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Demographics, Self-Efficacy, And Engagement Of First-Generation Students Enrolled In Online Community College Classes In Arkansas, James Christopher Boyett

Student Theses and Dissertations

Students whose parents did not attend college, known as "first generation students," have been studied extensively. Meanwhile, many researchers have examined students taking online courses. However, little has been done to focus on the intersection of these two fields of research - first generation students who take online courses. This study of students enrolled in Arkansas community college online courses focused on the following research questions: (1) What percentage of community college general education online students are first generation (FG) students? (2) How does the demographic background of FG online students compare to non-first generation (NFG) online students? (3) How …

A Study Of Genetic Structuring For Southern California Populations Of The Polychaete Nereis Grubei Using Inter Simple Sequence Repeats, Jignesh Anantray Chandarana

Student Theses and Dissertations

Members of the family Nereididae, including Nereis grubei, have a unique reproductive pattern among polychaetes- they reproduce a single time and possess a short larval period (4-5 days). This limits their potential to transmit their alleles to the next generation. Ocean currents also impact the magnitude and direction of gene flow. This study sampled 252 Nereis grubei from five coastal sites along southern California, two Channel Islands (Santa Cruz and Santa Catalina islands) and one central Mexico population using Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSRs). Genetic diversity as measured by number of loci had a mean of 32, and expected heterozygosity …

Watershed Retrofit And Management Evaluation For Urban Stormwater Management Systems In North Carolina, Kathy M. Debusk, William F. Hunt, Upton Hatch, Olha Sydorovych

Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education

In response to water quality concerns in the Jordan Lake Reservoir and state and federal mandates, several cities in North Carolina are being required for the first time to reduce nutrient loads in stormwater from previously developed lands; that is, install retrofits. It is anticipated that similar requirements will become necessary for other urban areas in North Carolina. The goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of alternative approaches to stormwater management for existing developments within North Carolina cities. Geographic coverage of the study included a portion of the New Hope Creek watershed, located within the City of …

The Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Magnesium Transporter Mgte Inhibits Transcription Of The Type Iii Secretion System, Gregory G. Anderson, Timothy L. Yahr, Rustin R. Lovewell, George A. O'Toole

Dartmouth Scholarship

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that causes life-long pneumonia in individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). These long-term infections are maintained by bacterial biofilm formation in the CF lung. We have recently developed a model of P. aeruginosa biofilm formation on cultured CF airway epithelial cells. Using this model, we discovered that mutation of a putative magnesium transporter gene, called mgtE, led to increased cytotoxicity of P. aeruginosa toward epithelial cells. This altered toxicity appeared to be dependent upon expression of the type III secretion system (T3SS). In this study, we found that mutation of mgtE results in increased T3SS …

Mir-17* Suppresses Tumorigenicity Of Prostate Cancer By Inhibiting Mitochondrial Antioxidant Enzymes, Yong Xu, Fang Fang, Jiayou Zhang, Sajni Josson, William H. St. Clair, Daret K. St. Clair

Toxicology and Cancer Biology Faculty Publications

Aberrant micro RNA (miRNA) expression has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cancer. Recent studies have shown that the miR-17-92 cluster is overexpressed in many types of cancer. The oncogenic function of mature miRNAs encoded by the miR-17-92 cluster has been identified from the 5' arm of six precursors. However, the function of the miRNAs produced from the 3' arm of these precursors remains unknown. The present study demonstrates that miR-17* is able to suppress critical primary mitochondrial antioxidant enzymes, such as manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), glutathione peroxidase-2 (GPX2) and thioredoxin reductase-2 (TrxR2). Transfection of miR-17* into prostate cancer PC-3 …

Best Management Practices For Stormwater Management In The Desert Southwest, Mahesh R. Gautam, Kumud Acharya, Mark Stone

Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education

Despite several decades of experience with stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) in the United States, the application of such approaches in the Desert Southwest region has not received adequate attention. One reason for this shortcoming could be the general perception of the insignificance of BMPs in a region with little annual precipitation. However, the Desert Southwest still experiences relatively high rainfall intensity and runoff from rainfall. Sparse vegetation, steep topography, complex soils, unique geology, and rapid land development all contribute increase runoff response. Since the Desert Southwest hosts a large and rapidly growing population, stormwater BMPs are important for protecting …

Survey Says: Implications Of A Public Perception Survey On Stormwater Education Programming, Katie Giacalone, Catherine Mobley, Calvin Sawyer, James Witte, Gene Eidson

Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education

Effective watershed and stormwater education and public involvement programs strive to increase awareness of watersheds and landscape connectivity and also encourage behavior changes that may be contributing to water quality and quantity problems within a targeted basin. According to new guidance from the US Environmental Protection Agency on stormwater permit improvement, regulators are looking for programs to utilize targeted issues relevant to a community to guide the development of a comprehensive outreach program. In an effort to collect information on public perception, knowledge, behaviors and willingness to get involved in improved stormwater management, a telephone survey was implemented. This manuscript …

Growth Inhibition Of Common Food Spoilage And Pathogenic Microorganisms In The Presence Of Brown Seaweed Extracts, Shilpi Gupta, Sabrina Cox, Gaurav Rajauria, Amit Jaiswal, Nissreen Abu-Ghannam

Articles

The possibility of using extracts from brown seaweed, Himanthalia elongata, as a natural antimicrobial agent for food preservation is presented. The effect of different concentrations of seaweed extract on the growth kinetics of four common food spoilage (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterococcus faecalis) and food pathogenic micro-organisms (Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella abony) was examined. Seaweed extract at a concentration of 6% inhibited the growth of all four of the studied organisms. Lower concentrations of seaweed extract prolonged the lag phase and reduced both the exponential growth rate and final population densities of the culture. Suitability of three kinetic models, Baranyi-Roberts, Modified …

Excitation Band-Gap Tuning Of Dopant Based Quantum Dots With Core-Inner Shell-Outer Shell Div, Swadeshmukul Santra, Soumitra Kar

UCF Patents

A composition and method for fabricating and tuning a dopant based core-shell semiconductor having a quantum dot core with an excitation band-gap are provided. A quantum dot core composed of an alloy of cadmium sulfide (CdS) and zinc sulfide (ZnS) as semi-conductor materials include a dopant of manganese (Mn) added to the core and an outer shell of zine sulfide (ZnS). The dopant based core/shell quantum dot semiconductor of the present invention allows the fine tuning of an excitation band-gap, covering a wide range (from 2.4 eV to ~4 eV). When doped with Mn, these alloy Qdots emit bright yellow/orange …

Unl Physicists Model Potential 4-D Imaging Technique, Tom Simons, Hua-Chieh Shao, Anthony F. Starace

Anthony F. Starace Publications

A long-standing goal of science is to be able to understand how matter behaves at the atomic and subatomic level. How electrons rearrange when atoms or molecules come together is the essence of chemistry, and the ability to manipulate those rearrangements is the goal of the emerging sphere of nanotechnology. A fuller understanding could lead to enormous scientific and technological breakthroughs. Unfortunately, significant problems confront scientists and engineers in attacking the question. Not only are atoms and molecules very small, requiring highly specialized equipment to "see" them, everything at the atomic level happens very, very fast. For example, an electron …

Theatre Of The Arts: Caribbean Intertextuality And The Muse Of Place, Lara B. Cahill-Booth

Open Access Dissertations

Theatre of the Arts: Caribbean Intertextuality and the Muse of Place is a literary geography that explores how specific environments shape imaginative interventions into history and language. I begin by examining the unity of Derek Walcott's vision of the sea, tracing its ties to oral history, literary canon, and personal reveries of emplacement in Omeros and other epic-minded poems. I follow the sea to its continental origins, examining the Guyanas, an Amazonian bioregion on the borderlands of Guyana, Brazil, and Venezuela, as a place imaginatively remapped by twentieth-century novelists Alejo Carpentier, Wilson Harris, Mario de Andrade, and Pauline Melville. I …

A Comparative Analysis Of Changes In Postural Control Following Training Using The Wii Balance Program And Standardized Falls Prevention Programs, Alessandra Pluchino

Open Access Dissertations

Declines in balance and postural control are believed to be the major neuromuscular factors that contribute to an increased risk of falling with age. Balance training has been reported to be an effective tool for increasing these parameters in older fallers, but its effectiveness in improving balance in higher-functioning, independent-living elders is uncertain. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of two formal balance-training interventions (Tai Chi and standardize balance exercise program [SBEP]) and an activity-promoting video game, the Wii Fit balance program. METHODS: Twenty-nine healthy, independent seniors (72.10 ± 7.80) were randomly assigned to eight …

University Of Richmond Climate Action Plan, University Of Richmond

Plans

The Climate Action Plan for the University of Richmond establishes the framework for achieving the University’s climate action goals under the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. The University of Richmond’s goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30% by 2020 and 100% by 2050. In addition to emissions reduction, the Climate Action Plan articulates goals for embedding sustainability into the curricular and co-curricular aspects of a Richmond education. The plan has been developed under the leadership of the Sustainability Working Group and the University’s Sustainability Coordinator. Climate Action Plan subgroups, with representation of staff, faculty, and students, drafted …

Tillman Award Given To Business Student, And Other Graduation Stories, Winthrop University

Winthrop News 2010

• Patel expects to enter an M.B.A. program in the fall, possibly at Winthrop, in order to work in international trade and relations or for a business consultancy firm.
• Patel was one of about 270 students given their degrees at the ceremony. Some graduates from August also participated.

God Wearing Skin, Dale Cooper

Coop's Column

A devotional about God's incarnation and what it means for God to take on skin.

Holy Cross Magazine, Vol. 45, No. 1, Winter 2011, College Of The Holy Cross

Holy Cross Magazine

Syllabus: Catholic Thought and Social Action
with Susan Crawford Sullivan
By Pam Reponen

Haiti’s Struggle
Holy Cross alumni are among those who came to Haiti’s aid when the ground shook and hundreds of thousands were thrown into chaos. Today, almost one year after the quake, men and women from the Hill are standing in solidarity with a devastated country.
By Lisa Armstrong

Rink Master
Figure skating maestro Frank Carroll ’60 has been on the ice as an athlete, a performer and a coach for more than 50 years—with gold-medal results.
By Debra Steilen

Flashback: The Dramatic Society Flies with the …

Florida Sentinel Bulletin, December 20, 2010, Gwen Hayes

Florida Sentinel Bulletin Collection

The December 20, 2010, issue of the Florida Sentinel Bulletin.

Brown-Headed Cowbird Parasitism On Endangered Species: Relationships With Neighboring Avian Species, Shannon L. Farrell, Michael L. Morrison, R. Neal Wilkins, R. Douglas Slack, Andrew J. Campomizzi

Western North American Naturalist

Loss of reproductive productivity in hosts of the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater), a nest parasite, may limit the success of conservation and recovery efforts that focus on restoring avian habitat. We investigated the relationships between parasitism frequency of 2 vireos—the endangered Black-capped Vireo (Vireo atricapillus) and the White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)—and characteristics of the neighboring avian assemblage. Our objective was to identify assemblage characteristics that are useful for predicting parasitism frequency. We hypothesized that parasitism frequency of the vireos would decrease with increasing alternate host abundance and increase with increasing abundance of cowbirds. All …

Distribution Of A Unique Limpet (Gastropoda: Ancylidae) In The Colorado River Drainage Basin, Western North America, Peter Hovingh

Western North American Naturalist

I determined the distribution of limpets (Gastropoda: Ancylidae: Ferrissia) in the Colorado River and Rio Grande basins by handpicking specimens from the undersides of rocks and vegetation at 16 sites from a total of 495 surveyed sites in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. Shell morphology, including morphometrics, was compared to species holotype descriptions and museum lots. Ferrissia rivularis occurred in the upper Colorado, Gunnison, and San Juan rivers, and in the upper Rio Grande basin.Ferrissia walkeri, hereafter called the Walker morph, occurred only in the Gila River basin of Arizona and New Mexico. I reviewed the problems …

Diversity, Phenology, And Elevational Distribution Of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, And Trichoptera In American Fork Canyon, Utah, Sarah Walker Judson, C. Riley Nelson

Western North American Naturalist

Although the aquatic insect fauna of Utah and their associated adult forms are well documented taxonomically and biogeographically, little is known about seasonal and elevational patterns of aquatic insect diversity in individual Wasatch streams. We selected the American Fork River, a relatively pristine stream with little anthropogenic disturbance, as our target stream to investigate elevational distribution and seasonal phenology of adult forms of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT). From April to October in 2003 through 2005, a total of 71 adult forms of EPT species were documented along the American Fork River. No single sampling period captured more than 30 …

Nonnative Phragmites Australis Invasion Into Utah Wetlands, Andrew Kulmatiski, Karen H. Beard, Laura A. Meyerson, Jacob R. Gibson, Karen E. Mock

Western North American Naturalist

Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. (common reed), already one of the world’s most widespread plant species, has realized rapid range expansion in coastal wetlands of North America in the past century, but little is known about P. australis range expansion in inland wetland systems. We used genetic analyses, aerial photographs, field surveys, and a greenhouse experiment to study the extent and mechanism of nonnative P. australis invasion of Utah wetlands. We collected and genetically analyzed 39 herbarium samples across the state and 225 present-day samples from northern Utah’s major wetland complexes. All samples collected before 1993 and all samples …

Rock Outcrops Harbor Native Perennials In Type-Converted Coastal Scrub, Robert J. Steers

Western North American Naturalist

Type-conversion of coastal scrub to exotic annual grassland has been extensive in certain parts of southern California, especially in drier inland locales. Field observations suggest that rock outcrops harbor native perennials associated with coastal scrub vegetation after conversion to exotic annual grassland has occurred. Surveys were conducted to test this observation. In addition, measures of fossorial mammal disturbance, soil depth, exotic annual plant abundance, and soil moisture were collected and used to infer potential mechanisms that may influence patterns of native and exotic vegetation. Results showed that larger outcrops are associated with more native perennial species than smaller outcrops, consistent …

Retrospective Evaluation Of The Effects Of Human Disturbance And Goldfish Introduction On Endangered Pahrump Poolfish, James E. Deacon, Joshua E. Williams

Western North American Naturalist

Life history data for Pahrump poolfish (Empetrichthys latos latos) collected from 1937 to 1975 were organized and analyzed to improve our understanding of changes caused by human habitat disruption and introduced goldfish (Carassius auratus) at Manse Spring, Nevada. Pahrump poolfish twice demonstrated their ability to recover numerically from a population crash. The first crash followed a November 1961 introduction of a few goldfish and subsequent removal of vegetation by local ranch children intent on turning Manse Spring into a swimming hole. The second crash followed another major habitat disturbance resulting from an unsuccessful attempt to eradicate …

European Earwig, Forficula Auricularia L. (Dermaptera: Forficulidae), At The Hanford Reach National Monument, Washington State, Richard S. Zack, Dennis Strenge, Peter J. Landolt, Chris Looney

Western North American Naturalist

The European earwig, Forficula auricularia L., was surveyed using pitfall traps at 3 sites at the Hanford Reach National Monument in south central Washington State. Pitfall traps were collected weekly from April 2002 through April 2003. The earwig was consistently taken during all months of the year at a disturbed, weedy site along the Columbia River (White Bluffs Ferry site) but was rare or not collected in 2 less-disturbed shrubsteppe habitats. Highest numbers occurred during April–May, when immatures accounted for the majority of the catch; immatures reached the adult stage during mid-July, and the species is univoltine at the site. …

Fecal Pellets Of American Pikas (Ochotona Princeps) Provide A Crude Chronometer For Dating Patch Occupancy, Lyle B. Nichols

Western North American Naturalist

American pikas (Ochotona princeps) seem to be especially vulnerable to climate change, with recent extinctions of pika populations being attributed to global warming. Incomplete historical location records are currently used to examine changes in pika distributions. A method of determining recent pika distributions in the absence of historical records is needed. Here I report on changes over time of known-age pika fecal pellets up to 36 years old. Predictable changes in diameter, internal consistency, and color of pellets provide a method to approximate the dates of last occupation in patches where pikas have been extirpated.


La pika Americana …

The Stream–Lake Ecotone: Potential Habitat For Juvenile Endangered June Suckers (Chasmistes Liorus), Russell B. Rader, Mark C. Belk, Rollin Hotchkiss, Jaron Brown

Western North American Naturalist

Potamodromous fish are poorly studied even though they are threatened often by human activities. The June sucker (Chasmistes liorus) is an endangered potamodromous species endemic to Utah Lake. Larval June suckers have not been collected from Utah Lake for at least 3 decades. Recruitment appears to be limited by low temperatures and scarce food, resulting in mass starvation of larval June suckers in the stream environment. We compared water temperature, zooplankton food availability, and small fish abundance in the stream and in 3 habitats along the stream–lake ecotone (dense emergent vegetation, sparse emergent vegetation, and open lake) to …

Trapping Mammals In A Cautious World: The Effect Of Disinfectants On Trap Success, J. A. Wilson, K. E. Mabry

Western North American Naturalist

Disinfecting traps that have captured small mammals is one recommendation for preventing occurrence of hantavirus infection; however, the potential effects of disinfection on small mammal trappability have not been investigated thoroughly. We conducted an experiment to compare the effects of 2 disinfectants (Lysol^® and household bleach) on the trappability of 4 small mammal species (Peromyscus maniculatus, Neotamias spp., and Spermophilus lateralis). We established triplicate trap grids in 2 forest types (red fir and mixed conifer), each consisting of a 6 × 6 array of Sherman live-traps placed at 10-m intervals. Traps were given 1 of 3 treatments: …

Rediscovery Of The Neotoma Population On Datil [Turner] Island, Sonora, México, Sergio Ticul Álvarez-Castañeda, Anahid Gutierrez, Mayra De La Paz

Western North American Naturalist

On Datil [Turner] Island in the Gulf of California, we rediscovered a population ofNeotoma varia, previously thought to be extinct. We captured 5 specimens: 1 was kept as a voucher, and 4 were examined and released. Analysis of previous surveys indicates that N. varia is not common on the island and occupies a very restricted range.


Recolectamos especímenes de Neotoma varia de la Isla Dátil en el Golfo de California, una población anteriormente considerada ya extinta. De los cinco especímenes que recolectamos, cuatro se pusieron en libertad. El análisis de muestreos previos indica que N. varia no es común …

Rabbit Abundance Relative To Rainfall And Plant Production In Northern Chihuahuan Desert Grassland And Shrubland Habitats, David C. Lightfoot, Ana D. Davidson, Christopher M. Mcglone, Dara G. Parker

Western North American Naturalist

No abstract provided.

The Banner-Tailed Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys Spectabilis (Rodentia: Heteromyidae), In Utah, George V. Oliver, Anthony L. Wright

Western North American Naturalist

We report the discovery in Utah of Dipodomys spectabilis, a species previously unknown to occur in the state. We searched for D. spectabilis in extreme southeastern Utah, south of the San Juan River, and were successful in finding mounds and burrows characteristic of the species and in capturing one individual. This is the northernmost record for D. spectabilis and extends its known range ~84 km northwest of the nearest previously reported locality (Fruitland, San Juan County, New Mexico). A flea, Meringis rectus, collected from D. spectabilis, is also the first record of its species in Utah.


Reportamos el descubrimiento en …