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Synthesis And Characterization Of Polycyclic Bis(Tert-Butylamido)Cyclodiphosph(Iii)Azane Complexes Of Lithium, Magnesium, And Tin, Ingo Schranz

Theses and Dissertations

Synthesis and single-crystal X-ray studies of the bis(fert-butylamido) cyclodiphosphazane cis-[(tBuNP)2(tBuNH)2], 1, and its lithium, magnesium, and tin(IV) salts are described. The pristine molecule has crystallographic C2 symmetry, both N-H groups being disposed in an endo fashion, and crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2/c with unit cell dimensions (193 K) a = 9.600(4) A, b = 5.904(4) A, c = 18.97(1) A, /? = 101.09(3)°, and Z = 2. Treatment of 1 with "BuLi or (nBu)2Mg in refluxing THF yielded the heterocubic cA-[(tBuNP)2(*BuNLi • THF)2], 2, and the seco-heterocubic [(tBuNP)2(‘BuN)2]Mg»(THF)2, 3, respectively. The crystal data (233 K) for the dilithio …

Student Satisfaction With The Process Of Transferring To The University Of North Dakota., Mary E. Dalglish Bergstrom

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine issues related to the level of satisfaction with selected aspects of the transfer process of the students who had transferred to the University of North Dakota (UND). Research questions addressed several issues including the difficulty experienced in transferring to UND in regard to admission, advisement, and/or acceptance of transfer credit; the respondents' perceptions of the accuracy and understandability of information provided by UND; the ways in which students were satisfied or dissatisfied with the transfer admission process; and the respondents' suggestions for improvements to the transfer admission process.Data were gathered using a …

Test Of Variables Of Attention (Tova) Utility In Differentiating Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Subtypes, Steven Andrew Westby

Theses and Dissertations

Research has indicated that Continuous Performance Tests (CPTs) can differentiate Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity (ADHD) subjects from controls without any psychiatric illness. However, CPTs have neither accurately differentiated ADHD children from those with other psychiatric disorders—nor differentiated subtypes of ADHD from each other. The Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA), a new CPT, has several advantages over its predecessors which may allow the TOVA to be more effective in this differentiation process.

Data from ADHD subjects was selected from children who were administered the TOVA as part of their evaluation for ADHD at Lakeland Mental Health Center in Moorhead, MN, the Child Evaluation …

Chromatin Structure Of The Simian Virus 40 Late Promoter: A Deletional Analysis., Michael James Friez

Theses and Dissertations

Simian Virus 40 (SV40) chromosomes possess chromatin structures very similar to eukaryotic chromatin, including the presence of a nucleosome free region (NFR) over their promoter in a fraction of the chromosomes. SV40 domains of the promoter region include the information necessary for defining the NFR although the specific sequences involved in generating NFR's have not been identified. The goal of this study was to determine the minimal sequence within the late promoter region, nucleotides 255-424, of SV40 capable of phasing nucleosomes as measured by its ability to confer the greatest endonuclease sensitivity on adjacent DNR sequences. The degree of nuclease …

The Glucose-6-Phosphatase System: Structural Integrity And Physiologic Function., Bartholomew Adam Pederson

Theses and Dissertations

The enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase (Glc-6-Pase) (E.C. 3.1.9.3) plays a major role in the maintenance of blood glucose levels. Besides its classical role of hydrolyzing Glc-6-P, Glc-6-Pase also hydrolyzes mannose-6-phosphate (Man-6-P) and phosphorylates glucose via its biosynthetic activity. The enzyme is routinely studied in rat liver microsomes in the presence and absence of an activating/disrupting agent. The activator histone II-A reportedly increases Glc-6-Pase activity without destroying the microsomal membrane (St.-Denis et al. (1995) Biochem. J. 310, 221-224). We examined whether histone II-A disrupts microsomes by using the inhibitor N-bromoacetylethanolamine phosphate (BAEP). This compound inhibits Glc-6-Pase only in native microsomes. We found that …

Determinants In The Carboxyl Terminus Of The Type I(Alpha) Regulatory Subunit Of Camp-Dependent Protein Kinase That Influence Cyclic Nucleotide Binding., Mark Allen Kapphahn

Theses and Dissertations

The carboxyl terminal 19 amino acids of the type $\rm I\alpha$ regulatory subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase were investigated to determine their contribution to cAMP selectivity. The parent $\rm RI\alpha$ subunit contained an Ala-to-Thr mutation at position 334 so that it would bind both cAMP and cGMP with high-affinity. Stop codons were introduced into the parent cDNA construct at positions corresponding to Val-375, Asn-372, Gln-370, and Cys-360. The proteins were expressed in E. coli and purified by affinity chromatography, as were all other proteins in this study. Truncation mutants were initially characterized for cAMP and cGMP dissociation properties. This was …

Identification Of Simian Virus 40 Early Promoter Sequences Capable Of Nucleosome Phasing., Raejean Leigh Hermansen

Theses and Dissertations

A large fraction of simian virus 40 (SV40) chromosomes found in lytically infected cells have been shown to contain a large nucleosome-free region (NFR) over the promoter. Despite the importance of this NFR in transcription, little is known about what actually controls its formation. Recently, it has been shown that specific, short DNA sequences may act as organizing centers for nucleosome phasing in other eukaryotic systems. The primary goal of this study was to determine if specific SV40 early promoter sequences existed that were capable of phasing nucleosomes and thus directing the formation of a NFR.In order to identify specific …

Establishment And Succession Of Epiphyllic Bryophyte Assemblages On The Fronds Of The Neotropical Understory Palm Geonoma Seleri., James Daniels

Theses and Dissertations

Plant succession has classically been portrayed as an orderly, directional, and predictable process of species turnover through time. Unfortunately most of the studies from which these conclusions have been drawn have been poorly replicated owing to the practical difficulties involved in following the development of an assemblage throughout its existence.The current study has examined change over time in species cover and composition in the assemblage of epiphyllic bryophytes growing upon the fronds of the neotropical understory palm Geonoma seleri in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve of northern Costa Rica. The assemblage was examined in two ways. First, change in the …

A Comparative Immunocytochemical Analysis Of The Secretory Profiles Of Bovine Retinal Pericytes And Glomerular Mesangial Cells In Vitro., Julie Carol Rutherford

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships which may exist between retinal microvascular pericytes and renal glomerular mesangial cells regarding their secretory profiles and their resulting potential functional roles in vivo. The following working hypothesis was proposed: Retinal microvessel pericytes and renal glomerular mesangial cells share common morphological and ultrastructural features, reside in similar extracellular matrix environments in vivo, and express similar secretory profiles of extracellular matrix molecules in vitro.The methodology of the study included cell culture, Western blot analysis of the cell layer and matrix, light microscopic immunocytochemistry, ultrastructural analysis of intact and acellular tissues, and immunohistochemistry …

Meaning In Family Mealtime, Ardyth Gunnell Cannon

Theses and Dissertations

This project asks families what mealtime together means to them. The topic of family mealtime appears comparatively infrequently in academic literature, and any meaning that families associate with mealtime has seldom been studied directly. This particular research investigates meanings of the understudied mealtime event by interviewing three or four generations of family members from five different families. Attention is paid to emerging standards of rigor for qualitative research, namely applicability through the selection of families who have a history of practicing a family mealtime tradition, truth value in faithfully representing the interviewees perceptions, and auditability by including detail of the …

An Exploration Of The Roles, Responsibilities, And Challenges Of Six Graduate Teaching Assistants In The Visual Arts, Karen Drummond Devers

Theses and Dissertations

In this qualitative study, six participants shared their experiences as graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in the Visual Arts department of an upper- midwest university. Interviews, observations, and field notes during one semester, provided insights into how the participants described and understood their roles and < )sponsibilities as teachers. The university in this study offered no formal training and limited support to the graduate teaching assistants. As a result, participants had to depend on their own ingenuity and judgement to determine what and how to teach. The GTAs had full responsibility for crafting their course syllabi, creating and grading assignments, and resolving difficulties which arose in their classrooms. If they wanted feedback or suggestions, it was up to them to seek out responsive faculty members as mentors. The issues of student absenteeism and non-compliant behaviors were particularly difficult for the participants to resolve. The lack of preparation and support which was offered the GTAs contributed to their sense of isolation and precluded the formation of a teaching and learning community within the department.

A Study Of Gender And Subject Area On Student Test Score Prediction, Slade Spencer

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of student self assessment in this study was to give the instructor feedback – first hand knowledge of the level of understanding/comprehension the students have of the concepts in a given subject area. The purpose for test score predictions was to enable the classroom teacher to teach the areas of subject matter that were needed, not teach what has already been mastered as a skill.

Previous research has shown mixed results in the area of whether gender or subject area affects test score prediction. This provided support for the dual null hypotheses. There is not a significant relationship …

The Effects Of Alcohol And Anxiety: Senesitivity On Social Stress In Women, Beth A. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

The tension reduction hypothesis postulates that consuming alcohol leads to a stress dampening effect. This stress reduction is negatively reinforcing, therefore, individuals learn that consuming alcohol will reduce unpleasant, tension type sensations and cognitions. Several studies have examined the validity of the tension reduction hypothesis as an explanatory model for the development o f alcohol problems, but no clear consensus has been found. As a result, researchers have begun to examine individual difference variables that may interact with the effects of alcohol on anxiety. The present study examined potential individual difference factors (social anxiety and anxiety sensitivity) by randomly assigning …

A Study Of Multi-Sensory Instruction On Fourth Grade Students' Reading Achievement, Kristine Carter

Theses and Dissertations

Research has supported that by accommodating teaching methods to complement student learning styles, academic achievement and attitudes improve. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of multi-learning style based instruction, specifically perceptual preferences, on the reading achievement of fourth grade students. Forty-seven students in two intact classrooms from one elementary school participated in the pretest/posttest control group design. A pretest was given to both groups to ensure initial group equivalence. An experimental group then received multi-perceptual instruction for a period of two weeks while a control group was taught by traditional instruction. Following the instruction period, a …

Attention Defficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder In Adults, James A. Goetz

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Factors Influencing The Decision To Withdraw Mechanical Ventilation, Deborah D. Gengerke

Theses and Dissertations

Research reveals that the decision to withdraw life-sustaining medical treatment is commonly faced by surrogate decision makers of the critically ill. Factors noted to be considered by healthcare providers when addressing the decision to withdraw life-sustaining treatment include poor patient prognosis, poor patient quality of life should the patient survive, and the patient's previously expressed wishes regarding life sustaining treatment.

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that are present in surrogates' decisions to withdraw life-sustaining mechanical ventilation from the critically ill adult. The target population was 31 surrogate decision-makers who had agreed to withdraw life-sustaining mechanical …

Temporal Lobe Transients And Prayer, Donald E. Newberry

Theses and Dissertations

Persinger (1983) theorized that religious experiences involve the production of brief, micro-seizures that originate in the limbic system and affect the temporal lobes of the brain. According to this theory, ritual behavior could be used by individuals to induce micro-seizure activity. The theory predicted that an increase in alpha and theta activity in the temporal lobes of the brain would occur when subjects had a religious experience.

To test this, male and female Christian college students completed a Prayer Experiences Questionnaire inquiring about their religious experiences during prayer. Individuals scoring in the upper and lower 30 percent of the possible …

Content Validity And Inter-Rater Reliability Of A Hopi Child Abuse Risk Assessment Instrument., Ron Andrew Reid

Theses and Dissertations

Child abuse within the Hopi tribe is a major social problem that affects the mental health and well being of this Native American Indian community. Since 1985, many states have used risk assessment instruments to estimate the potential risk of child abuse. The present study evaluated a risk assessment instrument developed through combining items gathered from these different instruments for use with the Hopi.In this study, three raters used an instrument developed by the primary investigator (Reid, 1995) for review of records at the Hopi tribe's social service program. The files selected for review contained court substantiated evidence of reported …

Transcriptional Regulation Of A Novel Heat Shock Response And Its Association With Apoptosis In Nb2-Lymphoma Cells., Mingyu Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Virtually all cells respond to heat stress by increased expression or induction of the highly conserved heat shock proteins (HSPs). However rat Nb2-11 cells, a prolactin-dependent preT-cell line displayed an unusual heat shock response following exposure to heat stress (41$\sp\circ$C, 1 hr). There was no evidence of inducible HSP70 expression. Moreover, expression of the constitutive HSP70s and HSP90s decreased during the heat stress apparently reflecting a decrease in mRNA stability. Gel shift assays revealed that heat shock factor (HSF) was activated although its DNA binding rapidly deteriorated. Immunoblotting, using an antibody specific to HSF1, indicated that proteolysis of HSF1 may …

Analysis Of Hydric Pine Flatwood Ephemeral Pool Macroinvertebrate And Crustacean Assemblages Along A Temporal And Spatial Gradient From A Hypothesized Colonial Source, Henry Leon Griffith

Theses and Dissertations

A survey of the macroinvertebrate and crustacean assemblages in hydric pine flatwood wetlands during fill and drawdown periods was conducted from September to November 1998, in Lee County, Florida. Physical and chemical information, relationships between community composition and physical and chemical conditions were analyzed and a monitoring plan for detecting impacts of declining water supply in hydric pine flatwood communities was proposed. In addition, possible sources of colonists and patterns of community assemblage were investigated. Twelve ephemeral pools and three associated intermittently exposed cypress heads were sampled monthly, over three months, using 1 D-ring benthic sweep, 2 Hester-Dendy multiple plate …

A Study Of The Feasibility Of Block Scheduling At Buena Regional High School, Bruce R. Arcurio

Theses and Dissertations

The focus of this study has been to determine the feasibility of implementing some form of block scheduling at Buena Regional High School. Due to the small scope of the project, the entire population of professionals who would be responsible for the implementation of a block schedule was used. The data collection instruments utilized were a questionnaire and various forms of interviews. Data analysis consisted of calculating percentages for quantitative questions on the questionnaire and an analysis of trends for the qualitative questions and interviews. The research indicates that it is unlikely that a block schedule can be created that …

Parents As Partners In Progress: A Study Of Parent Involvement In An Urban Elementary School, Janine P. Riggins

Theses and Dissertations

The research project focused on parent involvement in the context of the urban school setting. The target population included one parent or guardian for each BSI student in grades 1-3 during the 1997-98 school year. Subjects completed a pre-survey during the first semester of the 1997-98 school year using a 6 item interest inventory. Responses to individual items were summarized using percentages. This data served as the basis for the development of the internship activities. A post-survey was administered during the second half of the 1997-98 school year using a similar inventory. Post-survey data was summarized and compared to patterns …

Gender Differences In The Influence Of Family History Of Alcoholism On Cognitive Functioning In College Students., Pamela Marie Samson

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol abuse has been the focus of a great deal of research over the past several decades. More recently, a substantial number of studies have begun to look at a population thought to be at risk for alcohol abuse, the children of alcoholics. Individuals at risk for the development of alcoholism often display the same cognitive deficits as alcoholics and it has been suggested that these deficits may be a factor in the development of alcoholism. The present study examined cognitive functioning in male and female adult children of male alcoholics (FH+) and controls (FH$-$) on measures of spatial processing …

The Effects Of Musical Training On Academic Achievement, John Schiavo

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to look at the cognitive development of students who have formal musical training and compare them to students who lack any musical ability. The purpose of the study was to lend support to the positive effect that musical training has on space relations and mathematical abilities.

The sample consisted of twenty students enrolled in an undergraduate psychology course at a major university and twenty students enrolled in a high level music class at the same institution. Most of the subjects came from middle class backgrounds and live in New Jersey. The Differential Aptitude Test, form C, …

An Opinionnaire Of Secondary School Mathematics Instructors Regarding Block Scheduling, Elaine M. Groman

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of block scheduling on mathematics instruction at the secondary level in New Jersey public schools.

Surveys were sent to ten high schools identified as using block scheduling in New Jersey. Mathematics teachers and supervisors were asked to evaluate block scheduling and rate the impact it has on a scale from great effect to little effect in the areas of curriculum coverage, amount of time spent reviewing previously covered material, coverage of the New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards and sequence of mathematics courses a student takes. AP Calculus instructors were asked …

A Quantitative Analysis Of Educational Resources On The World Wide Web, Nicole A. Fedeli

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to provide educators with a sampling of the educational resources that are available on the world wide web. It was also designed to determine the different categories of web sites available. The study was conducted by using the Yahoo! search engine. A search was entered for areas such as Social Studies and Special Education. The resulting web sites were then navigated to determine their relevancy to the study. Relevant web sites were placed into the following categories: Information sites and Lesson Plan sites. The sub-categories of Information sites are: For the Classroom, Special Education, …

A Comparison Of The Home And School Behaviors Of Pre-School Age Autistic And Pdd Children, Debra L. Ribatsky

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the kinds of behaviors that were displayed in school and at home by autistic and PDD children of pre-school age. A group of twenty children were selected for this study. The children's parents and teachers answered questionnaires regarding different types of behavior exhibited by the children at different times. T-tests were conducted to compare the total amount of autistic type behaviors shown in the home environment versus in the school setting. The sub-tests of the questionnaire were also analyzed using t-tests. A significant difference was found between the overall amount of typical …

Prevalence And Psychological Correlates Of Eating Disorders Among College Women, Lisa M. Lyons

Theses and Dissertations

Eating disordered behaviors of fasting, binge-eating, and vomiting and purging have increased in prevalence and are approaching epidemic proportions. It is estimated that 1 in 100 females age 12 to 18 are anorexic, while as many as 1 in 4 college-age women are thought to be bulimic or engage in other forms of disturbed eating. Research indicates that those who are eating disordered are more dissatisfied with their bodies, have lower self-esteem, and have a greater tendency to endorse sociocultural mores regarding thinness and attractiveness. The present study investigated a) the prevalence of eating disorders among college women, and b) …

A Study Of The Formal Operational Thought Ability Of College Students, Justin J. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This study was undertaken to measure the formal operational thought capacity of the college student and unveil any gender differences regarding this ability. Formal operational thought is important to the success of every student because it implies the ability of humans to reason scientifically and analytically and to think abstractly.

34 male and 40 female college students were selected from an on-campus apartment facility to be part of the study. The sample ranged in age from 17 to 21 and represented class standings from the freshman to senior level. The subjects included 45 Caucasians, 9 Hispanics, 17 African-Americans, and 3 …

A Study Of Self-Concept As It Relates To Academic Achievement And Gender In Third Grade Students, Grace S. Woods

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a positive relationship exists between self-concept, academic achievement, and gender. The subject sample consisted of fifty-two students from a suburban public school district in southern New Jersey. Twenty-seven females and twenty-five males participated in the study. The Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale was used to evaluate self-perception. Academic achievement was evaluated with the use of math and reading grades from the students' report cards. The correlation coefficient results indicated that a significant relationship between self-concept and both reading (.291) and math (.307) achievement exists. Frequency polygons were used to display the distribution …