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Ua45/6 Commencement Program, Wku Registrar

WKU Administration Documents

Commencement program listing graduates.

Commencement Convocation Program, Tampa Campus, December 15, 2007, University Of South Florida

USF Graduation and Convocation Programs

Outstanding Senior - Amanda Day; Global Leadership Award - Carol Bellamy and Juan Vázquez; King O'Neal Scholars - Michelle Denise Frey and Steven Martin Wilson

Illinois State University, One Hundred And Forty-Eighth Annual Commencement, December 15, 2007, Illinois State University

Commencement Programs

Normal, Illinois
Illinois State University
One Hundred and Forty-Eighth Annual Commencement
December 15, 2007

The Use Of School-Wide Positive Behavior Support At A Rural High School To Decrease Disruptive Behavior For Both Typical Students And Students Identified With Special Needs., Leia Dowdy Blevins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is ever-increasing pressure on school officials to provide a safe school environment that is conducive to learning. There is also a growing concern from teachers and administrators that many students are unrecognized for their continual appropriate behavior(s), in part, because of the attention consumed by both challenging students and students with exceptional talents and abilities. In response, a School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) approach is growing in popularity to address both of these issues. SWPBS is implemented across an entire school population and involves all individuals whether they are challenging, exceptional, or typical. The initial research shows encouraging results …

A Taxonomy Based Assessment Methodology For Small And Medium Size Manufacturers, Clayton Thomas Walden

Theses and Dissertations

The need for small and medium size manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) to have access to unbiased advice on best practices and related improvement approaches has been well established. However, this need was not found addressed very effectively in the research literature. Current practice is consultants peddling assessment tools which have the veneer of objectivity, but in reality only highlight the need to purchase their canned solutions. In response, this research attempts to synthesize previous research results and other published assessment methodologies into a taxonomy based assessment methodology (TBAM) which targets the delivery of focused recommendations which target improved performance of the …

Dielectrophoretic Characterization Of Abo Blood Type, Frequency And Ac Field Strength Of Erythrocytes, Prashant Reuben Daggolu

Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the role of ABO blood type of erythrocytes in their dielectrophoretic response. The dielectrophoresis of erythrocytes of positive ABO blood types was studied at 5 V (peak to peak) and 1 MHz frequency AC field. The study revealed that the ABO blood type had an influence on the dielectrophoretic motion of the erythrocytes, particularly separating AB+ and O+ blood types. This is of particular significance since AB+ is a universal acceptor and O+ is a universal donor for blood transfusion purposes. The influence of field parameters, namely field strength and frequency of the AC field, was also …

2007 Fall Commencement, Harding University

Commencement Programs

Program for the Commencement on December 15.

Commencement Speaker: Howard Wright

Behavioral Outcomes And Molecular Marker Modulation During Learning And Memory Formation Following Developmental Exposure To Organophoshorus Insecticides, Frank Orlando Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Effects of developmental exposure to chlorpyrifos (CPS) or methyl parathion (MPS) on visuospatial, adaptive fear response, and passive avoidance memory and the signaling mechanisms responsible for these neurocognitive changes were investigated. Using an incremental low dose regimen, rat pups were orally gavaged daily with either corn oil (vehicle), CPS, or MPS from postnatal day 1 (PND1) -PND21. Cholinesterase activity was significantly inhibited with the highest dosages of CPS and MPS for up to 19 days after the last dosages. OP exposure impaired working and reference memory in males whereas in the females, enhancement occurred following CPS exposure. In addition, the …

Effects Of Time Specific F-Strain Mycoplasma Gallisepticum Inoculation Overlays On Pre-Lay Ts-11-Strain Mycoplasma Gallisepticum Inoculation On Performance, Egg, Blood, And Visceral Characteristics Of Commercial Egg Laying Hens, Elizabeth Anne Middleton Vance

Theses and Dissertations

Vaccination programs using live whole cell vaccines are presently being used to control outbreaks and to help protect flocks from field strains of Mycoplasma gallisepticum. The primary goal of the present study was to investigate the effects of a ts11-strain M. gallisepticum inoculation alone, and in conjunction with F-strain M. gallisepticum overlays at 22 or 45 weeks of age during lay. In this study, it was shown that a pre-lay ts11 vaccination had a broad range effect on the physiology of the commercial layer without affecting overall performance. The timing of an overlay vaccination using F-strain M. gallisepticum during lay …

An Anatomy Of An Unsuccessful School Bond Election In A Rural School District, Leigh Barrett Mobley

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine the failed bond attempt of the Community School District and investigate reasons for the failure. Specifically, the role of the superintendent, the opposition, the media, and the school board during the bond election process were examined to determine how their roles influenced the outcome of the election. This qualitative case study employed purposeful sampling. Data collection techniques included document analysis, audiovisual material analysis, and personal interviews. Participants included media representatives, community members who were opposed to the bond election, members of the bond election committee, members of the board of trustees at …

An Examination Of The Implementation Of The Americans With Disabilities Act (Ada) In Mississippi Community Colleges, John Carter Arnold

Theses and Dissertations

Community colleges face great challenges in dealing with students with disabilities. The purpose of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is to extend protection against discrimination to individuals with disabilities. Although the Americans with Disabilities Act is very general and does not address specific situations, the fact is clear that colleges are mandated to provide equal educational opportunities for students with disabilities. Proper implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act is necessary not only to assure compliance with the law but also to assure that every student is afforded equal opportunity to achieve success in college. The problem …

African-American Legislators Post-Katrina: Race, Representation, And Voting Rights Issues In The Louisiana House, William T. Hoston

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), the number of African- Americans competing for and holding state legislative offices has increased significantly. Their growth is most notable in southern state legislatures. A growing number of studies have been devoted to African-Americans in these state legislatures. Absent from previous studies is a comprehensive analysis of African-Americans in the Louisiana state legislature. In 2007 there were a total of 32 African-American legislators. Louisiana ranks among other states with the highest number, 32, and percentage, 22, of African-American legislators. Yet, despite their relatively large presence few scholarly studies have …

Risk, Resilience, And Success In College For Students With Vision Disabilities, Rose Angelocci

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

College students with visual disabilities are less likely to graduate than their sighted counterparts. The purpose of this study was to understand the life experiences of successful college students with visual disabilities. Concepts of risk and resiliency were used as a conceptual framework for understanding how people can have positive outcomes in spite of adversity. Individual, family, school, and community influences were explored. In-depth interviews were conducted with six participants who have vision impairments and were nearing the completion or had recently completed a college degree. Data were analyzed for common themes and meanings using a phenomenological method advanced by …

Development Of Novel Liquid Chromatography-Electrospray Tandem Mass Spectrometry Approaches For The Structural Characterization Of Brevetoxins Including In Vitro Metabolites, Weiqun Wang

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Brevetoxins are natural neurotoxins that are produced by “red tide” algae. In this study, brevetoxin-1 and brevetoxin-2 were incubated with rat liver hepatocytes and rat liver microsomes, respectively. After clean-up steps, samples were analyzed by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry (LC-ES-MS). Two metabolites were found for brevetoxin-1: brevetoxin-1-M1 (MW 900 Da), formed by converting one double bond in the E or F ring into a diol; and brevetoxin-1-M2 (MW 884 Da), a hydrolysis product of brevetoxin-1 involving opening of the lactone ring. The incubation study of brevetoxin-2 found two metabolites. Brevetoxin-2-M1 (MW 912 Da) was elucidated by negative mode LC-MS/MS to …

Natural History Of The Pichi (Zaedyus Pichiy) In Mendoza Province, Argentina, Mariella Superina

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The pichi Zaedyus pichiy (Xenarthra, Dasypodidae) is a poorly known, diurnal armadillo inhabiting arid and semi-arid regions of Argentina and Chile that has endured substantial population declines. My objective was to elucidate different aspects of the natural history of Z. pichiy as a first step towards establishing a conservation plan. Wild and captive pichis were studied. Body temperature of wild pichis averaged 35.2±1.2 °C and was highly variable (range 32.2 – 38.3 °C). Temperature measurements of semi-captive males showed that pichis can survive energetically challenging periods by entering hibernation or daily torpor. Stomach contents of poached animals revealed that pichis …

Merging Identities: A Glimpse Into The World Of Albert Wicker, An African American Leader In New Orleans, 1893-1928, Melissa Lee Smith

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The life and career of Albert Wicker, Jr. (1869-1928), reflects the growth of the new urban African-American middle class in New Orleans, Louisiana, in the early years of the twentieth century. He spent his career working for advances in education while using memberships in churches, Masonic groups, insurance companies, benevolent societies, and educational leagues to achieve his personal and professional goals. The networks created by him and others along the way illustrate not only complexity of black life in New Orleans but also the growing tendency of differing ethnic groups to work together to achieve common economic, political, social objectives.

African-American Legislators Post-Katrina: Race, Representation, And Voting Rights Issues In The Louisiana House, William T. Hoston

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), the number of African- Americans competing for and holding state legislative offices has increased significantly. Their growth is most notable in southern state legislatures. A growing number of studies have been devoted to African-Americans in these state legislatures. Absent from previous studies is a comprehensive analysis of African-Americans in the Louisiana state legislature. In 2007 there were a total of 32 African-American legislators. Louisiana ranks among other states with the highest number, 32, and percentage, 22, of African-American legislators. Yet, despite their relatively large presence few scholarly studies have …

Exploring An Monolingual English - Speaking Teacher's Perceptions Of Classroom Interventions To Foster Hispanic English Language Learners' Primary Language, Alexandra Joan Herques

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Although awareness of cultural diversity is slowly occurring, the need for multicultural curricula is increasing more each day as even more ethnically and linguistically diverse students enter into United States classrooms. The education of English Language Learners is a controversial topic due to people's mixed beliefs on the amount of English and primary language instruction needed to aid students' English language development. Due to the shortage of bilingual teachers many English Language Learners in the Unites States are learning English through the regular education classroom instructed by monolingual English-speaking teachers. This case study implemented qualitative research methods in order to …

Language Dysfunction In Traumatic Brain Injury While Controlling For Effort, Matthew T. Heinly

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The present study included three traumatic brain injury (TBI) groups (good effort mild TBI, poor effort mild TBI, and good effort moderate/severe TBI) and two neurologic control groups (dementia and unilateral left hemisphere stroke). Language impairment was examined using the following measures: Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III Verbal Comprehension Index and the Vocabulary, Similarities, Information, and Comprehension subtests; the Boston Naming Test; the Phonemic and Semantic cue conditions of the Controlled Oral Word Association Test; the Auditory Comprehension subtest of the Cognistat; Wide Range Achievement Test-3 Reading subtest; and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test. When effort was controlled, there was a …

Interactions Of The Striatal Gene Rhes With The Dopaminergic System In Rodents, Gabriel Quintero

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Mice that are incapable of expressing the small G protein Rhes have been generated and have shown to have abnormalities in behaviors mediated by the striatum, a region in which Rhes is highly expressed. Moreover, conditions that result in dopamine supersensitivity and a breakdown in D1/D2 synergism in rodents, consistently decrease rhes mRNA in striatum. Thus, Rhes may play have relevance in dopamine signal modulation. For evaluating the role of Rhes in anxiety, stereotypy and basal motor activity, adult male and female wild-type (WT) mice, Rhes knockout (KO) mice, and mice heterozygous for the KO and WT alleles (Het) were …

The Village Of River Ranch: A Post Occupancy Evaluation Of A Traditional Neighborhood Development In Lafayette, Louisiana, Elizabeth A. Tomlinson

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The proponents of New Urbanism claim the neighborhoods they design, called Traditional Neighborhood Developments (TNDs), promote community, sense of place, physical health, and environmental sustainability. Critics assert that community is stressed at the expense of individuality, that design unity has become rigid uniformity, and that the neighborhoods are orchestrated and do not reflect real life. This thesis, a post occupancy evaluation (POE), examines how one TND works for its residents and whether it accomplishes the goals of the architect/planner. An additional, essential purpose of this POE is to serve the "feed-forward" role of informing future neighborhood planning projects. The Village …

The Influence Of Urban Form, Socio-Demographics, And Transit-Oriented Development On Journey-To-Work Characteristics, Jason Daniel Sappington

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

A growing consensus among planners and policy-makers is that the automobile-oriented city, one that dominates the American landscape, is no longer sustainable. Such concerns demand a search for ways to promote alternative forms of travel. To this end, this study employs a multiple linear regression analysis in order to determine the relationships between the share of public transit and walking/bicycle commuting and variables representing three categories: urban form measures, socio-demographic and household characteristics, and the presence of a transit-oriented development. These relationships were examined in thirteen metropolitan regions.

Potential Transportation Improvements And Land Use Impacts In The Elysian Fields Corridor, Caroline Lanford

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study examines potential transportation improvements in the Elysian Fields Avenue Corridor, and the benefit that these improvements may produce. Data for the study area are compiled and analyzed. Conceptual plans for the implementation of different transit technology alternatives were developed and assessed in terms of user benefits, cost, potential land use impacts, potential economic impacts, and feasibility. Case studies and relevant literature are reviewed. The intent of this thesis is to provide an overview of the study area prior and subsequent to Hurricane Katrina, develop plans for the implementation of transit alternatives in the Elysian Fields Avenue Corridor, and …

Urban Growth With Limited Prosperity: A History Of Public Housing In Laredo, Texas -- 1938 To 2006, Carlos Valle Jr.

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Public housing in the United States has been a controversial sociopolitical topic since the years of the Great Depression. The issue of appropriate and secure habitation for the country's "deserving poor" continues to be of great importance as government subsidies become scarce in the early 21st century. This dearth of support for public housing is even more evident and prominent along the United States-Mexico border of South Texas, a territory described as having a third world environment. The dissertation is a narrative history of public housing in Laredo, Texas, a border community. Compiled from news media records and the archives …

Self-Management Of Type 2 Diabetes In Appalachina Women., Melissa Joy Magness

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Gender, minority, and regional-related disparities have been documented in diabetes management. Self-efficacy, the belief in one's ability to carry out the actions mandated by a task, has been identified as a key predictor in glycemic control; however, it has not been investigated in rural, female populations. This cross-sectional, correlation investigation examined the relationships among self-efficacy, depression, and diabetes self-care management in women living in Appalachia with type 2 diabetes. Using Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory, 85 women ages ≥ 21 with type 2 diabetes for a minimum of 6 months who were residents in Appalachia completed the 1) Diabetes Self-Efficacy Scale, …

Light Image Therapy In The Health Care Environment., Anna Rae Dutro

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Use of positive distraction in the built healthcare environment to assist in alleviating stress in a patient was investigated. A backlit light image was mounted in the ceiling of an examination room to create a positive distraction for patients in the ETSU Pediatric Clinic in Johnson City, TN. Survey instruments were used to collect sample data from patients and physicians in a randomized, balanced controlled study designed to determine if patients experienced less stress in the room with the backlit image as compared to other rooms (treatments). Although a statistical difference was not determined between the room with the backlit …

Reduced Intestinal Colonization Of Adult Beef Cattle By Escherichia Coli O157:H7 Tir Deletion And Nalidixic-Acid-Resistant Mutants Lacking Flagellar Expression, Gustavo Bretschneider, Emil M. Berberov, Rodney A. Moxley

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The importance of the Escherichia coli O157:H7 translocated intimin receptor (Tir) protein in intestinal colonization and the effect of infection with Tir⁺ strains on protection against subsequent challenge was studied in adult beef cattle. Cattle were orally inoculated (C1) with a Shiga toxin-2⁺+ E. coli O157:H7 strain that was Tir⁺ or Tir^-, and 42 days later were re-challenged (C2) with the nalidixic acid (Nal) ^R parent strain to test whether prior infection had any effect on fecal shedding. During the first 14 days post-C1, the Nal^S wildtype (WT) strain was shed at significantly …

Effect Of Distance Learning Technology As A Training Delivery System For Rural And Small Law Enforcement Agencies, Thomas C. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the perceptions of law enforcements officers employed by rural and small law enforcement agencies on the effectiveness of the use of distance education technology as a delivery system for training programs. Four research questions were designed to assess officers’ perceptions. This study used both quantitative and qualitative analysis of data to assess these questions. Quantitative data were collected through the use of a pretest and post-test, and a survey. Qualitative data were collected through observations of subjects’ interaction with the treatment, interviews with participants, reviews of survey comments, and analyses of budget documents. The results of this …

Disease Management Strategies For Controlling Spring Dead Spot And Frequency Of Occurrence Of The Causal Organism Ophiosphaerella Korrae On 'Tifway' Bermudagrass (Cynodon Dactylon X C. Transvaalensis), Hunter D. Perry

Theses and Dissertations

Spring dead spot (SDS) is the most destructive disease of bermudagrass and its hybrids, affecting intensively managed bermudagrass turf that is at least three years old. This bermudagrass disease is most prevalent in the United States where winter temperatures become cold enough to induce dormancy. The symptoms of SDS appear as sunken, necrotic patches of turf ranging from several centimeters to greater than 0.5 m in diameter. Field studies were conducted at Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point, MS on a Tifway bermudagrass fairway beginning January of 2005 and concluding December of 2006 to determine the frequency and the …

"W"- Men: Male Nurses' Negotiation Of Masculinity In A Predominantly Female Profession, Deborah Yoder (Deborah Jane Yoder) Miranda

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study explores male nurses’ negotiation of masculine gender identities in the nontraditional work of registered nursing. Few registered nurses in the United States are men, and men leave the profession within the first four years after graduation at twice the rate of women. This study builds on previous work by seeking to understand why male nursing graduates of an institution formerly for women only, made the decision to become nurses, how they decided to attend a women’s college over a more gender balanced campus experience, and in what ways they negotiate gender identities in the configuration of nursing …