Digital Commons Network^™

Bitterroot Landing: An Adaptation From Novel To Stage, Christy Leake

Theses and Dissertations

My thesis explores the process involved in adapting Sheri Reynolds' novel, Bitterroot Landing, into a stage play. During the adaptation process I faced numerous challenges, including structural issues, expanding or changing dialogue, omitting or melding scenes and characters, and dealing with the serious themes of incest and sexual abuse. This thesis describes these challenges and the steps I took to overcome them.

A Gis And Remote Sensing Based Analysis Of Impervious Surface Influences On Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus Leucocephalus) Nest Presence In The Virginia Portion Of The Chesapeake Bay, Jennifer M. Ciminelli

Theses and Dissertations

GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and remote sensing techniques were used to predict relationships between bald eagle nest presences and land type, distance to land type and impervious surface cover area. Data plots revealed bald eagle nest presence decreases in response to an increase in area of bareland; increases with an increase in area of forested land; decreases with an increase in distance (m) to shoreline, and decreases in response to an increase in area of impervious surfaces. Logistic regression models identified impervious surfaces as an indicator for bald eagle nest presence (P 24% as unsuitable. Unsuitable area covered 17.82% of …

Journeys, Diane Rohman

Theses and Dissertations

My art is about journeys, mapping, and layering. Two archetypal images in my work are the camel and the desert. Much of this imagery was inspired by my personal journey over the Sahara and into Western Africa. On another level, this journey connects to my metaphorical journey through life. As a printmaker, my art is very process oriented. Printmaking itself can be thought of as a kind of journey. My trip or the process is more important than the destination or the final result. Like the desert, my images are constantly shifting and transforming through the process of working. Printmaking …

The Role Of Gonadal Hormones On Opioid Receptor Protein Density In Arthritic Rats, Matthew Kren

Theses and Dissertations

The majority of research on the endogenous opioid system has focused on various pain assays and the efficacy of different opioid agonists. However, minimal attention has been focused on the effects of gonadal hormones and their impact on the opioid peptide system. The present study was designed to determine the effects of modulation of gonadal hormones on the opioid receptor protein levels in Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA)-treated arthritic and non-arthritic male and female Lewis rats. Midbrain and spinal cord tissues were collected for comparison of the μ, δ, and κ receptor protein levels in arthritic and non-arthritic animals. Male gonadectomy …

Ancient West Mexican Sculpture: A Formal And Stylistic Analysis Of Eleven Figures In The Virginia Museum Of Fine Arts, Crista Anne Pack

Theses and Dissertations

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) has in its collection eleven ancient West Mexican ceramic sculptures. Given that the VMFA's West Mexican Ceramic figure collection has not been included in any extensive study, this thesis serves to provide a critical analysis of these figures through a formal and stylistic approach. These analyses are preceded by a brief history of the West Mexican cultures and highlight the artistic similarities and differences between each region. The primary regions under discussion are Colima, Nayarit, and Jalisco which correspond to modern geopolitical boundaries. Primary sources for these discussions are the figures themselves, while …

Conceptualizing Hoarding Behavior Among Elderly Women: A Mixed-Methods Approach, Susan Jan Murdock

Theses and Dissertations

Hoarding in the community involves substantial cluttering and impaired functioning, often exposing the hoarder to extensive health and safety risks. This research, based on Functionalism social theory, explores the three elements of hoarding—relentless acquisition, intense possessiveness of objects, and a reluctance to discard possessions—as a sociocultural phenomenon. The mixed methods methodology entailed a quantitative study involving a survey completed by 134 adult protective services workers throughout Virginia and a qualitative study of five randomly-selected adult protective services workers who volunteered for in-depth interviews.Findings revealed that adult protective services workers come in contact with very severe cases of hoarding, with over …

Characterization Of The Rank Ligand Positive Giant Cell Found In The Interfacial Membrane, Patrick Emerson Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Aseptic osteolysis is a major complication to total joint arthroplasty requiring several thousand people a year to have to undergo revisions of their joint prosthesis. The formation of the interfacial membrane has been associated with aseptic osteolysis leading to the failure of all types of total joints. Recent evidence suggests that RANKL, a potent activator of bone reabsorption, is present in the interfacial membrane. Prior research in this laboratory to determine the source of RANKL in the interfacial membrane has revealed the presence of intense areas of RANKL concentration in the membrane. These areas of RANKL concentration correspond to multiple …

A Critical Review Of Telomerase Biology And Model Systems For The Study Of Telomerase, Jeremy Charles Aisenberg

Theses and Dissertations

The study of telomere and telomerase biology holds substantial promise in uncovering the molecular process of aging and the treatment of cancers. Studies have shown that telomere shortening is directly linked to cellular aging and that telomerase expression is found in over 85% of human cancers, including 95% of all advanced malignancies. Development of effective model systems to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of telomeres and telomerase in the processes aging and cancer is of particular importance. While inbred strains of mice have provided a wealth of information for a variety of pathways and diseases, the mouse model …

Images Of Jenny Lind And The Construction Of Identity For The Nineteenth-Century Female Performer, Joanna Elizabeth Penick

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how images of the Swedish singer Jenny Lind worked to distance her from the typical nineteenth-century view. Because of their position within the public sphere, female performers were thought to be sexually available and often had the reputation of prostitute. Lind achieved a level of success that made her one of the most famous women of the mid-nineteenth-century. She was known not only for her talent as a performer but also for her morality and piety. Examining the Lind images in the context of nineteenth-century social codes and feminist theatre history, it becomes evident that Lind was …

Visualizing The Inner Structure Of N-Body Data, Edward Dale

Theses

N-body simulations produce a large amount of data that must be visualized in order to extract interesting features. This data consists of thousands of particles, each with a number of properties such as velocity, mass, and acceleration, that are persisted across hundreds of time steps. Rendering these points using traditional means quickly leads to a image that is satu- rated because the number of particles is greater than the number of pixels available. Volume rendering, and particularly splatting, seeks to remedy this and allows one to see inside the volume and discern the inner structure. The definition of inner structure …

Transforming Growth Factor-Β1 (Tgf-Β1) Induces Mast Cell Apoptosis, Farnaz Norozian

Theses and Dissertations

Mast cells are potent effectors of the inflammatory response, playing an important role in atopy, bacterial immunity, and animal models of arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and heart disease. Hence controlling mast cell numbers and responsiveness is essential for preventing inflammatory disease. This work demonstrated that the cytokine TGF-β1 is a potent inducer of mast cell apoptosis, a finding that was consistent for cultured mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells, peritoneal mast cells, and human mast cells. Cell death appeared to be the result of TGF-mediated repression of IL-3 receptor expression and function, leading to mitochondria1 damage and activation of an apoptotic cascade …

Tinged With Fire, Margo J. Nolan

Theses and Dissertations

I have created art that has evolved from my own personal experiences. Life is capricious, and with the changes wrought by age, joy, and grief, I have found this self-referential work inevitable. Here, I have documented the journey that has brought me through personal wars, battles, and truces. I have come to believe that although my individual experiences may be unique, my responses to them are not. Loss and victory are universal.

Let The Servant Church Arise: Waters For The Thirsty, Supper For The Hungry, Rhoda Schuler

Institute of Liturgical Studies Occasional Papers

(Excerpt)

The title of this address provides some clues about the perspective I bring to the question of the church's mission in the world Use of the term "servant church"-borrowed directly from the hymn ''The Church of Christ in Every Age"1-reveals my bias for language of servanthood to describe that mission. Such language has governed my own identity as a deaconess for nearly three decades. Aidan Kavanaugh argues that the ascetic, who is dedicated to ''the art of maintaining a life of 'right worship,'" serves as the exemplar for the baptized, pointing them toward the Christian's ultimate end: that is, …

Professional Development Of Efl Teachers In Mexico: Examining Cross-Cultural And Global Linkages, Influences, And Outcomes, Robert A. Devillar, Binbin Jiang

Faculty Articles

During the past twenty years, the paradigm of professional development in U.S. education has shifted from an analyitco-incremental model to an integrative-systematic model. The integrative-systematic model focuses on the whole-scale improvement of general student performance through the articulation, implementation, and assessment of standards that apply to teachers and teacher preparation institutions as well as to students. This article addresses the basis for this paradigm shift in the U.S. and the global expansion of the professional development mandate. The authors describe the first phase of a three-year, cross-cultural professional development program involving English-as-a-Foreign Language (EFL) teachers at a private school in …

What About An Information Literacy Chapel?, Gerald Franz Ph.D.

The Christian Librarian

Information Literacy chapels can be an effective means to supplement other library education strategies. They offer a unique opportunity to address the entire student body at one time. They should not be run as a class, but rather as a creative presentation that makes a few points well. Audiovisual presentations and audience participation can enhance the appeal and learning.

Tiresias And The Justices: Using Information Markets To Predict Supreme Court Decisions, Miriam A. Cherry, Robert L. Rogers

All Faculty Scholarship

This Article applies the emerging field of information markets to the prediction of Supreme Court decisions. Information markets, which aggregate information from a wide array of participants, have proven highly accurate in other contexts such as predicting presidential elections. Yet never before have they been applied to the Supreme Court, and the field of predicting Supreme Court outcomes remains underdeveloped as a result. We believe that creating a Supreme Court information market, which we have named Tiresias after the mythological Greek seer, will produce remarkably accurate predictions, create significant monetary value for participants, provide guidance for lower courts, and advance …

Adolescent Religiosity And Conformity To Parents: Is Sex A Moderator?, Rebecca Kim Summers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines relations between adolescent reports of conformity to their parents and religiosity and if these are moderated by the sex of the adolescent and parent. Self-report data was collected from 121 ninth and tenth graders enrolled in three non-metropolitan high schools. Religiosity was measured by Schumm et al.'s (1991) modified version of Gorsuch and Venable's (1983) scales. Conformity to Parents was assessed using Peterson's (Peterson, Rollins, & Thomas, 1985) Conformity to Parents scales. Four regressions were used. Results indicate that females: (a) report higher levels of conformity to parents and religiosity than males and (b) that when adolescent …

Iqgap1 Knockdown Enhances The Endothelial Barrier In Vitro, Wentao Zhang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

IQGAP1 overexpression inhibits E-cadherin-mediated epithelial cell-cell adhesion by distabilizing the adherens junctions, and activated Rac1 and Cdc42 may prevent these effects by removing IQGAP1 from the adherens junction complex. In the present study, we determined if IQGAP1 associates with the adherens junction of endothelial cells and affects endothelial barrier function. In human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), IQGAP1 associated with VE-cadherin, the catenins, beta, gamma, alpha, and p120, but not with N-cadherin or the tight junction proteins, occludin, claudin-5, and ZO-1. Detergent extracted most of the IQGAP1 associated with VE-cadherin. Treatment of endothelial cells with sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), which increases the …

The Effects Of A Specifically Designed Pre-School Inclusion Course On The Attitudes Of Early Childhood Personnel, Kellie J. Morgan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The intent of this study was to examine the attitudes of early childhood personnel on preschool inclusion before and after participating in a preschool inclusion class that was specifically designed for preschool teachers. The attitudes of teachers were measured using a 7 point Likert type pre and post-assessment scale. The items on the scale dealt with the inclusion of children with disabilities in a typically developing classroom. The participants in the study included 96 early childhood personnel working in West Virginia. In this pre-experimental design, the total scores of each item for the pre-test were compared to total scores on …

Effect Of High Salt Intake On Arteriolar Responses To Metabolic Stimuli, Paul J. Marvar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Study I evaluated the possibility that a HS diet can reduce the arteriolar response to muscle contraction through reduced nitric oxide (NO) availability and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity. Spinotrapezius muscle arterioles were examined in rats fed a normal salt (NS; 0.45%) or high salt (HS; 4%) diets. Arteriolar diameter responses to an increase in metabolic demand were significantly less in HS rats and these HS rats exhibited increased presence of arteriolar ROS. The attenuated responses to muscle contraction in HS rats were not restored in the presence of ROS scavengers, and inhibition of NO synthesis had no effect …

Field Perceptions Of The Vision Initiative For Children's Preschool Vision Screening Training Model, P. Kay Nottingham Chaplin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Because lay vision screeners rarely receive formal training in how to screen vision and because older children were seen in clinic with vision disorders that should have been detected earlier through vision screening, a pediatric ophthalmologist and the researcher created the Vision Initiative for Children (VIC) in 2001 as a statewide program of the West Virginia University Eye Institute. VIC has trained, equipped, and provided ongoing support to lay individuals who are mandated or want to screen preschoolers' vision. This program evaluation study explored, from the perspective of Head Start personnel, whether VIC prepares Head Start personnel to screen preschoolers' …

Generality Of Vertebrate Developmental Patterns: Evidence For A Dermomyotome In Fish, S. H. Devoto, W. Stoiber, C. L. Hammond, P. Steinbacher, J. R. Haslett, M. J.F. Barresi, S. E. Patterson, E. G. Adiarte, S. M. Hughes

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The somitic compartment that gives rise to trunk muscle and dermis in amniotes is an epithelial sheet on the external surface of the somite, and is known as the dermomyotome. However, despite its central role in the development of the trunk and limbs, the evolutionary history of the dermomyotome and its role in nonamniotes is poorly understood. We have tested whether a tissue with the morphological and molecular characteristics of a dermomyotome exists in nonamniotes. We show that representatives of the agnathans and of all major clades of gnathostomes each have a layer of cells on the surface of the …

Leadership, Communication & Basketball: A Case Study On The Differences And Similarities In Leadership And Coaching Styles Between A Collegiate Basketball Coach And A Professional Basketball Coach, Matthew G. Rose

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

So you consider yourself a fan of basketball. You have a favorite college team and player as well as a favorite professional team and player. You've been to tons of professional and college basketball games in your lifetime, but have you ever stopped to notice the differences between the two? For example, why do college players foul out of the game after five fouls and pros after six? If a professional player behaves in a negative manner, he gets a fine. If a college player does the same, there's no fine, he gets suspended. Are the punishments equal? If you …

The Importance Of Icons For Corporate Identity For Start-Up Companies, Jillian K. Dunn

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The objective of this research project is to look at the importance of icons, more specifically logos, for corporate identity in start-up companies, and why these logos are such a significant factor in the marketing of a company to its consumers. A logo's main purpose is to "project the company's intended image" (First Town Company Unlimited, 2000, p.1) and if properly completed then the logo becomes a significant part of the consumer/producer relationship. "The corporate identity dates back to Ancient Greece" and "hundreds of years later, it [ still] remains the vital aspect of any organization's identity; Logos offer a …

Mobile Speed Classification For Cellular Systems Over Frequency Selective Rician Fading Channels, Y. Rosa Zheng, Chengshan Xiao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, a new algorithm is proposed for estimating mobile speed of cellular systems over frequency selective Rician fading channels. Theoretical analysis is first derived and practical algorithm is proposed based on the analytical results. The algorithm employs a modified auto-covariance of received signal power to estimate the speed of mobiles. The algorithm is based on the received signals which contain unknown transmitted data, unknown frequency selective multipaths including line-of-sight(LOS) component, and random receiver noise. The algorithm works very well for frequency selective Rician fading channels with large ranges of Rice factor and angle of arrival of the LOS …

The Editors 'Will Little Note Nor Long Remember': Ohio's Newspapers Respond To The Gettysburg Address, Brian Matthew Jordan

The Gettysburg Historical Journal

It was simple: 272 words, woven together into an appropriate poem and meant to dedicate both a cemetery and a nation to a cause. Its words are now eternal; they are sacrosanct lines that have left an indelible mark on the foundation and ideals of America. When selecting a subtitle for his 1992 Pulitzer Prize winning volume Lincoln at Gettysburg, Garry Wills called the Gettysburg Address “the words that remade America.” On the other hand, the humble Lincoln, within his address, suggests that “the world will little note nor long remember what we say here.” Quite the contradiction: one, …

"Our Blood Would Rise Up & Drive Them Away:" Slaveholding Women Of South Carolina In The Civil War, Nicole M. Lenart

The Gettysburg Historical Journal

Southern slaveholding women during the Civil War are usually portrayed as either Eve or the Virgin Mary. They are either depicted as staunch patriotic wives and mothers who out of love suffered and sacrificed most of their worldly goods for the Cause, or as weak-willed creatures who gave up on the war, asked their men to come home, and concerned themselves with getting pretty dresses from the blockade runners and dancing at elaborate balls and bazaars. This latter view, which seems cut so superficially from Gone With the Wind, is nevertheless one that is common in Civil War scholarship …

Gettysburg Historical Journal 2006

The Gettysburg Historical Journal

No abstract provided.

Richmond Law Magazine: Winter 2006

Richmond Law Magazine

Features:

How Judges Judge

Balkans in the Balance

Varied Vocations

Proud History, Bright Future

Towards A Theology Of Land For The New Guinea Islands, William Kenny Longgar

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.