Digital Commons Network^™

The Provenance Of Eocene Tuff Beds In The Fossil Butte Member Of The Green River Formation Of Wyoming: Relation To The Absaroka And Challis Volcanic Fields, Matthew R. Chandler

Theses and Dissertations

The Green River Formation was deposited between 53.5 and 48.5 Ma. The Angelo, Fossil Butte, and Lower members of the Green River Formation at Fossil Basin, preserve ash fall tuffs deposited in ancient Fossil Lake. 40Ar/39Ar dating of sanidine yielded eruptive ages of 51.29 ± 1.29 Ma and 52.20 ± 3.08 Ma for two of the tuff beds within Fossil Basin. Immobile element and mineral compositions of Fossil Basin tuffs indicate that most tuffs erupted from a subduction zone originally as rhyolites and dacites. X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that the tuffs' glassy matrices have been altered to illite, calcite, clinoptilolite, …

Transients Of The Electromagnetically-Induced-Transparency-Enhanced Refractive Kerr Nonlinearity: Theory, M. V. Pack, R. M. Camacho, John C. Howell

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

We present a theory describing the transients and rise times of the refractive Kerr nonlinearity which is enhanced using electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). We restrict our analysis to the case of a pulsed signal field with continuous-wave EIT fields, and all fields are well below saturation. These restrictions enable the reduction of an EIT Kerr, four-level, density-matrix equation to a two-level Bloch-vector equation which has a simple and physically intuitive algebraic solution. The physically intuitive picture of a two-level Bloch vector provides insights that are easily generalized to more complex and experimentally realistic models. We consider generalization to the cases …

An Informative Bayesian Structural Equation Model To Assess Source-Specific Health Effects Of Air Pollution, Margaret C. Nikolov, Brent A. Coull, Paul J. Catalano, John J. Godleski

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Mixed Multiplicative Factor Analysis Model For Air Pollution Exposure Assessment, Margaret C. Nikolov, Brent A. Coull, Paul J. Catalano, John J. Godleski

Harvard University Biostatistics Working Paper Series

No abstract provided.

July 24, 2006 Reporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Drug Addiction And Mothers: Does Parenting Get Better With Treatment?, Concetta Arabia

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: To examine the parenting skills and attitudes of substance abusing mothers in a comprehensive drug treatment facility in Camden, NJ. Methods: Giving three self-report measures and urine analysis to 14 mothers at intake, 2-months, and 6-months. Participants were reimbursed for their time and travel. Results: Mothers parenting skills and attitudes at intake were found to lack the confidence and enjoyment in their parenting and to have high levels of perceived stress. Bigger sample sizes are needed. Discussion: Progress towards incorporating parenting skills training in in-patient and out-patient treatment facilities has been made. However, a distinction between bad parenting and …

Vectorization Of Raster Images Using B-Spline Surfaces, Curtis A. Armstrong

Theses and Dissertations

A system has been developed for converting raster images into vector images. Raster images are made of pixels, while vector images are made of smoother shapes. The image is first segmented, and the segments are layered. The boundary of each segment is approximated with a periodic B-Spline curve. This curve is then used to create a B-Spline surface to approximate the interior of the segment. The algorithm fits each B-Spline to the colors of the image using least-squares approximation. The color and shape of each B-Spline surface are extrapolated into regions behind other segments. The result is a vector image …

Survival Analysis Of Longitudinal Microarrays, Natasa Rajicic, Dianne M. Finkelstein, David A. Schoenfeld

COBRA Preprint Series

Motivation: The development of methods for linking gene expressions to various clinical and phenotypic characteristics is an active area of genomic research. Scientists hope that such analysis may, for example, describe relationships between gene function and clinical events such as death or recovery. Methods are available for relating gene expression to measurements that are categorized or continuous, but there is less work in relating expressions to an observed event time such as time to death, response, or relapse. When gene expressions are measured over time, there are methods for differentiating temporal patterns. However, no methods have yet been proposed for …

48th Rocky Mountain Conference On Analytical Chemistry

Rocky Mountain Conference on Magnetic Resonance

Final program, abstracts, and information about the 48th annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain Conference on Analytical Chemistry, co-endorsed by the Colorado Section of the American Chemical Society and the Rocky Mountain Section of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy. Held in Breckenridge, Colorado, July 23-27, 2006.

Results From A Decade Of Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Monitoring, David Peitz, J. Tyler Cribbs

United States National Park Service: Publications

The black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), a keystone prairie species, historically occupied over 404,700 ha (100 million ac) of short- and mixed-grass prairie. Today, they occupy less than 2% of their original range. Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska is one of eight National Park Service units with one or more black-tailed prairie dog colonies. Since 1995, a total of 202 observations were made on the population of the main colony at Scotts Bluff National Monument, to estimate annual densities and abundances. Estimated annual densities ranged between 9.2 and 53.0 individuals/ha (2.5 ac). Average density of prairies dogs was …

Quarterly Meeting, Wku Board Of Regents

Board of Regents Documents

Minutes of WKU Board of Regents quarterly meeting. Agenda items include: resolutions in honor of Katie Dawson and Pat Jordan, university distinguished professorships, emeritus faculty, tuition incentive program, floodplain management minor, health sciences degree, dance degree, faculty appointments, Sponsored Programs, Michael Wilhite Entrance to Denes Field, 2005-06 financial statements, personnel actions and salaries, retiring faculty and staff, smoking policy and Stamats survey.

Designated Smoking Areas at WKU attached to minutes.

Markov Chain Monte Carlo Methods For Regression Splines With A Penalized Acceptance Ratio, David Keith Stamps

Dissertations

An increasingly popular method for fitting complex models, particularly with a hierchical structure involvese the use of Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation. Within a Bayesian framework, two major strategies are Gibbs sampling and Metropolis-Hastings methods. Recent research in the area of MCMC methods has witnessed the emergence of modeling efforts which permit the movement of the chain across models of varying dimensions. When properly constructed, such Markov chains converge to the joint posterior distribution of the parameters to be estimated, making Bayesian averaging an attractive option after convergence has occurred. With this transdimensional methodology, the Bayesian averaging process takes place …

Uab School Of Natural Sciences And Mathematics Announces 2006-07 Scholarship Recipients, Staff

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Rumination On Problem-Solving Self-Efficacy And Self-Efficacy For Controlling Upsetting Thoughts In The Context Of Depressive Symptoms, Christina Marcia Gilliam

Dissertations

Two cognitive variables that are of interest in their role in depression are self-efficacy and rumination. Self-efficacy refers to individuals¿ own appraisal of their ability to successfully accomplish a domain of tasks (Bandura, 1977). Rumination, as defined by Response Styles Theory (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991), refers to the process of repetitively and passively thinking about negative emotions, consequences, and symptoms of distress. Although the relationship between these two constructs and depression has been examined in both experimental and correlational studies, there has been minimal research on the relationship between self-efficacy and rumination among depressed individuals. The present study was intended to replicate …

Large Wind Shift On The Great Plains During The Medieval Warm Period, Venkataramana Sridhar, David B. Loope, James B. Swinehart, Joseph A. Mason, Robert J. Oglesby, Clinton M. Rowe

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Faculty Publications

Spring-summer winds from the south move moist air from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Plains. Rainfall in the growing season sustains prairie grasses that keep large dunes in the Nebraska Sand Hills immobile. Longitudinal dunes built during the Medieval Warm Period (800 to 1000 years before the present) record the last major period of sand mobility. These dunes are oriented NW-SE and are composed of cross-strata with bipolar dip directions. The trend and structure of the dunes record a drought that was initiated and sustained by a historically unprecedented shift of spring-summer atmospheric circulation over the Plains: Moist …

Is Social Studies Being Taught?: A Study Of One District, Katie Sorensen

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the status of social studies in elementary classrooms in a local school district. Status was determined by assessing the amount of instructional time that was devoted to social studies, its perceived importance in the curriculum, and challenges associated with teaching social studies. Three research questions were identified in order to examine the status of social studies in Apple School District (pseudonym): (1) To what degree is social studies being taught in the elementary grades one through five? (2) How important is social studies compared to other areas of the curriculum? (3) What …

Implementation Of A Life-Skill Centered Token Economy: The Experience Of A Peer Teacher, Joseph Fredrick Bellak

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how a peer teacher implemented, evaluated, and modified a life-skill centered token economy (LSCTE) model. The LSCTE is a hybrid of various components of token economy models that I have researched and observed. It is a classroom management model designed to help students participate in various roles/jobs that prepare them for community involvement and employment by giving them simulated experiences within a micro-society in the classroom. A peer teacher volunteered to implement the LSCTE. The findings demonstrated the participant's success with teaching children responsibility and accountability. Some of the benefits of the model reported by the …

Comparison Of Protein Active Site Structures For Functional Annotation Of Proteins And Drug Design, Robert Powers, Jennifer C. Copeland, Katherine Germer, Kelly A. Mercier, Viswanathan Ramanathan, Peter Revesz

Robert Powers Publications

Rapid and accurate functional assignment of novel proteins is increasing in importance, given the completion of numerous genome sequencing projects and the vastly expanding list of unannotated proteins. Traditionally, global primary-sequence and structure comparisons have been used to determine putative function. These approaches, however, do not emphasize similarities in active site configurations that are fundamental to a protein’s activity and highly conserved relative to the global and more variable structural features. The Comparison of Protein Active Site Structures (CPASS) database and software enable the comparison of experimentally identified ligand-binding sites to infer biological function and aid in drug discovery. The …

Volume 43, Number 55: July 20, 2006, University Of North Dakota

University Letter Archive

No abstract provided.

Blanding’S Turtle (Emydoidea Blandingii): A Technical Conservation Assessment, Justin D. Congdon, Douglas A. Keinath

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Blanding’s turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) are secure in Nebraska, and they range from being vulnerable to threatened, or endangered throughout most of the rest of their distribution. In Region 2, they have not been reported from Kansas, they are extremely rare in South Dakota, and they occupy wetlands in the northern half of Nebraska. The largest population known within the range of Blanding’s turtles is at Valentine National Wildlife Refuge, Nebraska.

The core habitat of Blanding’s turtles has an aquatic component that consists of a permanent wetland and a suite of other, usually smaller and more temporary, wetlands such …

R.I.T. News & Events - July 20, 2006, University News Services, Rochester Institute Of Technology

University Publications

Saunders $13 million names business college, Campaign exceeds $300 million goal, RIT Fullbrights head to Europe, Cauda named VP for development, There she is – RITs Miss Croatia, Consultants will aid presidential search, News briefs, Color scientist sees the light, Girl Scoutscamp at RIT, ASL students put sign language to the test, N&E asks: Whats on your mind?, Gallery exhibit features New York state artists, Rochester-area minorities get biomedical studies introduction, A unique RIT field trip, Lab studies electronics breakthroughs, Simone called afriend of business, RIT bioscientists can now call CBET home, RIT Womens council head appointed, Going solo, A …

In Re: At&T

2006 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Gateway: Motivating Students To Succeed, University Relations

Campus News Archive

Students from as near as Fergus Falls, St. Paul and Chicago, along with students from as far as Hawaii, Bejing, China and India, are among those who are participating in the annual Gateway Summer Program.

Spectroscopy Of Grb 051111 At Z = 1.54948: Kinematics And Elemental Abundances Of The Grb Environment And Host Galaxy, B. E. Penprase, E. Berger, D. B. Fox, S. R. Kulkarni, S. Kadish, L. Kerber, E. Ofek, M. Kasliwal, G. Hill, B. Schaefer, M. Reed

Faculty Publications

We present a high-resolution, high S/N optical spectrum of the afterglow of GRB 051111 obtained with the HIRES spectrograph on the Keck I 10 m telescope. The spectrum exhibits three redshitted absorption systems with the highest, at z = 1.54948, arising in the GRB host galaxy. While the Lya feature is outside the range of our spectrum, the high column density of weakly depleted Zn suggests that the host is a damped Lyα system with N(H I) ≲ 1021 (Z/Z⊙)-1. The bulk of the gas (>80%) is confined to a narrow velocity range of |v| < 30 km s-1, exhibiting strong dust depletion of refractory elements such as Fe and Cr. The depletion pattern is similar to that observed in warm disk clouds of the Milky Way. We also detect absorption from all ground-level fine-structure states of Fe II, the first such example in a QSO-DLA system or GRB-absorption spectrum, which indicate conditions that are consistent with the "warm disk" depletion pattern. The absorption profiles of Fe II and Mg n extend over several hundred km s -1, with a depletion pattern that more closely resembles that of QSO-DLA systems, suggesting that the sight line to GRB 051111 probes the halo of the host galaxy in addition to the dense disk. Thus, detailed diagnostics of the interstellar medium of GRB host galaxies continue to provide insight into regions that are generally missed in quasar surveys. © 2006. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Precipitation Enhancement: Water Management Strategy In Texas Panhandle Region, Lal K. Almas

2006

The Texas Panhandle is a semi-arid region with varied rainfall. The variation in rainfall leads to variation in the year-to-year production of agricultural products. Therefore the Texas Panhandle relies on irrigation to both increase and stabilize production. The Ogallala aquifer is the primary source of irrigation water in the region. Due to limited recharge, continued pumping from Ogallala aquifer has resulted in a declining water table. The continued requirements of agricultural, municipal, and industrial sectors emphasize the critical need for alternative water management strategies. Precipitation enhancement is one of the many water management strategies to reduce irrigation water demand.

The Relationship Between Fine Arts Participation And The Emotional Intelligence Of Fifth-Grade Elementary Students, Susan Jean Clark

Theses and Dissertations

Although attempts have been made to justify fine arts education in elementary schools on the basis of various educational and social benefits, the greatest benefit may lie in arts participation's impact on the child's emotional intelligence. A review of published literature related to emotional learning, emotional intelligence, and the benefits of fine arts participation in the elementary school is presented. The resulting synthesis serves as a theoretical framework for the view that emotional learning and expression should be integral components of a child's education and that participation in the arts provides a viable means to that end. A study was …

Improving The Learning Approach Of College Freshmen And Future Teachers Through Curricular Intervention, Lynna Betty Shin

Theses and Dissertations

Students who exercise a deep approach to learning connect classroom content to real-life experiences. To help first-year students develop a deep approach to learning, Brigham Young University offers a program called Freshman Academy. Participants join a "learning community" based on their intended major. As part of this learning community, participants take recommended first-year courses together and engage in service-learning and problem-solving activities. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore changes in learning approach that followed participation in a Freshman Academy learning community for prospective elementary education majors. These changes were explored through a survey that asked students how …

Optimization Of Active Noise Control For Small Axial Cooling Fans, Brian B. Monson

Theses and Dissertations

Previous work has shown that active noise control is a feasible solution to attenuate tonal noise radiated by small axial cooling fans, such as those found in desktop computers. One such control system reduced noise levels of a baffled 80-mm fan in the free field with four small loudspeakers surrounding the fan. Due to industry specified spatial constraints, a smaller fan and speaker configuration was desirable. The smaller configuration maintains similar control performance, further facilitating practical implementation of the control system. The smaller control system employs a smaller fan running at a higher speed. Different loudspeaker configurations for control exist …

Teacher Efficacy In Relation To Mathematics Reform: A Look At A Collaborative Group Of Elementary Teachers, Kerri Lee Hundley

Theses and Dissertations

A number of recent efforts to improve mathematics instruction have focused on professional development activities designed to promote changes in teachers' practice that are consistent with the standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics [NCTM]. Since teacher beliefs can have a significant influence on what teachers do in their classroom, this study investigated the impact of an alternative form of professional teacher development designed to impact both general and personal teacher efficacy beliefs toward the use of Standards-based mathematics. A professional teacher development study group [PDSG] was formed that consisted of a facilitator/participant and six elementary teachers who …

Debris Disks Around White Dwarfs: The Daz Connection, Mukremin Kilic, Ted Von Hippel, Et Al.

Publications

We present near-infrared spectroscopic observations of 20 previously known DAZ white dwarfs obtained at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. Two of these white dwarfs (G29-38 and GD 362) are known to display significant K-band excesses due to circumstellar debris disks. Here we report the discovery of excess K-band radiation from another DAZ white dwarf WD0408041 (GD56). Using spectroscopic observations, we show that the excess radiation cannot be explained by a stellar or substellar companion, and is likely to be caused by a warm debris disk. Our observations strengthen the connection between the debris disk phenomena and the observed …