Digital Commons Network^™

Migration, Food And Cultural Production Across Changing Afro-Ecuadorian Geographies, Amelia J. Swinton

Honors Theses

The human geography of Ecuador is changing. Urban Afro-Ecuadorians now outnumber those living in the two rural regions that have been the ancestral homelands of the population. This physical transformation assaults Ecuador's historically racialized geography, which conflated cities, modernity and white-mestizo identity. Though Afro-Ecuadorians living in the rural north had previously been physically and figuratively located outside of the national project, Ecuador’s new constitution has sought to reverse this institutionalized exclusion. National belonging has been reframed through the concept of interculturality, which recognizes diversity and equality at the same time. I conducted two periods of fieldwork in the north-central Chota …

On Perfect Friendship: An Outline And A Guide To Aristotle's Philosophy Of Friendship, Kristen Psaty

Honors Theses

Providing insight into such timeless questions as: What is friendship? Are the best friends similar or dissimilar? and Does having friends make you a better person?, the paper addresses the importance of friendship for Aristotle, but also for the modern reader as well. A topic of special philosophical concern, Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) considered friendship to be necessary in achieving a virtuous and fulfilling life. Consequently, he wrote more about friendship than any other virtue he presented. This paper lays the foundation for understanding Aristotle’s philosophy of friendship as well as its position within his larger moral schema. The image of …

The Wheat Bzip Factor, Taabf1, Mediates Aba-Induced Gene Expression In Bombarded Barley Aleurone Layers, Benjamin R. Keyser

Honors Theses

The plant hormone Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a central role in maturation and germination in seeds, as well as mediating adaptive responses to abiotic environmental stresses. ABA induces the expression of many genes, including late-embryogenesis-abundant genes such as HVA1. To elucidate the ABA signaling pathway leading to HVA1 expression, we focus on the bZIP factor TaABF1. Analysis of the interplay between ABA and TaABF1 in the aleurone cells of imbibing cereal grains indicated that the two are not additive in their induction of the HVA1 promoter. A synthetic ABA analog, PBI-51, did not specifically inhibit the effect of exogenous ABA …

The Differential Roles Of D-Pax2 Variants In Regulating Drosophila Eye And Bristle Development, Colin J. O’Shea

Honors Theses

The ability to appropriately interact with the environment is crucial to an organism’s survival. The establishment of functional sensory systems, such as the bristles and eyes in Drosophila, is a critical event during the development of the organism. The transcription factor D Pax2 is involved in the differentiation of the shaft and glial cells in the developing bristle (Kavaler et al., Dev, 126:2261-2272, 1999) and of the cone and primary pigment cells in the developing eye (Fu and Noll, Genes Dev, 11:389-405, 1997). How D-Pax2 contributes to distinct differentiative pathways in different cell types is not known. Recent work by …

The Role Of Taabf1 In Abscisic Acid-Mediated Suppression Of 𝒶-Amylase Gene Expression In Cereal Grains, Lauren J. Harris

Honors Theses

The phytohormones gibberellin (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA) regulate important developments events in germinating seeds. Specifically, GA induces the expression of hyrolase genes, like the α-amylase gene Amy32b, which mobilizes starch reserves to be used by the embryo, and ABA suppresses this induction. Recent advancements identified ABA and GA receptors and key components in the signaling pathways, however, the mechanism of crosstalk between the hormones remains largely unknown. To further elucidate the mechanism of ABA suppression of GA-induced genes, we focused on the transcription factor TaABF1, a member of the ABA response element binding factor family. TaABF1 has been shown …

Patterns Of Apoptotic Poly(Adp-Ribose) Polymerase Cleavage Induced By Laromustine And Its Analogs, Adam N. Paine

Honors Theses

The anticancer prodrug Laromustine (VNP40101M) has produced promising remission rates in clinical trials among leukemic patients relative to currently available chemotherapeutics. Such improvements demand that the agent’s mechanism of action be elucidated. This study aimed to determine the role of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) in Laromustine-induced cell death. Previous studies indicated that the methyl isocyanate produced upon activation of Laromustine is largely responsible for its effective induction of apoptosis. Results reported herein strongly support the activation of a PARP-dependent apoptotic pathway by Laromustine’s carbamoylating and chlorethylating subspecies. Furthermore, it is evident that the Laromustine-induced PARP-dependent apoptosis is primarily attributable to methyl …

Soviet Education: Communism In The Classroom, Alison W. Berryman

Honors Theses

My thesis examines the Soviet Union’s educational system during Stalin’s rule. It proves that the goal of the Soviet educational system in the 1920s and 1930s was to instill strong Communist loyalty from a very early age and to expedite the process of industrialization by educating future workers in “socially useful” labor.

A Disappearing Boundary?: The Changing Distinction Between Combatants And Civilians From The First World War To The Present Day, Aimee Kidder

Honors Theses

The issue of terrorism has stimulated intellectual debate regarding the rights and protections that should be afforded to civilians. However, the practice of targeting noncombatants in warfare extends far beyond terrorism and has roots deep in the historical past. This study looks at violence against civilians over a series of case studies from the First and Second World Wars as well as the French-Algerian War of the 1950s and 1960s. By looking at the changing legal distinctions between combatants and noncombatants, the study first establishes a trend in international law toward increasing protection of civilians. Yet, these legal advances are …

The Need For Heightened Procedural Due Process Protection In Juvenile Sex Offender Adjudications In South Dakota: An Analysis Of The People In The Interest Of Z.B., Krista L. Schram

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Dramatically Narrowing Rfra's Definition Of Substantial Burden In The Ninth Circuit - The Vestiges Of Lyng V. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association In Navajo Nation Et Al. V. United States Forest Service Et Al., Zackeree S. Kelin, Kimberly Younce Schooley

South Dakota Law Review

No abstract provided.

Alterations In Serum Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase And C-Terminal Telopeptide Of Type I Collagen In Experimental Canine Osteotomies Fixed Using 2 Different Techniques, Michail Paskalev, Svetozar Krastev

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The aim of the present study was to monitor serum tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and C-terminal telopeptide fragments of type I collagen (CTX) over time in canine experimental osteotomies fixed using 2 osteosynthesis techniques, to determine the relevance of both markers in monitoring bone healing, and to investigate the influence of the 2 osteosynthesis techniques on their concentrations. Transperiosteal osteotomy of the diaphyses of the right tibia and fibula was performed in 12 dogs. The dogs were then randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: group 1 (6 dogs) underwent osteotomy fixed with intramedullary osteosynthesis (IMO) and group 2 (6 …

Anatomical Study Of The Brain Of The African Ostrich, Ke-Mei Peng, Yueping Feng, Gaoying Zhang, Huazhen Liu, Hui Song

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

The anatomical characteristics of the African ostrich brain were investigated in this study. The average weight, length, and width of the total brain are 26.34 g, 59.26 mm, and 42.30 mm, respectively. The cerebellum appears relatively well developed and obviously protrudes dorsally. The posterior superior part of the cerebellar vermis almost forms an angle of 130°. The ostrich brain has many more transverse fissures of the cerebellar vermis than do the brains of domestic fowls. Therefore, the surface area of the African ostrich's cerebellum is larger. The formation of the cerebrum is an obtuse triangle. Its surface is smooth, without …

A Staining Method For Determining Severity Of Tension Wood, Ayşe Di̇lek Doğu, Michael Grabner

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Tension wood is considered to be an important defect by the wood processing industries. A considerable amount of research has been done to determine the presence and structure of tension wood; however, there is a need to find a quick, practical, and applicable method to evaluate the severity of tension wood. This study investigated whether zinc-chlorine-iodide (Herzberg reagent) could be applied in determination of tension wood severity. Fagus sylvatica L. (beech wood), Populus alba L. (poplar wood), and Quercus robur L. and Quercus rubra L. (oak wood) species were used in this study. The results were compared with safranin/astra blue …

Identification Of Babesia And Theileria Species In Small Ruminants In Central Anatolia (Turkey) Via Reverse Line Blotting, Abdullah İnci̇, Anil İça, Alparslan Yildirim, Önder Düzlü

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study was conducted between January 2006 and September 2008 to identify Babesia and Theileria species in sheep and goats in Central Anatolia via reverse line blotting (RLB). In total, 421 sheep and 152 goats were randomly selected from herds located in Kayseri, Yozgat, and Sivas provinces (all in central Turkey). The amplified hypervariable V4 region of the 18S rRNA gene of ovine piroplasm species, including Theileria lestoquardi, T. ovis, Babesia ovis, B. motasi, and B. crassa, was hybridized against species-specific probes. Theileria ovis and B. ovis were observed in the study animals. Among the 573 small ruminants included in …

Evaluation Of Fertilizing Schemes For Direct-Seeding Rice Fields In Taihu Lake Basin, China, Yong Li, Lin Zhang Yang, Chao Wang

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Field experiments were performed to identify an effective fertilizing scheme for direct-seeding rice (DSR) fields in the Taihu Lake Basin in east China. Based on local traditions, 3 typical fertilizing schemes (FS-1, FS-2, and FS-3) were evaluated, in consideration of ensuring a certain rice yield and relatively low nitrogen (N) loss. The base, seedling, tillering, jointing, and panicle fertilizers for FS-1 were all 20% of 270 kg N ha^{-1}, those for FS-2 were 30%, 30%, 0%, 25%, and 15% of 270 kg N ha^{-1}, and 15%, 20%, 25%, 20%, and 20% of 220 kg N ha^{-1} for FS-3, respectively. The …

Tapping Environmental History To Recreate America’S Colonial Hydrology, Christopher L. Pastore, Mark B. Green, Daniel J. Bain, Andrea Muñoz-Hernandez, Charles J. Vörösmarty, Jennifer Arrigo, Sara Brandt, Jonathan M. Duncan, Francesca Greco, Hyojin Kim, Sanjiv Kumar, Michael Lally, Anthony J. Parolari, Brian Pellerin, Nira Salant, Adam Schlosser, Kate Zalzal

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

To properly remediate, improve, or predict how hydrological systems behave, it is vital to establish their histories. However, modern-style records, assembled from instrumental data and remote sensing platforms, hardly exist back more than a few decades. As centuries of data is preferable given multidecadal fluxes of both meteorology/climatology and demographics, building such a history requires resources traditionally considered only useful in the social sciences and humanities. In this Feature, Pastore et al. discuss how they have undertaken the synthesis of historical records and modern techniques to understand the hydrology of the Northeastern U.S. from Colonial times to modern day. Such …

It's Not Catharsis, It's Cognition: A New Approach To Emotion In Composition, Caronia (Nia) Klein

Masters Theses

Therapeutic writing, or writing as a method of emotional healing, seeks to facilitate psychological healing through self-discovery as a result of analyzing, interpreting, and making conclusions about challenging life experiences. Likewise, in composition theory, expressivist, feminist, and collaborative pedagogies advocate the empowerment of students through discovery and articulation of voice as a way to make meaning and develop as persons and students. Both approaches to writing foreground the use of personal experience as a way to process the external world through the emotional landscape of the writer, yet critics ofemotionally expressive writing decry its usefulness to composition pedagogy because of …

Genre Awareness In The Writing Center, Ashok Bhusal

Masters Theses

This thesis explores how genre theory is represented in writing center scholarship and practice by analyzing tutor training textbooks and also doing a case study of the EIU Writing Center to examine how genre awareness is perceived by writing consultants. This study concludes that increased awareness of genre features should influence the practice of writing consultants and writing centers. Based on the two surveys from my case study, the EIU Writing Center consultants did not appear to have a strong understanding of genre theory since their practicum course (English 5500) and tutor training textbooks have not explicitly provided them with …

War And The Sentimental Past: Memory And Emotion In The Aftermath Of The Franco-Prussian War, Chad R. Cussen

Masters Theses

This thesis argues that the Franco-Prussian War provoked strong emotional responses that were encoded in the memory of the war. The management of this emotional response represented an important aspect for the establishment of the Third Republic's legitimacy. By uniting French citizens through a public memory of the warby means of commemorations, funerals, and narratives among others-the Third Republic fostered an intense national consciousness that emerged as a feature of French identity. In contrast to Eugen Weber's influential work Peasants Into Frenchmen, which emphasizes the development of "Frenchness" through interactions in social institutions such as the military and the educational …

Gender Identity Development In Male Student Leaders At A Midwestern University, Kolin R. Straub

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning that college male student leaders make of their gender development. Grounded theory methodology was used to gather information through in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed to form a working model of the data found. Participants were males in elected leadership positions. The study took place at a comprehensive mid-size Midwestern Public University.

Findings indicated participants felt an increased sense of responsibility from being in a leadership positions. They believed that respect, responsibility, and accountability were key factors in leadership. The participants constructed an ideal male that included breadwinning for a household, …

Examining Industry Concentration In The Plant Biotechnology Sector, Heather Renee Williams

Masters Theses

The core focus of this research is to recognize industry concentration in the plant biotechnology sector. The literature review examines institutional dynamics affecting the industry - discussing the importance of innovation, and how the government can influence the industry to remain competitive. An examination of a few key firms' history and evolution helps explain the structure of the plant biotech industry. The research also provides examples of what crops are being altered using biotechnology, and why companies are willing to spend money to gain the rights to this research. This article compiles plant biotechnology US field trial data from 2000 …

The Seasonality Of Parasites In Illinois House Sparrows (Passer Domesticus): Effect Of Stress On Infection Parameters, Tiffany C.M. Gibson

Masters Theses

Parasitism often shows seasonal variation in their hosts and has been associated with host densities, host stress levels or transmission strategies (Moller et al 2003, Andersen and May 1982 ). This study was designed to evaluate the role of direct versus indirect life cycle transmission strategies, using Isospora and haemosporidians; and the impact of proposed ecological (winter) and physiological (breeding) stresses on parasitism levels. Coccidia have direct life cycles and infect gut tissues and are passed by fecal-oral transmission. Haemosporidians are blood parasites with an indirect life cycle that requires blood-feeding insects for transmission. If parasitemias are influenced by host …

Multiple Endpoints Of Endocrine Disruption In Gravid Watersnakes (Colubridae:Nerodia) As A Function Of Ingestion Of A Common Herbicide, Lorin Anne Neuman-Lee

Masters Theses

Ecotoxicological studies that focus on a single endpoint might not accurately represent the true ecological effects of a contaminant. Exposure to atrazine, a widelyused herbicide, disrupts endocrine function and sexual development in amphibians, but studies involving reptilian species are lacking. This study examines several effects of atrazine ingestion on gravid females and neonates exposed in utero of the Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon). Twenty-five gravid N. sipedon were collected and kept in the lab for the entirety of their gestation period. Each snake received one of four doses of atrazine: control, 2, 20, or 200 ppb. Blood samples were drawn each …

A Spatially Explicit Model To Predict Radiocesium Body Burdens In White-Tailed Deer On The Department Of Energy's Savannah River Site, Christopher W. Bobryk

Masters Theses

A spatially explicit exposure model was developed to interpolate and predict radiocesium (137Cs) body burdens found in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) on the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site (SRS) in west-central South Carolina. Since 1965 hunting has been allowed from permanent stands as a mechanism to manage the herd and all animals have been monitored in the field for gross beta/gamma activity levels providing a long-term spatially explicit dataset. Until now no study has attempted to model deer 137Cs at the hunt-stand level, but rather at the compartment level (1,000 - 5,200 ha). The models described here use …

The Spatial Distribution Of Japanese Beetles, Popillia Japonica, In Soybean Fields, Stacey A. Sara

Masters Theses

The Japanese beetle, Popilliajaponica Newman, is a serious pest of many agricultural and horticultural plants. Little is known about the distributions of Japanese beetles in agricultural fields which makes pest managyment more difficult. We studied the spatial distribution of Japanese be~tles in soybean fields. In particular, we examined how distance from an edge, edge direction, and edge type affected the distribution and abundance of beetles. Twenty-five soybean fields were transected parallel with the field edges at varying distances from the field edges and sampled for beetles. An edge effect for density was discovered; beetle numbers decreased significantly with increasing distance …

Prey Preference As A Function Of Feeding Experience And Prey Type In Neonate Gartersnakes (Colubridae: Thamnophis), Kathryn B. Hale

Masters Theses

Several species of potential prey have been introduced into the geographic range of the Two-striped Gartersnake, Thamnophis hammondii. Some of these prey species possess defenses that present novel challenges to the snake predator. Despite novel predator defense mechanisms (including secretions from skin glands), adult T. hammondii ingest several of these prey species without adverse effects. Although ~dult T hammondii are dietary generalists, almost nothing is known about prey preferences in newborn individuals that lack feeding experience. My study determined whether or not T. hammondii innately exhibits a preference among native and introduced prey types. Furthermore, I compared the degree of …

A Model Cost Analysis Comparing Solar, Wind And Geothermal Energies, Including Alternatives To Changing Energy Sources, Using Texas Households And Weather, Kimberly Speed

Masters Theses

The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of2008 (P.L. 110-343) provides several incentives and tax credits for Americans interested in investing in alternative energy resources. Solar, wind, and. geothermal systems receive the most tax credits due to their low carbon output, but a determination must be made as to which resource is the most accessible and economically feasible. The State of Texas was used as a model for comparing the three renewable energy resources through analysis of weather variables, geological features, resource availability, amount of energy harvested in relation to equipment, and installation and maintenance costs.

All three energy systems have positive …

The Best Predictors Of Self-Reported Depressed Mood In Adolescents, Melissa H. Wineberg

Masters Theses

The present study examined multiple predictors of depression simultaneously in order to determine which variables best predict self-reported depressed mood in adolescents. Although the current literature has identified several individual variables and their relationship to depression in adolescents, few studies have investigated multiple variables at the same time in relation to depression. Participants included 4,693 high school students from a Midwestern state. Of these students, 4 7% were girls, 4 7% were boys, and 6% did not indicate their gender. These students attended various high schools across seven counties and were recruited for a health prevention program called I Sing …

Behavioral Mediators And Moderators Of Adolescent Victimization And Suicidal Behavior, Brett J. Litwiller

Masters Theses

This study examined the relationship between victimization and suicide in adolescents. It was hypothesized that substance use, violent behavior, and risky sexual behavior would all increase adolescent suicide risk and mediate the relationship between adolescent victimization and suicide. It was further hypothesized that parental support, dietary nutrition, and physical activity would decrease suicide risk and moderate the relationship between adolescent victimization and adolescent suicide. To test these hypotheses, selfreport surveys were administered to 4,700 public high school students. Regression analyses of data indicated that the amount of victimization significantly predicted the amount of suicidal behavior reported. Similarly, substance use, violent …

Introduction: Protistan Biology, Horizontal Gene Transfer, And Common Descent Uncover Faulty Logic In Intelligent Design, Avelina Espinosa

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

THE International Society of Protistologists (ISOP) organized a pre-meeting workshop entitled ‘‘Horizontal Gene Transfer and Phylogenetic Evolution Debunk Intelligent Design,’’ as part of the 1st North American Section meeting held June 11–13, 2009, at Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI, USA. This workshop focused on the acceptance of Darwinian evolution in the United States and the role of intelligent design (ID) in the ongoing controversy between scientific knowledge and popular belief. Intelligent design, a doctrine born in the 1980s, proposes that a ‘‘Designer’’ is responsible for the complexity in biological systems and that Darwinism cannot explain holistically the origin and evolution …