Digital Commons Network^™

How Modes Of Interviewing Affect Self-Disclosure, Sara Elizabeth Nicholls

Theses

This study examined how different modes of interviewing affect the self-disclosure of sensitive information in emerging adults. Participants included 61 students ages 18 to 22 years old who attended a Western New York university. Internalizing behaviors such as feelings of depression and anxiety were measured using three questionnaire formats: face-to-face, computer, and paper/pencil. Results showed that participants answered significantly different between the interview modes on 6 of the 21 questions. Those in the computer group were significantly more likely to endorse "No" on questions pertaining to feelings of depression and anxiety. These results suggest that the computer mode may be …

Guidelines For Material Selection For Sustainable Packaging Solutions, Susan Parra

Theses

With the growing concern on environmental issues, many companies are developing research studies to reduce its negative effects on the environment and become more sustainable. Packaging has been one of the most significant issues of concern because of its environmental impact and end-of-life cycle. The overall goal of this project is to quantify how packaging material selection plays a key role in developing sustainable practices in industry. This study will evaluate the importance of the selection of materials during the packaging design process and focus on the effects of material decisions in the life cycle of the package. In particular, …

Trans Fatty Acids Provide Evidence Of Anthropogenic Feeding By Black Bears, Gregory W. Thiemann, Randal S. Stahl, Sharon Baruch-Mordo, Stewart W. Breck

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Bears (Ursus spp.) that become conditioned to anthropogenic food sources pose a risk to human safety and generally need to be relocated, rehabilitated, or destroyed. Identifying food-conditioned bears may be difficult if the animal is not captured or killed while immediately engaged in the nuisance behavior. Fatty acid signature analysis has been used to examine the dietary habits of bears and other carnivores and is based on the predictable incorporation of ingested fatty acids into the consumer’s fat stores. Unusual fatty acids that are available in only a few food types may be particularly useful dietary markers. In this …

The Impact Of Internet Social Networking Websites On The Gay Community: Behavior And Identity, Michael Cinquanti

Theses

The hypothesis of this thesis is that social networking website design can exert a mediating influence upon the culture of a site by supporting certain behaviors more than others; this influence can be analyzed in an active and structured way that takes into account the culture of the community it addresses. Evidence will be offered by case study, demonstration of specific mediations, and analysis. This hypothesis will be tested with specific reference to the gay male community. The scope of this paper will be limited to the analysis of gay-oriented social networking websites as new media, in general and through …

Element Analysis Of The Green Building Process, Richard Zigenfus

Theses

This thesis studied the definition of a green building and the elements associated with the construction of single family home versus an office building. There are many rating systems available across the Country both private and public. The most well known is the LEED rating system developed by the United States Green Building Council. LEED has several rating programs now available. The eight elements of LEED for Homes are used as the basis of the research to create commonality throughout the documentation. Thirty single-family homes and office projects were examined and detailed in order to determine the aspects within each …

Gender, And Other Variables, Affecting Graduation Outcomes And The Future Of Science. Male Vs. Female Students 1995-2003 Rochester Institute Of Technology’S College Of Science, Catherine Mahrt-Washington

Theses

This thesis focuses on the impact of retention of undergraduate students on the future of science. If there are insufficient numbers of science students pursuing and succeeding in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education and careers, it has been argued that the United States will lose its innovative, competitive, and technological edge. The focus is on the challenges of retaining students, both male and female, in the sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology from 1995-2003. This thesis will describe and analyze existing data in an effort to develop a case specific understanding of retention metrics, student retention dynamics, and consideration …

Sharpshooting Suburban White-Tailed Deer Reduces Deer–Vehicle Collisions, Anthony J. Denicola, Scott C. Williams

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Too many deer–vehicle collisions (DVCs) are one of the primary reasons local governments implement lethal deer management programs. However, there are limited data to demonstrate that a reduction in deer (Odocoileus spp.) densities will result in a decline in DVCs. We conducted sharpshooting programs in 3 suburban communities to reduce deer numbers and to address rising DVCs. Annual or periodic population estimates were conducted using both helicopter snow counts and aerial infrared counts to assess population trends. Management efforts were conducted from 3 to 7 years. Local deer herds were reduced by 54%, 72%, and 76%, with resulting reductions …

Factors Affecting Autumn Deer–Vehicle Collisions In A Rural Virginia County, William J. Mcshea, Chad M. Stewart, Laura J. Kearns, Stefano Liccioli, David Kocka

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Vehicular collisions with white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are a safety and economic hazard to motorists. Many efforts to reduce deer–vehicle collisions (DVCs) have proven unsuccessful, but deer reduction has been a primary management tool in several states. The Virginia Department of Transportation geo-located all known DVCs in Clarke County, Virginia, from August through December 2005 (n = 246) and 2006 (n = 259). We estimated harvest intensity, deer population density, amount of forest and housing development, presence of row crops, and traffic volume and speed for 228 road segments (each 500 m in length) within the …

The Soap Box Resolving Conflicts Between Humans And The Threatened Louisiana Black Bear, Walter Cotton

Human–Wildlife Interactions

No abstract provided.

Carnivores, Urban Landscapes, And Longitudinal Studies: A Case History Of Black Bears, Jon P. Beckmann, Carl W. Lackey

Human–Wildlife Interactions

As urban landscapes expand across the globe, it becomes imperative to understand how these landscapes affect large carnivore populations. We examined the effects of humanaltered landscapes on age-specific fecundity and life history parameters for female black bears (Ursus americanus) in urban and wildland regions in the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains of Nevada, including the Lake Tahoe Basin. We followed 12 marked female bears in an urban environment and 10 females in wildland habitats from 1997–2006. Our results show that female bears in urban areas have higher age-specific fecundity rates than did wildland female bears. Despite this difference, female …

Introducing Legacy Program Scripting To Molecular Biology Toolkit (Mbt), Todd Newell

Theses

Successful navigating of the ever-changing landscape of molecular visualization programs requires a common thread that can offer users an oasis from the maelstrom of new languages, proprietary applications, and miniscule software life-cycles. Crossapplication scripting remains the benchmark, allowing scientists and researchers to speak a common tongue. The introduction of a new, powerful visualization language, Molecular Biology Toolkit (MBT), has tempted many users to abandon previous methodologies and adopt a new mode of research. MBT, however, is not without drawbacks. Its lack of scripting capabilities creates unmanageable complexity for unsophisticated end-users, namely those without the ability to program. MBT, thus, lacks …

Microspore Wall Morphogenesis And Orbicule Ultrastructure Of Isoetes, Khalid Alarid

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The microspore wall morphogenesis and orbicule ultrastructure of Isoetes were studied using electron microscopy. Microspore wall morphogenesis in five species of Isoetes (I. appalachiana, I. engelmannii, I. hyemalis, I. piedmontana, and an undescribed species from York Co., VA, USA) was studied using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Results show that they generally have the same developmental stages in terms of microspore wall morphogenesis. The mature microspore wall consisted of four layers: perispore, paraexospore, exospore and endospore. Paraexospore formation began during the tetrad stage. The exospore was then formed between the paraexospore and the plasma membrane. During the free spore …

An Herbal Abc Book: A Contribution To Information Available To Children And Adults, Linda Jo Kirkland

Graduate Research Papers

From Neanderthal to New Age times, plant medicine has been shown to be used by people seeking relief from ailments. There is a lack of information available for children to learn about the simple herbal remedies used by their ancestors even though herbal remedies are commonly used in this country. These plant remedies are both culturally and medically significant. People use herbal medicine to a great extent without consulting medical professionals. Therefore, a research based herbal ABC book would be a significant addition to children’s literature in this country, both as information for children and adults, and as a conversation …

Preparing Instructors Of Adult Learners To Address The Needs Of Minority Students, Travell Unique Brock

Graduate Research Papers

In predominately Caucasian educational systems, diversity in the classroom is becoming a fast-growing phenomenon. With this new phenomenon, adult instructors now have a new challenge of facilitating learning in an environment where the learners not only have different learning capabilities, but also language and cultural differences. The reviewer answers the following questions: what are the important considerations for instructors to prepare diverse adult learners for corporate work environments, higher education, and K-12 professional development? And what are the appropriate cultural specific media and literature resources to include in training?

The literature collected focused on resources related to teaching adult minority …

Stressor- And Corticotropin Releasing Factor-Induced Reinstatement And Active Stress-Related Behavioral Responses Are Augmented Following Long-Access Cocaine Self-Administration By Rats, John R. Mantsch, David A. Baker, David M. Francis, Eric S. Katz, Michael A. Hoks, Joseph P. Serge

Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Rationale Stressful events during periods of drug abstinence likely contribute to relapse in cocaine-dependent individuals. Excessive cocaine use may increase susceptibility to stressor-induced relapse through alterations in brain corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) responsiveness.

Objectives This study examined stressor- and CRF-induced cocaine seeking and other stress-related behaviors in rats with different histories of cocaine self-administration (SA).

Materials and methods Rats self-administered cocaine under short-access (ShA; 2 h daily) or long-access (LgA; 6 h daily) conditions for 14 days or were provided access to saline and were tested for reinstatement by a stressor (electric footshock), cocaine or an icv injection of CRF and …

Computational Model Of Mst Neuron Receptive Field And Interaction Effect For The Perception Of Self-Motion, Chen-Ping Yu

Theses

Biologically plausible approach is an alternative to conventional engineering approaches when developing algorithms for intelligent systems. It is apparent that biologically inspired algorithms may yield more expensive calculations when comparing its run time to the more commonly used engineering algorithms. However, biologically inspired approaches have great potential in generating better and more accurate outputs as healthy human brains. Therefore more and more new and exciting researches are being experimented everyday in hope to develop better models of our brain that can be utilized by the machines. This thesis work is an effort to design and implement a computational model of …

Eomesodermin, A Target Gene Of Pou4f2, Is Required For Retinal Ganglion Cell And Optic Nerve Development In The Mouse, Chai-An Mao, Takae Kiyama, Ping Pan, Yasuhide Furuta, Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis, William H Klein

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The mechanisms regulating retinal ganglion cell (RGC) development are crucial for retinogenesis and for the establishment of normal vision. However, these mechanisms are only vaguely understood. RGCs are the first neuronal lineage to segregate from pluripotent progenitors in the developing retina. As output neurons, RGCs display developmental features very distinct from those of the other retinal cell types. To better understand RGC development, we have previously constructed a gene regulatory network featuring a hierarchical cascade of transcription factors that ultimately controls the expression of downstream effector genes. This has revealed the existence of a Pou domain transcription factor, Pou4f2, that …

Emerging Biotechnologies Demand Defeat Of Proposed Legislation That Attempts To Ban Gene Patents, Gregory C. Ellis

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

In October 2006, Andrew Fire and Craig Mello won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering a process known as RNA interference in the soil nematode Caenorhaditis elegans. More commonly known as RNAi, this process has great therapeutic significance for humans because of its ability to specifically and efficiently regulate gene expression. The capacity to easily regulate gene expression will tremendously impact our ability to combat a wide variety of disorders ranging from cancer to infectious diseases. While the mechanism of RNAi was first published within the last decade, three RNAi-based human therapies are already in clinical trails.

The Synthesis Of Water Soluble N-Acyl Chitosan Derivatives For Characterization As Antibacterial Agents, Lakia Monique Champagne

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Currently, natural polysaccharides are being utilized increasingly in the markets because they exhibit biodegradability, biocompatibility, versatility, and are found abundant in nature. The diversity of natural polysaccharides provides the chemist with a broad spectrum of raw materials that can be used in many biological applications. Chitosan is a natural polysaccharide that possesses excellent biological properties. It has been recognized for its antibacterial activity, in that it is destructive towards the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The antibacterial property of chitosan can be enhanced by changing the hydrophobic/hydrophilic nature of the polysaccharide backbone. This research entails …

Scholarly Communication In The Sciences, From Tycho Brahe To The Cdc, University Libraries--University Of South Carolina

Rare Books & Special Collections Publications

This catalog accompanied the exhibit of documents which focus on 400 years of scholarly communication, showing how scientists have used print culture to document their activities, disseminate information, and share discoveries. The increasing professionalization of science can be seen in examples of publishing from the early 16th century to the present day. In the late medieval and early modem periods, science and the dissemination of scientific research was generally an informal, gentlemanly pursuit. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it changed into an increasingly rigorous and organized practice, with growing standards for verification, inclusion, and publication.

Protein Degradation In Mammalian Hibernator, Spermophilus Lateralis, Vanja Velickovska

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Protein synthesis is virtually non-existent during hibernation in golden-mantled ground squirrels. In the presence of negligible protein synthesis continued protein degradation would disrupt the maintenance of homeostasis and the survival of the animal. Earlier investigation showed that ubiquitin conjugate concentrations increase 2-3 fold during hibernation, which would seemingly suggest an increase of protein degradation. In this study I examined protein degradation per se as a function of the temperatures experienced by the hibernator and demonstrated that protein degradation is virtually absent at low temperatures. A new method was developed to determine the rates of ubiquitylation as a function of temperature, …

Pedogenesis Of Vesicular Horizons In Disturbed And Undisturbed Soils, Maureen L Yonovitz

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Increasing desertification and anthropogenic soil disturbance is of growing concern to restoration ecologists in the Southwestern United States. This study examines how a common soil horizon of arid lands, the vesicular horizon, which is characterized by its discontinuous pores, responds to disturbance. The vesicular horizon is a near surface soil horizon typically composed of fine grained windblown material found beneath a desert pavement. Disturbance to the vesicular horizon may result in a change in pore morphology that will alter water movement through the horizon, affecting the ecology of the region. This research examines differences in pore morphology (area, perimeter, length …

The Effects Of Exercise In The Rehabilitation Process Of Substance Abuse, Gabriela Vilarino Regino

UNLV Retrospective Theses & Dissertations

Exercise may assist in the rehabilitation process by providing a way for the dependent individual to achieve a mild, pleasurable state that does not require the use of substances; Women between 18 and 43 years of age who were under supervision in a rehabilitation facility for substance abuse were randomly selected to be part of an exercise or a control group. They exercised three times a week for a total of two months. Subjects completed pre and post assessments of anxiety, depression, and readiness to change. They also completed pre and post assessments of resting heart rate, percent body fat, …

Evaluation Of The Impact Of Pesticide Exposure On The Rat Enteric Nervous System And Pc12 Cells, Sergei V. Kulikov

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Persistence In Escherichia Coli And The Role Of Hipb And Hipb Interactions, Sean Thomas Keating

Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Virginia Earth Science Collaborative: Developing Highly Qualified Earth Science Teachers, J. Cothron

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

A collaborative of seven institutes of higher education and two non-profit organizations developed and implemented five earth science courses totaling eighteen credits that enabled secondary teachers to acquire an add-on earth science endorsement: Geology 1: Physical Geology (4), Geology II: Geology of Virginia (4), Oceanography (4), Astronomy (Space Science for Teachers) (3), and Meteorology (3). These courses were collaboratively developed and included rigorous academic content, research-based instructional strategies, and intense field experiences. The thirty-three sections offered statewide served 499 participants. Three courses were offered to strengthen the skills of earth science teachers: Teaching Eath Science Topics to Special Education Students …

Meteorology And Cimatology: On-Line Weather Studies, J. A. Mulvany, M. Bentley, E. Pyle

Journal of Mathematics and Science: Collaborative Explorations

Through the Virginia Earth Science Collaborative (VESC), a partnership of nine institutes of higher education, non-profit organizations, and eighty-three school divisions, a 3-credit, graduate-level meteorology course was offered six times between Spring 2006 and Fall 2007. The course, entitled Meteorology, was offered at three locations (Richmond, Abingdon, and Harrisonburg), and a local instructor facilitated each section. Funding for the course development, instructor stipends, and participant expenses (including travel, meals, and tuition) was provided through a competitive Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP) grant funded through the federal No Child Left Behind legislation of 2001. The framework of the course was the …

Teacher Efficacy And Career Indecision Among Pre-Service Teachers: A Model Of Direct And Indirect Effects, Mary Beth Sloane, Mary D. Hancock

Mid-Western Educational Researcher

The present study investigates, through path analytic techniques, the influence of teacher efficacy on the career indecision of pre-service teachers. The sample consists of 305 students enrolled in Teacher Education programs at two southeastern universities. Results indicate that general teacher efficacy and career self-efficacy have significant direct effects on career indecision. Career self-efficacy mediates significant indirect effects for both general and personal teacher efficacy.

Sn79, A Novel Sigma-2 Receptor Antagonist, Attenuates Cocaine-Induced Behaviors In Mice, Nidhi Kaushal

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Evolutionary Methodology For Optimization Of Image Transforms Subject To Quantization Noise, Michael Ray Peterson

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Lossy image compression algorithms sacrifice perfect imagereconstruction in favor of decreased storage requirements. Modelossy compression schemes, such as JPEG2000, rely upon the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) to achieve high levels of compression while minimizing the loss of information for image reconstruction. Some compression applications require higher levels of compression than those achieved through application of the DWT and entropy coding. In such lossy systems, quantization provides high compression rates at the cost of increased distortion. Unfortunately, as the amount of quantization increases, the performance of the DWT for accurate image reconstruction deteriorates. Previous research demonstrates that a genetic algorithm can …