Digital Commons Network^™

Impact Of Flash Animation In Learning Concepts Of Matter Among Elementary Students, Rhodora S. Santos

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

This study examines the instructional effect of flash animation on students' achievement in learning specific concepts of matter. The subjects used in this study were 5th-grade students of the researcher from Dan Ramirez Elementary. Each class or section of these students was randomly assigned as the control group (n = 20) and the experimental group (n =20). The subjects in the control group were exposed to traditional textbook reading while the subjects in the experimental group were exposed to flash animation. To measure the students' achievement from the concepts learned, a pre-test and a post test were both administered to …

Stress Responses To Salinity In A Native Fresh Water Snake (Nerodia Rhombifer), Joana A. Cordoba

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

Salinity stress at 0 ppt, 9 ppt, 18 ppt, and 27 ppt was investigated in Nerodia rhombifer, a fresh water snake. The purpose of this study was to establish if exposure to salinity could elicit a hormonal response in the form of corticosterone. Salinity treatment 27 ppt was lethal for 50% of the snakes. Factors such as population and gender differences were not significant, p=0.748 and p=0.135, respectively. Exposure to the different salinities did not significantly affect the overall mass of the animal, p=0.951. A significant increase in circulating corticosterone was noted in salinity treatments 0 ppt and 18 ppt, …

Phenotypic And Genetic Differences In Soil Bacterial Communities Among Successional Stages, Rowena A. G. Hamlet

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The association between soil microbes and plants can influence plant growth and survival as well as alter soil microbial community dynamics. The purpose of this study was to determine how the length of this interaction between plants and bacteria affects the bacterial soil community structure. Soil microbial communities associated with plant communities at different successional stages at the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge were investigated. The study sites included three revegetated sites (4 months, 21 months, and 221 months since revegetation) and a control site (native brush, never revegetated). Five soil samples were randomly collected at each site. Soil microbial …

Geography News, V. 32, May 2009, Department Of Geography-Geology, Illinois State University

Geography News

Newsletter of the Illinois State University Department of Geography-Geology

Development And Psychometric Evaluation Of The Provider Response To Emergency Pandemic (Prep) Tool, Linda Suzzanne Good Phd

Dissertations

Background: History and science would suggest that a worldwide influenza pandemic is near and its implications are on the minds of healthcare workers (HCWs). Previous studies revealed that HCW have loss-related fears and concerns associated with working during a disaster, especially one with a biologic component. Most healthcare organizations have well-crafted disaster plans in place; however, these plans often rely on the assumption that HCWs will report to work as usual, which may not be the case. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if HCWs' fears and concerns are a predictor of their willingness to report to …

Influence Of Pictures On Word Recognition, Audrey A. Hazamy

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The picture superiority effect is a well-documented phenomenon that is defined as the superior memory of pictorial stimuli compared to word stimuli. The predominant explanation for this effect is that pictures are encoded more effectively than words, and are therefore able to be better remembered. Research has demonstrated the benefit that pictures provide for remembering words. However, little work has been to done to examine any negative and/or intrusion effects of pictures on memory for words. The current study further explored the picture superiority effect and facilitation effects of pictures on words as well as interference effects of pictures on …

Can We Use Starlings’ Aversion To Eyespots As The Basis For A Novel ‘Cognitive Bias’ Task?, Bo Brilot, Cl Normandale, A Parkin, M Bateson

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Experiments in humans have shown that changes in emotional (affective) state cause adaptive changes in the processing of incoming information, termed "cognitive bias". For instance, the states of anxiety and depression have been shown to be associated with "pessimistic" judgements of ambiguous stimuli intermediate between stimuli associated with positive and negative outcomes. This phenomenon provides a promising method for objectively assessing animal emotional states and has been successfully demonstrated in preliminary studies. However, the experiments yielding these results required extensive training to establish the necessary positive and negative associations. Here we present an experiment using responses to eyespot stimuli that …

Molecular Phylogenetic Analysis Of Novel Spiroplasma Isolates, Haritha Lakshmi Jandhyam

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Spiroplasmas are among the smallest self replicating organisms known. They are helical, motile descendents of Gram-positive bacteria that have evolved to occupy broad host ranges including plants, insects and crustaceans. Spiroplasmas are the causative agent of several economically important agricultural diseases, but most host-microbe interactions appear to be commensal. Given the ubiquitous nature of these microbes, a methodical approach that focused on serologically distinct isolates from a single host family was used as an initial step in understanding spiroplasma diversity and distribution. Tabanid-associated spiroplasmas represent the most thoroughly studied group to date, so this project examined a spiroplasma field isolate …

Effects Of The Polycyclic Musk Hhcb On Individual- And Population-Level Endpoints In Potamopyrgus Antipodarum, Signe Pedersen, Henriette Selck, Daniel Salvito, Valery E. Forbes

Valery Forbes Publications

Although the polycyclic musk 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethylcyclopenta[γ]-2-benzopyran (HHCB) is frequently detected in aquatic sediments, very little is known about its effects on sediment-feeding organisms. Effects of sediment-associated HHCB on growth, feeding rate, survival and reproduction in the gastropod Potamopyrgus antipodarum were measured in the laboratory. Snails were exposed to six nominal HHCB concentrations: 0, 0.1, 1, 10, 30 and 100 μg g−1 dry weight (dw) sediment. Adult survival and growth were not affected by HHCB. However, juvenile growth and survival, reproduction, time to first reproduction and adult feeding rate were more sensitive endpoints and declined with increasing HHCB concentration. Individual-level endpoints for …

A Self-Organizing Neural Network Architecture For Intentional Planning Agents, Budhitama Subagdja, Ah-Hwee Tan

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper presents a model of neural network embodiment of intentions and planning mechanisms for autonomous agents. The model bridges the dichotomy of symbolic and non-symbolic representation in developing agents. Some novel techniques are introduced that enables the neural network to process and manipulate sequential and hierarchical structures of information. It is suggested that by incorporating intentional agent model which relies on explicit symbolic description with self-organizing neural networks that are good at learning and recognizing patterns, the best from both sides can be exploited. This paper demonstrates that plans can be represented as weighted connections and reasoning processes can …

Understanding The Role Of Histones During Chromosome Segregation: A Study Of The Effects Of Histone Gene Dosage In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Rebecca Leigh Danforth

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Chromatin plays a role in all cellular functions that involve DNA. These include, but are not limited to replication, recombination, transcription, and chromosome segregation. Chromosome segregation is an extremely well conserved cellular process and is essential for maintaining the genetic integrity of a cell. There is very strong evidence indicating that chromatin structure is critical for maintaining the fidelity of chromosome transmission, but its specific role(s) in this process remains unclear. Chromatin is comprised of arrays of nucleosomes that serve to compact DNA. These nucleosomes consist of 146 bp of DNA that is wrapped around a histone octamer; two each …

2009 May, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for May of 2009.

Annotation Consistency Tool: The Assessment Of Jcvi Microbial Genome Annotations, Rhea I. Sanchez

Theses

BRC-Pathema is one of eight National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Bioinformatics Resource Centers. It consists of sophisticated, clade-specific Web resources targeting the data and analysis needs of different scientific communities. Among those resources are sophisticated bioinformatics software, a comprehensive library of scientific literature, and manually curated data. Periodical evaluations by the BRC-Central determine Pathema's level of completeness, accuracy, and consistency. The results of these evaluations have revealed the need to develop customized tools for the maintenance of acceptable levels of accuracy and consistency within Pathema's curated databases of annotated microbial genomes. The Annotation Consistency Tool, or ACT, …

Factors Promoting Variation In Feeding Morphology Of Larval Southern Toads (Bufo Terrestris), Matthew C. Schacht

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Larval anurans exhibit morphological plasticity in response to environmental conditions. However, the effect of the environment on morphological traits associated with feeding has been understudied. The purpose of this study was to: 1) determine if diet composition and feeding behavior affect chondrocranial morphology and denticle length of Southern toads (Bufo terrestris) in a laboratory setting, and 2) evaluate the potential for light intensity to affect chondrocranial morphology, denticle length, size, and developmental time of B. terrestris raised in three different shade environments. Linear and geometric morphometrics were used to quantify chondrocranial morphology for a group of specimens representing a range …

Folic Acid And Vitamin B6 Deficiencies Related Hyperhomocysteinemia In Apparently Healthy Pakistani Adults; Is Mass Micronutrient Supplementation Indicated In This Population, Perwaiz Iqbal, Bo S Lindblad, Naseema Mehboobali, Farzana A Yusuf, Abrar H Khan, Saleem Perwaiz Iqbal

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

OBJECTIVE: To determine the plasma/serum levels of homocysteine, and vitamins folate, B6 and B12, in Pakistani healthy adults.STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: The Aga Khan University, from October 2006 to April 2008.METHODOLOGY: Fasting levels of plasma/serum folic acid, pyridoxal phosphate (PLP), vitamin B12 and homocysteine were determined in 290 apparently healthy hospital personnel from institutions in two cities of Pakistan. Spearman correlation test and linear regression analysis was conducted.RESULTS: There were 219 males and 71 females with mean age of 46+/-10.5 years and mean body mass index of 23.5 +/-3.8. Mean plasma homocysteine levels in Pakistani normal …

Sharing Hierarchical Mobile Multimedia Content Using The Mobitop System, Quang Minh Nguyen, Thi Nhu Quynh Kim, Dion Hoe-Lian Goh, Ee-Peng Lim, Yin-Leng Theng, Kalyani Chatterjea, Chew-Hung Chang, Aixin Sun, Khasfariyati Razikin

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We introduce MobiTOP (Mobile Tagging of Objects and People), a map-based application which allows users to contribute and share geo-referenced multimedia annotations via mobile devices. An important feature of MobiTOP is that annotations are hierarchical, allowing annotations to be annotated to an arbitrary depth. MobiTOP's interface was designed using a participatory design methodology to ensure that the user interface meets the needs of potential users. In an evaluation, a group of student-teachers involved in a geographical field study were tasked to collaboratively identify rock formations using the MobiTOP system. The students who were in the field were guided by their …

Exploring Contexts Of Ubiquitous Structures, Heidi Marie Leuven

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The following is the written source of my ideas and the execution of their place in my work used for my MFA thesis exhibition. In this body of work, I have approached the same subject matter -- social structures -- through various techniques and media. I have chosen this subject matter after consistently observing and experiencing people base social decisions not on their own personal intuition, but on that which is dictated by any number of social pressures they are presented with. I represent these social structures metaphorically through arrangements of grids and lines. Artists and philosophers whose work has …

Role Perceptions Of Georgia High School Principals In Light Of Requirements Of No Child Left Behind: A Qualitative Profile Of Experiences, Ja'net S. Bishop

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Georgia high school principals are under extreme pressure to meet new education standards through No Child Left Behind, such as ensuring and improving teacher quality, meeting and exceeding state mandated testing, increasing graduation and graduation rates, and meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP). The role of principal is important in an effective school where student achievement is occurring. The perceived implications of the principals’ roles may also impact how efficiently they can improve student achievement in their schools. Principals’ perceptions of their roles, and their perceived changes in their roles, may have an effect on how they address achievement in their …

Effects Of Teaching Styles On Male Achievement In Single-Sex And Co-Educational Classrooms In Selected School Districts In Georgia, Soundra L. Bronson-Pollacks

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of teaching styles on male achievement in single-sex and co-educational classrooms in selected middle schools in Georgia. The researcher used the Grasha Teaching Styles Inventory Version 3.0 to measure relationships between male achievement and teaching styles in single-sex and co-educational classrooms. The population of this study consisted of 16 teachers and 169 students in three middle schools located in Georgia. The survey identified characteristics of each category of teaching style. The teaching styles for this study were Expert, Formal Authority, Personal Model, Delegator, and Facilitator. These styles were considered to …

Biomersa: The Biology Media Repository With Semantic Augmentation, Adam Cornwell

Theses

With computers now capable of easily handling all kinds of multimedia files in vast quantity, and with the Internet now well-suited to exchange these files, we are faced with the challenge of organizing this data in such a way so as to make the information most useful and accessible. This holds true as well for media pertaining to the field of biology, where multimedia is particularly useful in education, as well as in research. To help address this, a software system with a Web-based interface has been developed for improving the accuracy and specificity of multimedia searching and browsing by …

The Chakra Energy System And Art Therapy: A Heuristic Study, Linda Scalise

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

The chakra system, an Eastern philosophy relating to an individual’s health, energy, and consciousness, has been integrated into the healing practices of psychology, meditation, yoga, and alternative medicine. Dale (2005), Judith (1996), and Myss (1996) described the chakra energy system as focal points embedded within the human energy system that regulate all components of the self. Researchers in complementary therapies and energy medicine have long been interested in how the integration of this system affects the progression of disease, human behavior, and emotional disturbances. However, although rich in symbolism and metaphor, no literature has been found demonstrating the use of …

Attachment Styles And Children In Foster Care: A Study Involving Art Therapy Evaluation, Abigail Johnson

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

This case study explored the attachment style and perceptions of family, from the perspective of children in the foster care system, through the use of art therapy evaluative methods. The participants for this study included two half-sisters in the second and fourth grades. The Art Therapy-Projective Imagery Assessment (AT-PIA) was adapted and used to construct a well-rounded understanding of each client. Within the adapted AT-PIA, the Human Figure Drawing and the Bird’s Nest Drawing were evaluated using rating schemes. A dyad session was held with the two participants, where a Safe Place Sculpture was created. Review of the artwork revealed …

Life Drawing With Gross Anatomy Medical Students And Implications For Art Therapy, Elliott Addesso

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

It is important to incorporate humanities training into medical education in order to enhance the potential for humane and ethical interactions among physicians. In this study, a life drawing studio course was led by an art therapy graduate student to explore the effects of a life drawing course on medical students concurrently enrolled in Gross Anatomy. Based on students’ perceptions of their experience in the life drawing class, theoretical implications for the practice of art therapy in studio applications were discussed.

Five medical students participated in the course on a voluntary, non-credit basis. The course consisted of seven meetings and …

Exploring American Indian Adolescents’ Needs Through A Community-Driven Study, Emily Gordon Basto

EVMS School of Health Professions Theses & Dissertations

The current higher rates of substance use and abuse for Native American adolescents compared to non-Natives is an issue that requires attention. There are a variety of risk factors that lead to this current situation, including discrimination and acculturation pressures. Past treatment options have been limited with American Indians and have not incorporated community involvement. Art therapy has been utilized in substance abuse programs and with American Indian populations; however, art therapy has been limited in taking a community-driven approach. As art therapy and community involvement are seen as culturally relevant, together they may serve as a model for assessing …

The Effects Of Climate Variability On The Structure Of The Phytoplankton Community In Tumaco Bay, Colombia, Ingrid Garcia-Hansen Honkala

Dissertations

Spatiotemporal variability in the diatom and dinoflagellate community structure and chlorophyll a (chl a) concentrations in Tumaco Bay during the 1993-2005 period was related clearly to seasonal and interannual variability in environmental conditions due to the migration of the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITZC) and the influence of El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. A total of 134 species of diatoms that belong to 57 genera, and 78 species of dinoflagellates that belong to 25 genera were identified during the survey. The diatom community was the dominant group in the waters of the bay, being the most abundant with the greatest …

Gender, Mathematics, Reading Comprehension And Science Reasoning As Predictors Of Science Achievement Among African-American Students At A Historical Black College Or University, Consuella Artiemese Davis

Dissertations

This study investigated predictors that influence the science achievement of African-American non-science majors in a Physical Science class. The population consisted of male and female college students enrolled in Physical Science courses at a historical black college or university (HBCU) located in the southeastern portion of the United States. A personal data information sheet was administered to 120 participants during the Fall of 2008. The personal data information sheet consisted of questions pertaining to the high school courses, students took in math, language arts and science. It also consisted of basic background information. Students also gave written consent for their …

Molecular Interactions Involved In The Biogenesis Of Bacterial Microcompartments, Balaraj Balaram Menon

Dissertations

This study was undertaken with the goal of gaining better insights into the assembly pathway of carboxysomes and related polyhedra. Aside from their similarity in size and shape, all known microcompartments package enzymes that mediate key reactions of metabolic pathways [1]. It remains unclear whether the sequestered enzymes participate in microcompartment assembly and/or contribute to the overall shape of the polyhedra. Genetic studies in Salmonella enterica have suggested that the shells of organelles involved in propanediol utilization assemble in the absence of encapsulated enzymes [2]. In this study, in vivo yeast two-hybrid screens, involving components of the ethanolamine utilization (Eut) …

The Effects Of Dolphin Education Programs On Visitors' Conservation-Related Knowledge, Attitude And Behavior, Lance Joseph Miller

Dissertations

Zoological institutions typically exhibit dolphins in educational programs such as dolphin shows and interaction programs. The goal of these programs is to entertain visitors while increasing their conservation-related knowledge, attitude and behavior towards dolphins and the marine environment. The purpose of the current study was to examine dolphin shows and interaction programs in terms of their effectiveness in meeting these goals. A multi-institutional study was conducted at six different facilities throughout the United States. A repeated measures design was used to examine the knowledge, attitude and behavior of visitors before, immediately after and three months following participation in dolphin shows …

African-American College Student Attitudes Toward Physics And Their Effect On Achievement, Carl Timothy Drake

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors affecting the attitudes that African-American college students have towards introductory college physics. The population targeted for this study consisted of African-American males and females enrolled in introductory college physics classes at an urban public historical black college or university (HBCU) located in the southeastern United States. Nine of the Fennema- Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scales, modified for physics, were used to analyze the attitudes of the 135 participants enrolled in an introductory college physics class. The nine scales used to measure the students' attitudes were Attitude Toward Success in Physics Scale (AS), …

Design, Synthesis, And Film Formation Of Fluorine Containing Colloidal Dispersions, Anuradha Misra

Dissertations

Fluoropolymers (FPs) have been subject of interest for many years, however due to extreme synthetic and processing conditions their applications have been limited. This dissertation focuses on design and synthesis of fluorine containing colloidal dispersions to advance limited knowledge and to gain further understanding of fluorine containing colloidal dispersions. Fluoroacrylates and fluoro methacrylates consisting of varying chain length of perfluoroalkyl side chain were copolymerized with methylmethacrylate (MMA) and n-butylacrylate (n-BA) under aqueous environment utilizing phospholipids (PLs) as dispersing agent. Morphologies of colloids, coalescence, and film formation processes after water evaporation was investigated using various microscopic probes such as transmission electron …