Digital Commons Network^™

Arkansas Corn And Grain Sorghum Performance Tests 2007, D. G. Dombek, R. D. Bond, I. L. Eldridge, R. M. Pryor

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Series

Corn and grain sorghum performance tests are conducted each year in Arkansas by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. The tests provide information to companies marketing seed within the state, and aid the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in formulating recommendations for producers.

Fostering To Children's Needs Or Fostering To Legislators' Personal Agendas., Tracy Kasparek

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Legislators and judges must keep their own personal biases of homosexuals out of their analysis, particularly when considering if same-sex couples should be foster parents. Legislators and judges personal biases are rooted in unsubstantiated beliefs that homosexuals are mentally ill, lack the same maternal or parental instincts as hetersexuals, and may turn the children into homosexuals. None of these beliefs are supported by any type of evidence. On the contrary, studies indicate that homosexual couples are as fit for parenting as heterosexual couples. Furthermore, homosexual couples tend to take the hardest children to place such as: minority children, children with …

Restricting Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Creating Life Or Destroying Freedom., Matt Massar

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract Forthcoming.

Reconsidering Religion Policy As Violence: Lyng V. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protection Association., Adam Grieser, Peter Jacques, Richard Witmer

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract Forthcoming.

The Impending Health Care Crisis In Texas: The Status Of Health Care For Impoverished Texans., Raj Aujla

The Scholar: St. Mary's Law Review on Race and Social Justice

Abstract Forthcoming.

Moment Of Encounter: A Critical Exploration Of Parent-School Communication, Gary Samuel Marx

Masters Theses

Relationships among parents and schools are situated in a complex hegemony. Communication is central to the identification and construction of power in schools. Schools employ a model of communication that locates power predominately with their representatives and values parents for conformity to organizational expectations. Shared power relationships challenge actors to encounter one another and co-contribute to the development of children. The goal of this study is to uncover various meanings and understandings from what parents recall from Moments of Encounter with school personnel. Such an examination is designed to reveal power at the microlevel, in the encounter itself, as well …

The Influence Of Teacher Expectations On Black And White Students' Academic Achievement: A Hierarchical Linear Modeling Analysis, Syprose A. Owaja

Masters Theses

This study examined the influence of teacher expectations based on student's and teacher's race on academic achievement of white versus black students using data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study. Modeling of interaction terms in level-1 resulted in six separate models (two for reading, and four for math). A two-level hierarchical linear modeling with students at level-1 and schools at level-2 was used in each model with application of a three-step modeling procedure in each analysis.

The results of the study were consistent with previous research that black students had lower achievement, and also elicited lower teacher expectations regarding achievement …

Breaking The Be Nice Rule: Direct Action Community Organizing, Adriana Rosas

Masters Theses

Focusing on the Kalamazoo Homeless Action Network (KHAN), this thesis explores the dynamics of transformation in community organizing, and the crucial and often complicated role of anger in that process. Current Anthropological literature on the topic of resistance and poverty leaves unexamined the micropolitics of individuals' transformation as they become civically engaged as well as the laborious organizing techniques culminating in such events that lead to social change and individual empowerment. I will contribute to the literature on poverty and resistance by examining the 'behind-the-scenes' dimensions of direct action community organizing that influence individual and social transformation. Through this examination …

An Evaluation Of The Impact Of Computerized Physician Order Entry On Medical Errors, Shannon Loewy

Masters Theses

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effects of a computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system on medication error. The study took place in a 343-bed hospital in the pediatrics inpatient unit. During baseline, participants placed medication orders in the same manner that they always had, handwriting them on a specific form and handing the form to the unit clerk who then faxed the order to the pharmacy. In the CPOE phase, participants used the computerized system to place orders, which were electronically sent to the pharmacy. The primary dependent variable was errors made during physician medication …

Fundamental Investigation Of Vesicle Bilayer Membrane Dynamics, Wilson Okumu

Masters Theses

We studied the bilayer of vesicles from dimyristolyphosphatidylcholine (DMPC), using nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD) probes, attached to the head (NBD-PE) and the tail (NBD-PC) of phospholipid derivatives. We characterized the bilayer as it underwent reversible transition from the gel to the fluid through a phase transition range. The main phase transition was characterized by steady state and timeresolved fluorescence anisotropy, fluorescence intensity decrement and kinetics of dithionite reduction. We also studied DMPC with dihydrocholesterol. Differences between the surface and interior regions of the bilayer region were obtained. The activation barrier was enthalpic in the gel, entropic in the fluid phase and anomalous …

Design Of Multi-Electron Transfer Catalysts For The Reduction Of Trichloroethylene, Christopher Gerard Eman Ciptadjaya

Masters Theses

For decades, organohalide (RX) compounds have been heavily used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries and in agriculture as pesticides. Improper disposal of organohalides has resulted in their presence in the environment as pollutants, and they have therefore presented serious environmental and toxicological concerns. These organohalides have been associated with various health and environmental problems. Therefore, effective methods for their remediation are required. We have developed a multi-electron transfer (MET) catalyst consisting of flavin mononucleotide anchored to nanocrystalline mesoporous titanium dioxide (TiO₂) thin films, and examined its reactivity toward the organohalide pollutant trichloroethylene (TCE). Various environmental factors were …

A Role Delineation Study For The Sme, Hiral A. Shah

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to perform a role delineation study to validate and prioritize the competency areas included in the body of knowledge developed by SME/AME/Shingo for their three levels of certification examinations in lean manufacturing. A modified Delphi technique was used to gather data and describe what experts in the field consider important for candidates to know and become certified in the discipline of lean manufacturing. Seventy-six Delphi panel experts were selected to serve on the Delphi panel, based on their experience, expertise, and commitment. The study incorporated a Web-based pre-Delphi study followed by three rounds of …

Comparative Study In Stereographic Reading, Alberto E. Santiago

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Viewing a Single Image Random Dot Stereogram (SIRDS) or autostereogram picture requires careful concentration from the viewer. The concentration necessary to perceive depth may affect the performance of the reading process. We are studying if information perceived by way of a stereogram is better retained in memory compared to normal reading without stereo vision. To measure subject's memory performance we administered a questionnaire after a stereographic experience containing a readable story. We discovered that exposing subjects to stereographic information has a slight advantage on the ability to remember precise details of the information read.

Multivariable Robust Control Of A Simulated Hybrid Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Gas Turbine Plant, Alex Tsai

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This work presents a systematic approach to the multivariable robust control of a hybrid fuel cell gas turbine plant. The hybrid configuration under investigation built by the National Energy Technology Laboratory comprises a physical simulation of a 300kW fuel cell coupled to a 120kW auxiliary power unit single spool gas turbine. The public facility provides for the testing and simulation of different fuel cell models that in turn help identify the key difficulties encountered in the transient operation of such systems. An empirical model of the built facility comprising a simulated fuel cell cathode volume and balance of plant components …

Synthetic Seed Production For Germplasm Storage Of Hydrastis Canadensis L. (Goldenseal), Satyaprakash R. Settipalli

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) is an important medicinal plant, native to Canada and Eastern United States, used as an antibiotic, anticonvulsant and in treatments for inflammations and dyspepsia. Over collection of wild population and native habitat destruction has lead the species to be listed as an endangered species in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Appendix II. This brought a revived interest in conservation of germplasm.;Calcium alginate solid and hollow bead encapsulation protocols were evaluated. Shoot and callus propagules were encapsulated in calcium alginate solid bead (supplemented with stage II nutrient media) …

Application Of The Emotional Intelligence Construct To College Student Binge Drinking, Jeffrey P. Dulko

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Although extensive research has been conducted in the area of college binge drinking, relatively little has been done to study differences among alcohol-related consequences. Some initial studies have shown that binge drinking and its consequences are associated with several emotional and interpersonal factors, but there has been no comprehensive examination of these relationships. The theory of emotional intelligence (EI) has been developed recently to study emotional and interpersonal factors as an integrated construct. Research of the relationship between alcohol and EI could provide a valuable base for which to design alcohol prevention programs that target improving emotional and interpersonal deficits …

Preemption Of State Wildlife Law In Alaska: Where, When, And Why, Julie Lurman, Sanford P. Rabinowitch

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

Still Square Pegs In Round Holes? A Look At Ancsa Corporations, Corporate Governance, And Indeterminate Form Or Operation Of Legal Entities, Douglas M. Branson

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Sexual Relationship, Did We Have One? A Review Of The Definition Of “Sexual Relationship” Within The Context Of Alaska’S Domestic Violence Laws, Beth Goldstein Lewis Trimmer

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

Is The Office Closed? The Role Of The Office Of Victims’ Rights After Cooper V. District Court, Richard Allen

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

Mixed-Motives For Firing Employees: Alaska’S Inconsistent Standards And Its Failure To Follow The Changing Federal Tide, Brianne Schwanitz

Alaska Law Review

No abstract provided.

Age-Associated Hepatic Drug Transporter Expression And Its Implications For Pediatric Pharmacotherapyflexibility Affect Dna Topoisomerase I Function, Lisa Tang

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Members of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) family of drug transporter proteins translocate various endogenous and exogenous substrates across intra- and extracellular membranes. Two specific ABC transporters, the multidrug resistance 1/P-glycoprotein (MDR1/P-gp) and the multidrug resistance protein 2 (MRP2), serve as major hepatic transporters that mediate the biliary excretion of various organic anions and cations along with glutathione-, glucuronate-, or sulfate-conjugates of several drug substrates. However, very little is known about the expression of these transporters in the early infant and childhood ages of human development. We, therefore, characterized the ontogeny of these transporters by measuring their gene and protein expression. …

Sustaining The Peace After Civil War, T. David Mason Dr.

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

Since the end of World War II, there have been four times as many civil wars as interstate wars. For a small subset of nations civil war is a chronic condition: about half of the civil war nations have had at least two and as many as six conflicts. This book presents an analytical framework that has been used to identify a set of factors that make civil war more or less likely to recur in a nation where a civil war has recently terminated. The outcome of the previous civil war--whether it ended in a government victory, a rebel …

Sustaining The Peace After Civil War, T. David Mason Dr.

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

Since the end of World War II, there have been four times as many civil wars as interstate wars. For a small subset of nations civil war is a chronic condition: about half of the civil war nations have had at least two and as many as six conflicts. This book presents an analytical framework that has been used to identify a set of factors that make civil war more or less likely to recur in a nation where a civil war has recently terminated. The outcome of the previous civil war--whether it ended in a government victory, a rebel …

Thank God For Aids: Persistent Stereotypes Of Homosexuals In U.S. Network Television, Micah Moreno

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

This paper explores the use of stereotypes to characterize homosexuals on network television in the United States. With a goal of raising reader awareness of network television’s over-reliance on stereotypes, I argue that the stereotypical depictions of homosexuals on network television has negative and sometimes even dangerous ramifications in contemporary U.S. culture. Many contend that the increasing number of gay and lesbian characters featured on network television is an indication of society’s emerging acceptance of homosexuality. However, this is a false assumption given that many of the shows cited as promoting equality are not meant to do that, but instead …

Impact Of No Child Left Behind Act Mandates On The Roles Of Paraprofessionals, Katherine Jane Coyne

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

As more and more paraprofessionals are hired in order to maintain or achieve the required educational benchmarks, the need for researchers to explore the field of paraprofessionals has greatly increased. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) mandates have brought about increased requirements and certification for all paraprofessionals. Although these mandates have undergone extensive study, very little research has been conducted on how paraprofessionals feel this legislation has impacted them. The use of paraprofessionals in classrooms has grown substantially in recent years. Paraprofessionals assume a variety of roles, both in classrooms and in schools, as well as in special education and …

Examination Of Teacher Workplace Satisfaction And Student Achievement, Angela Scott Patrick

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Research has been conducted to study teacher workplace satisfaction. The following factors were identified as integral to teacher workplace satisfaction: administrative support; student behaviors; workplace atmosphere; autonomy and efficacy. Findings within the extant literature indicated that student achievement is a factor in teachers' satisfaction with their work. Specifically, educators have repeatedly expressed a need to impact student achievement and have noted satisfaction or dissatisfaction in relation to their perception of their influence or lack therefore. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between teacher workplace satisfaction and student achievement with the intent of making recommendations regarding maximization …

Man Behind The Curtain: The 2004 Election From A Historical Perspective, Melissa Michelle Merritt

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The 2004 election was a very contentious display of modern democracy. It illustrated that political candidates market themselves as though they were products to be bought from a store. By utilizing newspaper articles, autobiographies, and various other sources, this study seeks to show several things. First, it illustrates the evolution of presidential campaigns from the first contested election until the controversial 2000 election. Second, it traces the rise of the Christian Right. It then delves into the Cold War and the War on Terror as a continuation of the former. Finally, the study culminates with an examination of the 2004 …

Trailer Park Royalty: Southern Child Beauty Pageants, Girlhood And Power, Elisabeth Blumer Thompson

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Child beauty pageants are a phenomenon in rural communities throughout Georgia. My belief is that most of those who compete in these pageants are from the lower socio-economic bracket, participating for a multitude of reasons. A bricolage of post-structural feminism, critical ethnography, critical hermeneutics and cultural studies lenses will analyze how the performances of participants and the power exercised by the beauty pageant culture work to formulate girls' identities. Analysis will also include how power operates to perpetuate this subculture and its right to dictate norms for beauty and acceptance and will be situated in the culture of girlhood. Examination …

Cultivating Passion In Teaching English Language Learners: A Critical Analytical Inquiry, Victoria Vazquez Webbert

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

In this theoretical dissertation my aim is to research the academic literature in the field of second language acquisition (SLA), compare it to the life experiences of past and/or present students, colleagues, children and myself to reflect and summarize my learning in the form of a conceptual framework that I have named, Framework for Understanding the Teaching and Learning of English Language Learners. The ever increasing number of diverse students in US schools along with the demand for standardized learning and assessments has created a range of challenges for educators that I seek to attend to with the writing of …