jennia Parkin

Theses and Dissertations

This exploratory study examines what Latter-day Saint young single adults remember about their parents mediating the television and its use, and how those recollections contribute to their current attitudes and values toward the media, as well as their media choices. A stratified random sample of 267 LDS young single adults across the United States and outside the state of Utah responded to a cross sectional mail or online survey. The three mediation styles established by Valkenburg, Krcmar, Peeters, and Marseille (1999)—Restrictive, Instructive, and Coviewing—were used as the independent variables while scales assessing television offensiveness levels, attitudes, orientation, and usage were …

A Structural Equation Model Examining The Effects Of Gulf War Stress Exposure On Subsequent Mental And Physical Health Problems Among Gulf War Veterans, Frank J. Kenny

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this dissertation is to better understand the complex relationship between the stresses encountered by US. service personnel during the Gulf War and eventual physical and psychological health outcomes among its veterans. By developing and validating a stress model using structural equation modeling techniques, it is hoped that knowledge regarding wartime stress and its potential impact on the health of veterans will be gained. This knowledge can be used to guide future policy decisions on how to minimize the deleterious health consequences associated with deployment and combat, as well as furnishing a basis for future studies that examine …

Motivations, Roles, Characteristics, And Power: Women Volunteer Leaders On Nonprofit Boards Of Directors, Bridget Elizabeth Lyons

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the leadership experiences of woman presidents of nonprofit agencies who are perceived as successful. Recognizing that participants' descriptions of their leadership experience are both similar and different, those similarities and differences are explored and analyzed. Commitment to the organization's mission, communicating a vision into action, fostering collaboration, and an adaptable leadership approach all contributed to the success of these female board presidents. A case study design was used to obtain an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of women leaders on nonprofit boards of directors. In-depth interviewing, observations with field notes, …

The Association Between Periodontal Disease And C-Reactive Protein In Patients With A History Of Heart Attack, Robert Lee Fletcher Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The patient population consisted of a maximum of 18,570 subjects who completed the NHANES III questionnaire and examination from 1988 - 1994. The physical examination included such things as body mass index and serum samples, social and medical history. The periodontal examination recorded probing depth, attachment loss and gingival bleeding. Serum samples were analyzed for CRP levels, cholesterol levels etc. Demographic, cardiovascular and oral health variables were compared in subjects with a history of heart attack. Result showed that history of heart attack is associated with increased odds ratio for elevated CRP, diabetes, hypertension, cholesterol, male gender, non-white race and …

Growth And Deterioration, Brooke A. Hine

Theses and Dissertations

I use porcelain clay because it allows me to focus on the subtle color shifts between white, beige, and gray. The forms I make in clay are associated with tangled roots, naked tree branches, hollow logs, and bones. I reveal this with a dense mass of curvilinear hollow forms that stack into a rhythmic linkage. They twist and turn, relying on gravity to dictate their structure within the installation. The ends of some are closed while others remain open to expose their interior. The tearing and perforations on the surface of each piece are employed to emphasize deterioration. In opposition …

Soul Hunting, Guido Esteban Alvarez

Theses and Dissertations

According to the Webster's unabridged dictionary, a mania is an excessively intense enthusiasm, interest, or desire; a craze. I experience a mania on a daily basis: I take photographs. I trap photographs inside flat, airless fish tanks where time stands still. The creatures captured inside the tanks resurrect every time I see them to remind me of a sound, an odor, a flavor, and, ultimately, a feeling I once experienced and now cherish. This project will attempt to show the energy captured in my photographic archives as a journey through my memories using an experimental interactive method.

Gas Phase Studies Of Molecular Clusters Containing Metal Cations, And The Ion Mobility Of Styrene Oligomers, Edreese Housni Alsharaeh

Theses and Dissertations

This study is divided into three parts. Part I deals with the mechanism of the self-initiated polymerization (or thermal polymerization) of styrene in the gas phase. In this work, we present the first direct evidence for the thermally self-initiated polymerization of styrene in the gas phase. Our approach is based on on-line analysis of the gas phase Oligomers by mass-selected ion mobility. The mobility measurements provide structural information on the ionized oligomers based on their collision cross-sections (Ω) which depend on the geometric shapes of the ions. Theoretical calculations of possible structural candidates of the Oligomers ions are then used …

Meanings Of Security: A Constructivist Inquiry Into The Context Of Information Security Policy Development Post 9/11, Linda F. Larkin

Theses and Dissertations

Security is a term that appears to be used in a variety of ways and to have a number of meanings. In policy discussions, there may be reference to information security, national security, network security, online security, and other kinds of security. In an environment where technological innovation appears to be occurring at an ever increasing rate, policy makers look to technological experts for advice, and information security policy is developed, it seems to be important to consider these variations in meaning. This constructivist inquiry explores the context in which information security policy is developed and inquires into the meanings, …

Hate Crime Depicted In Film, Waylon C. Baker

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Ojibway Women In Transition : The Influence Of The Church On The Traditional Roles Of Objibway Women And Its Effects On Ojibway Society, Anastasia Bowe

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Remote Sensing And Predictive Modeling Of Saltcedar (Tamarix) In The Northern Great Plains, David A. Brookman

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Relationship Between Drive For Thinness, Drive For Muscularity, Disordered Eating, And Exercise Behaviors, Annamarie A. Carlson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Representing And Negotiating Dakotaness In Susan Power, Aneliya Dimitrova

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Cultural Orientation And Domestic Violence : American Indian Women's Conflict And Violence Experiences, And Beliefs, Crystal R. Evans-Kipp

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Saudi Women's Society : Perceptions Of Saudi Arabian Women Living In The Upper Midwest, Philline M. Deraney

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of Auditory Processing Skills In Birth Siblings, Pamela L. Lamon

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Aesthetic Representation Of Traditional Chinese Painting In Two Fifth-Generation Chinese Films, Yuliyana Gencheva

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Issues Of Opression And Liberation : Un-Covering The Image Of The Veil, Jane Eleanor Sykes

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

I'Ve Done My Job : Elderly North Dakotans Talk About Right Living, John J. Weber

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Place To Call Home : A Look At College Students And Online Community, Megan N. Tollefson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Diphenhydramine On Central Auditory Processing In University Of North Dakota Students, January L. Stevenson

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.