Digital Commons Network^™

How Memory Affects Sense Of Self: Stories Of Traumatic Brain Injury, Leah Smith

Southern Anthropologist

(2010 Undergraduate Prize Winner.) How does memory affect sense of self? For traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors, memory has a large impact on sense of self. Some cannot remember who they were before the injury and have to rely on others’ memories or photographs to reinvent their sense of self. Others can remember who they were before the accident, but feel they are vastly different than their old self. How do TBI survivors negotiate reconstructing identities and sense of self when memories play a disconnecting role? Through this process, storytelling can help survivors recreate a sense of self that is …

Memory-Keepers: An Ethnographic Look At Female Agency Among Italian-Americans, Hannah Burgwyn

Southern Anthropologist

(2010 Undergraduate Prize Winner.) While doing ethnographic research in Bayonne New Jersey among my extended Italian-American family over the summer of 2008 I began to see how deeply memories were valued within Italian-American communities. From fall 2008 to fall 2009, I continued my research in Asheville and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, also with people of Italian ancestry. These interviews supported the idea that memory aids in the construction and maintenance of Italian-American identity and works as a defining feature of female agency within the community. While studying gender roles of Italian-American women it became apparent that an important aspect of …

'You Have To Go North To Find The South': Situating Central Florida In The South For Birth Research, Erica Gibson

Southern Anthropologist

This paper reports on situating Central Florida as a part of the South for birth research among midwives, a physician, and their clients. A comparison is made between historical and modern beliefs about what is represented by Southern values and ideals, and how the women and birth practitioners in this study do or do not conform to those ideals.

'I Know You!': Understanding Racial Experience And Racial Practice Within The Lumbee Indian Community, David S. Lowry

Southern Anthropologist

Over the past three centuries, academic and public discussions of race have been divided into two distinct spheres: an understanding of race as “blood” and, alternatively, an understanding of race as that which is defined by visualization of human phenotype. In contemporary anthropological and Native American research, scholars of Native America have been mostly concerned with communities that are defined by blood. These scholars have presumed that notions of blood (or “blood quantum”) ought to structure how we (as scholars) discuss Native American existence. These scholars have, subsequently, ignored the notion that Native American peoples still live in large numbers …

Disrupted But Not Destroyed: Fictive-Kinship Networks Among Black Educators In Post-Katrina New Orleans, Daniella Ann Cook

Southern Anthropologist

Drawing on Adkins’ (1997) notion of reform as colonization and using ethnographic data from African American teachers in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, this article discusses how black educators’ fictive-kinship (Fordham 1996, Chatters, Taylor, and Jayadoky 1994, Stack 1976) networks have been altered in the changing landscape of reform. I argue that the importance of fictive-kinship relationships among educators and students was ignored in school-reform efforts in post-Katrina New Orleans. Post-Katrina school reforms disrupted, but did not destroy, these fictive-kinship networks. I discuss three themes: (1) fictive-kinship networks created before Katrina cultivated an environment centered on cooperation, collaboration, and solidarity, …

Complete Issue, Journal Editors

Southern Anthropologist

No abstract provided.

Ecology And Management Of White-Tailed Deer In An Agricultural Landscape: Analyses Of Hunter Efficiency, Survey Methods, And Ecology, Charles Wayne Anderson

Dissertations

Current research is necessary to focus management of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in the agricultural Midwest, especially given the novel presence of chronic wasting disease in the region. My objectives were to: 1) examine the potential effects of weather and row-crop harvest on daily harvest of white-tailed deer by archery, and individual hunter variables (e.g., age, weapon preference, preference of hunting method) on individual hunter efficiency and success in 2 regions of Illinois (i.e., east-central and southern Illinois); 2) estimate white-tailed deer densities using direct (i.e., spotlighting deer from road transects) and indirect (i.e., counting pellet groups on randomly-placed transects) …

An Investigation Into Predictors Of Middle School Mathematics Achievement As Measured By The Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests, Cheryl Thomasson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to locate variables from 2006 and 2007 Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) that could predict mathematics performance on the 2008 CRCT for a cohort of 449 students in two middle schools in Murray County in north Georgia. The student population was 80% Caucasian, 17% Hispanic, and 3% other. It was hypothesized that the predictors would be influenced by the high level of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Logistic regression was applied to three data sets, all students, students from Bagley and Gladden Middle Schools. Sixth-grade CRCT mathematics percent correct was the only …

Establishment Of Permanent Plots And Analysis Of Woody Vegetation In The Tennessee River Gorge, Marion And Hamilton Counties, Tennessee, Gerald Woodworth

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The Tennessee River Gorge (TRG) is a large river canyon 8 km west of Chattanooga, Tennessee, on the Cumberland Plateau. In 1984, the Tennessee Natural Heritage Program (TNHP) described 21 vegetation communities within the TRG. Permanent vegetation plots for the long-term study of 13 of these communities were established in summer 2009 in order to fulfill three goals. The first goal was to provide baseline data for long-term monitoring through establishing and surveying 100 plots. The second goal was to perform a temporal comparison of each community to its original description from 1984. The third goal was performing a comparison …

Winslow Elliptic Smoothing Equations Extended To Apply To General Regions Of An Unstructured Mesh, James Steven Masters

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

In any engineering endeavor, it is important to have the ability to efficiently and intelligently break up a region of interest in order to explore and investigate the interesting and dynamic aspects of the system enclosed in the region. In the field of fluid mechanics - and, in particular, computational fluid dynamics - this region breakup (known as discretization) has traditionally been done using structured meshes but, because of their flexibility with capturing real-world geometry, unstructured meshes are being increasingly utilized. Not surprisingly, techniques that have traditionally been reserved for structured meshes are migrating to the world of unstructured meshing …

Mate Choice In Fish: A Review, Hannah Gardner

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Literature review

Case Jp: Twenty Experiments On A Person With Congenital Prosopagnosia And Inability To Experience Visual Imagery From Birth, Leanne Walker

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Congenital Prosopagnosia and inability to experience visual imagery was investigated through administration of neuropsychological, face processing and visual imagery tests on a single patient, JP. JP had no general intellectual impairment, no problems affecting visual and spatial abilities and had little problems affecting overall memory. She was impaired on unfamiliar face matching, perception of eye gaze and famous face recognition, and was in the normal range for facial expression recognition; thus suggesting that JP is of the “prosopagnosic” type. Subjective vividness and spontaneous use of imagery was rated as extremely poor and performance of standard tests of visual imagery yielded …

An Investigation Of The Risks For Human Health From Bio-Available And Bio-Accessible Arsenic In The Tamar Catchment Using Human Hair Bio-Markers And Geochemical Data, Richard Cattan

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Geologic mineralisation and anthropogenic exploitation in the Tamar catchment of south-west England have resulted in an environment enriched with arsenic, a recognised carcinogen and systemic toxicant that can target many organs in the human body. This study examined geochemical data from the catchment and found particularly high arsenic contamination around the historic mining districts of Callington and Gunnislake, where maximum concentrations of 39 µg L-1 in stream waters, 11000 mg kg-1 in stream sediments, and 15000 mg kg-1 in topsoils were found in certain areas. Hair samples from 91 catchment residents were analysed using inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The arsenic …

The Effect Of Forest Edges On The Community Structure Of Tropical Fruit-Feeding Butterflies, Claire Armstrong

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Artificial edges in tropical forests are known to have profound effects on microclimate, tree mortality, forest structure, and community composition. While edges between continuous forest and clear felled stands have been well-researched, less attention has been paid to the effects of logging roads and smaller tracks. This study focuses on the effect a small (2-3m wide) road has on the community structure of the guild of fruit-feeding Nymphalidae butterflies in Sabah, Borneo. Traps were hung at ground-level along the road and 100m into the adjacent primary forest. In total, 43 individuals from 17 species were caught. Both the edge and …

Moderating The Influence Of A Prime: Can Self-Focused Attention Inhibit Response Preparation Behaviour In An Interpersonal Context?, Alexandra C. Wyatt-Barton

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Research into the effects of focused attention on prime-to-behaviour effects indicates that heightened self-focus can eliminate stereotype and trait activation. The present research investigated the influence of focused attention on prime-to-behaviour effects after the exposure to a threatening social group (‘hoodies’). In particular it was predicted that focusing on an irrelevant target after ‘hoodie’ priming would result in response preparation behaviour whereas self-focusing would inhibit it. Results revealed that self-focusing does indeed inhibit response preparation behaviour during an interpersonal context but failed to show the opposite effect for non self-focusing. This suggests that purely focusing attention away from prime related …

Holocene Sea-Level Changes In The Bristol Channel - Evidence From Porlock, Somerset, Uk, Thomas Lawrence

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The surface distribution and elevation of contemporary intertidal foraminifera can be used as modern analogues to reconstruct former sea levels based on fossil foraminifera assemblages. A transfer function for southwest tide level is applied to fossil foraminiferal assemblages within a sediment core from Porlock Marsh, Somerset, U.K., in order to produce quantified altitudes of palaeo-sea level (‘indicative meanings’). The indicative meanings of fossil foraminifera are compared to the altitudes of two previously published Holocene sea level index points from Porlock. The indicative meanings of fossil foraminifera are also used to provide a palaeo-environmental history of Porlock Marsh. The reconstruction is …

Nine Years On: Revisiting The Pond Communities Of The Lizard Peninsula, Uk, Billie Rowan

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Ponds contribute in various amounts to freshwater biodiversity and in some regions can be of considerably high biodiversity value compared to other freshwaters. The ecology of pond communities has been studied by numerous authors, yet many of these studies represent only a snapshot in time. This study explored the macroinvertebrate communities of a selection of ponds on the Lizard Peninsula, UK and revisited these ponds after a nine year period, examining changes in composition, environmental variables structuring the communities and their conservation value. Ponds in both years formed distinct groups, based on community similarities. In both years area was an …

Developing Students As Researchers - It's All A Muddle, Pauline Kneale

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Prof Pauline Kneale, Director, The Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The Therapeutic Effects Of Working With Dartmoor Ponies: A Pathfinding Project, Dawn Chaplin

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The area of Animal Assisted Therapy, and in particular therapy with Equines, was investigated to assess whether this sort of therapy could contribute to Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL). It was proposed that quantitative and qualitative measures would suggest an increase in social and emotional functioning following an Equine Facilitated Learning (EFL) intervention. Three ‘at-risk’ adolescent males were nominated by teaching staff to participate in a quasi-experimental research design, whereby measures were taken but no variables manipulated. Quantitative data provided weak support for the hypothesis although qualitative data suggested an improvement in functioning followed by a decline in …

Beneficial Roles Of Microorganisms In The Coral Reef Ecosystem, Katie R. Laming

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Coral reef biodiversity has declined over the past few decades and despite recent significant scientific interest in reefs in light of noticeable effects of climate change on this fragile habitat there is still much undiscovered about the true diversity of the symbiont community. There is also much to ascertain about underlying holobiont mechanisms relating to beneficial properties resident bacteria possess to help their hosts defend themselves from pathogenic xenobacteria or how symbionts provide the holobiont and other reef organisms with nutrition by utilising the carbon and nitrogen cycles. These are some of the questions addressed in this literature review. It …

The Effect Of Different Dosages Of Caffeine On Time To Exhaustion In Prolonged Exercise In Trained Athletes (A Meta Analysis), Kristina Marshall

The Plymouth Student Scientist

Background The world anti doping organisation removed caffeine from the banned list of substances in 2004; yet, research shows over recent years caffeine has become one of the most widely used ergogenic aids by athletes in the UK. This analysis investigates one of the suggested ergogenic benefits of caffeine, increasing time to exhaustion, and whether this effect relates to specific dosages of caffeine ingested before exercise. Objectives To assess the effects of two different dosages of caffeine on trained athlete’s time to exhaustion in endurance exercise. Search methods “caffeine” and “time to exhaustion” were entered into Pubmed, Scirus and Google …

The Effect Of Physiological Arousal On Item And Associative Memory Consolidation, Lucinda Sturton

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This article does not feature an abstract.

Older Adults And A Writing Workshop: A Phenomenological Study, Jennifer Lynn Alex

Dissertations

This study examines how older adults experience the phenomenon of participating in a writing workshop and how older adults interpret their experiences, understandings, and realities of writing. Ten older adults, ranging in age from 62 to 83 with varying degrees of experiences in writing, participated in this study. Through a semi-structured interview, each participant related his or her experience first as a writer and then as a member of a writing workshop offered through a Community Literacy Center in a mid-sized Appalachian city.

A phenomenological analysis method was used to identify and analyze themes of meaning that emerged in the …

Regulation Of Biofilm And Antibiotic-Resistance By The Modulator Of Sara (Msa) In Staphylococcus Aureus, Antony Schwartz

Dissertations

Staphylococcus aureus is an important human pathogen that is the causative agent of life-threatening diseases such as endocarditis and osteomyelitis. The ability of S. aureus to thrive as a successful pathogen can be partially attributed to its ability to form biofilm. Biofilm is an extracellular polysaccharide, protein, and DNA-based slime layer that protects the bacterial community. The global regulator sarA is essential for biofilm formation. Since the modulator of sarA (msa) gene regulates several virulence factors and is required for the full expression of sarA, the capacity of the msa mutant to form a biofilm was examined. The mutation of …

The Effect Of A Math Emporium Course Redesign In Developmental And Introductory Mathematics Courses On Student Achievement And Students' Attitudes Toward Mathematics At A Two-Year College, Amy Renée Bishop

Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of computer-based instruction on student mathematics achievement and students' attitudes toward mathematics in developmental and introductory mathematics courses, namely Elementary Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, and College Algebra, at a community college. The researcher also examined the relationship between attitudes and achievement. The sample consisted of 112 students, and the study was conducted during the Spring 2010 semester at a community college in south Mississippi. The participants were enrolled in one of six classes taught by the researcher. The control group consisted of three classes (one Intermediate and two College Algebra sections) …

Study Of 3,3' Vs. 4,4' Dds Isomer Curatives On Physical Properties And Phenyl Ring Motions Of Dgeba Epoxy Via Molecular Dynamics, Deuterium Nmr, And Dielectric Spectroscopy, Samuel James Tucker

Dissertations

The purpose of this research is to develop a multiscale understanding of crosslinked amorphous matrices, connecting molecular level events to macroscopic properties. To accomplish this goal, our methodology was to identify network architectures that influence molecular level energy dissipation through mechanisms such as bond rotations, torsions, and ring flips and then relate those molecular motions to macroscopic properties. Studies were accomplished on two aerospace grade matrices: the epoxy, diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) cured with two amines, 3,3’- diaminodiphenyl sulfone (33DDS) and 4,4’-diaminodiphenyl sulfone (44DDS). The 33DDS/DGEBA and 44DDS/DGEBA served both to provide a baseline for experimental testing of …

Toxicogenomics Analysis Of Non-Model Transcriptomes Using Next-Generation Sequencing And Microarray, Arun Rawat

Dissertations

With the advent of next generation technologies like Roche/454 Life Sciences that require low cost and less time for sequencing will help in providing a workable draft of non-model species genomes. Availability of high throughput microarray technologies for gene expression profiling provides low-cost tools for investigation of highly-integrated responses to various stimuli. These advancements along with bioinformatics processing have led to an increasing number of non-model species having well-annotated transcriptomes. The project focuses on the life cycle of development, functional annotation, and utilization of genomic tools for the avian wildlife species to determine the molecular impacts of exposure to munitions …

Synthesis And Electrical Properties Of Functional Block Copolymer/Inorganic Nanocomposite Materials, Hongying Chen

Dissertations

Sulfonated poly[styrene-b-ethylene-co-butylene-b-styrene] (sSEBS) block copolymers/inorganic nanocomposite materials were synthesized via in situ formation of inorganic fillers and characterized particularly for their dielectric properties and proton conductivities.

In preparation of sSEBS/SrTiO₃ nanocomposites, titanium (IV) isopropoxide [Ti(OPrⁱ)₄] complex was diffused into sSEBS film, followed by subsequent hydrolysis of [Ti(OPr i)4], diffusion of strontium cations in sSEBS domains, and in situ formation of crystalline SrTiO₃. sSEBS with sulfonation degree of 38.1% and 65.0% were employed, and relevant sSEBS/SrTiO₃ composites contain SrTiO₃ of 10-15 wt%. Elemental composition characterization with ESEM/EDX indicated uniform distribution of …

Recasting Genre In Tennessee Williams's Apprentice Plays, Christina Ilona Hunter

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates Tennessee Williams’s earliest full-length plays, also known as the apprentice plays—Candles to the Sun, Fugitive Kind, Not About Nightingales, Spring Storm, and Stairs to the Roof—by comparing, contrasting and contextualizing them in relation to Daniel Chandler’s generic criteria of drama; namely, narrative, characterization, setting, topics, iconography, and staging techniques. The present study also draws upon an extensive body of scholarship pertaining to genre theory, Williams’s cultural contemporaries, and the historical and psychological backdrop of Depression-era America. In these early plays, Williams diverged sharply from the dramatic generic conventions of his day, manipulating them in new …

Student Persistence In Associate Degree Nursing Programs At Mississippi Community Colleges, Kathryn Lee Fleming

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine factors of student persistence and attrition in addition to strategies that may help students persist in associate degree nursing programs at community colleges. Data were collected from nursing students enrolled in first-year associate degree nursing programs at participating Mississippi community colleges and analyzed using multiple regression and repeated measures ANOVAs. Tinto’s Classic Model and Bean & Metzner’s Nontraditional Model of Student Attrition were utilized in this study. This mixed methods convenience sample yielded 564 participants, and the results were as follows: environmental factors and demographic factors of student persistence were found to …