Digital Commons Network^™

Spanish Language Acquisition: Gender-Marking Parameter, Marissa T.Y.O Kanemura

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

This study further examines past studies that have examined the gender marking value of a parameter of variation allowed by UG in L1 and L2 speakers of French and Spanish. Child L1 French speakers were found to make few errors in assigning gender to both actual nouns and nonsense nouns. An L2 Spanish learner was found to default one gender for the definite article and another gender for the indefinite article. Adult L2 French speakers were found to display similar defaulting, to a lesser degree, perhaps attributed to experience with exceptions to patterns.

To enhance these results, I conducted a …

Religious Implications Of The Berlin Wall, Michelle Mcclafferty

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

In this paper, I take a close look at the present condition of the Jewish Community in Berlin. Being a community that, within the last century, has faced the devastation of the Holocaust and the subjugation of the Berlin Wall and accompanying Soviet regime, the Jewish community in Berlin represented, to me, one with an amazing challenge and opportunity to rebuild itself. The aim of this paper was to separate the Jewish community from other communities in Berlin, separate the presence of the Berlin Wall from other historical events, and then consider the possibility that the Wall itself has an …

Becoming A Boy: Disability & Masculinity In Rodman Philbrick’S Freak The Mighty, Courtney Cohen

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

My Capstone thesis is a discussion of the various representations of disability in Rodman Philbrick’s children’s book and the film it was made into. In analyzing the characters, relationships between the characters and vernacular used within the text, I came to the conclusion that certain parts of the book, including the inclusion of not one, but two characters with impairments as main characters, serve to engage the book in a complex discourse with various concepts of disability and masculinity.

In order to place Philbrick’s text within a larger discourse of disability studies, I analyze it with regard to theories of …

Blocked: Short Story Manuscript, Christopher Hazle-Cary

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Blocked is a manuscript of short stories designed to explore conceptions of selfhood as represented in the fictional story. In the manuscript, I investigate issues of performance and authority as they relate to how characters define themselves in relation to the other—both the other characters in the story as well as the socio-cultural structures they have come to inhabit.

The loss of authority is a theme that I explore throughout my work. I am interested in authority as another aspect of performance—another role that people play, a mask (or face) that they take on. It also relates directly to the …

Voices Only, Alex Rabinowitz

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Abstract not Included

Remey's Calming Kids With Communication, Kate Vallon

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Pain management is often studied by doctors, psychologists, and child-life specialists. However, designers have a strong influence on the care, comfort and pain management of a patient, specifically one in the hospital. Pain management is a difficult topic to study and understand because everyone feels pain differently, however, by looking to the roots of pain and its affects on communication and anxiety we can learn to understand how to mollify its aches. Pediatric pain management is even more difficult to comprehend because there are many added elements involved in a painful experience.

Evolution Of Craniofacial Architecture And Lateralization In Perissodini Scale-Eaters, Thomas A. Stewart

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

To understand the evolution of craniofacial asymmetry within the Perissodini tribe, a group of scale-eating fish found in Lake Tanganyika, we performed shape analysis on their craniofacial architecture, and applied a simple lever model to measure asymmetry in lower-jaw mechanics. We found that craniofacial asymmetries were the consequence of sided differences in size and shape of craniofacial elements, and that sided differences in shape predict the lateralization of force and speed of the lower jaw in derived species. Quantitative Trait Locus analysis in Lake Malawi cichlids identified a single locus of major effect for jaw laterality, the first genetic marker …

The Evolution Of Skull Form And Function Among The East African Cichlids Of Lakes Malawi, Victoria, And Tanganyika, Alyssa Mcintyre

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

An animal’s skeletal and muscular structures form a biological machine capable of interacting with its environment. When anatomical form changes the resulting modification in biomechanical function can allow it to occupy a new ecological niche. The cichlid fishes of the major East African Rift Lakes have been frequently regarded as one of the best know examples of adaptive radiations that have produced a large variety of skull shapes in an unusually short span of evolutionary time that has permitted the use of an extremely wide variety of feeding niches. I studied the anatomical diversity of this incredible lineage by dissecting …

The Geographic Distribution Of Polyploidy In A Pacific Northwest Plant, Megan A. Larson

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Polyploidy is an important evolutionary mechanism of speciation in plants. Because polyploids may evolve cryptically, there can be several levels of ploidy in a species. The distribution of polyploid species is the first step in understanding the role of polyploidy in plant speciation. I examined the geographic distribution of polyploidy in Heuchera cylindrica (Saxifragaceae) by using flow cytometry to determine the ploidy level of 595 individuals from 39 populations spread across the geographic range of the species. Only single cytotype populations of diploids or tetraploids were found, and no triploids were observed. In contrast to other studies of polyploid distribution, …

Enhancing Bacterial Expression Of Mammalian Gprotein Coupled Receptors The Creation Of A Proteorhodopsin‐Bovine Rhodopsin Chimera, Chauncey Brown Jr.

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Bovine (cow) rhodopsin is a 7‐transmembrane (7TM), lightabsorbing protein located in rod cells. It is activated by the photoisomerization of retinal, a Vitamin A derivative. This light‐triggered reaction activates the G‐Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR), resulting in a signaling cascade within the cell. When previously cloned in an E. coli expression vector in the Braiman Lab, bovine rhodopsin expression was not successful, possibly due to E. coli’s lack of recognition of the foreign Nterminus portion of the protein, which may be a prerequisite for proper folding and insertion into the membrane. Our proposed solution is to create a chimera protein, replacing …

Characterization Of The Human Mixed Lineage Leukemia Protein Homolog Set1 In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Illona Savich

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Abstract not Included

Transition Of Blame: The Othering Of Aids From Homosexuals To Africans, Claire S. Zillman

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

In 1983, the first year The New York Times wrote more than one story on AIDS — acquired immune deficiency syndrome — the newspaper printed 77 articles that included the word “AIDS” and the word “homosexual.” This total reached its peak in 1987, when 314 articles that included the two words were written. In 1990, this total was down to 109, and at the turn of the century in 2000, only 29 articles that mentioned these two words were published.

Conversely, in 1983, only nine Times articles included “AIDS” and “Africa.” In 1987, when articles about the connection between AIDS …

5/1/2009, Slutzker Center For International Students

Newsletters from Slutzker Center for International Services - SCIS News

No abstract provided.

Rammed Earth Architecture's Journey To The High Hills Of The Santee, Jessica Golebiowski

All Theses

Rammed earth, a form of earthen architecture and construction that has been used for thousands of years, has gone through periods of resurgence and decline. Its modern era rediscovery through practice and publications during the late 18th and early 19th century was fueled by writers and practitioners who disseminated the ideas of pisé starting in France extending to England and eventually to other European countries and the United States. Once these ideas reached America, farmers and intellectuals alike were interested in this simple yet durable means of construction.

Rammed earth ideas, while intellectualized in Europe, originated from practice in Africa …

Effect Of Molecular Weight Reduction By Gamma Irradiation On The Antimicrobial Activity Of Chitosan, Ebuel Sirmats

All Theses

The antimicrobial effectiveness of lower molecular weight (LMW) chitosan solutions was tested against Listeria innocua inoculated on TSA and MOX agar plates by the direct droplet method. The chitosan solutions were prepared by dissolving chitosan in 1% (v/v) acetic acid at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 2.0% and irradiating with Co60 gamma rays ranging from 1 to 20 kGy. MW measurements of chitosan were determined by using HPSEC-MALLS-RI. The MW of chitosan varied from 114.8 kDa to 17.4 kDa and decreased with increasing irradiation dosages. Plate counts on TSA agar from shaker flask assays showed no significant differences among chitosan …

Management Strategies To Improve Development Of Replacement Heifers Utilizing Tall Fescue-Based Systems, Margaret Miller

All Theses

Research was conducted to determine the effect of tall fescue and alternative management regimens on reproduction in replacement beef heifers. Angus _ Simmental heifers (n = 48; 318 ± 4.99 kg initial BW) stratified by weight and pubertal status were assigned to one of three replicated grazing treatments: (1) toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue (TF); (2) toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue with a soybean oil supplement (TFO); or (3) mixed winter annual species (cereal rye, annual ryegrass, crimson clover and hybrid turnip) (M). Tall fescue endophyte infection level was between 74 and 94%. Pastures were grazed from December 12 to April 24. …

Water Quality Guidelines And Water Quantity Analysis With Application To Construction Of A Pilot-Scale Wetland Treatment System, Minh Phung Pham

All Theses

A searchable database consisting of compiled water reuse guidelines was created as a screening tool for decision-analysis for potential beneficial reuse in 1) irrigation, 2) livestock watering, 3) aquaculture, and 4) drinking (potable) water. Data compiled from literature for the four water reuses (FWR) yielded guideline values for over 50 water quality parameters, including concentrations of inorganic and organic constituents as well as general water chemistry parameters. These water quality guidelines can be used to identify constituents of concern in water, to determine levels to which constituents must be treated for water reuse applications, and to assess the suitability of …

Testing The Individual Effective Dose Hypothesis, Hung Vu

All Theses

The assumption of the individual effective dose is the basis for the probit method used for analyzing dose or concentration – response data. According to this assumption, each individual has a uniquely innate tolerance expressed as the individual effective dose (IED) or the smallest dose that is sufficient to kill it. An alternative to IED, stochasticity suggests that individuals do not have uniquely innate tolerance; deaths result from random processes occurring among similar individuals. While the probit method has been used extensively in toxicology the underlying assumption has not been tested rigorously. The goal of this study was to test …

Visual Argument Reconsidered: 'Objective' Theory And A Classical Rhetorical Approach, Daniel Richards

All Theses

Visual argument is a relatively new discipline within the field of visual rhetorics. Consequently, visual rhetoricians have presented new theories of visual argumentation without fully considering the possibilities of existing textual methodologies as explanatory tools—especially classical rhetorical devices. This thesis presents a methodology for examining and creating visual arguments based on the concepts of topoi and figures of speech. I contend that these classical rhetorical devises embody an “objective” understanding of visual communication that shows one way of bridging the empiricism/rationalism debate in epistemology. By demonstrating that knowledge comes from the necessary interplay of perception and conception, I attempt to …

Managing Linepithema Humile (Mayr), The Argentine Ant, In South Carolina State Park Campgrounds, Brittany Ellis

All Theses

Linepithema humile (Mayr), the Argentine ant, is known as a pest in many urban areas of the southeastern United States. In the Piedmont region of South Carolina, there is a documented problem with L. humile invading the campsites of state park campgrounds. While some parks have tried to implement proactive control programs, the most widely used tactic is spraying insecticides when L. humile populations become intolerable to visitors. Although park personnel are treating problem areas with liquid insecticide, park visitors also treat their campsites with insecticidal products, as well as products not labeled for ant control.
Surveys in 2008 showed …

Victims And Aggressors: Black And Jewish Interethnic Relationships In Contemporary American Literature, Jessica Martin

All Theses

Though blacks and Jews are often portrayed together in African-American and Jewish-American writing, the reasons for the juxtapositions are curious. Contemporary authors have created a close relationship between blacks and Jews that, perhaps with the exception of their cooperation during the Civil Rights movement, historically did not exist. But, the relationship between these two groups in literature offers a unique perspective on American racial and ethnic social structures because both blacks and Jews are considered minority groups, yet they also maintain a hierarchical relationship with one another. By employing black and Jewish characters, American writers, especially Jewish-American writers, create a …

The Design, Production And Analysis Of A Realistic Stereo Cg Short Film On A Six Month Budget., Celambarasan Ramasamy

All Theses

The production of stereoscopic CG films poses some interesting challenges, especially for student productions that work under the severe limitations of time and resources. This is mainly due to the non availability of off the shelf production tools catering to stereoscopic CG productions. This work presents the production process of one such student produced stereoscopic short film. The production process is described in detail starting from the initial conception of the narrative plot to the actual production of the film. Finally an experimental technique of using eye tracking as a tool for finding out the effectiveness of the various stereoscopic …

The Cult Of True Motherhood: A Narrative, Jacoba Lynne Mendelkow

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis consists of five chapters including a traditional introduction and four chapters, which investigate cultural interpretations of motherhood within the genre of memoir and personal essay. In the introduction, I discuss my research as it relates to the larger collection and detail how this work is different from other works within the "mother memoir" genre. Chapters II thru V, then, are all essays which begin to explore the major themes of cultural motherhood: ambivalence, loss, legitimacy, morality, and sin. These chapters, especially chapter II, identify and detail the traits of true motherhood as patience, compassion, sacrifice, and strength.

Chapter …

Synthetic Studies Of Laulimalide Analogues, Ian Addison Mcalexander

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Chapter 1 provides some background information on the disease area of cancer and current modes of treatment. Chemotherapy treatment is discussed with a focus on the major cellular targets for these drugs: DNA and microtubules. For each target, classes of active compounds are described along with their mode of action. The microtubule stabilizing agent laulimalide is introduced and a case is made for analogue synthesis.

Chapter 2 describes our first generation efforts toward synthesis of des-methyl laulimalide. The target compound is divided into a northern and southern fragment with the synthesis of each fragment described. The preparation of landmark intermediates …

Pulsed Jet Dynamics Of Squid Hatchlings At Intermediate Reynolds Numbers, Ian K. Bartol, Paul S. Krueger, William J. Stewart, Joseph T. Thompson

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Squid paralarvae (hatchlings) rely predominantly on a pulsed jet for locomotion, distinguishing them from the majority of aquatic locomotors at low/intermediate Reynolds numbers (Re), which employ oscillatory/undulatory modes of propulsion. Although squid paralarvae may delineate the lower size limit of biological jet propulsion, surprisingly little is known about the hydrodynamics and propulsive efficiency of paralarval jetting within the intermediate Re realm. To better understand paralarval jet dynamics, we used digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) and high-speed video to measure bulk vortex properties ( e. g. circulation, impulse, kinetic energy) and other jet features [ e. g. average and …

Perceived Danger And Judged Likelihood Of Restoration, Thomas R. Herzog, Ashley E. Rector

Peer Reviewed Articles

The authors investigated the impact of perceived danger on judged likelihood of restoration. Participants imagined that they were in a state of directed attention fatigue and then that they were taking a walk in a potentially restorative setting. The authors varied two properties of the setting in a factorial design. The setting was either a nature trail or a busy urban street, and it contained either no obvious source of danger or an ominous stalker. Measures of perceived danger and of judged likelihood of restoration were obtained. For both types of measures, in the low-danger condition the two setting categories …

A Community Ecology And Stable Isotope Study Of Plankton, Macroinvertebrate, And Fish Communities Surrounding Groundwater Vents In Lake Huron, Michigan, Thomas Garrison Sanders Jr.

Masters Theses

Extreme environments can create ecotones with uncharacteristic physicochemical conditions and ecological communities. Recently, several submerged sinkholes were discovered in Lake Huron where hypoxic groundwater that is rich with dissolved ions intrudes into surrounding lake water. Researchers have documented large growths of cyanobacteria and chemosynthetic bacteria surrounding these groundwater vents, but little is known if this production is utilized by upper trophic level organisms and how the environmental conditions affect local community density and diversity. My objectives were threefold: (1) I wanted to confirm the presence and describe the nature and extent of chemical and physical gradients in the sublacustrine sinkhole …

Theoretical Analysis Of Alendronate And Risedronate Effects On Canine Vertebral Remodeling And Microdamage, Xiang Wang, Antonia M. Erickson, Matthew R. Allen, David B. Burr, R. Bruce Martin, Scott J. Hazelwood

Biomedical Engineering

Bisphosphonates suppress bone remodeling activity, increase bone volume, and significantly reduce fracture risk in individuals with osteoporosis and other metabolic bone diseases. The objectives of the current study were to develop a mathematical model that simulates control and 1 year experimental results following bisphosphonate treatment (alendronate or risedronate) in the canine fourth lumbar vertebral body, validate the model by comparing simulation predictions to 3 year experimental results, and then use the model to predict potential long term effects of bisphosphonates on remodeling and microdamage accumulation. To investigate the effects of bisphosphonates on bone volume and microdamage, a mechanistic biological model …

Ecological Facilitation May Drive Major Evolutionary Transitions, Zaal Kikvidze, Ragan M. Callaway

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

There is a growing consensus among ecologists that ecological facilitation comprises a historically overlooked but crucial suite of biotic interactions. Awareness of such positive interactions has recently led to substantial modifications in ecological theory. In this article we suggest how facilitation may be included in evolutionary theory. Natural selection based on competition provides a conceptually complete paradigm for speciation, but not for major evolutionary transitions-the emergence of new and more complex biological structures such as cells, organisms, and eusocial populations. We find that the successful theories developed to solve these specific problematic transitions show a consistent pattern: they focus on …

Emotions As An Intervening Variable In The Creative Process, Diego E. Uribe Larach

Creativity and Change Leadership Graduate Student Master's Projects

This thesis explored the impact that emotionally laden stimuli had on individuals’ creative process and creative products as assessed by independent domain experts. Sixtyfive undergraduate students were randomly separated into three treatment conditions and instructed to create an artistic collage composition on the theme of New Year’s Eve. Two of the treatment groups received, in addition to the general instructions set, a text based priming stimulus that was either an emotionally laden narrative or factual narrative about New Year’s Eve. All participants were asked to complete a task reflection questionnaire and the FourSight cognitive style measure. Using the Consensual Assessment …