Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of A Treatment Program With A Latency-Aged Male Child, Michael Calavetta

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of a therapeutic treatment program for a latency-aged male child. This eight-year old child presented with several problem areas. These included poor academic performance, attention difficulties, symptoms of depression and acting out behaviors. The client also had a long standing history of family dysfunction and instability. The client participated in a multimodal treatment program consisting of individual and family counseling, as well as a school-based partial care intervention program. The client also received Adderall and Zoloft. The Connor's ADHD Scales, Children's Depression Inventory, and a Patient Satisfaction Survey were administered …

A Device For Imposing Uniform, Cyclic Strain To Cells Growing On Implant Alloys, Larry Chad Winter

Theses and Dissertations

Since bone tissues grow in intimate contact with implant surfaces in vivo, there is a need to investigate how bone cells respond to mechanical loads adjacent to implants under well characterized loading conditions that stimulate the bone-implant surface. Thus, the objective of this study was to demonstrate an effective means for applying known, uniform, cyclic strain to cells growing on implant materials in vitro. A cell culture strain plate device was developed based on the application of the four-point bending principle. The device uses a small electric motor to drive belts attached to shafts which turn a set of cams. …

Identifying Potential Sedimentation Sources Through A Remote Sensing And Gis Analysis Of Landuse/Landcover For The Weeks Bay Watershed, Baldwin County, Alabama, John Harrison Cartwright

Theses and Dissertations

The Weeks Bay watershed in Baldwin County, Alabama has experienced rapid changes in landuse/ landcover (LULC) from 1990 to 2000. These changes have resulted in increased upland erosion and higher concentrations of suspended sediment within the watershed. For this research project a spatial model was developed to identify potential sources of sediment relevant to LULC and slope. Landsat satellite imagery was classified to assess LULC within the Weeks Bay watershed. The classification includes forested vegetation, herbaceous vegetation (seasonal and persistent), mixed/ transitional vegetation, urban/ built-up areas, sparse/ residual vegetation and water, with an overall accuracy of 78%. Change detections of …

An Aminopeptidase Acting As A Potential Factor In Host Adaptation Of Mycoplasma Gallinarum, Xiufeng Wan

Theses and Dissertations

Unlike most other host-specific mycoplasmas, Mycoplasma gallinarum exists as a commensal with a host range including most poultry as well as some mammals. This property of M. gallinarum may reflect unique mechanisms for its colonization and persistence in hosts. Whereas M. gallinarum shows leucine and arginine aminopeptidase activity, the genes encoding the enzymes had not been cloned and characterized. We identified an aminopeptidase gene (APN) by oligonucleotide hybridization to a genomic library of M. gallinarum in lambda ZAPII bacteriophage. Nucleotide sequence analysis of overlapping phage clones identified a 1,362 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a putative leucine aminopeptidase gene. …

The Effects Of Species, Adhesive Type, And Cure Temperature On The Strength And Durability Of A Structural Finger Joint, Matthew Eric Vrazel

Theses and Dissertations

This research project was conducted to evaluate the effects of adhesive type, wood species, and cure temperature on the strength and durability properties of a finger joint. The adhesives were a resorcinolormaldehyde(RF),polyurethane/aqueous emulsion polymer (PU/AEP), and a resorcinolormaldehyde/soy-isolate honeymoon system. The species of wood were keruing (Dipterocarpus spp.), southern pine (Pinus spp.), and Douglasir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). The cure temperatures of the adhesives were ambient (26-35° C, 78-95° F) and elevated (43-49° C, 110-120° F). Joints were subjected to three test procedures; a tension test, a bending test, and a bending test following an accelerated aging procedure. The response variables measured …

Using The Index Of Biotic Integrity Of Fish Communities To Evaluate Habitat Quality In Middle Chattahoochee River Tributaries, Theodor W. Roever

Theses and Dissertations

An ichthyological survey was conducted within the lower Piedmont and upper Coastal Plain physiographic regions of the middle Chattahoochee River drainage basin between August 1998 and September 2000. Sampling was conducted by Columbus State University (CSU) under contract to Columbus Water Works for the purpose of obtaining biological measurements of watershed health. Objectives of the survey were the establishment of a data baseline of IBI scores for this ecoregion and to ascertain if there was a correlation between the IBI score and human influence. The thesis to be tested is: 'Fish community IBI scores of different watersheds within the Middle …

The Perceptions Of Selected Tribal College Transfer Students Attending The University Of North Dakota, Donna L. Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the perceptions transfer students from Tribal Colleges have upon entering The University of North Dakota regarding their own readiness for a four-year institution. This study sought to find out what could be done at the tribal colleges, at UND, and what the institutions could do collaboratively to improve the success of tribal college transfer students. Eleven students participated in the study. They were first semester transfers coming directly from tribal colleges who had transferred in at least 45 semester credits and with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher. …

The Relationship Between Self-Reports Of Delinquent Behaviors And Adolescents' Perceptions Of Parental Care And Protectiveness, Jacqueline A. Bleess

Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined adolescents’ perceptions, in regards to parent levels of Caring and Overprotection, as correlates of self-reported delinquent behaviors in 135 males and female adolescents. As hypothesized, the results showed correlations between perceived Parental Care and self-reported levels of delinquent behaviors in both males and females. This study has shown that more males than females report participation in delinquent behaviors. As hypothesized, low levels of perceived Parental Care correlated to both male and female adolescents’ self-reports of delinquent behaviors, but overprotection (high overprotection) did not. The strongest predictor of adolescent participation in delinquent activities is the adolescents’ perception …

Distribution, Relative Abundance, And Reproductive Seasonality Of Larval Fish In The Red River, Timothy James Resseguie

Theses and Dissertations

Spawning habitat availability and reproductive timing are crucial factors that affect survival of larval fish. To understand temporal and spatial variation in larval fishes in the Red River, samples were collected from the Red River and North Dakota tributaries using ichthyoplankton nets. Collections were made during the spring and summer of 1999, 2000, and 2001. Spatial patterns were examined to uncover any variation in a cross section of the river. Common carp Cypritr j carpio, cyprinid spp. and white bass Morone crysops were more abundant near the surface than at mid-depth. Channel catfish Ictalurus pimctatus were more abundant at mid-depth …

Modification Of All-Hexadedral Finite Element Meshes By Dual Sheet Insertion And Extraction, Michael J. Borden

Theses and Dissertations

The development of algorithms that effectively modify all-hexahedral finite element mesh is currently an active area of research. Mesh modification can be used to improve mesh quality reduce the time required to mesh a model, and improve the finite element analysis results. However, general modification of all-hexahedral meshes has proven difficult because of the global effects of local modifications. This thesis explains the global constraints on modifying all-hexahedral meshes and then presents three mesh modification techniques that make it possible to do local modifications while accounting for the global effects. These techniques are sheet insertion, sheet extraction, and mesh cutting. …

Availability Of Organochlorides And Accumulation In Populations Of Tadarida Brasiliensis (Free-Tailed Bat) And Eptesicus Fuscus (Big Brown Bat), Michelle Lee Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Organochlorides were historically effective in controlling a wide range of pests. However, organochlorides have proved to present many problems to the health and welfare of other organisms. Due to these problems, especially declines in wildlife populations, organochlorides were restricted in the 1970's and a majority of them were banned in the mid to late 1980's. The effects of organochlorides on bats such as Tadarida brasiliensis and Eptesicus fuscus have been intensively studied. The effects can range from problems with reproduction to mortality. My analysis of populations of T. brasiliensis and E. fuscus showed that organochlorides are still present in the …

Survey Attitudes Toward Stem Cell Research, Ejinkonye C. Anekwe

Theses and Dissertations

In the following research study, a self-administered questionnaire was utilized to assess opinions regarding embryonic stem cell research based on three objectives: willingness to accept stem cells, educational background, and religion. A total of 1 13 fixed-alternative questionnaires were distributed to a diverse group of respondents. Nonprobability sampling using the accidental approach was performed. Support of stem cell research was dependent on Question 9, which asked what people thought about the cloning of human embryonic stem cells. The data revealed that most respondents from all groups surveyed opposed stem cell research. Neither education nor religion was a major determinant in …

Differences In Levels Of Sports Team Identification And Sports Fan Motivation Among American Indian And Caucasian University Of North Dakota Students, Tami Jollie-Trottier

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to measure the level of spectator identification and fan motivation among University of North Dakota (UND) students. Participants consisted of 57 Northern Plains American Indian students and 90 Caucasian students. Participants completed the Sports Spectator Identification Scale (SSIS) and the Sports Fan Motivation Scale (SFMS). It was predicted that Caucasian students would report higher levels of spectator identification with UND "Fighting Sioux" athletic teams than would American Indian students. It was further hypothesized Caucasian students would be more likely to contest changing the "Fighting Sioux" nickname and logo. It was also predicted that motivation …

Impact Of Corticosterone And Zinc Deprivation On Memory And Hippocampal Functioning, Patricia Lynn Moulton

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of long-term exposure to corticosterone (CC) and chronic zinc-deprivation (ZnD) on memory performance and hippocampal damage in rats. Previous work has examined the impact of exposure to CC or the impact of ZnD, but no previous work has examined the combined impact on memory performance. Previous work suggests that chronic exposure to CC or ZnD results in hippocampal damage and memory deficits.

The present study utilized a broader range of memory tests than previous studies and administered the memory tests early and late in the time period of CC exposure …

Psychotherapy Integration: Examination Of Clinical Utilization, Gregory T. Tierney

Theses and Dissertations

Psychotherapy integration has been consistently found to be the modal or bimodal primary theoretical orientation explicitly reported by psychologists. Considering influences on the field of psychology, psychotherapy integration will likely remain a significant approach to psychotherapy for the foreseeable future. However, not much is known about the clinical application of psychotherapy integration. It is questionable whether current classifications of psychotherapy integration, including theoretical integration, eclecticism, and common factors, can adequately describe clinical approaches. The assessment of latent theoretical orientation, as a means of assessing primary theoretical orientation, is a promising way to examine the clinical use of psychotherapy integration. My …

Msl: Michif Sign Language-The Noun Phrases, Jacqueline Foster Ferraro

Theses and Dissertations

By focusing on the noun portion of the conventional Michif sentence, consisting of Cree verb phrases with the intertwining of French noun phrases, the objective of this research is to attempt to reveal some novel parallels in languages, as an initial step in the process of understanding more about the genesis of Michif and American Sign Language. In examining the separate and individual histories and applications of French Sign Language (FSL), American Sign Language (ASL), North American Indian Sign Language (NAISL), and the Amerindian Michif Language, certain commonalities and parallels are indeed present, even transcending the boundaries of diverse races, …

Effect Of Whole Language Instruction In Reading Comprehension Scores Of First Grade Students, Jeffrey A. Shone

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine whether any significant difference in the reading comprehension scores of first grade students utilizing a whole language method of instruction as opposed to phonics-based method of instruction existed. An experimental and control group of first grade students, with 20 children in each group, were administered the Silver Burdett Ginn Reading Comprehension test. Both groups were pre-tested to ascertain their level of reading comprehension before a treatment was administered. Next, the experimental group received the whole language method of reading instruction. Through repeated readings, students were exposed to reading and phonics at the …

Optimizing Wastewater Treatment, William Gefroh

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Teacher Intervention, Role Modeling, And A Gender-Balanced Bulletin Board Design On 10th Grade Male Students' Writing Apprehension, Laurie Bartolomeo

Theses and Dissertations

The first goal of this study was to identify any preexisting differences in the levels of writing apprehension between males and females in a sample of 85 10th grade high school students enrolled in English classes available during a spring 2002 student teaching placement. An adapted form of John A. Daly and Michael D. Miller's (1975) Likert-scaled Writing Apprehension Measure was used to assess the participants' levels of apprehension. Results of the first survey revealed that male participants did display a higher level of writing apprehension but the difference did not reach a level of statistical significance (p < .05). The second phase of the study involved a 4-month treatment period that included teacher intervention, role modeling, and a gender-balanced bulletin board design in an attempt to make a positive change in the male students' levels of writing apprehension. The same survey was administered to 36 males and 36 females following treatment to determine if any change occurred. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed there was no statistically significant effect of treatment on either the male or female participants (p < .05); however, a decrease in the levels of writing apprehension was seen in the means of the scores across all groups.

Genetic Structure And Isolation By Distance In Napaea Dioica L. (Malvaceae): An Analysis Of Microsatellite Dna Variation., Jonathan Paul Wenger

Theses and Dissertations

Napaea dioica L. (Malvaceae) is a robust, dioecious perennial flowering plant that is endemic to the upper midwestem United States. Occurring exclusively on the floodplains o f small rivers, populations o f N. dioica are distributed discretely on a network o f riparian habitat throughout its range which is coincident with the southernmost margin o f the Wisconsinan continental glacier. Ten population o f N. dioica were sampled across the species geographic range and were assayed at four high resolution microsatellite marker loci to assess genetic diversity and population structure in relation to the riparian habitat network and the ecological …

Phenotypic Changes In Escherichia Coli Mrca (Pbp 1a) And Mrca-Yrfe-Yrff Mutants., Frances Carol Sailer

Theses and Dissertations

Penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs), a set o f enzymes found in bacteria, are important in the latter stages o f cell wall (peptidoglycan) synthesis. To search for additional roles PBPs may have, Escherichia coli mutants lacking various combinations o f PBPs were screened for the following phenotypic changes: capsule production, responses to antibiotics, motility, biofilm formation, and utilization o f various carbon and nitrogen sources. The experiments described here focused on mutants lacking mrcA (encoding PBP la) and mrcA-yrfE-yrfF. Previously, every time a A(mrcA-yrfE-yrfF) mutant was constructed the strain became mucoid due to the production o f colanic acid which is …

Memory Functioning In Children Exposed To Domestic Violence Trauma, Deanna Cosgrove

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the memory functioning in children exposed to domestic violence trauma. Research findings suggest that adult participants with a clinical diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as defined by the Diagnostic Statistical Manual-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) suffer from impairments in memory associated with reductions in hippocampal volume. However, a question arises as to whether children who have been exposed to domestic violence trauma will differ from controls in their memory functioning. A question also arises as to the relationship between the children's parent-reported behaviors and their memory functioning. The Children's Memory Scale (CMS) (Cohen, 1997) was administered …

Multiple Intelligences And Teachers' Use Of The School Library Media Center, Jacqueline Albright Pugh

Theses and Dissertations

Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences asserts that each person has a unique cognitive profile made up of several different types of intelligences. This theory is being incorporated into school curricula in lesson planning. Gardner has identified eight types of intelligences that humans can possess. In order to plan instruction that develops each of the different types of intelligences, teachers need access to a wide array of resources. In this study, surveys were sent to 150 classroom teachers from grades K-6 in each of the elementary schools in Burlington County to assess teachers' familiarity with Multiple Intelligences and to assess …

The Effects Of A Social And Emotional Learning Curriculum On The Academic Achievement Of High School Students, Lyn J. Langford

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum on students' academic achievement, classroom behavior and SEL skills. An SEL curriculum was administered to 105 randomly selected college preparatory United States History 10th grade students. Students received a pretest and a posttest measuring their perception of SEL skills. This was administered before the 10 lesson unit was facilitated and after the action research was completed. The curriculum combined SEL and American Government. Various forms of assessment were used to measure academic achievement.

Survey results were analyzed and comparison percentages tabulated to …

Understanding The Need To Transition High School Students From School To Work, Christopher Armstrong

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine what employers were looking for in recent high school graduates. The study also tried to determine if high schools were currently meeting the needs of employers. A survey was sent to one hundred employers in the Southern New Jersey area asking about the importance of skills taught in high schools. Southern New Jersey is comprised of rural and suburban communities. The most widespread industries in Southern New Jersey are construction and hospitality/gaming. The survey asked questions about the importance of academic skills, social skills, work readiness skills, and higher level thinking skills. …

Discipline Problems: Ways Of Improvement, Teresa Mcganey-Guy

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to discover new ways of assisting students that have behavioral problems and the teachers of those students.

The subjects in this study were four teachers and their first and second grade students. The teachers were three females and one male. Two of the female teachers teach first grade and the others teach second grade.

The research tool used in this study was a questionnaire. The questionnaire was developed to gain knowledge about the effectiveness of the discipline strategies. The questions were used to collect general information about the respondent and the discipline strategies.

The …

Elucidating The Immunoactivity Of A Goat Serum Peptide, Todd Avery Parker

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of these studies was to determine if an immunomodulator was present in caprine serum. Controlled studies demonstrated that CSF-I, material fractionated from caprine serum possessed an immunomodulatory compound. Caprine serum was further fractionated into it?s peptidic components and a small contaminant of immunoglobulin G and albumin (Caprine serum fraction - immunomodulator 2, or CSF-I2). This was refined to a three peptidic isolate collectively identified as tri-peptidic immunostimulant or TPI. CSF-I2 does not possess antibacterial capabilities (as typically characteristic of a cationic peptide or defensin), does not contain a level of endotoxin sufficient to promote a pyrogenic response, and …

Development Of A Nutrient And Dissolved Oxygen Water Quality Model For The Saint Louis Bay Watershed, Janna Marie Kieffer

Theses and Dissertations

Nutrient enrichment, which can be detrimental to the health of aquatic systems, is one of the leading causes of impairment of our Nations? waters. Development and initial calibration of a hydrologic, hydrodynamic, and water quality model of dissolved oxygen and nutrient concentration for the St. Louis Bay watershed in coastal Mississippi is documented herein. The model was developed using the USEPA BASINS 3.0 analysis system and WinHSPF, a comprehensive watershed loading and transport modeling software. The resulting model simulates significant watershed and instream physical, chemical and biological processes including rainfall runoff and associated water quality from a variety of land …

Physiological Factors Associated With The Alteration Of Reproductive Performance Of Commercial Egg Laying Chickens Infected With F-Strain Mycoplasma Gallisepticum, Matthew Rex Burnham

Theses and Dissertations

The F-strain of Mycoplasma gallisepticum (FMG) is commonly used in vaccination programs to displace infections by more virulent natural or wild type Mycoplasma gallisepticum strains. However, a better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for altered egg production (EP) and egg quality in commercial layers infected with FMG is important, as these alterations can cause economic loss to the United States layer industry. This study was designed to examine potential mechanism(s) responsible for alterations in EP and egg quality by FMG-inoculation. The effects of FMG on production parameters and physiological characteristics of commercial laying hens were evaluated. In isolation units, 12 …

The Design And Implementation Of A Yield Monitor For Sweetpotatoes, Swapna Gogineni

Theses and Dissertations

A study of the soil characteristics, weather conditions, and effect of management skills on the yield of the agricultural crop requires site-specific details, which involves large amount of labor and resources, compared to the traditional whole field based analysis. This thesis discusses the design and implemention of yield monitor for sweetpotatoes grown in heavy clay soil. A data acquisition system is built and image segmentation algorithms are implemented. The system performed with an R-Square value of 0.80 in estimating the yield. The other main contribution of this thesis is to investigate the effectiveness of statistical methods and neural networks to …