Digital Commons Network^™

Evaluating The Illinois Stream Valley Segment Model As An Effective Management Tool, Stephen S. Warrner

Masters Theses

Stream habitat assessment procedures have been used to monitor logical potential, habitat restoration, and determine anthropogenic impacts on streams. In the past, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS) have determined which stream reaches to sample habitat quality based on historical data, accessibility, and whether or not a reach is representative of an area. To develop a consistent and unbiased procedure for choosing sampling locations, the IDNR and INHS have proposed a technique by which watersheds are divided into homogeneous stream segments called valley segments. Valley segments within each watershed are determined by …

Spatial And Ecological Patterns Of Tent Location In The Eastern Tent Caterpillar, Malacosoma Americana (Lepidoptera:Lasiocampidae), Jennifer Pleasant

Masters Theses

The eastern tent caterpillar, Malacosoma americanum (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae) is a widely studied social caterpillar. The nests (i.e. tents) of the tent caterpillar are most frequently found on Black Cherry trees (Prunus serotina). However, dispersions of tents are often clumped with one cherry tree having five or more tent caterpillar nests in it and another cherry tree 3 meters away having only one nest, or none at all. I tried to determine why this happens. Because of the short field season, much of the research on the caterpillars has been done in the laboratory. I tried to determine host selection …

A Survey Of Carrion And Burying Beetles (Coleoptera:Silphidae) In Mchenry County, Illinois, David Suhrbur

Masters Theses

This study compared the occurrence of beetles in the family Silphidae using historical collection records with that of field collections from five different sites within McHenry County. The five sites include: Glacial Park, Woodstock, Silver Creek, Rush Creek, and Coral Woods. Historically, 11 known silphid species have been found in McHenry County, compared with seven species found during this study' collection period.

Percentages of silphid species at each site was calculated, as well as total number of individuals sampled, and two indices of diversity (Shannon-Weiner and Simpson's) were applied to both current and historical collection data. The historical collection (when …

The Coordination Of Multiple Roles By Female Graduate Students From Three Different Cultures, Smita Srivastava

Masters Theses

This research studied the coordination of multiple roles by female graduate students who are mothers. Zika (2006) reported that working women in the developed world contribute 40 to 50 percent of the gross national product at the same time that they continue to be responsible for most of the household and childcare responsibilities in the home. Some researchers have suggested that having multiple roles can be deleterious, while others have suggested benefits. Because women from around the world today are participating in multiple roles, the present study investigated, using a qualitative research method, how three female graduate students from different …

Predicting Eating Disordered Behavior In Adolescent Boys, Kurt Wagner

Masters Theses

Although much research exists on eating disorders, little exists regarding the prevalence and correlates of eating disordered behavior among males, particularly at the peak age of onset: early adolescence. The current study hypothesizes that eating disordered behavior in male adolescents is most correlated with self-dissatisfaction of musculature, then dissatisfaction of apparent body fat, drive for muscularity, their reasons for exercise, and body mass index. High school males (n = 148) were surveyed regarding these attitudes and beliefs, and about symptoms of eating disordered behavior. The purpose was to determine correlates of eating disordered behavior among adolescent boys, then develop a …

The Cultural Dimension Of Emotional Intelligence And Its Clinical Implications, Koyeli Sengupta

Masters Theses

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the role that culture plays in emotionaJ intelligence, in people's ability to use emotions adaptively in their daily lives. Specifically, it presented existing cross-cultural research literature on emotional intelligence, with particular focus on the emotional competencies of Americans and Indians. The literature on cross-cultural psychology of emotions revealed cross-cultural similarities as well as differences in each phase of the emotion process. It supported the view that considerable universality existed with regards to perception of emotions in facial expressions, while the major sources of differences were detected in the processes ofregulation of emotion …

Teacher Perceptions Related To Technology Tools For Curriculum Alignment: A Survey Of Teachers' Response To A Curriculum Mapping Tool, Julie A. Mathiesen

Theses and Dissertations

The intent of this descriptive study was to build understanding about the tools, methods and theory behind teacher use of a technology-based tool and process to align K-12 curriculum with state standards. A shift to a standards-driven education policy has created conditions in which teachers are encouraged to align classroom instruction to designated content standards but currently educators lack methods, guidance and appropriate strategies to accomplish this task. Curriculum mapping software is one tool that has been developed to aid in this endeavor. Data from an existing survey instrument was utilized to analyze subsets of teacher perception data and to …

Spectral Tomography With Diffuse Near-Infrared Light: Inclusion Of Broadband Frequency Domain Spectral Data, Jia Wang, Scott C. Davis, Subhadra Srinivasan, Shudong Jiang

Dartmouth Scholarship

No abstract provided.

The Neural Correlates Of Third-Party Punishment, Owen D. Jones, Joshua Buckholtz, Christopher L. Asplund, Paul E. Dux, David H. Zald, John C. Gore, Rene Marois

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

This article reports the discovery, from the first full-scale law and neuroscience experiment, of the brain activity underlying punishment decisions.

We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity of subjects as they read hypothetical scenarios about harm-causing protagonists and then decided whether to punish and, if so, how much.

The key variables were: a) presence or absence of excusing, justifying, or otherwise mitigating factors (such as acting under duress); and b) harm severity (which ranged from a stolen CD to a rape/murder/torture combination).

Findings include:

(1) Analytic and emotional brain circuitries are jointly involved, yet quite separately …

Recognizing Our Dangerous Gifts: Applying The Social Model To Individuals With Mental Illness, Rachel Anderson-Watts

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Our society and laws allow a space for a multitude of identities and forms of expression. Many kinds of differences are legally protected in various ways, such as differences in race, religion, and gender. Sometimes protection takes the form of requiring social institutions to adapt to the unique needs of certain individuals or groups. Rights for disabled individuals, as exemplified by the Americans with Disabilities Act, rest on the principle that impairment disables because the world is structured around an incompatible model of human ability; not because of a fundamental deficit within the individual. This conception, termed the social model …

The Development Of A "Genetic Eyewitness" Profiling System For Low Template Forensic Specimens: Identification Of Novel Protein, Rna, And Dna Biomarkers, Erin Hanson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In many criminal investigations, valuable information regarding the physical appearance of suspected perpetrators or the time and order of events that transpired are provided by eyewitness accounts. However, the information obtained from eyewitnesses is often constrained by human recollection or subjective accounts and provides a biased description of the perpetrator's appearance or an inaccurate time line of events. Additionally, in numerous situations eyewitness accounts may not be available. An increasing reliance therefore is placed on the biological evidence recovered during criminal investigations to act as a silent witness, providing unbiased and scientific information that may aid in the resolution of …

Movement Patterns And Feeding Behavior Of The Limpet Tectura Testudinalis (Müller) Along The Mid-Maine Coast, Joshua Lord

Honors Theses

Tectura testudinalis is a limpet that lives in the mid-intertidal zone along the coast of Maine and grazes on a variety of encrusting algae. A previous study asserted that T. testudinalis preferred to feed and rest on the encrusting alga Clathromorphum circumscriptum and that this species of limpet displayed homing behavior. However, I show that T. testudinalis does not home or return to any specific substrate while resting. Conclusive evidence was found for nocturnal movement. I show that C. circumscriptum was the preferred food source for this limpet, closely followed by Hildenbrandia rubra, another encrusting alga. Field and lab experiments …

Welfare, Privacy, And Feminism, Michele E. Gilman

University of Baltimore Law Forum

Feminism has long been concerned with privacy. Second-wave feminists assailed the divide between the public and the private spheres that trapped women in the home, excluded them from the workforce, and subjected them to domestic abuse. Second-wave feminists also argued in favor of a sphere of privacy that would allow women to make reproductive choices without state interference. These were powerful critiques of existing power structures, but they tended to overlook the experiences of poor women. As a condition of receiving welfare benefits, poor women have been subjected to drug tests, and they continue to face unannounced home inspections by …

“They Are Men Who Would Die By The Stars And Stripes”: The 2nd Arkansas Cavalry (Us) During The American Civil War, Brian K. Robertson

Theses and Dissertations

The 2nd Arkansas Cavalry (US) was one of a handful of Federal regiments raised within the state during the Civil War. The men in the unit came from a broad geographic cross-section. Not only were there enlistments from the traditional stronghold of Arkansas Unionism, the Ozark Mountain Region, but there were also a significant number of enlistments from the Ouachita Mountains as well as the Arkansas Delta. While differing little socially or economically from their secessionist neighbors, the men in the unit nonetheless chose to maintain their loyalty to the United States government. An examination of the regiment reveals that …

A Finite Element Study Of Piezoelectric Thin Films On Substrates, Bo Liu

Theses and Dissertations

The overall goal of this work has been mainly to advance the understanding of the degradation in the response of piezoelectric thin films after they are deposited on substrates. To have better understanding of the difference in the response between free standing piezoelectric films and those deposited on a substrate, we calculated the normalized "effective" piezoelectric coefficients for BT/MgO, PZT/STO and ZnO/STO respectively. We also studied the impact on the effective coefficients due to the components of the bulk material's piezoelectric coefficients. After studying the clamping effects of the substrate, lattice mismatch, stiffness of the films and the substrates, we …

A Study Of The Long Range Effects Of Reading Recovery On Student Achievement On The Arkansas Benchmark Examination, Elizabeth Jane Wyatt

Theses and Dissertations

The study examined the progress made by discontinued Reading Recovery ® students three years beyond the initial Reading Recovery intervention. It also examined the relationship between former discontinued Reading Recovery students and the need for additional literacy support from second to fourth grade. The students' results on the Arkansas Benchmark Examination were used to determine the progress made three years following the initial Reading Recovery intervention. These results were compared to the average scores of non-Reading Recovery students. Based on the findings, former Reading Recovery students are performing at the basic or above level on the Arkansas Benchmark Examination.

Analytical Modeling With Decoupled Optimal Control Of Biomechanical Sit -To -Stand Movement, Asif Mahmood Mughal

Theses and Dissertations

Biomechanical movements with multiple degrees of freedom exhibit complex coordination and control mechanisms in the presence of physiological constraints. A human body biomechanical model which can mimic diverse 3D physiological movements is a challenging task. In this study, we develop a mathematical framework to study human sit-to-stand (STS) movement using 2D biomechanical models. This analytical framework models the physiological system for feedback controller design. A 2D 4-segment biomechanical model with optimal feedback controller design provides a motivation to extend this scheme for analytical 3D bipedal modeling. We used a newly developed mathematical modeling toolbox (Maple’s DynaFlexPro) to generate 3D 8-segment …

Connections Available On The Land: A Reflection On Place And Writing, Michael Robert Hodge

Theses and Dissertations

This is a collection of three personal essays, two of which are each coupled with an encyclopedia article also written by the author that deals with significant places in the author's life. Through the experience of writing in diverse forms, the author seeks to resolve for himself the connections between personal writing and more formal genres. As a common subject linking the two different types of writing, the concept of “place” is also explored. The author discusses relevant influences on his writing, reflects on the experience of writing in two different forms and discusses some conclusions in an afterward.

Delineation Of Malignant Areas In Histological Images Of Head -Neck Cancer, Mutlu Mete

Theses and Dissertations

Histopathology remains one of the most critical steps in diagnosis and treatment of any kind of cancer. Recently, the improvements in imaging techniques led to the discovery of virtual histological slides, which in fact are high resolution images with a resolution of 0.25 μm/pixel. These images enabled researchers to investigate cancer cell morphologies at the finest level. Traditionally, assessment of tumor margins is done manually by a histopathologist. The procedure requires histological processing of the tumor and examining multiple tissue sections. The number of sections varies based on the size, location, and type of tumor. The recognition of cancer areas …

Effects Of An Interactive Approach To Word Study Versus A Traditional Spelling Approach, Rhonda Rook

Theses and Dissertations

Historically, spelling instruction in many classrooms has consisted of the rote memorization of words and rules with little connection to the application of these items in reading and writing. The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of the Rook Fourth Grade Word Study Curriculum on students' improvement in word knowledge, usage, and the application of those skills to writing. Data collection included student pretest and posttest assessments of spelling and writing. In addition, teacher perceptions regarding the influence of an interactive word study curriculum on student achievement and instructional practices were investigated by means of open-ended questionnaires …

Evaluating Cancer Protein Identification From Mass Spectroscopy Data, Philip Hudson Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Early detection of ovarian cancer substantially increases patient survivability. Mass spectrometry data sets for the purpose of research into early detection methods have been funded by the National Ovarian Cancer Early Detection Program, gynecologic oncology clinic at Northwestern University Chicago IL, USA. Researchers have applied different machine learning methods for classification on several of the spectra data sets, (including the most recent produced on an ABI Hybrid Pulsar QqTOF instrument (Q-Star) mass spectrometer) for the purpose of predicting cancer. While identification of the proteins or metabolites within these spectra is not required for early detection, it would give a better …

Growing Up Separate: An Oral History Of The College Educational And Career Outcomes Of Black Graduates From A Rural, Segregated Public High School From 1954 To 1969, George Ann Newsome Stallings

Theses and Dissertations

Using an oral history format, the qualitative study of graduates from Sparkman Training School, an all-Black small, rural school in Sparkman, Arkansas, sought to identify factors evident in this segregated school that enhanced the chances for those graduates in becoming successful in college. The four research questions of the study sought factors in the segregated experience that motivated participants to attend college, helped prepare them for college, contributed to their academic persistence to college graduation, and contributed to a successful collegiate experience. Seven former teachers and 24 of the 35 identified college graduates from 1954 to the school’s closing in …

Mathematical Models: A Generalization From Population Biology And Time Scales, Martin Eggensperger

Theses and Dissertations

In this work, the theory of time scales calculus that we will employ is developed, as derivatives, integrals, and fundamental results are introduced. When necessary for subsequent discussion, other results are presented. The Hilger Complex Plane, the time scale exponential function, and its properties are given, as is a generalization of the variation of constants formula. The discrete and continuous Malthus population model, and the discrete and continuous Verhulst population models are investigated and analyzed. A unified and extended version of both models is developed and criteria for stability of critical solutions is presented. We investigate the relationship between both …

Non -Major Physical Education Students' And Department Chairpersons' Perceptions Of Current Physical Education Activity Curriculum In The Nine State Supported Universities In Arkansas, Lynn Glover Leggett

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines perceptions of the department chairpersons and non-major physical education students at seven Arkansas state supported universities. The research study was based on two parts. Part I included a 16 item questionnaire survey to the physical education department chairpersons. The results of this study were analyzed using a qualitative clustering approach. The research was grounded in the department chairperson's questionnaire. Part II included a 26 item questionnaire survey to the non-major physical education students enrolled in physical education activity classes to meet the general education requirement. Twenty four questions were analyzed using a chi-square test to determine differences …

Our Story: A Collection Of Stories Told By The Sons And Daughter Of Alonzo Durward Clark And Wilma Emma Lydia Gibson Clark, Kevin L. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

I have listened to my father tell about his childhood days since I was a little boy. This collection of stories came about because I wanted to know more about what life was like for Dad and his family during their growing-up years. When Dad passed away in November of 2001, I felt a sense of urgency to get these stories on paper. I interviewed Dad's siblings, Marion Clark, Charlie Clark, and Carolyn Waldo, and these stories—told over a period of a few days back in 2001—tell the story of what life was like for the sons and daughter of …

Physical And Computational Models Of Human Lung For Optimizing Respiratory Drug Delivery, Mohammed Ali

Theses and Dissertations

Respiratory drug particles aerosolized from the commercially available drug delivery devices may charge electrostatically. Investigations of the relevance of this charge on deposition in the human lung are just quite a few and they started early eighties though the aerosol science study is a decade old discipline. Additionally, the localized deposition of drug particles at desired sites such as inflamed tissue and appropriate receptors has been recognized by clinical investigators as being critical factors for the effective administration of respiratory drugs. To accomplish these tasks, it is imperative to undertake in vitro and in silico studies of medicinal drug aerosol …

Physicians' Communication With Older Patients, Particularly Older African American Women, About Sexual Health And Sexual Risk Behaviors For Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Hiv) And Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids)*, Regina Vaughn Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

HIV/AIDS is rising among people age 50 and older in the U.S. but primary care physicians may not be talking to their older patients about sexual health and high-risk sexual behaviors nor routinely testing them for HIV/AIDS. Do primary care physicians in Arkansas obtain sexual histories on their older patients? Are primary care physicians in Arkansas knowledgeable enough about HIV to impart risk-reduction information to their older patients? These are but two of the questions this research seeks to answer. Contrary to what the medical or general population believes, many older persons remain sexually active throughout their lifetime. The problem …

The Effects Of School Climate On Teacher Efficacy And Retention In High-Poverty Schools, Debbie Lambeth

Theses and Dissertations

High-poverty schools must have teachers who believe they can make a difference in the lives of the students. Teachers with high self-efficacy tend to have the desire to make that difference in the life of a child and persist in the face of adversity. School climate plays an important role in building teacher efficacy and persistence in high-poverty schools. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between the school climate created by a comprehensive school reform model, teacher efficacy and teacher persistence in high-poverty schools. The findings revealed a statistical significance between teacher efficacy and teacher persistence. …

The Integrated Implementation Of Surgical Simulations Through Modeling By Means Of Imaging, Comprehension, Visualization, Deformation, And Collision Detection In Virtual Environments, Sinan Kockara

Theses and Dissertations

Advances in information technology based applications in medicine and biology help to improve the conventional methods of delivering health services by enhancing and complementing traditional approaches of medical education, diagnostic techniques, intra-operative assistance, and pre/post operative services etc. Individualized medical training by virtual simulations and the use of advanced visualization techniques in cell biology will impact the way medicine is practiced and biological processes are understood. Although enhancing visualization and presenting the unreality in a form of blended virtuality is exceedingly accepted in medicine and biology, it brings many challenging but intriguing and intertwined multi disciplinary problems that are required …

The Proficiency Of English As A Second Language Students At A U.S. Metropolitan University: A Survey Of The Beliefs And Perceptions Of Core-Course Instructors, Pamela Henline Villines

Theses and Dissertations

The success of English as a Second Language (ESL) students at university level in the United States depends upon their ability to perform at a level of language proficiency deemed adequate by university core-course instructors. This writing begins with the historical derivation of “language proficiency,” and continues on to examine the curricular demands of the Intensive English Language Program (IELP) at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR). ESL students, both IELP graduates and IELP non-affiliates, may enroll in the core courses required to earn a degree from UALR. This thesis is based on the results of a survey …