Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Associated With Elevated Blood Lead Concentrations In Children In Karachi, Pakistan, Mohammad Hossein Rahbar, Franklin White, Mubina Agboatwalla, Siroos Hozhabri, Stephen Luby

Community Health Sciences

Objectives: To confirm whether blood lead concentrations in Karachi were as high as reported in 1989 and to identify which types of exposure to lead contribute most to elevated blood lead concentrations in children in Karachi.
Methods: A total of 430 children aged 36-60 months were selected through a geographically stratified design from the city centre, two suburbs, a rural community and an island situated within the harbour at Karachi. Blood samples were collected from children and a pretested questionnaire was administered to assess the effect of various types of exposure. Cooked food, drinking-water and house dust samples were collected …

A Christian Parent’S Guide To Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’S Stone, Gina Louise Burkart

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

A Christian Parent's Guide to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone provides parents with a variety of activities and opportunities for discussing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone through the Christian lens. The guide is founded and supported by educational theorists such as Kohlberg and Piaget and is built on the principle that parents can help their children sort out fantasy and reality and moral issues by discussing literature with their children. Each chapter is broken down into four sections: Bridging the Gap, Talking About It at Home, Scripture Connection, and Activities. Bridging the Gap allows parents and children to …

Improving Student Achievement And Attitude In Middle Grade Social Studies Classes Through Learning Style Instruction And Design, Jennifer D. Vincent

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to improve student achievement and attitude in a middle school social studies class. Students were not performing well on tests and exams after experiencing traditional visual and auditory instructional methods. The Jack of diversity and creativity in delivery of instruction resulted in limited academic achievement and poor attitude towards social studies learning. Furthermore, long-term memory was also negatively affected because the traditional teaching approaches did not emphasize higher level thinking that promotes greater retention. The study integrates theoretical research concerning how students learn to the development of a strong historical rationale for implementing learning styles …

Peer Mediation: A Means To Success In Managing Student Behavior At Bradshaw High School, Randy J. Pettus

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

The applied dissertation process included the study of whether peer mediation is effective in reducing student suspensions. It also included a search for means to increase positive behaviors and to reduce violent behaviors and negative attitudes of students. It sought to increase students’ communication skills, helping them to respond to others in a more positive manner. The outcome of this applied dissertation appeared to result in increased positive social skills among students.

This applied dissertation study focused on behaviors of students at Bradshaw High School in Florence, Alabama, a 750-student school serving Grades 9-12 at the time of the research. …

Introduction: The Virtues And Vices Of Skeptical Environmentalism, Jonathan H. Adler, Andrew P. Morriss

Faculty Scholarship

Introduction Extract:

The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World by Bjorn Lomborg' is the most talked about environmental book in recent memory. Lomborg's central thesis is relatively straightforward: "Our doomsday conceptions of the environment are not correct." To the contrary, in recent decades humanity's lot has "improved in terms of practically every measurable indicator." Lomborg is not the first author to make this argument,4 but his book is the first to spark such a maelstrom of public attention. Its publication ignited controversy and debate on both sides of the Atlantic. Lomborg himself, an associate professor of statistics …

Representations Of Motherhood: A Feminist Criticism Of Indian Post-Colonial Novels, Baishakhi Banerjee

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

No abstract provided.

Three-Dimensional Structure Of The Complexin/Snare Complex, Xiaocheng Chen, Diana R. Tomchick, Evgenii L. Kovrigin, Demet Araç, Mischa Machius, Thomas C. Südhof, Josep Rizo

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

During neurotransmitter release, the neuronal SNARE proteins synaptobrevin/VAMP, syntaxin, and SNAP-25 form a four-helix bundle, the SNARE complex, that pulls the synaptic vesicle and plasma membranes together possibly causing membrane fusion. Complexin binds tightly to the SNARE complex and is essential for efficient Ca²⁺-evoked neurotransmitter release. A combined X-ray and TROSY-based NMR study now reveals the atomic structure of the complexin/SNARE complex. Complexin binds in an antiparallel α-helical conformation to the groove between the synaptobrevin and syntaxin helices. This interaction stabilizes the interface between these two helices, which bears the repulsive forces between the apposed membranes. These results …

Overexpression And Divalent Metal Binding Properties Of The Methionyl Aminopeptidase From Pyrococcus Furiosus, Lu Meng, Shane Ruebush, Ventris M. D'Souza, Alicja J. Copik, Susumu Tsunasawa, Richard C. Holz

Chemistry Faculty Research and Publications

The gene encoding for the methionyl aminopeptidase from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus (PfMetAP-II; EC 3.4.11.18) has been inserted into a pET 27b(+) vector and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The new expression system resulted in a 5-fold increase in purified enzyme obtained from a 5 L fermentor growth. The as-purified PfMetAP-II enzyme, to which no exogenous metal ions or EDTA was added, was found to have 1.2 equiv of zinc and 0.1 equiv of iron present by ICP-AES analysis. This enzyme had a specific activity of 5 units/mg, a 60-fold decrease from the fully loaded Fe(II) …

Evaluating The Sex Discrimination Argument For Lesbian And Gay Rights, Edward D. Stein

Articles

The sex discrimination argument for lesbian and gay rights analyzes laws that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in terms of sex discrimination. For example, sodomy laws that prohibit only same-sex sexual activities are analyzed as discriminating on the basis of sex because they prohibit women from doing something men are permitted to do, that is, have sex with women. This argument has been championed by some scholars and litigators, and it has persuaded some judges. Edward Stein shows that there are sociological, theoretical, moral, and practical problems facing the sex discrimination argument. He suggests that there are better …

Graininess Of Spatial Distribution In House Sparrows And House Finches: Implications For Interspecific Competition, Carol A. Heaverlo

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In Iowa, the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a non-indigenous avian species commonly found in areas inhabited by humans. During the past 10 years the House Sparrow population numbers have declined 54%. Competition for resources between the House Sparrow and House Finch has been cited as the reason for the decline. It has also been suggested that interspecific competition between the House Sparrow and House Finch is not the primary reason for the decline because the two perceive the environment on different scales: the House Sparrow is a coarse-grained species and the House Finch a fine-grained species. In three urban …

Crazy Jane Talks With The Bishop: Abortion In South Africa, China, Germany, South Africa And International Human Rights Law, Barbara Stark

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

Feminists involved in international human rights law have long recognized that reproductive rights are an essential part of any larger struggle for women's human rights. As noted at the World Conference on Population in Cairo in 1994 and reiterated at the World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, control over their own reproduction is a prerequisite for any meaningful conception of women's human rights. At the same time, feminists have recognized that reproductive rights, in fact, involve a range of related but distinct rights -- from access to birth control for minors to environmental safeguards that protect women from …

A Study Of The Validation Of The Constructive Inquiry Science Reasoning Skills Test, Matthew John Stier

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The development of student's science reasoning abilities is a central goal of science education. To meet this goal researchers have investigated the development of science reasoning abilities using a variety of instruments, Classroom Test of Formal Reasoning, Objective Referenced Evaluation in Science, clinical interviews or laboratory process tests. However, while many of these instruments have been designed to test logical thinking, scientific reasoning, and inquiry skills, problems with them include restriction of student choices, guidance, encouragement of guessing, content dependence, testing of cognitive level only, decontextualized questions, developmental inappropriateness, and time/monetary expense. A novel instrument was developed to fill a …

Piagetian Developmental Reasoning Levels Of High School Students In Differentiated First Year Chemistry Courses, Pamela Kay Brewer-Michael

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research studied the developmental reasoning levels of students in three different first year high school chemistry courses as related to achievement defined by cumulative grade point average and course selection. The Lawson Test of Formal Operations modified by Roy Unruh and Bruce Perry at the University of Northern Iowa was used to determine cognitive developmental level of subjects. A consumer type chemistry course, a traditional high school chemistry course, and an honors course under consideration with Marshalltown Community College for credit status were the three courses utilized in this study. Data was collected in a classroom group setting over …

Current Status Of Defensins And Their Role In Innate And Adaptive Immunity, Periathamby A. Raj, Andrew R. Dentino

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Naturally occurring antimicrobial cationic polypeptides play a major role in innate and adaptive immunity. These polypeptides are found to be either linear and unstructured or structured through disulfide bonds. Among the structured antimicrobial polypeptides, defensins comprise a family of cysteine-rich cationic polypeptides that contribute significantly to host defense against the invasion of microorganisms in animals, humans, insects and plants. Their wide-spread occurrence in various tissues of these diverse organisms, and their importance in innate and adaptive immunity have led to their identification, isolation and characterization. A large volume of literature is available on defensins’ occurrence, structural characterization, gene expression and …

Emergence And Mortality Of Native Prairie Forbs Seeded Into An Established Stand Of Grasses, Dave Williams

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Thousands of hectares of warm-season grass plantings in Iowa have few to no native forbs. Diversifying these species poor plant communities with native prairie forbs could result in increased resistance to climatic extremes, increased biodiversity, reduced noxious "weedy" plant invasion, and reduced geographic isolation between existing native prairie remnants.

I hypothesized that frequent mowing in the first one or two years after broadcasting forb seed into an established stand of warm-season grasses can increase forb emergence and reduce forb mortality. I further hypothesized that fall seeded forbs would establish better that those seeded in spring.

To test my hypothesis, I …

Suitability Of Hsp70 As A Biomarker For Pesticide Contamination Of Aquatic Systems: A Laboratory Investigation Using Chironomus Tentans As A Model, Lori Rae Covington

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Though the use of pesticides has resulted in increased crop production and other benefits, concerns have been raised about potential adverse effects on the environment, especially the hydrologic system which supports aquatic life. To chemically analyze for all possible contaminants at all at-risk sites would not only be costly, but practically infeasible and would yield no information about biological effects. Therefore, a significant portion of the scientific community has turned their investigative focus to biomarkers as a measurement of sublethal contaminant exposure and effect. A biomarker that has been the recent focus of much research is the family of heat …

Emergence And Mortality Of Native Prairie Forbs Seeded Into An Established Stand Of Grasses, Dave Williams

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Thousands of hectares of warm-season grass plantings in Iowa have few to no native forbs. Diversifying these species poor plant communities with native prairie forbs could result in increased resistance to climatic extremes, increased biodiversity, reduced noxious "weedy" plant invasion, and reduced geographic isolation between existing native prairie remnants.

I hypothesized that frequent mowing in the first one or two years after broadcasting forb seed into an established stand of warm-season grasses can increase forb emergence and reduce forb mortality. I further hypothesized that fall seeded forbs would establish better that those seeded in spring.

To test my hypothesis, I …

Organophosphorous Insecticide Contamination In Streams: Insects As Bioindicators, Brian M. Andersen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Organophosphorous (OP) insecticides are widely used around the world to control pests. These insecticides can enter streams and rivers and impact nontarget aquatic organisms by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (ACE), a nervous system enzyme necessary for normal behavior and survival. However, these contamination events are usually brief and often missed by chemical analyses attempting to detect OP insecticides. Although ACE activity has been used as a bioindicator of OP insecticide exposure in humans and wildlife for many years, few studies have investigated using aquatic insect ACE activity as a potential bioindicator of OP insecticide contamination in streams. This study used the mayfly …

The Use Of Aflp To Detect Genetic Differentiation Within And Among Populations Of Two Prairie Plant Species: Panicum Virgatum And Coreopsis Palmata, Christopher Andrew Hilker

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The degree of genetic diversity within any species is crucial to its survival with respect to environmental stresses and its ability to adapt. As native Iowa prairie plant populations continues to diminish, genetic diversity within the state becomes crucially important for restoration, reconstruction, and conservation efforts. This study seeks to determine the degree of genetic variation within native Iowa populations of Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) and Coreopsis palmata (prairie coreopsis, tickseed, prairie tickseed). Plants were obtained directly from the tallgrass prairie, from native seed plantings, and from greenhouse grown cultivated varieties (switchgrass). Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLP) provided genetic fingerprints of …

Identifying And Comparing Misconceptions Held By American And Russian University Students In Mechanics, Alexandra Sokolova

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This paper reports on a study of misconceptions held by undergraduate students completing an introductory physics course at the University of Northern Iowa and first-year undergraduate students taking a mechanics course at the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia. Existence of misconceptions in mechanics among Russian and American students was investigated prior to instruction and at the completion of the one-semester course. Different teaching approaches were used to introduce the students to mechanics. An activity-based approach was emphasized at UNI and a traditional lecture-lab approach was used at Herzen University. The emphasis of the study was placed on identifying misconceptions …

Monitoring Of Prairie Bushclover (Lespedeza Leptostachya) In South-Central Iowa, Paul J. Bockenstedt

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Prairie bushclover Lespedeza leptostachya is listed as threatened by both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of Iowa. Found within the tallgrass prairie region only in four midwestern states, prairie bushclover is considered a midwestern endemic. The federal recovery plan includes the goal to stabilize populations through proper management techniques and long-term management plans.

In 1989, three permanent plots were established for long-term monitoring at Madison Prairie in Clarke County, Iowa to examine population trends under the influences of fire and grazing. Fifty prairie bushclover plants were randomly selected within the three plots and square meter sampling …

Health Promotion Evaluation And Needs Assessment In The Transylvania Region Of Romania, Bryan C. Byrd

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Since the revolution of 1989, Romania has been undergoing wide ranging changes affecting all aspects of the country including health promotion. As common to many newly independent states (NIS) the changes in socio-economics, on-going poverty, unemployment status, and the overall culture shock of political transition, has resulted in health characteristics and indicators improving in some areas but suffering in others. This project was initiated as a descriptive study of the health promotion practices of Transylvania, Romania. The goal of the research was to describe and discover the philosophical practices driving current Romanian health promotion practices, as well as to conduct …

The Constitution As Family Arbiter: A Moral In The Mess?, Janet L. Dolgin

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

Two interconnected social upheavals that occurred in the second half of the twentieth century underlie an intensifying legal debate about the conception of family. First, Western culture openly challenged a set of assumptions that supported a vision of family as hierarchical, holistic, and almost completely separate from the marketplace. Second, a group of social institutions (including schools, churches, and voluntary communal groups) that once anchored moral debate began to recede in significance. To these upheavals, American law has increasingly responded by eliding traditional legal responses to family issues and by seeking moral direction from constitutional principles. The second of these …

Defining The Family In The Millenium: The Troxel Follies, John Dewitt Gregory

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

This Article addresses the ways in which the law primarily state law-has significantly redefined the American family in its response to third-party claims against parents for visitation rights with the children of those parents. Part II briefly addresses statutory and case law relating to visitation by grandparents, the most favored group of petitioners for visitation rights, and stepparents who have not fared nearly as well. After placing third-party visitation in its constitutional context, Part II also examines how the courts have treated "coparent" claims of a right to visitation, brought by former companions of natural parents who insist that they …