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An Assessment Of The Biodiversity And Bioremediation Potential Of Distromatic Ulva Spp (Chlorophyta) In The Great Bay Estuarine System Of New Hampshire And Maine, Usa, Laurie Carol Hofmann

Master's Theses and Capstones

Eutrophication of coastal ecosystems is a global problem, and algae have become an important resource for bioremediation. The goals of this study were (1) to assess the biodiversity of Ulva spp. in the Great Bay Estuarine System (GBES) of New Hampshire and Maine, and (2) to assess which Ulva populations are most appropriate for bioremediation by determining if environmental nutrient history and/or taxonomie differences affect ammonium uptake. Molecular analysis of the internal transcribed spacer nrDNA regions of Ulva spp. revealed four distinct distromatic taxa: Ulva lactuca Linnaeus, Ulva rigida C. Agardh, Ulva compressa Linnaeus, and U. pertusa Kjellman. The latter …

Fine-Scale Activity, Distribution And Habitat Utilization Of Atlantic Cod (Gadus Morhua) On The Ipswich Bay Spawning Ground, Laughlin Siceloff

Master's Theses and Capstones

Data storage tags (DSTs) and acoustic telemetry were applied to examine cod spawning habitat utilization in Ipswich Bay and compare seasonal activity patterns. I tagged 200 spawning cod in Ipswich Bay during April--May 2006 with DSTs recording depth and temperature. Twenty-six cod were also implanted with acoustic transmitters and relocated manually and with stationary listening stations during May and June. Twenty-five DSTs were returned, showing that most cod departed the spawning ground during May and June and dispersed throughout the western Gulf of Maine. Cod shared a low vertical activity pattern in Ipswich Bay, but adopted various site-specific vertical behaviors …

Cellulose Hydrolysis By Immobilized T Reesei Cellulase, Paetrice Jones

Master's Theses and Capstones

In the production of cellulosic ethanol, the pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis steps are the most influential in determining final ethanol yield and both steps require lower costs to be economically viable. In this work, the use of an ionic liquid (IL), 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate (EMIM-DEP), as a pretreatment for cellulose as well as four types of immobilized T. Reesei cellulase are investigated. EMIM-DEP is a low viscosity ionic liquid capable of cellulose dissolution. The addition of 2% (v/v) EMIM-DEP during hydrolysis resulted in an initial reaction rate that was 2.7 times higher than hydrolysis rates using no ionic liquid. The …

A Study Of Perceived Actual Versus Expected Roles Of Presidents Of Seventh-Day Adventist Senior Colleges And Universities In Eleven World Administrative Divisions, Sunith Kumar Das

Dissertations

Problem

To date no study has been undertaken with respect to Seventh-day Adventist senior college and university presidents’ actual and expected roles as perceived by the administrative team members and governing board chairs of these institutions. The purpose of this study was to determine the differences between presidents’ actual and expected roles.

Method

This descriptive, exploratory, survey study included a sample (n = 78) of board chairs, presidents, academic vice presidents, student service vice presidents, and finance vice presidents located in 27 senior colleges and universities operated by Seventh-day Adventists in 17 countries, including the U.S.A. Data were collected on …

Palpable Pedagogy: Expressive Arts, Leadership, And Change In Social Justice Teacher Education (An Ethnographic/Auto-Ethnographic Study Of The Classroom Culture Of An Arts-Based Teacher Education Course), Lucy Elizabeth Barbera

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Palpable Pedagogy: Expressive Arts, Leadership, and Change in Social Justice TeacherEducation is an arts-informed ethnographic study of the pedagogy and culture engendered when the expressive arts are employed in social justice teacher education. Palpable Pedagogy is a qualitative study that examines the power of the expressive arts to identify, explore, and address issues of inequity in the context of a social justice teacher education course that I taught over three consecutive years. The literature in the field outlines the essential components for effective social justice teacher education (identity, reflection, and dialogue) and neatly explores them. However, with the exception of …

Anthropogenic Enhancement Of Egypt's Mediterranean Fishery, Autumn J. Oczkowski, Scott W. Nixon, Stephen L. Granger, Abdel-Fattah M. El-Sayed, Richard A. Mckinney

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

The highly productive coastal Mediterranean fishery off the Nile River delta collapsed after the completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1965. But the fishery has been recovering dramatically since the mid-1980s, coincident with large increases in fertilizer application and sewage discharge in Egypt. We use stable isotopes of nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) to demonstrate that 60%–100% of the current fishery production may be from primary production stimulated by nutrients from fertilizer and sewage runoff. Although the establishment of the dam put Egypt in an ideal position to observe the impact of rapid increases in nutrient loading on coastal productivity …

Cultic Allusions In The Suffering Servant Poem (Isaiah 52:13-53:12), Kyesang Ha

Dissertations

This study investigates the Hebrew cultic allusions in the Suffering Servant Poem (Isa 52:13-53:12) in order to discover the nature or meaning of the suffering of Yahweh's Servant. The survey of literature reveals that the background of the Suffering Servant Poem is to be found in the Hebrew cultus. Thus the nature or meaning of the Servant's suffering is determined by a penetrating as well as comprehensive study of the text, specifically from the Hebrew cultic perspective. However, there has never been any careful, comprehensive study of the cultic allusions in the Poem in connection with the Suffering Servant. This …

Intercultural Relationships In Organizational Transformation: A Single Case-Study Of Baptist University Of The Américas, Albert Leonard Reyes

Dissertations

Problem

This study seeks to discover intercultural relationships in organizational transformation during the transition of Hispanic Baptist Theological School, a non- degree-granting institution to Baptist University of the Americas, a degree-granting accredited theological university in light of its 62-year history. Furthermore, it asks whether or not the transformation has made BUA more effective in light of its mission.

Method

An exploratory, qualitative single-case study method with a contextual orientation was used to analyze how a complex and integrated system was transformed. I conducted seven group interviews with students, staff, faculty, alumni, trustees, donors, and denominational representatives and six individual interviews …

Art, Water, And Circles: In What Ways Do Study Circles Empower Artists To Become Community Leaders Around Water Issues, Jill Beth Jacoby

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This research explored the use of study circles as a means of engaging artists in dialogue with their peers about water related concerns. The question driving this research was, “In what ways do study circles empower artists to become community leaders around water issues?” Secondary questions focused on emerging environmental, water, and social justice themes as well as examples of increased water awareness and behavior change occurring as a result of individual participation in the study circles. Artists have a unique way of commanding attention and communicating about environmental concerns while functioning as catalysts for activism on a variety of …

Master Teachers’ Critical Practice And Student Learning Strategies: A Case Study In An Urban School District, Greg G. Paulmann

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Job embedded professional development in the K-12 education setting has long been discussed and debated. This study builds on standards of critical reflection and thinking using the National Institute for Excellence in Education’s Teacher Advancement Program’s master teacher model as a conduit between theory and practice. A study of professional development design based on student learning strategies became worthy of review. The master teacher, through field testing and critical reflection, isolates critical elements necessary to transform teaching practice around student learning strategies. The work of the master teacher is situated as a leader of change within a professional learning community. …

Thankful Learning: A Grounded Theory Study Of Relational Practice Between Master’S Students And Professors, Harriet L. Schwartz

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

No abstract provided.

“Riding Bareback”: Factors Involved In The Development Of A Bareback Identity, Scott Charles Musgrove

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Researchers in the area of HIV prevention have long been aware of the rising incidence of unprotected sex among men who have sex with men (MSM). In recent years researchers have witnessed the emergence of the behaviors, attitudes and practices that discriminate between those of the MSM community who strictly and consistently adhere to safer sex practices, those who inconsistently practice safer sex, and those who eschew protected sex altogether. Understanding the factors that motivate the development and adoption of a "barebacker identity" in spite of serious potential for HIV infection may well help support the efforts of public agencies …

The Invasive Colonial Ascidian Didemnum Vexillum On Georges Bank - Ecological Effects And Genetic Identification, Nicole L. Lengyel, Jeremy S. Collie, Page C. Valentine

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Since the discovery of the invasive colonial tunicate Didemnum vexillum Kott, 2002 on Georges Bank in 2002, research has focused on investigating the spread of the tunicate invasion, evaluating its potential impact on the benthic community, identifying it to species level, and determining its region of origin. The percent cover of Didemnum vexillum, measured from bottom photographs, ranges from 0-100% in individual photos and between 0-79% when averaged within photo transects. Individual photos represent an area of the seabed measuring ~ 0.39 m2 while photo transects range from ~ 700-1000 meters in length. Hydroids are the second most abundant …

Sanctions And International Law (Keynote Address), W. Michael Reisman

Intercultural Human Rights Law Review

Keynote Address by W. Michael Reisman, Myres S. McDougal Professor of International Law at Yale Law School, for the 2008 Intercultural Human Rights Law Review Annual Symposium.

Multi-Objective Network Reliability Optimization Using Evolutionary Algorithms, Franciso Oswaldo Aguirre

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This work presents a new multiple objective evolutionary algorithm to solve three well known network reliability allocation problems considering different conflicting objectives to be optimized simultaneously. The new algorithm is applied in the design of a telecommunication network that is formed for several stations or nodes interconnected by telecommunication links or paths. The problem presented in this work involves finding which links to activate in order to obtain connectivity in the nodes. The number of nodes that need to be connected depends of the case that is being evaluated. The three network reliability problems considered are: all-terminal, k-terminal, and two-terminal. …

Real-Time Image-Based Motion Detection Using Color And Structure, Manali Chakraborty

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Motion detection is an important problem in computer vision and has multiple applications in the real world, including surveillance-related activities, gaming, and human-robot interactions. These systems need to be robust enough to handle fluctuations in light intensity and other external factors like noise and compression artifacts. In this thesis a method is proposed for detecting the regions of motion from a video sequence in real time. The main idea of this work is to detect motion based on both structure and color. Structure-based detection is carried out using information from the Census Transform computed on gradient images obtained with Sobel …

Ms.Ms., Amanda Elvira Cuellar

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

In this paper, the idea that Shakespeare's Caesar is just as Shavian as Shaw's representation of Julius Caesar is explored. In addition, an examination of the characteristics of the Life Force that prevail in Caesar and Cleopatra is presented. I compare these characteristics to the qualities described in Shakespeare's play. Ultimately, both rulers employ the power of the Life Force which exemplifies each man's genius.

Prenatal Physical Activity Patterns And Determinants In An Urban Ecuadorian Population, Erika Gonzalez Beltran

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background & Significance. Evidence has accumulated over the past two decades suggesting that healthy pregnant women who engage in regular moderate physical activity (PA) may reduce their risk for certain adverse pregnancy and postnatal health outcomes. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans which recommends at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity aerobic PA for pregnant women. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG, 2002) recommends 30 min of moderate-intensity PA, specified as derived from recreational or leisure activities on most or all …

Survey Research To Assess Secondary School Teachers' Disposition And Readines For Teaching Mathematics To English Language Learners, Rosa Isela Gonzalez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Our society is built with ethnic minorities who in many cases do not speak English. This is the case of ELL students who need to learn mathematics. ELLs need to learn math and teachers are a major part of that process. The purpose of the study was to identify mathematics teachers' beliefs and teaching practices with respect to ELLs. A survey on ELL Education was administered to 42 grade 6-10 educators who attended a summer inservice in July 2009. The survey questions were then categorized into six groups related to the research questions and analyzed with SPSS to address a …

Youth Movements In Latin America: 20th Century Stories Of Age, Struggle, And Socio-Political Independence, Amaris Delcarmen Guzman

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, the very nature and everyday functions of Latin American governments under dictatorship, authoritarian-like governments, and military regimes were questioned and challenged by many of its citizens, especially its young citizenry. Literary journals and books suggest that many young people in the late 1950's to early 1980's were very aware of their government's practices, did not agree with such practices of the government, and therefore created youth movements in countries as the case in the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Brazil to bring about change. This topic was brought about as an interest to …

Percy Grainger And Ralph Vaughan Williams: A Comparative Study Of English Folk-Song Settings For Wind Band, Shawna Meggan Holtz

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis provides a comparison and study of English folk music collected by composers Percy Grainger and Ralph Vaughan Williams in the early twentieth century. Individuals who played a key role in beginning the folk music collecting movement are discussed, as well as the Folk Song Society's position in regulating and organizing folk-song collecting. A brief biography on Grainger is provided, along with his methods of collecting and setting folk-songs, and his ideas and processes on "free music." Chapters on Ralph Vaughan Williams follow, exploring his folk-song collecting and settings for the church. Grainger and Vaughan Williams' most well-known band …

Reanalysis Of Some Effects Of The Mutual Exclusivity Constraint And Their Operation In Bilingual Children, Marina Kalashnikova

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study investigates the operation of the Mutual Exclusivity constraint in two groups of three-year-old children: monolingual Spanish speakers and bilingual Spanish-English speakers. Previous research has yielded controversial findings regarding the differences in the intra-lingual level operation of the constraint in monolingual and bilingual children. This investigation sheds light on the conflicting outcomes of previous studies by proposing that non-linguistic cognitive and processing abilities may account for the effects attributed to the constraint and that there may be observable differences in monolingual and bilingual children in the development of some--but not all--of these abilities. Although, this study yielded no significant …

The Journey Of An Image: The Western Perception Of Tibet, Diana Martinez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This paper is about how Western travelers perceived Tibetans from 1900 until 1950. It explores the travelogues of Westerners from various national and professional backgrounds to examine how their view of Tibetans had changed.

The Exquisite Pain Of Sunny Afternoons, Jessica Jeanne Miller

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Exquisite Pain of Sunny Afternoons is a novella exploring one young woman's journey through mental illness. She struggles with many delusions and extreme emotional reactions to these delusions until she finds balance. She finds balance, if not total recovery, through the help of her mother and three young Canadian travelers. The novella begins with an escape from a psychiatric hospital to Oaxaca, Mexico.

Hip Hop Rhetoric: Relandscaping The Rhetorical Tradition, Roberto Jose Tinajero Ii

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation is a rhetorical analysis of hip hop music and culture. Chapter 1 focuses on adding hip hop rhetoric to the discussion and terrain of rhetoric and writing studies and to the rhetorical tradition. Chapter 2 uses the rhetorical notion of kairos to discuss the ethos of hip hop culture and discourse. Chapter 3 uses hip hop rhetoric to discuss the tensuous-solidarity between Latinos and African Americans. Chapter 4 focuses on Latino/Borderland Hip Hop and discusses the multi-consciousness of Latino identity. Chapter 5 focuses on Christiian religious imagery in gangsta rap music. There is also a short conclusion.

Vision-Based Virtual Mouse System, Tom Wanjala Watiti

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This thesis describes a virtual mouse system that utilizes machine vision technology to enable a user to navigate through software window screens on a standard personal computer, access and control software, and/or peripheral devices attached to the personal computer. Utilizing the virtual mouse, the user can execute the standard control functions of the system mouse required to perform software application selection functions and navigation tasks without physical interface with the controlled computer. The machine vision algorithm utilizes a set of four simulated photoelectric sensors, with Gaussian filter sensitivities, to compute and track the mouse location. By utilizing Gaussian filters, instead …

Education, Infrastructure, And Regional Income Performance In Arkansas, Phuntsho Wangmo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Patterns And Challenges Of Parenting School-Age Children Among Selected Sub-Saharan African Immigrant Parents In Southwest Michigan: A Multiple-Case Study, Israel M. Kafeero

Dissertations

Problem. Parenting among immigrants presents unique challenges to parents whose cultural orientation is different from the host culture. Because of the meager research literature on immigrant families in the USA, little is known about the phenomenon of parenting among sub-Saharan African immigrant parents. This study investigated the patterns related to the parenting practices of selected sub-Saharan African immigrant parents, how they conduct corrective discipline to their children, and the challenges they face rearing children in Southwest Michigan.

Method. Qualitative research methods including interviews, observations, focus group discussions, and artifact collection were used in this dissertation to generate data. A snowball …

The Development Of An Instrument For K12 Coordinators Implementing Curriculum Videoconferencing And A Model To Predict Utilization Of Videoconferencing, Janine Monica Lim

Dissertations

Problem. The role of the coordinator and factors affecting their ability to support curriculum videoconferencing in relationship to the utilization of videoconferencing in the school have not been thoroughly studied. The focus of this study is the videoconference coordinatorand their influence on the utilization of videoconferencing.

Method. A measure of the usage of curriculum videoconferencing was developed and compared to a multidimensional conceptualization of factors influencing usage. The conceptualization included the development of a K12 Curriculum Videoconferencing Implementation Scale, as well as measures of educational service agency support, technical support, administrative support, and school and demographic variables. Multiple regression analysis …

The School Climate In A K-12 Single-Campus School As Perceived By Students, Graduates, Parents, And Teachers, Albert P. Lindner

Dissertations

Problem. Pressures created by consistently higher expectations of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation are forcing school boards and professional educators to examine current practices and structures in an effort to reach Average Yearly Progress (AYP). The concept of a single-campus K-12 school may be a viable school structure that can provide an optimum learning climate while addressing academic needs to provide a well- rounded education for the children of America.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to closely examine the school climate of a K-12 school that operated as a single entity for 20 years. The intent was …