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Male Identity And Female Space In The Fiction Of Ugandan Women Writers, Abasi Kiyimba

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article focuses on the voices of protest by Uganda women writers against age-old discriminative habits, and on the rebuttal made by women on questions of social and political power. The article particularly assesses the way women writers approach generally assumed positions on the power relations between men and women, a theme that runs through all the writing by Ugandan women. As part of the discussion, the paper inevitably pays particular attention to the presentation of male characters, and on the prominence given to issues of male dominance, injustice and discrimination against women, which take place at several levels of …

Factors That Influence Individual Differences In Female Sexual Response In A College-Aged Population, Tynisa La'sure Jones

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

College females (N=115) completed a questionnaire, which asked an array of questions about demographics, health, sexual partners and orgasm, sexual satisfaction, masturbation and vibrators, personality, and sex guilt. Of the participants, 106 reported that they had experienced sex of some kind, 83 indicated that they had experienced single orgasm during sex with a partner, and 46 indicated that they had experienced multiple orgasms during sex with a partner. Independent variables -- general questions, communication with partner, overall satisfaction, fear of becoming pregnant, stress, general demographics and medications -- were significantly related to one or both of the measures of sexual …

Conservative Mind: A Focus On Introspection And Worldview, April A. Strickland

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The aim of this study is to examine conservative attitudes as a function of introspection. Previous literature has hypothesized that conservative ideologies are the result of a dangerous and authoritarian worldview, where individuals are essentially hedonistic and need rules and regulations in order to behave morally. Empirical research has also indicated that conservatives are generally higher in authoritarianism, intolerance for ambiguity, dogmatism, and need for closure than liberals. Based on these conservative correlates, it was hypothesized within this study that less introspective thought would be shown by those individuals who hold more conservative ideologies, as opposed to those individuals that …

Virtual Aesthetics And Ethical Communication: Towards Virtuous Reality Design, David Williams

All Theses

This thesis argues that ethics can and should be applied to Second Life avatar design and behavior. Second Life is a unique virtual reality due to its connection to the physical world primarily through financial devices. Users buy and sell virtual and physical goods over these networks; the avatar, it is argued, is the primary instrument for persuasion in these contexts. Avatars facilitate a virtual aesthetic that is primarily 'natural.' By creating aesthetic avatars, the developers of Second Life enable audiences to affectively associate with other 'residents.' Not only is the avatar designed for aesthetic appeal, but it enables users …

'Barren, Silent, Godless': The Southern Novels Of Cormac Mccarthy, Melissa Davis

All Theses

Though best known for his Western works that have been read widely in the literary community and adapted to film, Cormac McCarthy is rarely discussed in terms of his contribution to Southern literature. However, his first four novels--The Orchard Keeper, Outer Dark, Child of God, and Suttree--are set in the mountainous area around Knoxville, Tennessee. In this setting, McCarthy traces the change of the South and humanity from its agrarian, showing the violent and gothic nature of a modernizing society.
In considering the struggle between the old and new South as presented in the characters of The Orchard Keeper, the …

Identification And Characterization Of Point Defects In Aluminum Nitride And Zinc Oxide Crystals, Sean M. Evans

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) studies have been performed on single crystals of aluminum nitride (AlN) and zinc oxide (ZnO), two wide-band-gap semiconductors having the wurtzite crystal structure. These studies were used to characterize point defects in each material. In the first study in AlN, new EPR and ENDOR spectra were acquired from a deep donor. Although observed in as-grown crystals, exposure to x rays significantly increased the concentration of this center. ENDOR identified a strong hyperfine interaction with one aluminum neighbor along the c axis and weaker equivalent hyperfine interactions with three additional aluminum neighbors …

Effects Of A Mind-Consciousness-Thought (Mct) Intervention On Stress And Well-Being In Freshman Nursing Students, Judith A. Sedgeman

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

An emerging "health" paradigm, Mind-Consciousness-Thought (MCT), proposes that three universal Principles, Mind (life energy), Consciousness (the capacity to be aware of thinking as "reality"), and Thought (the ability to create thinking continually), explain how psychological experience is created from the inside-out, not created from the outside-in by events and circumstances. It proposes that life comes through us, not at us. It proposes that insight into the existence and operation of those principles reconnects people to their innate mental well-being, an always accessible source of balance, wisdom, and creativity (i.e., resiliency). It proposes that accessing mental well-being is incompatible with chronic …

Affection, Virtue, Pleasure, And Profit: Developing An Understanding Of Friendship Closeness And Intimacy In Western And Asian Societies, M Gummerum, M Keller

School of Psychology

The development of friendship understanding has rarely been explored from a cross-cultural perspective. In this study, children and adolescents from Iceland, China, Russia, and the former East Germany were investigated in one longitudinal and three cross-sectional samples. Children from three different Chinese ecologies were interviewed to account for within-culture variation. Participants were interviewed about friendship closeness and intimacy at ages 7, 9, 12, and 15 years. Their statements were scored according to (a) structural—developmental stages and (b) content aspects of friendship reasoning. Results reveal that the development of friendship reasoning of participants from all societies could be captured by the …

The Grizzly, May 1, 2008, Matt Flyntz, Lane Taylor, Kristi Blust, Roger Lee, Heather Turnbach, Ali Wagner, Terry Kelley, Jill Alspach, Kristin O'Brassill, Ashley Mccomeskey, Alex Ernst, Jason Davis, Danielle Langdon, Courtney Fox

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Student Art Show Highlights Creativity of Students at UC • Good Night, Good Luck and Goodbye to the Grizzly • Pope Benedict XVI Visits Washington D.C. and NYC • You Must Always Face the Curtain with a Bow • Ursinus Dance Company Performance is a Big Success • Ursinus Community Celebrates Third Annual CoSA • Vision of the Future: Convenience Store to Open in Zack's in Fall 2008 • Opinions: Which Candidate is on the Right Track?; Calm Down, Democrats • UC Women's Golf for a Fruitful Future

Measuring Overall Heterogeneity In Meta-Analyses: Application To Csf Biomarker Studies In Alzheimer’S Disease, Chengjie Xiong, Feng Gao, Yan Yan, Jingqin Luo, Yunju Sung, Gang Shi

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

The interpretations of statistical inferences from meta-analyses depend on the degree of heterogeneity in the meta-analyses. Several new indices of heterogeneity in meta-analyses are proposed, and assessed the variation/difference of these indices through a large simulation study. The proposed methods are applied to biomakers of Alzheimer’s disease.

Log-Linear Model To Assess Socioeconomic And Environmental Factors With Childhood Diarrhea Using Hospital Based Surveillance, Krishnan Rajendran, Thandavarayan Ramamurthy, Sujit Kumar Bhattacharya

Journal of Modern Applied Statistical Methods

Categorical outcomes with environment factors analyzed by log linear model are frequent in the environmental epidemiological literature. Epidemiological and socio-economical factors were obtained on 1,119 children below the age of 5 from Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) at the Kolkata, India. Significant associations of diarrhea were observed in the rural areas with family income, father’s occupation as a daily labor, literacy of parents, non-cemented floor and wall constructed of mud, and type of storage (wide mouthed earthen pot). The results of the study with specific Log linear model confirm environmental factors were important implications for childhood diarrhea in the rural community. …

Lowering Cholesterol: Through The Use Of Plant Sterols And Stanols, Nicole St. Jean

Senior Honors Projects

Heart disease has been the number one killer of American men and women over the past hundred years, with high blood cholesterol as a major risk factor of this disease. High Cholesterol can be a result of a number of different lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise. However, genetics and family history also play a role in the levels of cholesterol in the human body. Those who have high blood cholesterol levels are usually advised by their health professionals to consume a diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol, high in fiber and to exercise frequently. However, sometimes these …

Differential Equations: A Universal Language, Bethany Caron

Senior Honors Projects

“Mathematics knows no races or geographic boundaries; for mathematics, the cultural world is one country.” – David Hilbert Differential equations are equations of one or more variables that involve both functions and their derivatives. These equations have many applications to the everyday “non-math” world, including modeling in engineering, physics, biology, chemistry, and economics. Differential equations are used when a situation arises where one needs to study a continuously changing quantity (expressed as a function) and its rate of change (expressed through its derivatives). The solutions to differential equations are functions that make the original equation hold true, and they can …

New Car Emissions Feared To Increase Global Temperatures, State Standing: Massachusetts V. Epa, Nick Bisher

Mercer Law Review

As debate over global warming continues to intensify, the United States Supreme Court has taken steps to begin addressing the many interests asserted by private and public parties. In Massachusetts v. EPA, the Court issued a landmark opinion that gives states the power to assert their rights under the Clean Air Act in federal court. The Court also ruled that the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") acted arbitrarily and capriciously in denying a petition to promulgate a rule establishing limits on new motor vehicle emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases ("GHGs") under the Clean Air Act. This decision …

Who's On First?: Why Philip Morris Usa V. Williams Left Juries Confused About Whose Injuries Can Be Considered When Determining Punitive Damages, Steven Moulds

Mercer Law Review

For the third time in eleven years, the United States Supreme Court imposed constitutional limits on punitive damage awards. In Philip Morris USA v. Williams, the Court, in a 5-4 decision, held that punitive damages cannot be used to punish a defendant for injuries that the defendant infficted upon nonparties to the case. However, the Court also held that injuries to nonparties can be considered when determining the reprehensibility of the defendant's conduct under the "Gore guideposts." Nevertheless, this decision is important for trial lawyers for what the Court did not hold. Once again, the Court passed on the …

Student Honors And Awards Program 2008, University Relations

UMM Honors and Awards Ceremony

In recognition of students who demonstrate academic excellence and enrich campus life.

Influence Of Carbonate On The Binding Of Carboplatin To Dna, Robert S. Sorokanich

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The reaction of aged carboplatin (reaction of carboplatin in 24 mM NaHCO₃ for 45 h, 37^o C, pH 8.6) with pBR322 DNA for 0 ≤ r ≤ 2.8, where r = [drug]/[DNA-bp], in 24 mM HEPES buffer, pH 7.4, for 24 h followed by agarose gel electrophoresis showed DNA mobility changes consistent with unwinding closed circular DNA. However, identical experiments conducted in a two buffer system, 24mM HEPES plus 24mM carbonate, showed no DNA mobility changes, indicating that carbonate blocks formation of the 1,2-intrastrand crosslink on DNA. Studies with aged carboplatin and with cisplatin carried out with 2.0 …

Ethanol Exposure In Rats And Its Effect On Genetic Markers, Ceena Philipose

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Alcoholism is believed to affect an estimated 18 million people each year. The number of people abusing alcohol is three times the number of people abusing all other substances combined. (Institute for Health Policy, 2001) An estimated $276 billion per year(Institute for Health Policy, 2001)is spent to combat the influence of alcoholism in this country alone; more than cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, combined.

A full understanding of the effects of alcohol on the developing nervous system and other organ systems, and knowing when and where that central or internal organ damage has occurred after a certain period of abuse …

The Effects Of Anthropogenic Ambient Noise And Habitat Vegetation On Common Yellowthroat Song, Edith Dooley

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Urbanization not only decreases habitat availability for natural populations, but has also been shown to affect the behavior of animals. This study focuses on how anthropogenic, urban noise and habitat vegetation can affect the structure of common yellowthroat warbler (Geothlypis trichas) song. Ambient noise is concentrated in the low frequencies of noise and can mask the low song frequencies rendering them inaudible to the receiver. I predicted that yellowthroats will change the pitch and overall structure of their songs to avoid overlap with urban ambient noise. To test this possibility, I recorded yellowthroats songs and corresponding ambient noise, …

A Behavioral Assay To Quantify Retinal Degeneration In X. Laevis, Jacob Fleming

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Currently, 3.5 million Americans over the age of 40 are blind or visually impaired. Cases of visual impairment can be attributed to a number of causes. Retinitis pigmentosa, glaucoma, and macular degeneration all involve some form of damage to the retina. While medical advances continue to aid those with vision loss, there is currently no cure for visual impairment due to cell death. In the age of stem cells however, there is hope for those with retinal damage.

Seven eye field transcription factors play specific roles in eye development. When injected into developing Xenopus laevis, these transcription factors induce …

Asymmetric Jaw Morphology In An Herbivorous Cichlid From Lake Malawi, Bianca Williams

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Cichlid fish exhibit a high frequency of variation across species. This study focused on a particular asymmetry in the jaws of fish in the genus Tropheops. An asymmetry towards the left side was observed and then tested. Each side of the jaw was measured in a number of individuals from different Tropheops species. These measurements were then analyzed to see if the left side was indeed longer than the right. Statistical analysis was utilized to test the significance of sided differences. It was found that Tropheops species exhibit a left sided bias, some species having a significant bias, and others …

Ankle Sprain Injuries In The Ed: Assessing Quality Of Discharge Instructions And Compliance Of Physicians With Ottawa Ankle Rules, Sama A. Bég

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Annually a large number of patients seen in the emergency department are diagnosed with an ankle sprain. If not treated properly, these injuries can result in long term complications such as pain, swelling and instability. Appropriate patient discharge instructions using evidence based treatment principles can be utilized to avoid these complications. Many patients seen in the emergency department with a final diagnosis of ankle sprain receive x-rays to rule out a fracture, despite the development of the Ottawa Ankle Rules (OAR) to determine when x-rays are necessary. Use of the Ottawa Ankle Rules has been shown to decrease the number …

Overfishing And Environmental Justice In Marine Fisheries, Kristin Novak

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This thesis focuses on the depletion of marine fisheries, as a resource, from a geographical perspective. The decline and collapse of abundant fisheries worldwide has serious, though largely unaddressed, social implications, and should be considered as an issue of environmental justice. I analyze the processes that have lead to fisheries collapses all over the world, as well as the governance structures, management strategies, and political and economic forces involved. This is examined through two case studies: one, the collapse of cod stocks in Newfoundland and New England in the 1990s after centuries of intensive fishing, and two, the currently stressed …

The Gap Between The Ideal And The Reality How High Stakes Testing Causes The United States And China To Fall Short Of Creating Well-Rounded Students, Adam L. Jones

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Since the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act in the United States in 2001, there has been ever increasing attention paid to the role of high-stakes testing in an education system. The system in the United States and its counterpart in the People’s Republic of China have come under scrutiny because of their heavy reliance on high-stakes testing.

It is understandable in the United States that these tests may be necessary to ensure the existence of accountability in the educational system. Similarly, it is understandable that the People’s Republic of China needs an education system to help place …

Community Service Intiatives Of Medical Students, Kerri I. Aronson

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This Honors Capstone Project focuses on community service projects of medical students. Extensive research was done on the types of community service programs that exist in medical schools. The types of programs were divided into four different categories representing the various ways that schools conduct their community service initiatives. Schools may have multiple types of programs, and a combination of any of these programs is offered at many institutions. This project also examines nationally recognized programs and the awards received for excellence in community service initiatives.

The study was completed in collaboration with SUNY Upstate Medical University (UMU). A close …

Jane Austen Film Adaptations, Fan Fiction, And Contemporary Anglo-American Culture, Rebecka Schaber

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

The rise of “Austenmania” in the form of films and heritage tours has been well marked in the past twenty years. Films based on Austen texts have attained a mass market popularity and tours based on Austen texts (and even Austen film adaptations) have likewise become popular within the heterosexual, romance-consuming female demographic. With the advent of the heritage film, Austen’s original texts became prime fodder for the heritage industry and the conservative depiction of Britain’s past Margaret Thatcher’s administration wished to portray. It is no mistake, in short, that “Austenmania” in effect began in the 1980s. The contemporary Anglo-American …

Characterizing The Interaction Between Subunit C Of V-Atpase And Actin Of The Cytoskeleton In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Amanda Blackley

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Little is understood about the major functions subunit C of vacuolar proton-translocating ATPase (V-ATPase), a membrane-bound enzyme found in many eukaryotic cells that is responsible for pumping protons across its membrane in order to acidify either organelles or extracellular compartments. Subunit C is a known stator subunit and is required for assembly of the functional holoenzyme. In addition, it has been shown that subunit C interacts with actin of the cytoskeleton in the plasma membrane V-ATPases of Manduca sexta. However, the universality of this interaction—specifically its presence in organelle membrane V-ATPases—has yet to be determined. Consequently, the interaction between …

Union: Interviews With Employees From The Holiday Inn Of Liverpool, Ny, Mary Gallagher

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Although working class issues are not invisible in academia, it seems less common to hear them from the members of the working class themselves. There are many scholars who speak for them, but not exactly with them. This project allows five blue collar employees of the Holiday Inn located inLiverpool,NY to speak for themselves about the work they do and the union in which they participate. Liverpool’s Holiday Inn is the only union hotel in theSyracuse area, so this project also explores what it means to have unions in the hotel industry. This project presents the stories of five employees …

Analysis Of Gnrh Receptor Gene Expression On Lines Of Swine With Divergent Ovulation Rates, Jacqueline E. Smith

Department of Animal Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

To examine the relationship between the molecular mechanisms underlying ovulation rate and transcriptional regulation of the porcine GnRHR gene, our laboratory has isolated the GnRHR gene promoter from the Control, Index and Meishan lines (McDonald, 2005). Previous work in our laboratory has indicated divergent luciferase activity among reporter vectors containing 5000 bp of 5’ flanking region for the porcine GnRHR gene from all three genetic lines transiently transfected into gonadotrope-derived αT3-1 cells (Fig 1.1; McDonald, 2005). This suggests differential mechanisms involved in the transcriptional regulation of the GnRHR gene among pig strains. Additionally, our laboratory identified a single base alteration …

Trypanosoma Brucei Rhodesiense Transmitted By A Single Tsetse Fly Bite In Vervet Monkeys As A Model Of Human African Trypanosomiasis, John K. Thuita, John M. Kagira, David Mwangangi, Enock Matovu, C. M.R. Turner, Daniel Masiga

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

We have investigated the pathogenicity of tsetse (Glossina pollidipes)-transmitted cloned strains of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense in velvet monkeys. Tsetse files were confirmed to have mature trypanosome infections by xenodiagnosis, after which nine monkeys were infected via the bite of a single infected fly. Chancres developed in five of the nine (55.6%) monkeys within 4 to 8 days post infection (dpi). All nine individuals were successfully infected, with a median pre-patent period of 4 (range = 4-10) days, indicating that trypanosomes migrated from the site of fly bite to the systemic circulation rapidly and independently of the development of the chancre. …