Digital Commons Network^™

Unfinished Work: The Freedmen's Bureau's Hard-Fought But Incomplete Accomplishments, James D. Hardy

Civil War Book Review

From July to October 1865, Union Major General Carl Schurz toured the South from Charleston to New Orleans. He inspected a region defeated in war and living amidst appalling physical destruction. Everywhere, he observed a breakdown in law and order and a population close to chaos. Amongst the newly....

Nectar Preference And Predator Avoidance Of Hummingbirds, September 1999, Michael Steinbeiss

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

I studied feeding preferences of hummingbirds in the presence and absence of a simulated predator at feeders with varied nectar concentration. Using nectar concentration of 15% and 25% with and without predators, I counted visits over eleven sessions of one hour apiece. I found no significant patterns in number of visits (p= .379) or number of species visiting (p= 0.413) across all treatments. The hummingbirds showed no avoidance of the predator nor preference for nectar concentration. Although no statistically significant patterns were found, these findings are biologically relevant because they indicate possible behavioral responses to fragmentation and environmental disturbances.

Congressional Intent And Deference To Agency Interpretations Of Regulations, Melanie E. Walker

University of Chicago Law Review

No abstract provided.

Operational Risk Management And Military Aviation Safety, Park D. Ashley

Theses and Dissertations

The Air Force Class A aviation mishap rate has hovered around 1.5 mishaps per 100,000 flight hours since 1985. Recent attention on Air Force accidents has caused the leadership to seek to reduce its mishap rate. The Army's Class A aviation mishap rate declined after it implemented risk management (RM) principles in 1987. This reduction caught the attention of Air Force leadership who have since stated that the application of operational risk management (ORM) is how the Air Force will reduce, even eliminate, mishaps. With current budget constraints, ORM is considered to be the most cost-effective way the Air Force …

Behavioral Analysis And Enrichment Effects On Captive Red Wolves, Laurie Thompson

Honors Theses

The red wolf, Canis rufus, is a highly endangered predator native to the eastern United States. Their original range is thought to have extended from as far west as Texas all the way to the east coast, and as far south as Florida and north to at least the Ohio River valley. Their decline is attributed to human encroachment causing loss of habitat, persecution of the species, and extensive hybridization with coyotes, Canis latrans, once their numbers began to diminish (Riley and McBride, 1972). In addition to these problems, parasites have had a substantial effect on their already dwindling numbers …

An Analysis On The Effects Of Social Context In The Display Of Anger In Children, Angie Vanmeter

Theses

The purpose of t his research is to determine if social context influences a child's decision to regulate their anger. The subjects used in this study were 20 first, third and sixth grade students totaling sixty children. The categories of social context are as follows: parent, peer and alone. The subjects completed a demographic survey, as well as an aggression questionnaire, designed by the researcher. The results confirmed previous research with regard to the influence social acceptance has over children's actions. This research indicates peers, as being the most influential category in determining a child's response to anger.

Molecular Systematics & Evolution Of The Ctenosaura Hemilopha Complex (Squamata: Iguanidae), Michael Ray Cryder

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Molecular variation within Ctenosaura hemilopha and among other Ctenosaura species are used to identify species boundaries, assess suitable systematic characters, identify evolutionary patterns within C. hemilopha mitochondrial DNA sequences and reconstruct species and area relationships among the various taxa. The molecular evolution of the C. hemilopha complex is analyzed using 1109 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA sequence from the cytochrome b and cytochrome oxidase III genes. Samples come from 22 individuals representing each of the five allopatric populations.

The results of a parsimony analysis showed a strongly supported, partially resolved set of relationships. The strict consenses tee formed in this …

Neuronal And Metabolic Increases In Pedunculopontine Nucleus Of Parkinson's Rats, Jonathan Dennis Carlson

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The theoretical mechanisms underlying the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are based on dysfunctional output from the basal ganglia projected to the cortex via the thalamus. However, the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and substantia nigra pars reticularis (SNr) as part of the basal ganglia, also project to the brainstem, in particular to the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN). Both the STN and SNr have altered neuronal activity in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) Parkinson’s model rat. Thus, it is hypothesized that the PPN is altered in this model of Parkinson’s disease.

This hypothesis was examined by comparing the rates of glucose metabolism and spontaneous neuronal activity …

Regulation Of Connexin43 By Phosphorylation, Maithili M. Shah

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Gap junctions play a crucial role in embryogenesis, especially of the heart where connexin43 is thought to be important for its formation as well as synchronized contraction. Several reports have shown that connexin43 protein is phosphorylated on serine residues in vitro and in vivo.

Studies performed in our laboratory have demonstrated that cell-to-cell communication in cells expressing connexin43 can be controlled rapidly and reversibly by microinjection of active protein kinases or phosphatases that target serine or threonine residues. Phosphorylation by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) seems to favor channel opening, whereas the effect of protein kinase C (PKC) on channel gating …

Predicting Aggression And Stress In Law Enforcement Using The Mmpi : A Vulnerability Hypothesis, Byron Earle Greenberg

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study addresses the use of scales and subscales from prehire MMPI’s to predict levels of aggression and stress among law enforcement professionals in the field (n=75). Multiple regression analysis revealed promising results in support of the MMPI’s predictive utility.

Two scales, Aggression (AGR) and Stress Vulnerability (SYS) were developed as outcome measures through a three step validation process: (a) theoretical-substantive, through a literature review and analysis of pilot data (n = 202); (b) internal-structural, statistical analysis on sample data and (c) criterion-external, through corelational analysis with externally derived departmental assessments of each officer. The final Aggression index (AGR) is …

The Believer's First Amendment (Review Of Separating Church And State, By Timothy L. Hall), Marcus Mumford

BYU Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Acorn Weevils (Curculionidae: Curculioninae) As Seed Predators Of Quercus Insignis (Fagaceae) In A Tropical Montane Forest, September 1999, Timothy R. Kuhman

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

The effect of seed predation by acorn weevils on the acorns of Quercus insignis was assessed in the context of frequency of infestation and the extent of damage incurred by the larvae on individual acorns. The effect of such damage on early fruit abscission and germination potential of infested acorns was also examined in this study. Acorns were collected from five Q. insignis trees in the lower montane forest of the Cordillera de Tilarán in Costa Rica. Frequencies of infestation varied greatly among the five trees, from 3.3% to 75%. However, there was no evidence for early abscission of infested …

Opiliones Abundance And Species Diversity In Pasture And Forest Logs, September 1999, Bonita S. Thibault

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Fallen tree logs provide an ideal moist habitat for Arachnids in the Order Opiliones. This study compares pasture and forest logs to determine which of the two habitat types Opiliones prefer. Log size and degree of decomposition were examined to determine their effect on Opilion abundance and species richness. Logs in pasture and forest sites at Monteverde and Cañitas, Costa Rica were overturned and searched for Opiliones. Opiliones were found to be more abundant and species rich in the pasture than in the forest. However, forest logs have a higher index of diversity than pasture logs. A positive correlation was …

Elevational And Vertical Feeding Preferences Of Cloud Forest Butterflies, September 1999, Erin Araujo

Monteverde Institute: Tropical Ecology and Conservation

The use of indicator species in conservation biology has proven to be an effective means of gauging the biointegrity of communities and ecosystems. Nymphalid butterflies are excellent bioindicators of forest and forest edge habitats. Their varied microhabitats required during different stages of development make them excellent subjects for studies in vertical and elevational niche partitioning. This study examines the vertical niche partitioning of Nymphalid butterflies along an elevational gradient in the Estación Biológica Reserve in Monteverde, Costa Rica. This forest contains both fragmented and continuous forest sections, thus making it a good representation of presently protected forests. The study was …

Nietzsche And The Knowledge Of The Child At Play: On The Question Of Metaphysics, Johannes F. Welfing

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In his paper, "Nietzsche and the Knowledge of the Child at Play: On the Question of Metaphysics," Johannes Welfing raises the question of a Nietzschean metaphysical presence (did Nietzsche define the essence of life and of being and thus also implicitly establish an imperative about the way in which one should lead one's life, or did he refrain from all definition, truth, system or law whatsoever?). The controversy continues: while for some critics Nietzsche's philosophy is animated by a desire for truth, others emphasize the novelty of a philosophical project that questions the very premises on which it is based. …

Thirty Years Of Environmental Protection Law In The Supreme Court: Fifth Annual Lloyd K. Garrison Lecture On Environmental Law, Richard J. Lazarus

Pace Environmental Law Review

No abstract provided.

From The Sandbox To Sandblasting: Regulation Of Crystalline Silica , Linda Regis

Pace Environmental Law Review

The Occupational Safety Health Administration recently proposed more stringent exposure limits on crystalline silica in ambient air. This new proposed limit attempts to further reduce the risk of disease stemming from contact with the dust of crystalline silica in industries such as sandblasting, stone cutting, construction and auto repair. The author analyzes why these regulations are unnecessary based in part on inadequate scientific data, and discusses how OSHA can better focus its energies in order to control this hazard in the workplace. The Comment also examines the states' concerns and their attempts to regulate this silica in the ambient air, …

New Jersey's Solid Waste Flow Control Regulations Have Been Trashed: Are Environmental Investment Charges The Answer?, Christine Larocca

Pace Environmental Law Review

In 1997, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals found that New Jersey's flow control regulations, which managed its disposal of solid waste, discriminated against out-of-state facilities in violation of the Commerce Clause. Following this decision, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection suggested the Environmental Investment Charge as an option available to local agencies in competing with private solid waste operators. This Comment reviews the theory behind challenges to the Environmental Investment Charge assessments and the legality of Environmental Investment Charges. Specifically, this Comment discusses the challenges filed by two New Jersey counties in response to the imposition of Environmental …

Isolation Of Cilia-Associated Respiratory (Car) Bacillus From Pigs And Calves And Experimental Infection Of Gnotobiotic Pigs And Rodents, Jerome C. Nietfeld, Barry L. Fickbohm, Douglas G. Rogers, Craig L. Franklin, Lela K. Riley

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Filamentous, gram-negative bacteria morphologically similar to cilia-associated respiratory (CAR) bacillus of rodents and rabbits were isolated from the tracheas of 5 pigs and 4 calves. All pigs but none of the calves had histologic lesions of chronic tracheitis. In silver-stained histologic sections, CAR bacilli were adhered to the tracheal epithelium of each pig but were not found in the calves. Like CAR bacillus of rats, the bacteria displayed gliding motility and grew only in cell culture or cell culture medium supplemented with fetal serum. Initially, all isolates were contaminated by Mycoplasma spp. This contamination was eliminated from 4 pig isolates …

The Ultraviolet Birds Of Nebraska, Paul A. Johnsgard

Papers in Ornithology

Our human eyesight does not allow us to perceive the world as most birds do, and that they at times might be responding to visual clues literally beyond our ken. For example, are the ultraviolet "tear-drops" on the cheeks of a Mourning Dove an important visual "target" for close-up courtship, or are they perhaps important for stimulating preening by its mate? It would be interesting to modify or eliminate these small marks, and see what behavioral effects might result. Two individual male birds that, to human eyes, might appear identical, may be of quite differing attraction to females, depending upon …

Tribal Sovereignty And The Intercultural Public Sphere, Michael James

Faculty Journal Articles

While theorists of cultural pluralism have generally supported tribal sovereignty to protect threatened Native cultures, they fail to address adequately cultural conflicts between Native and non-Native communities, especially when tribal sovereignty facilitates illiberal or undemocratic practices. In response, I draw on Jürgen Habermas’ conceptions of dis course and the public sphere to develop a universalist approach to cultural pluralism, called the ‘intercultural public sphere’, which analyzes how cultures can engage in mutual learning and mutual criticism under fair conditions. This framework accommodates cultural diversity within formally universalistic parameters while avoiding four common criticisms of universalist approaches to cultural pluralism. But …

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act: Postmortem Of A Failed Statute, Eric Alan Shumsky

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Multiple Comparison Pruning Of Neural Networks, Donald E. Duckro

Theses and Dissertations

Reducing a neural network's complexity improves the ability of the network to be applied to future examples. Like an overfitted regression function, neural networks may miss their target because of the excessive degrees of freedom stored up in unnecessary parameters. Over the past decade, the subject of pruning networks has produced non-statistical algorithms like Skeletonization, Optimal Brain Damage, and Optimal Brain Surgery as methods to remove connections with the least salience. There are conflicting views as to whether more than one parameter can be removed at a time. The methods proposed in this research use statistical multiple comparison procedures to …

The Effect Of Action Workouts On Aircraft Mission Capability Measurements, Michael P. Allison

Theses and Dissertations

Previous studies concerning quality improvement and the Action Workout Process attempted to define and describe the difficult concept of quality. A logical next step is to study to what extent implementation of a quality improvement program, such as ACC's Action Workout Process, positively or negatively affects performance factors within an Air Force organization. This study focused on exploring the fundamental question of whether there was, as a result of the Action Workout, a noticeable, statistically verifiable, positive or negative change in the mission capability of aircraft assigned to the units carrying out this quality improvement initiative. Research questions were developed …

Comparing The Tadpoles Of Hyla Geographica And Hyla Semilineata, Anne D'Heursel, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

External morphology, internal oral anatomy, and chondrocranial anatomy were examined for tadpoles of Hyla geographica from the Amazon rainforest, Brazil, and Hyla semilineata from the Atlantic rainforest, Brazil. Here, we provide morphological larval data to help diagnose these closely related species. Scanning electron microscopy analysis of buccal morphology showed the most distinctive features between these species: the distance between the lingual papillae in the buccal floor of H. geographica is three times greater than that distance in H. semilineata, and the relative size of the lingual papillae in H. geographica is less than half their size in H. semilineata. Although …

Terms Of Endearment And Articles Of Impeachment, Christopher Slobogin, Charles W. Collier

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

It is a long-established principle that presidential impeachment is an appropriate remedy only for "high Crimes and Misdemeanors" of a public nature (with the possible exception of private crimes so heinous that the President "cannot be permitted to remain at large"). The crux of this Essay's argument is that the President's affair with Monica Lewinsky was a private matter that was not rendered "public" simply because Mr. Clinton lied about it. With its vote against removing the President, the Senate seemed to agree.

Host-Driven Population Dynamics In An Herbivorous Insect, Tiina Ylioja, Heikki Roininen, Matthew P. Ayres, Matti Rousi, Peter W. Price

Dartmouth Scholarship

Understanding the nature and relative importance of endogenous (density-dependent) and exogenous (density-independent) effects on population dynamics remains a central problem in ecology. Evaluation of these forces has been constrained by the lack of long time series of population densities and largely limited to populations chosen for their unique dynamics (e.g., outbreak insects). Especially in herbivore populations, the relative contributions of bottom-up and top-down effects (resources and natural enemies, respectively) have been difficult to compare because population data have rarely been combined with resource measurements. The feeding scars of a wood-mining herbivorous insect (Phytobia betulae Kangas; Diptera: Agromyzidae) of birch …

The World Of Courtroom Technology, Fredric I. Lederer

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The New Russian Law On Religion: A View From The Regions, Michael Bourdeaux

DePaul Law Review

No abstract provided.

Pandora's Box Exposed: Untangling The Web Of The Double Helix In Light Of Insurance And Managed Care, Jennifer M. Jendusa

DePaul Law Review

No abstract provided.