Digital Commons Network^™

The Ecological Christ: Discerning An Ecological Consciousness In The Sermon On The Mount, Nancy J. Miaoulis

Doctoral Dissertations

Ecology is the science that studies the function of communities of life within ecosystems. These systems are bound by an affirmation of relationship. Such relationships are very complex and every part of them is dependent on every other part if they are to maintain the integrity of nature that allows us all to survive.

The adoption of the four principles of ecology: everything is connected to everything else; everything has to go somewhere; nature knows best; and there is no such thing as a free lunch---have been suggested to ensure the survival of all species. However, knowledge of scientific findings …

Seafloor Habitat Characterization, Classification, And Maps For The Lower Piscataqua River Estuary, George Randall Cutter Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations

Data from multibeam echosounders were used to implement segmentations and classifications of the seafloor, and measurements from underwater images and physical samples were used to relate segmentations and predictions to observed seafloor characteristics. Texture analysis, using local Fourier histogram (LFH) texture features, was applied to multibeam bathymetry data in unsupervised- and supervised-classification modes. Unsupervised classification of bathymetry using texture features produced segmentations that corresponded to known spatial distributions of seafloor sediments, but required arbitrary choices for some parameter values and, therefore, included potential bias. Supervised classification of bathymetric texture overcame bias related to arbitrarily-chosen parameters and produced classifications that corresponded …

Wood And Soil-Atmosphere Carbon Dioxide Fluxes From A Tropical Forest Ecosystem, Evilene C. Lopes

Doctoral Dissertations

Carbon cycling in tropical rainforests is an important component of the global carbon budget. A better understanding of controlling mechanisms and magnitude of CO2 sources from tropical forests will improve our ability to predict future impacts of climate changes. The research presented in this dissertation has focused on determining the magnitude and characteristics of the CO2 flux from tropical wood and soil surfaces.

Stem CO2 fluxes were measured in a tropical moist forest at Tapajos National Forest (TNF) in Brazil and in a tropical wet forest at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica (LS) using infrared gas analysis methods. …

Evolution Of Chemical Composition Along River Drainage Networks, Maya P. Bhatt

Doctoral Dissertations

Surface water chemistry from a tropical and temperate rivers system was studied in order to understand the controls on longitudinal variation of stream chemistry. In the Rio Icacos-Blanco system in Puerto Rico, I examined changes in stream chemistry associated with a change in bedrock composition from intrusive quartz diorite (upstream) to volcaniclasitc material (downstream). Overall, after sea-salt correction, most solutes decreased consistently with distance downstream. The silica to alumina ratio, however, changed sharply with changes in the underlying bedrock. Other indices of weathering rates and processes showed strong similarities despite the change in bedrock. The dominance of silica, alkalinity, calcium …

Characterization Of The Major Extrapallial Fluid Protein Of The Mollusc, Mytilus Edulis: Implications For Function, Yan Yin

Doctoral Dissertations

The major protein component of the extrapallial (EP) fluid of the mollusc Mytilus edulis, named the EP protein, has been previously isolated and partially characterized. It has been proposed to play an important role in shell mineralization because of its intriguing property of Ca2+ -binding induced self-assembly.

This dissertation reports on the characterization of the primary structure of the EP protein by RT-PCR and cDNA sequencing methods. The EP protein is comprised of 213 amino acids post cleavage of a signal peptide of 23 amino acids, and is rich in His, Glu and Asp residues. The consensus site of N-glycosylation …

Documentation Panels: Evidence Of Scientific Literacy In A Primary Multi Age Classroom: Teaching At The Edge Of Magic, Charlene Garhart Kohn

Doctoral Dissertations

This project is the result of a question I raised about using documentation panels in my classroom; it is teacher research. Teacher researchers participate in their own inquiries, participating as both teacher and researcher in the study. Teacher research provides practitioners a method for investigating a question or wondering that arises from the classroom. This project aims to explicate the science learning demonstrated by 5, 6, 7, and 8 year old students through the use of student created documentation panels while at the same time providing me with an insightful and critical look at my pedagogy. Within the context of …

Applications Of Fluorescence Detected Sedimentation I Studying The Thermodynamic Impact Of Valence In Non-Ideal Solutions Ii High Affinity Interactions And Biological Media, Rachel R. Kroe

Doctoral Dissertations

The recent addition of the fluorescence detection optical system (FDS) to the currently available absorbance and interference optical systems on the analytical ultracentrifuge has greatly expanded the wide application of this technique. The new FDS is able to detect very low concentrations of fluorophore allowing the study of high affinity interactions (Kd ∼ pM) not previously accessible with the absorbance optics. The types of high affinity interactions that can be explored include drug-protein interactions, lipid-receptor interactions, DNA-protein interactions and protein-protein interactions. Selective labeling of one or both of the macromolecules can allow elegant dissection of complex assemblies. The only limiting …

Boundary -Work In United States Psychology: A Study Of Three Interdisciplinary Programs, Michael J. Root

Doctoral Dissertations

Between 1970 and 2000 scientists from three interdisciplinary programs---evolutionary psychology, cognitive science, and chaos theory---contributed to changing U.S. psychology's disciplinary boundaries. These interdisciplinary scientists brought about this change through their conceptual, material, and social practices. Psychologists used "boundary-work" as a means to control the influx of these various practices. Boundary-work connotes activities that promote scientists' epistemic authority in society. Boundary-work also serves to demarcate a science's particular collection of knowledge from other collections. Through their boundary-work activities, various psychologists resisted some of the practices of these interdisciplinary scientists while making accommodations for other types of practices. These resistances and accommodations …

Parenting In The Age Of Prozac: Parental Decision -Making In Social Context, Nena F. Stracuzzi

Doctoral Dissertations

Within recent years, prescriptions written for children's emotional and behavioral problems have increased significantly. Although this issue has garnered a great deal of public notice, it has received scant sociological attention. In this study, I investigate parents of children with problems, and those without, in an effort to gain insights into the social contexts that shape decisions around diagnoses and treatment. The bases of the theoretical underpinnings of this research are situated at the intersection of medicalization and mother-blame.

Survey data were collected from 235 parents in a single New Hampshire community. Respondents answered several open-ended questions on the questionnaire …

Function, Expression And Evolution Of The *Src Family Kinases In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Chery Angel Whipple

Doctoral Dissertations

The vertebrate proto-oncogene, Src, is the prototype of a family of membrane-associated protein tyrosine kinases involved in cell signaling pathways that control cell growth, development, and differentiation. Activation of Src by mutation or overexpression has been implicated in a range of cancers, particularly breast and colon cancer. Inappropriate activation of Src has pronounced oncogenic effects on cell morphology, adhesion, and motility. Despite its implications in cancer, the normal biological role of Src is not well understood.

I used the nematode C. elegans to investigate the expression, function, and evolution of two src genes (src-1 and src-2) utilizing a combination of …

Transition Voices: Perspectives, Concerns, And Discontinuities Expressed By Children, Parents, And Teachers As Children Transition From A University -Affiliated Kindergarten To A Public School First Grade, Laurie J. Harper

Doctoral Dissertations

Transition encompasses the events and experiences that occur as a child moves from kindergarten to first grade. Transition marks the time when children are separated from a familiar routine and environment and placed into an environment of uncertainty, changing roles, and expectations. Children who experience continuity with earlier educational experiences show increased motivation, improved relationships with peers and adults, and higher achievement.

Using a constructivist grounded theory approach this study documented the perspectives, concerns, and experiences of ten children and their parents as children transitioned from a University-affiliated kindergarten program to a public school first grade. Data were gathered using …

The Process Of Integration And The Concept Of Integral: How Does Success With Applications And Comprehension Of Underlying Notions Such As Accumulation Relate To Students' Mathematical Fluency, Mariana Montiel

Doctoral Dissertations

At the end of the standard first calculus course, the student is expected to learn the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, and to be able to use the integral to produce new functions, or numbers which, they are told, represent the "area under the curve". At the beginning of the standard second calculus course, students are expected to generalize their knowledge, and use the integration process to generate solids of revolution, surface areas, arc length and work, among other applications. Looking at students' success or failure in these endeavors, it was detected that there are marked differences in an aspect that, …

Sensing The Human Alpha Rhythm Using A Non-Contact Electroencephalographic (Eeg) Electrode, Wayne J. Smith Ii.

Doctoral Dissertations

The electroencephalogram is the recording of bioelectrical potentials on the scalp due to neural current sources in the brain and are typically recorded using wet surface electrodes that make ohmic contact with the scalp surface using an electrolyte gel. Unfortunately, wet electrodes are intrusive to the user, problematic for EEG studies requiring high spatial resolution, and are unsuitable for long-duration EEG recordings. Wet electrodes ultimately limit spatial resolution since the gel can short neighboring electrodes. They also do not meet long-duration recording demands since the gel can dry out over time.

This dissertation explores the feasibility of measuring the EEG …

On The Neuroendocrine Regulation Of Reproduction: Functional Characterization And Kinetic Studies Of The Lamprey Gonadotropin -Releasing Hormone Receptor And Cloning And Analysis Of The Cdna Encoding Lamprey Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone-Iii, Matthew Ren Silver

Doctoral Dissertations

The vertebrate hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is regulated by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), a decapeptide that is produced and released from the hypothalamus. At the anterior pituitary, GnRH action is mediated through high affinity binding with the GnRH receptor, a rhodopsin-like seven transmembrane G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR). Interest in the evolution of reproductive physiology has led scientists to study the lamprey, a member of the oldest extant class of vertebrates, the agnathans. The studies presented herein contribute to the field of reproductive neuroendocrinology through developing our understanding of ancestral, or ancestral-like characteristics and mechanisms of the HPG axis. This dissertation is divided …

Nonlinear Dynamics Of Blood Flow In Simple Microvascular Networks, Fan Wu

Doctoral Dissertations

It has been found that spontaneous oscillations of nodal pressures, hematocrit, and blood velocity can occur in microvascular networks in the absence of biological control. In this paper, both analytical and numerical methods have been used to investigate the nonlinear dynamics of microvascular blood flow in simple networks. First, the steady state solutions for the system are found. Then the governing coupled PDE's are transformed into state dependent time delay differential equations, DDE's. The DDE's are then linearized about a steady state and normalized.

The characteristic equation for the network is found by assuming the linearized DDE's have a nontrivial …

Law Library Design Bookshelf-An Annotated Bibliography, Stephen G. Margeton

Scholarly Articles

Professor Margeton provides an annotated list of selected materials related to library design. The list is arranged by topic and includes books, book chapters, reports, and articles.

Retrocyclins: Novel Circular Peptides Active Against Hiv-1, Alexander M. Cole

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

No abstract provided.

Resistance To A Protein Farnesyltransferase Inhibitor In Plasmodium Falciparum, Richard T. Eatman, John White, Oliver Hucke, Kevin Bauer, Kohei Yokoyama, Laxman Nallans, Debopam Chakrabarti, Christophe L. M. J. Verlinde, Michael H. Gelb, Pradipsinh K. Rathod, Wesley C. Van Voorhis

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

The post-translational farnesylation of proteins serves to anchor a subset of intracellular proteins to membranes in eukaryotic organisms and also promotes protein-protein interactions. Inhibition of protein farnesyltransferase (PFT) is lethal to the pathogenic protozoa Plasmodium falciparum. Parasites were isolated that were resistant to BMS-388891, a tetrahydroquinoline (THQ) PFT inhibitor. Resistance was associated with a 12-fold decrease in drug susceptibility. Genotypic analysis revealed a single point mutation in the beta subunit in resistant parasites. The resultant tyrosine 837 to cysteine alteration in the beta subunit corresponded to the binding site for the THQ and peptide substrate. Biochemical analysis of Y837C-PFT demonstrated …

Spatial Photonics In Nonlinear Waveguide Arrays, Jason W. Fleischer, Guy Bartal, Oren Cohen, Tal Schwartz, Ofer Manela, Barak Freedman, Mordechai Segev, Hrvoje Buljan, Nikolaos K. Efremidis

Faculty Bibliography 2000s

The recent proposal of optical induction for producing nonlinear photonic lattices has revolutionized the study of nonlinear waves in waveguide arrays. In particular, it enabled the first observation of (2+1) dimensional lattice solitons, which were the first 2D solitons observed in any nonlinear periodic system in nature. Since then, progress has been rapid, with many fundamental discoveries made within the past two years. Here, we review our theoretical and experimental contributions to this effort.

Survey Of The Use Of Pedometers And Knowledge Of Caloric Intake And Expenditure, Tera Bahl, Holly Freudenberg, Tara Hynek, Lynae Jost

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

Background and Purpose. As the prevalence of obesity continues to rise, medical professionals are searching for ways to combat this epidemic. One of the first steps is to assess the activity levels and eating habits of those who are obese and look for ways to modify these two areas in order to assist the obese individual in achieving a desirable and healthy weight. The purpose of this study is to determine if pedometer use, gender, or body mass influence one's knowledge of caloric consumption and expenditure.

Subjects and Methods. 253 questionnaires were sent out to randomly selected faculty and staff …

An Electromyography (Emg) Study Of Two Dynamic Surfaces: Hippotherapy And Swiss Ball, Melissa J. Metcalf, Roslyn J. Muller, Tanya L. Schimek, Erica H. Wheeler

Physical Therapy Scholarly Projects

The use of horseback riding as a therapeutic intervention has been used since the fifth century, B.C.1 It has been proposed that the physical benefits of horseback riding include: improved posture, balance, muscle strength, decreased spasticity, improved gait patterns, and coordination. Unfortunately, at the current time, hippotherapy, the use of horses in physical therapy intervention, has been poorly documented due to little objective research. The purpose of this study was to provide an objective measure of children's postural muscle activity through the use of electromyography (EMG) and electrogoniometry on two dynamic surfaces. Data was analyzed for differences in postural muscle …

Why The Village Is So Hard To Find: Challenging Ourselves, Transforming Our Helping Systems, Roger Friedman

Journal of Family Strengths

Keynote address presented by Roger Friedman, PhD, LCSW at the Family Preservation Institute Annual Conference, San Antonio, Texas, September 9, 2004.

Looking at Language and Concepts

Looking closely at certain language that we use helps us understand how we think about our work and our world—and ultimately, it helps us understand ourselves better. The term "village " as used in the title of the paper and in many of our professional conversations is worthy of such an inquiry

Demographic Characteristics And Academic Measures As Predictors Of Success On The American Society For Clinical Pathology (Ascp) Medical Technologist Certification Examination, Marcia Ann Kilsby

Dissertations

Purpose. This study was undertaken to address the utility of demographic characteristics and academic measures as predictors of success for the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Registry Medical Technologist Certification Examination (Certification Examination) Total Score and six Subscores and to find predictive models with relevance to an ethnically and racially-diverse student population.

Method. The research population was the graduates of the Andrews University Program for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. The 233 subjects were from 53 different birth countries. The relationships between Certification Examination scores and both demographic characteristics and academic measures were analyzed by chi square, analysis o f …

Suicide Attempt And Characteristics Of Religiously Affiliated Puerto Rican Adolescents And Young Adults, Saúl Rivera

Dissertations

Problem. Recent research has identified several risk factors associated with attempted suicide among the general population. Puerto Ricans, in general, and Puerto Rican Seventh-day Adventists (SDAs), in particular, may face unique challenges that are related to their familial, social, and religious environment that may affect the suicidal attempts among this group. Therefore, this study examined family-related factors, history of being abused, religiosity factors, sexuality factors, gender, substance abuse, age, and socioeconomic status factors among a sample of religiously affiliated Puerto Ricans (73.2% SDAs) living on the island.

Methodology. The data for the study came from the Avance PR study. Avance …

Grandfathers, Grandsons, Morality, And Radical Politics In Late Colonial Buganda, Carol Summers

History Faculty Publications

Late in 1948, one of the radical Luganda newspapers in Buganda printed Dionizio Sifirwakange's rhetorical and distinctly aggrieved questions: "Has it become a crime for schoolchildren to evince patriotic sentiments? Why does the Government prohibit the assembly of the Bataka at the houses of their 'grandfathers'?"¹

Sifirwakange was complaining about the repressive response of the Kingdom of Buganda and its ally, the Protectorate of Uganda, to a political and social movement whose most visible adherents were the patriotic schoolchildren, along with other youth and men of all ages, who assembled by the thousands at the homes of their grandfathers …

Implications Of A Uniracial Worldview: Race And Rights In A New Era, Jonathan K. Stubbs

Law Faculty Publications

This article begins by asking, "What is Race: Some Modem Western Perspectives?" Section I surveys race from various vantage points, including views associated with social and natural scientists, jurists, and members of the general public. In short, Section I grapples with what we currently mean when we use the term race.

Many people, especially westerners, believe that the human family consists of multiple races. Such thinking flows from and reinforces multi-racial worldviews. Thus, Section II asks: "What Does a Multi-racial Worldview Look Like?" Here, using graphic symbols we attempt to communicate some sense of what a multi- racial perspective involves. …

Perceived Obligations Of Stepfathers To Financially Support Their Stepchildren; Public Perceptions Of Stepfathers' Obligations To Financially Support Their Stepchildren, Miriam Maclean

Theses : Honours

The present study investigated public perceptions of stepfathers' obligation to financially support stepchildren. Two hundred Australians completed vignette-based questionnaires assessing normative expectations of stepfathers financial contribution. A 2 x 2 x 2 between-subjects design was used to assess the effects of marital status, maternal employment, and prior child support commitments on perceived obligations to stepchildren. Most participants believed stepfathers should contribute financially, but responses varied greatly. Defacto relationships and maternal employment reduced obligation. A significant 3-way interaction was also found. Qualitative responses were analysed from a normative expectations and distributive justice perspective. Findings support the use and integration of these …

Narrowcasting To Faculty And Students: Creating An Efficient “Research By Subject” Page, Rob Withers, Rob Casson, Aaron Shrimplin

E-JASL: Electronic Journal of Academic and Special Librarianship (1999-2009, Volumes 1-10)

Abstract

Libraries provide thousands of e-resources, but most users need only a handful. Miami University has created an interface which enables subject specialists to select from electronic resources provided by the Libraries, add links to related resources, and post announcements in each subject area. In addition, subject specialists can create multi-database searches for each subject area. Subject specialists can make immediate changes, web developers are relieved of reviewing and making changes submitted by others, and students and faculty see the resources they need. The University portal will eventually link to subject areas corresponding each students’ classes and faculty member’s teaching …

Honors In Practice, Volume 1 (Complete Issue)

Honors in Practice Online Archive

CONTENTS
Editorial Policy
Submission Guidelines
Dedication to Grey Austin
Editor’s Introduction Ada Long

ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
Keeping Honors Information Current Joan Digby and Tracey Christy
Tenure and Promotion in Honors Rosalie Otero
We Know They’re Smart, but Have They Learned Anything?: Strategies for Assessing Learning in Honors Steffen Pope Wilson and Rose M. Perrine
Funding Needs Through Student Government Resources Geoffrey Orth

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
On the Benefits of Teaching Honors Alexander Werth
Contracting in Honors Kambra Bolch
Reviving an Honors Program with Specialized Sequence Tracks Sharon Carrish
Honors Courses: More Difficult or Different? Jim Lacey
Transferring a Course Developed for …

Jump-Starting Honors Community With Introductory Biographies, James Swafford

Honors in Practice Online Archive

Last June, as they descended from the peak experience of high school graduation, the forty newly selected members of the Humanities and Sciences (H&S) Honors Program at Ithaca College received a summer-reading book from me, the Honors Director, with a request for information in exchange: enclosed in the packet was a brief questionnaire about their experiences, their likes and dislikes, their hopes for the future. The questionnaires took only a few minutes to complete, but once the replies were translated into a set of introductory biographical sketches and sent back to the students in August, the information provided a great …