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Carbon And Nitrogen Dynamics Of Northeastern United States Forests In Response To Environmental Stress: Measurements And Models At Local To Regional Scales, Scott V. Ollinger

Doctoral Dissertations

This thesis stems from several ongoing efforts to characterize patterns of productivity and nitrogen cycling in northeastern US forests and to address the effects of nitrogen deposition, tropospheric ozone and rising atmospheric CO2. The work reported on involves two related projects; (1) an ecosystem model analysis that integrates physiological and biogeochemical processes with important environmental variables across the northeast region and (2) a field and remote sensing analysis that examines landscape-level patterns of forest biogeochemistry in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Chapter 1 presents a regional analysis of forest productivity using the PnET forest ecosystem model and discusses the …

Exploring Other Worlds: Margaret Fox, Elisha Kane, And The Antebellum Culture Of Curiosity, David Alexander Chapin

Doctoral Dissertations

Antebellum Americans had a strong interest in the unknown, which manifested itself simultaneously in highbrow, middlebrow, and lowbrow culture. Venues such as scientific institutions, lyceums, lecture halls, the "penny-press," and the dime-museum all catered to American curiosity. Exploring Other Worlds examines this "culture of curiosity," arguing that curiosity was a defining trait of antebellum America, transcending many of the boundaries we often associate with the era. Curiosity promoted intellectual interest in science, but it also led to the sensationalism of modern commercial popular culture.

The inter-related lives of Elisha Kane and Margaret Fox demonstrate this thesis. Kane was America's first …

Improvements Of X-Band And Q-Band Epr /Endor Spectrometers Studies Of Ferritin Iron Nitrosyl And Copper Cis, Cis-1,3,5-Triaminocyclohexane Chloride Complexes, And The Application Of Q -Band Epr To The Dating Of Fossil Teeth, Junlong Shao

Doctoral Dissertations

Several modifications were made on a Varian Q-band EPR/ENDOR spectrometer, including the installation of a microwave amplifier in the E110 bridge, design and assembly of a new cavity coupler, addition of frequency counting capability, as well as other useful minor changes. The performance of the spectrometer was improved in signal-to-noise ratio, convenience of tuning and operation and accuracy of g-value and hyperfine coupling measurements. The signal-to-noise ratio was increased by a factor of six.

Improvements were also achieved with our X-band EPR/ENDOR spectrometer by design and assembly of a new printed ENDOR coil for use in a TE104 rectangular cavity. …

Source, Production And Export Of Dissolved Organic Carbon And Nitrogen, Jacqueline A. Aitkenhead-Peterson

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to quantify the major sources of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON) in forest soils and ascertain mechanisms for their production and export to surface waters. To quantify the source of DOC we made use of the on-going litter manipulation study (DIRT) at Harvard Forest, Massachusetts. The organic horizon supplies 74% of DOC to bulk soil solution, 12% is supplied by leaf litter, and 13% from root exudate and decay. In plots with no inputs, DON concentrations were 9% higher than the control plots. When either roots or litter were excluded, DON concentrations …

Shelley And The Nature Of Nonviolence, William James Stroup

Doctoral Dissertations

This is a study of the English Romantic poet and essayist Percy Bysshe Shelley's conception of the role and function of humans in the natural world, and of his influence on later reformers. Shelley's long poems Queen Mab, Laon and Cythna, and Prometheus Unbound are discussed as a trilogy where his themes of political nonviolence and protoecological awareness became integrated; also discussed at length are Mont Blanc, The Mask of Anarchy, and The Triumph of Life. The legacy of Shelley's poetry and ideas is discussed through two key figures who met in the 1880s: the now obscure Shelleyan and animal …

A Non-Derivatization Approach To Hplc Fluorescence Detection For Some Important Amino Group-Containing Compounds Based On A Ligand Displacement Reaction, Min Yang

Doctoral Dissertations

Detection of some important amino group-containing compounds such as amino acids, aliphatic biogenic amines and aminoglycosides can present difficulties since these compounds do not possess strong fluorophores or chromophores. A novel indirect fluorescence detection method for these compounds has been developed, taking advantage of the fact they form complexes with Cu 2+ ions. The reaction between these compounds and a Cu(II)-L-tryptophan complex (Cu(L-Trp)2) in solution results in the displacement of L-Trp from the complex and an increase in L-Trp fluorescence, since the fluorescence of L-Trp is quenched in the Cu(II) complex. The increase in L-Trp fluorescence is taken as the …

Biogeochemical Cycling Of Methyl Bromide In Soils, Ruth Kerwin Varner

Doctoral Dissertations

Tropospheric methyl bromide (CH3Br) is a significant source of ozone (O3) destroying bromine to the stratosphere. Due to this threat, the cessation of the production and use of fumigant CH3Br has been slated for 2005 by the Montreal Protocol nations. This decision was based on CH3Br's relatively long atmospheric lifetime which is estimated from the current understanding of its natural and anthropogenic sources and sinks. The research presented in this dissertation has focused on determining the magnitude and characteristics of the biogeochemical exchange of atmospheric CH3Br with upland and wetland soils to attain a better understanding of these portions of …

Rational Design And Syntheses Of 4-Phosphino-Catechol Hybrid Ligands For Mixed -Metal Clusters, Xiankai Sun

Doctoral Dissertations

Based on the concepts of Incommensurate Symmetry-Driven Cluster Formation, an approach to mixed-metal cluster formation has been proposed and realized by using the incommensurate symmetry requirements at two different metal centers bridged by a hybrid ligand. Critical to this strategy is the proper design and synthesis of hybrid ligands with coordination sites selective towards each metal. 4-Phosphino-Catechol hybrid ligands with both hard catecholate and soft phosphine donor sites have been shown to serve such a role. Three new ligands; 4-PPh2-Catechol (H2L), 4-PH2-Catechol (H2 2) and 4-P(CH2OH)2-Catechol (H23) as well as their precursors 4-PPh2-Veratrole and 4-PH2-Veratrole have been synthesized and characterized. …

Nitrated Poly(4 -Hydroxystyrene) Microspheres For Optical Ph And Potassium Ion Sensing Based On Turbidity Changes Accompanying Polymer Sweller, Hongming Wang

Doctoral Dissertations

Porous poly(4-acetoxystyrene) swellable microspheres with diameters approximately 1∼2 mum were prepared by seeded emulsion polymerization. Toluene was used as the porogenic solvent and divinylbenzene was used as the crosslinker. The seed particles with diameters approximately 0.5∼1 mum were prepared by dispersion polymerization without adding porogenic solvent and crosslinker. Functionality was introduced by two derivatization reactions, hydrolysis and nitration, to form nitrated poly(4-hydroxystyrene). These polymer microspheres swell at high pH due to the deprotonation of the hydroxyl group on the polymer backbone. Swelling is accompanied by an increase in water content which causes the polymer refractive index to decrease. These microspheres, …

Transition Metal Complexes Of Novel Ligands Derived From The Cis,Cis-1,3,5-Triaminocyclohexane (Tach) Framework: Structural And Biological Studies, Gyungse Park

Doctoral Dissertations

Transition and Group IIB metal complexes of novel ligands derived from cis,cis-1,3,5-triaminocyclohexane (tach) were prepared for structural and biological activity study. Copper(II) complexes of N,N ',N″-trialkylated derivatives of tach [Cu(tach-R3)Cl2] (R = Me, Et, Pr, furanyl, and thiophenyl) were prepared from CuCl2 in MeOH or MeOH/Et2O solvent. The structures of [Cu(tach-R3)Cl2] in the solid and solution (aqueous and methanolic) states were extensively studied by UV-vis and EPR spectroscopies and were consistent to X-ray structure of [Cu(tach-Et 3)Br0.8Cl1.2] which reveals a slightly distorted square-based pyramidal geometry. Displacement of halide ions with water molecules in aqueous media was observed by the band …

Biodiversity And Phytogeography Of Bolivia's Wetland Flora, Nur Paul Ritter

Doctoral Dissertations

The composition, diversity, and phytogeographic affinities of the vascular flora of Bolivia's wetlands were examined and compared with wetland floras from the other Neotropical countries and the New World Temperate region. Forty-six wetlands distributed throughout Bolivia and ranging in elevation from 90 in to >4400 m were established as study sites. Regional and national wetland floras were compiled from field research, the literature, herbarium specimens, and available databases.

Two thousand and sixty species in 149 families and 666 genera were identified as associated with wetlands in Mesoamerica and tropical and subtropical South America. Of these, 1026 species in 126 families …

Swellable Polymer Substrates For Use In Magnetochemical And Optical Chemical Sensing, Stephen Arnold Doherty

Doctoral Dissertations

Lightly cross-linked, animated polymers that swell and shrink with changing pH were prepared and evaluated. At low pHs amine sites protonate causing charge to accumulate along the polymer backbone. The polymer then swells to maximize the charge separation. The swelling of the polymer causes a change in a magnetic or optical property that can be measured and related to pH.

Animated hydrogel membranes were prepared by copolymerizing dimethyl amino ethyl methacrylate(DMAEMA) with various comonomer hydrogels. Experiments were conducted to examine the effect of formulation on the ability of the hydrogel membrane to swell. Factors examined included cross-linker type, cross-linker concentration, …

Remote Sensing Of Forest Damage In The Czech Republic Using Hyperspectral Methods, Petya K. Entcheva

Doctoral Dissertations

The current study assesses the potential of hyperspectral data for monitoring the initial stages of damage in Norway spruce forests characterized by subtle changes in foliar chlorophyll and chemistry. Both field and airborne high spectral resolution reflectance measurements were obtained for selected study sites in the Krusne hory, Czech Republic.

High spectral resolution airborne canopy data and field foliar samples were acquired simultaneously in August 1998 for a total of 51 study sites within the Krusne hory. The sites were selected to represent a full range of damage conditions in even-aged Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) stands located between …

Conservation And Ecology Of Fringing Salt Marshes Along The Southern Maine/New Hampshire Coast, Pamela Ann Morgan

Doctoral Dissertations

The small, fringing salt marshes that line the edges of estuaries in southern Maine and New Hampshire were the focus of this research. Although larger meadow marshes in New England have been studied extensively, little is known about the ecology of fringing marshes. Not only are fringing marshes much more numerous than meadow marshes in northern New England, they are often restored or created as mitigation for marsh impacts. Five ecological functions (primary production, soil organic matter accumulation, sediment trapping and binding, wave dampening and maintenance of plant diversity) were compared in meadow marsh and fringing marsh sites, and sometimes …

Disturbance Indicators For Time Series Reconstruction And Marine Ecosystem Health Impact Assessment, Benjamin Harrison Sherman

Doctoral Dissertations

A systematic reconstruction of Multiple Marine Ecological Disturbances (MMEDs) involving disease occurrence, morbidity and mortality events has been undertaken so that a taxonomy of globally distributed marine disturbance types can be better quantified and common forcing factors identified. Combined disturbance data include indices of morbidity, mortality and disease events affecting humans, marine invertebrates, flora and wildlife populations. In the search for the best disturbance indicators of ecosystem change, the unifying solution for joining data from disparate fields is to organize data into space/time/topic hierarchies that permit convergence of data due to shared and appropriate scaling. The scale of the data …

Impacts Of Wildlife Viewing: A Case Study Of Dixville Notch Wildlife Viewing Area, Judith Kay Anderson Silverberg

Doctoral Dissertations

Major objectives of this study were to examine the motivations, knowledge level and attitudes of wildlife viewers as well as the response of moose to observation and other human caused stimuli at a designated wildlife viewing site. Moose and other wildlife are attracted to areas where road salt runoffs and pools in low areas around culverts and ditches creating wildlife viewing opportunities.

This study examined whether moose behaviors such as visitation time and rate of use of the salt lick changed from preconstruction (1996) of a wildlife blind to wildlife viewing establishment (1999). Trailmaster monitors strategically located on trails entering …

Docile Bodies--Chemical Restraints And The Female Inmate, Kathleen Auerhahn, Elizabeth Dermody Leonard

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

No abstract provided.

Big Brother And His Science Kit: Dna Databases For 21st Century Crime Control, Paul E. Tracy, Vincent Morgan

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

No abstract provided.

Recent Books

Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology

No abstract provided.

Is There A Relationship Between Perceived Spousal Support And Marital Satisfaction Of Female Graduate School Students?, Kelle M. Mccallum

Theses

Deciding to return to graduate school as an adult student creates another role for an individual to fulfill Studies have shown that women. especially. feel role strain or conflict more than men when returning to school Little research has been done on the role the woman's spouse plays in her attempts to complete her degree. This correlational study examined perceived spousal support and marital satisfaction among female graduate school students. Thirty-nine female students volunteered for this study. The volunteers completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Student Relationships Questionnaire The results suggest there is a significant relationship between perceived spousal …

Effects Of Father-Absence On Male Sex Role, Terri L. Portrell

Theses

This study explored the effects that the presence or absence of a father living in the household has on the sex-role development of male children. With an increasing number of males being reared in fatherless, mother-headed families, it is important to understand this phenomenon. Seventy-two male college students, ages 18 to 25, were subjects. Thirty-six were raised in father-present households, while thirty-six were raised in father-absent, mother-headed households. The Bern Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) was employed to assess each subject's sex-role. Past research suggests that males reared without fathers in the home develop a less masculine sex-role orientation and are far …

Differences In Perceived Parental Nurturance Between At Risk High School Male Adolescents And Male Bright Flight College Freshman Students, Elizabeth A. Rudin

Theses

This study investigates differences in perceived parental nurturance between two distinct groups: at-risk high school male adolescents and academically successful male Bright Flight college freshmen. Using the Parental Nurturance Scale (PNS), the researcher measured each participant’s perception of parental care and support. The hypothesis proposed that at-risk adolescents would perceive significantly lower levels of nurturance compared to their college-bound counterparts. Participants included 15 at-risk students from a midwestern alternative high school and 15 Bright Flight freshmen attending a private university, each selected for their contrasting academic and behavioral profiles.

Findings confirmed the hypothesis: Bright Flight students reported notably higher levels …

A Comparison Of Behavior Of Children Of Two Parent Families And Children Of Single Parents And Divorced Parents In The Elementary Classroom Setting, Fran Marlene Sprous

Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the classroom behavior of students from single and divorced homes to behavior of students from intact two parent homes. The study was designed to examine students' delinquent/problem behaviors. In this study four third grade classes were randomly selected from a Midwestern public school district. The teachers were instructed to observe their students (n=90) for one month. Of the 90 students, 48 were males and 42 were females. After one month the teachers were asked to complete the Behavior Scale-2 on the 90 students. Results suggest that there is a significant …

Attention Deficit Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity, And Depression, Jeanne Marie Goacher

Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of depression that is going untreated in adolescents with an Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or an Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis. This study included high school age students (grades 9-12) who either had a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD, had never been diagnosed with depression, and who have never been treated for depression and another group who did not have a diagnosis of either ADD/ ADHD or depression. After obtaining parental permission, through a questionnaire format, the students were given the Beck Depression Inventory. A Chi-Square was performed to …

The Redesignment Of An Acute Inpatient Dual Diagnosis Unit, Irene Harris Griggs

Theses

This project will focus on the study of mental illness and chemical abuse/dependence as it has progressed into the entity of dual diagnosis or what experts consider co-existing or co-occurring disorders.

Research has revealed the increase in the number of individuals suffering from co-occurring illnesses since the early 1980's. Because this condition has become the norm rather than the exception, it becomes necessary to focus more clearly on individuals that are diagnosed with this illness and on the most effective treatment in order to assist the individual in recovery.

Individuals have had co-existing or co-occurring disorders prior to the early …

Intensity Of Grief And Belief In Personal Control, Diana M. Alferink

Theses

Much research has focused on stress and its consequences. Some studies have indicated personal control helps an individual handle stress better and remain healthier. Little research, however, has examined the role personal control plays in bereavement as a stressful life event. This correlational study examined the relationship between belief in personal control and grief intensity experienced from losing a loved one to death. Volunteer subjects primarily from Grief Support Groups completed the Belief in Personal Control Scale and the Texas Revised Grief Inventory Results demonstrated some instances when higher belief in personal control resulted in lower intensity of grief in …

The Effect Of The Environment On Office Worker Productivity And Creativitiy, Karen D. Clark

Theses

This paper will explore the effect of the physical and human environment on office worker creativity and productivity.

The study will begin with a discussion of creativity, addressing questions such as: Why do we want creative employees? What value to they bring to an organization? Can the elements that enhance creativity in office workers also enhance productivity? How is creativity enhanced? Why is it that many organizations successfully stifle creativity, thus hampering employee morale and productivity?

Research has shown that the physical environment affects workers' ability to think and function effectively. There is a basic need for aesthetics as a …

Intimacy In Men: The Androgynous Male, Melissa Jane Hillig

Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between intimacy and masculinity in men. Subjects completed the Bern Sex Role Inventory (BSRI). The scores were then correlated with levels of intimacy, as measured by the Miller Social Intimacy Scale (MSIS). The scores were determined for sixty-two male. middle class, volunteers, aged eighteen and above. The outcome of the study showed a significant inverse correlation between intimacy and masculinity, and a modest positive correlation between femininity and intimacy. Androgynous individuals reported a significantly higher degree of intimacy than masculine individuals.

Secondary Traumatic Stress In Law Enforcement Personnel, William Carl Heusler

Theses

This study was designed to add to the body of empirical knowledge about law enforcement occupational stress utilizing the compassion fatigue/compassion satisfaction model developed by Figley and Stamm. The predictions that intimate contact with trauma victims will increase the risk for compassion fatigue and burnout was evaluated yielding results that established no difference between law enforcement personnel with direct contact and those that had little or no contact with trauma victims. The suggestion that secondary trauma has a cumulative effect on persons exposed over time was also investigated showing that in this population of police officers, a cumulative impact did …

Effects Of Nonstandard Work Schedules On Marital Satisfaction Among Law Enforcement Officers, Annette Marie Jansen

Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in level of marital satisfaction among police officers who worked standard hours (day shift) and those who worked nonstandard hours (afternoon/midnight shifts). Thirty police officers employed during standard hours, and 33 police officers employed during nonstandard hours were administered a demographic questionnaire and the Index of Marital Satisfaction Inventory. Scores were tabulated and it was concluded that there was not a significant difference in marital satisfaction among the two groups (t = -.483; p = .631).