Digital Commons Network^™

Dear Teachers: Please Help My Kids Become Readers, Chris Crowe

Faculty Publications

Dear Mr. or Ms. English Teacher:

I hope that by the time this arrives the hectic first days and weeks of school are behind you and that you are settled into the work that you and I both love teaching young people about writing, language and of course, literature. I have a keen interest in your work this year, not just because I, too, am a teacher, but also because three of my children are in your English classes. Joanne, my youngest, is in eighth grade and looking forward to her last year of middle school. Carrie, a ninth grader, …

Using Xml To Network Distributed Analytical Instruments: Back To The Future?, Benjamin Jung, Damon Berry, Jane Grimson

Conference Papers

There has been a paradigm shift in medical informatics standards in recent years from the message-oriented approach to a more distributed systems approach. However, despite all the early promise of distributed applications, they haven't been widely adopted in the health domain for various reasons. As a result, despite an increasing need for a standardised distributed solution for analytical laboratory instruments, many implementers of instrument interfaces are still using proprietary serial interfaces which do not support distribution. The emergence of the eXtended Markup Language (XML) specification in 1998 revived the fortunes of the messaged oriented methodology. This paper presents a partial …

Developing Ireland As A Successful Garden Tourism Destination, Catherine Elizabeth Gorman

Conference papers

The marketing of Ireland as a garden destination has been evolving over the past six years. The complexity of Ireland’s history and modern circumstances have led to the demise of Irish gardens over the past three centuries. An initiative entitled The Great Gardens of Ireland Restoration Programme has been operated under the Operational Programme for Tourism 1994-99 which has been funded by the European Union. The outcome of the scheme has been twofold; the funding has rescued a significant part of Irish heritage and history; it has provided many new comprehensive tourist attractions to both the domestic and overseas market. …

Las Mujeres De Oro, Benjamin J. Nelson '99

Honors Projects

De un plato simple de bellotas durante una cena con algunos cabreros, el protagonista don Quijote se hace sentimental y filosfico y, a causa de esto, empieza a alabar poeticamente la Edad de Oro. Durante su discurso, este caballero pinta con sus palabras una utopia en que la humanidad vivia en armonia perfecta con la naturaleza fertil. Continuando con su descripci6n, comenta tambien sobre la relaci6n entre los hombres y las mujeres.

The Case Of Pearl S. Buck: Neglect And Abandonment Vs. Recognition And Recovery, Linda K. Adkins

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Pearls. Buck was the third American to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, the first American woman to win this Prize, and only the fourth woman in the world to do so. Taking into consideration the Nobel Prize and all the additional honors and awards Buck and her writing received, it is odd that she has been abandoned by American literary critics. Therefore, it is the goal of this thesis to identify reasons why Pearl Buck and her works have been neglected, and to provide significant reasons why she and her work should be recognized and studied. The first part …

Field Methods To Enhance Degradation Of Nitrate In Surficial Soils, Urko Atxotegi Alegria

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

An environmental field study was conducted from April to October 1998 in the Black Hawk County, Iowa. The main goal of the study was to find an appropriate field method to enhance degradation of nitrates in the surficial soil. Seven different methods were developed in the study to compare between four variables. The variables that were investigated were the source of nitrates, the moisture content of the soil, the uptake by plants and the total carbon content of the soil. The investigation has also been conducted to find out the specific influence of each parameter on landuse. A weather station …

Making Sense Of The At-Risk Phenomenon, Karri Elizabeth Beath

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this qualitative study is to help in making sense of the at-risk phenomenon. The implications throughout this study are based on the constructivist paradigm in that we create things such as at-risk and not discover them, therefore, allowing us to change the way things are. The data collected throughout this study developed into four main contradictions. The first contradiction, We Can't Define At-Risk, but Treat It Like a Thing, presents a variety of definitions of at-risk which represent the inability to define such an ambiguous term. The second contradiction, Moving Towards Inclusion During the Creation of Another …

Portfolio Assessment In High School Chemistry, Mark M. Laporte

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This is a report of one high school chemistry teacher's experience of implementing portfolio assessment in his classroom. This project was carried out using a teacher as researcher model. The chemistry classes were p1imarily composed of 11th grade students in a rural midwestern high school setting. This thesis reviews some of the literature regarding alternative assessment focusing particularly on the literature related to portfolio assessment. The chemistry portfolio design is explained in detail including a rationale for each of the portfolio elements. The teacher developed nine portfolio elements of which the students were required to complete five. The nine elements …

Sex, Violence, And Hand Puppets: History And Structure Of Punch And Judy Performance Tradition, James Robert Davis

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Punch and Judy are characters who exist only within the boundaries of the puppet theatre, in performances where characters are portrayed by inanimate figures. Nonetheless, the history of the puppet theatre, and particularly that of Punch and Judy, is closely related to the history of more widely accepted, actor-based theatre, where characters are portrayed by human beings. While the two traditions-share many common elements--such as the importance of characterization, direction, and design--the essential difference between actor-theatre and puppetry is the manner in which the performance is presented. The approach of this study is threefold: first, a linear history of the …

Forgiveness Education As A Factor In Adolescent Adjustment To Parental Divorce, Amy L. Knupp

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

An educational intervention with forgiveness as the goal, was implemented with five adolescents who had experienced a parental divorce. The adolescents were all from a Midwestern city, ages 12-14, and Caucasian. The goal of the intervention was for the experimental participants to forgive their parents for a hurt associated with a parental divorce. An exploratory design with a static control group was used. Five subjects volunteered for the forgiveness education intervention, comprising the experimental group, and five subjects agreed to fill out pre- and post-test measures, for monetary reimbursement, composing the control group. The educational intervention lasted 10 weeks, and …

The Perception Of Arabs And Media's Influence, Abdou Nader

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of Arabs by American students. The study sought to answer three questions. These questions focused on the perceptions of Arabs by American students and the influence that mass media and specifically TV has on students.

The literature reviewed in this study indicated that historical events played an important role in shaping the current relations between Arabs and Americans. Further, the literature discussed the relationship between television exposure and the creation of consumer social reality and perceptions. According to the literature review, there was no conclusive evidence that media shaped stereotypes …

School Vision, Teacher Autonomy, School Climate, And Student Achievement In Elementary Schools, Connie J. Erpelding

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine within an elementary school context (a) the relationship among teachers' perceptions of their principal's school's vision, of their sense of autonomy, and of the school climate; and (b) how these core variables were associated with student achievement and student socioeconomic status. Leadership and effective schools literature link the visionary principal with a variety of school-related variables including those in this study.

Data were collected using three survey instruments and a questionnaire administered to fourth grade general education teachers in the sample. The principals of the schools included in this study were also …

Physical Activity Patterns Among Physical Education Major Students In Selected Institutions Of China And The United States, Wei Bian

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The benefits associated with regular physical activity have been well documented in recent years. Numerous studies have investigated physical activity patterns among children, adolescents, and adults, yet little work to date has examined the patterns of habitual physical activity participation among pre-service physical education (PE) majors. Furthermore, inasmuch as physical activity affords health benefits irrespective of one's nationality or culture, comparisons among the peoples of nations around the world becomes of greater interest.

This study was designed to examine the leisure-time physical activity patterns of physical education major students in selected institutions from the People's Republic of China (PRC) and …

Factors That Influence Women’S Decision Regarding Hormone Replacement Therapy At Menopause, Judy Mixsell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to describe factors that influence women's decision regarding hormone replacement therapy (HRT) at menopause. It is estimated that between 15 and 25% of eligible women are on HRT today. With all of the scientific evidence on the benefits of HR T, this percentage is very low. A questionnaire was sent to 420 randomly selected women from Black Hawk County ages 40 years and older. There were 161 usable responses for a 38.3% return rate. The majority of the women in the study were in the 40-60 years-old age group and were Caucasian college graduates. …

A Study Of Service Programs At Selected Midwest Universities, Tammy Lee

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

When students enter a four-year college or university, they begin the journey of higher education. Through direct and indirect means of structured course work, involvement in campus organizations, and other activities, students gain the knowledge and skills crucial to obtaining a career in their chosen field. Although a college or university has primary responsibilities for the education of students, it also has a social obligation to the community in which it is located. One mechanism that has been devised to mutually benefit the students' need to develop as responsible citizens and the communities' need for college or university expertise is …

Bully/Victim Problems In A Japanese Junior High School, Yukari Kajishima

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine affective factors of bullying behavior among Japanese junior high school students, with specific emphasis on anger, envy, revenge, and self-esteem.

Data were collected by using five instruments: STAXI, Olweus's bully/victim questionnaire, revenge scale, dispositional envy measure, and the Coopersmith Inventory. The participants in this study were 107 seventh and eighth graders; 58 males and 49 females. They were classified as bullies, victims, bully/victims, or neither bullies nor victims.

Analysis of the data included an examination of correlations between bullying and emotion ,and an investigation of differences in emotions, among bullies, victims, bully/victims, …

Exploration Of Namibian Adolescents’ Sexual Knowledge, Attitudes And Behavior, Shamani-Jeffrey Shikwambi

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between sexual knowledge, sexual attitude, and sexual behavior among Namibian adolescents.

Data were collected by using a ~edified version of the Prevention Minimum Evaluation Data Set (PMEDS) instrument. The participants were 45 twelfth graders, of which 23 were females and 22 males.

Analysis of the data included an examination of intercorrelation between sexual knowledge, sexual attitude, and sexual behavior, and an investigation of gender differences among these three variables. Pearson correlations were calculated for each variable and t-tests were run to look for the gender difference. Multiple regression was also …

Juvenile Justice Professionals And The Goal Of Rehabilitation, Heather Bruch

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Numerous studies conducted over the past 20 years have suggested that support for rehabilitation in the criminal justice system has decreased. As a result of these findings, an increase in the examination of support for rehabilitation has occurred. According to much of the research on this issue, an important factor in the support of rehabilitation is the attitudes of criminal justice workers. The increasing prison populations are partially responsible for the heightened interest in this issue. It is believed by many that the attitudes of the workers in the criminal justice system have an effect on the success of the …

Degradation Of Explosives In Solution Using Bacteria, A Fungus (Phanerochaete Chrysosporium), Titanium Dioxide, Ozone, And Electrochemical Peroxidation, Stéphane Debost

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

As a result of munitions manufacturing and decommissioning, explosive compounds have contaminated groundwater and soils at many sites throughout the U.S. and worldwide. Three of the most commonly occurring explosive contaminants are TNT, ROX, and HMX. Many processes, biological as well as physical, have been developed to remediate the contaminated material. But feasibility studies rarely take into account the three contaminants at once. We chose four of the technologies used to remediate explosives-contaminated water and studied comparatively their effectiveness and efficiency in degrading TNT, ROX, and HMX in solution at their maximal solubilities. The chosen technologies were bacterial and fungal …

On-Road Remote Sensing Of Automobile Emissions In The Chicago Area: Year 2, Peter J. Popp, Gary A. Bishop, Donald H. Stedman

Fuel Efficiency Automobile Test Publications

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of The Internet On Democratic Discourse, Dalia K. Hamed

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The Internet has demonstrated the ability to empower its users by giving them more accurate information about matters of political, professional, and organizational concerns. While many believe that the Internet will fundamentally change political discourse, others argue that it is just another communications tool among many that may affect how governments function, but it will not affect democratic discourse. The thesis argues that unless some requirements are met, the Internet potential as a new democratic forum will not be fulfilled. Concepts such as freedom of speech, democracy, and democratic communication are essential to analyzing the potential use of the Internet …

The Reasons For Living Inventory For Adolescents (Rfl-A) : Validation In Three Adolescent Populations, Joe S. Rich

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study is intended to examine further psychometric characteristics of the Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents (RFL-A), a self-report measure developed specifically for use with adolescents. Three separate groups were utilized in this study: a psychiatric suicidal group, a psychiatric inpatient non-suicidal group, and a non-clinical control group from a local laboratory school. Specifically, the factor structure, discriminant validity, internal consistency reliability, and convergent validity of the RFLA total and subscales were examined. Overall, results indicated that the five-factor structure that was identified by Osman et al. (1998) was replicated. Further, results showed that the measure demonstrated adequate internal …

Providing Services For A Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Student In A Small Midwestern Elementary School : A Qualitative Case Study, Candace L. Kist-Tahmasian

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Presented is a case study of an eight-year-old boy who is learning English as a second language in a midwestern elementary school. The number of students needing ESL and/or bilingual education is rapidly growing throughout the United States. Many non-urban schools and districts must now begin to meet these needs. Observations of the student in various school settings were done over a period of six weeks for a total of 24 hours. Interviews of key personnel provided additional information important to the study. Three themes of concern in regard to the student's educational situation became the focus of the case …

In Their Own Words : Women's Caregiving Experiences, Loralie L. Wiebold

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this research was to examine the caregiving situation as told by women involved in parent care. With current demographic trends such as increasing longevity and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, along with structural changes in medical care, the family (or more appropriately women), are called on to provide care to aging family members. Although current literature documents the situation of caregiving women, rarely are their voices heard and words included in pertinent analyses. This study is a qualitative and interpretive study using in-depth, semi-structured interviews with women and participant observation of caregiver support group meetings to understand, …

Dramaturgical Perspective In Modern Police Work : An Analysis Of Interviews And Observations, Michael P. Wagner

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Using a qualitative approach, I analyze data collected from two small Midwestern police departments. I gathered this data through a combination of methods: ethnographic interviewing, participant observation, and content analysis of police artifacts and documents. Most of the data derive from (1) my ethnographic interviews of 17 police officers and (2) my observations of officers during 16 "ride-along."

My analyses are guided by Goffman's (1959) dramaturgical analysis of face-to-face interaction, Manning's (1971; 1977) dramaturgical approach to policing, and Hunt and Manning's (1991) dramaturgical studies of police lying and the use of normal force (see also Hunt 1985). I rely most …

Gender, Religion, Causal Attributions, And Correctional Orientations Among Juvenile Justice Personnel, Amy Lynn Lyons

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this quantitative study is to examine the attitudes and orientations of juvenile justice personnel from four urban counties within the state of Iowa. The nonrandom sample used in the present study is secondary and originally collected for a larger study conducted by Leiber (1993). A closed-ended, self-report survey was administered to each respondent. The total sample for the present research is 263. The hypotheses guiding the present study are based on the assumption that women experience religion differently from men, and in turn, will blame society for youth crime and favor orientations supporting diversion.

Carol Gilligan (1982) …

Kbbg-Fm: Communicating To Educate, Edward W. Ellis Jr.

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

"KBBG-FM: Communicating to Educate" is a qualitative study conducted to examine an African-American owned and operated, public, listener-supported radio station in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls community in Northeast Iowa. The researcher wanted to study how such a local radio station reaches out to its community. A review of literature revealed since the passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, radio has become less and less diversified, harming community localism in radio. Minority ownership of radio has also declined to an even smaller scale than before the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Based on the review of literature, the researcher formed four research questions for …

Metaphonological Performance Of Children With Phonological Disorders: Phoneme Specific Influences, Alecia Ann Fett

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Phonological awareness skills are demonstrated in daily aspects of life, as young children reflect upon and manipulate sounds and words of their language through early literacy experiences. These social interactions contribute to the organization of emerging reading skills. Deficits in explicit knowledge of the phonological structure of a language could present difficulties in phonological awareness and production (Kamhi & Catts, 1986). Recent researchers have proposed that children's performance on metaphonological tasks can affect performance on reading tasks (Stackhouse, 1997). However, there is a lack of literature investigating the interrelationship between phonological production skills and phonological awareness in children with phonological …

A Robust Artificial Neural Network Controller For A Turbogenerator When Line Configuration Changes, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, Ronald G. Harley

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper presents the design of a robust controller for a turbogenerator. The robust controller is an artificial neural network (ANN) that is trained offline on a family of ANN models of the turbogenerator. This ANN controller augments/replaces the traditional automatic voltage controller (AVR) and the turbine governor of the generator. Simulation results are presented to show that the ANN controller is robust when the transmission line configuration changes.

Performance Characteristics Of A Cascaded Two-Level Converter, Keith Corzine, C. A. Whitcomb, S. D. Sudhoff

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A cascaded two-level power converter is proposed which utilizes two six-transistor inverters and is capable of producing voltages which are identical to those of three-level and four-level converters. Since the machine voltages are the same, the converter performance is the same as is verified through laboratory tests. The advantages and disadvantages of the proposed cascaded converter are explored. The proposed converter is simpler to construct and offers more nonredundant switching states per number of active semiconductors than standard multi-level converters