Digital Commons Network^™

Ethics Optional? How Ethics Are Understood, Defined, And Enacted In The Practice Of Public Relations, Prudence A. Kaufman

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This present historical moment is characterized, to a large extent, by ethical transgressions that pervade many institutions and sectors of society, including politics, industry, religion, entertainment, and media, among others - all of which are related to the functions of public relations. Public relations itself, though taught in the degree programs of numerous colleges and universities, suffers from a reputation such that the words PR ethics are considered an oxymoron or simply unfeasible by many. This study addressed several key issues central to this subject: Concepts of ethics regarding public relations; the role of education in influencing concepts of ethics; …

Ectoparasites Of American Kestrel Nestlings In Northern New Jersey And Their Relationship To Nestling Growth And Breeding Success, Mark Joseph Lesko

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

American kestrel (Falco sparverius) populations throughout much of the United States have exhibited a substantial decline during recent years. Prompted by this decline, I designed this study to determine if removing arthropod parasites from nestlings was an effective strategy in increasing the breeding success of American kestrels, as well as to identify and quantify the ectoparasites found on nestlings. I conducted the study in Sussex and Warren counties in northwestern New Jersey in conjunction with a nest box program established and monitored by J. A. Smallwood and his students (hereafter referred to as we). I removed parasites periodically from all …

Investigation Of Charge Recombination In Escherichia Coli Photolyase And Vibrio Cholera Cryptochrome Dash, Agnieszka Zieba

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

Proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) is a mechanism of great importance in protein electron transfer and enzyme catalysis, and the involvement of aromatic amino acids in this process is of much interest. The DNA repair enzyme photolyase provides a natural system that allows for the study of PCET using a neutral radical tryptophan (Trp‘). In Escherichia coli photolyase, photoreduction of the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactor in its neutral radical semiquinone form (FADH') results in the formation of FADH and Trp . Charge recombination between these two intermediates requires O A/T # the uptake of a proton by ~ Trp . The …

Reasoning About The Irrational: The Roberts Court And The Future Of Constitutional Law, H. Jefferson Powell

Washington Law Review

Commentary on the future direction of the Roberts Court generally falls along lines that correlate with the commentators’ political views on the desirability of the Court’s recent decisions. A more informative approach is to look for opinions suggesting changes in the presuppositions with which the Justices approach constitutional decision making. In footnote 27 in his opinion for the Court in the District of Columbia v. Heller Second Amendment decision, Justice Scalia suggested a fundamental revision of the Court’s assumptions about the role of judicial doctrine, and the concept of rationality, in constitutional law. Justice Scalia would eliminate the normative aspects …

Mary Shelley’S Frankenstein: The Creature’S Attempt At Humanization, Noelle Webster

English

No abstract provided.

Oprah Winfrey V. Texas Cattlemen, Food Libel Laws In The United States And The Constitutionality Of The Texas False Disparagement Of Perishable Food Products Act, Kathleen Mullins

History

No abstract provided.

A Review Of The Alteration Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls In The Aquatic Environment With An Analysis Of The Pcb Contamination Of The St. Lawrence River Fish, Kate Bennett

Public Health Undergraduate Program

No abstract provided.

Honors Journalism: Selected Writings, Matthew Joseph Boutin

Journalism Program

Contained in this writing package are the seven best-crafted and most compelling pieces of writing of my undergraduate career. They have been assembled, expanded and edited under the supervision of my project advisor, Professor Thomas Bass, into this final product. One of the benefits of majoring in Journalism I most appreciate is having the freedom to constantly explore new topics in my writing. This collection reflects the broad scope of the major, as it includes articles covering a diverse range of issues and events, as well as a media study and an autobiographical story. The composition of each of the …

A Theoretical Analysis Of Referee Bias In Youth Hockey, Winston Christopher Pappas

Master's Theses

This research addressed the issue of youth hockey referee bias demonstrated throughout 286 CCYHL Squirt A and C league games and the 2009-2010 CDYHL Squirt B league season games. Structural functionalism, cognitive dissonance, and exchange theory were used to explain a probable rationale for biased referee behavior. A T-test revealed a mean of .012, suggesting penalty calls were equalized during squirt level hockey games (age 9 through 10). A logistic regression analysis was incorporated to uncover predictable patterns of penalty calls made by referees based on penalty differential, score difference, and home team lead. Findings indicate that teams with the …

The Art Of Kente: History, Designs, And Drafts, Rhonda D. Crosman

Master's Theses

Kente is a traditional ceremonial strip-woven cloth made by the Asante and Ewe people of Ghana and Togo. This thesis examined the history, patterns, design elements, symbolism, and evolutionary changes of the kente textile tradition. Basic weaving information, illustrations, and color photographs necessary for the understanding of kente were provided. The thesis also analyzed weaving drafts for the creation of kente-like cloth on a contemporary Western style floor loom.

Effects Of Prescribed Burning On Grassland Nesting Birds On Conservation Reserve Program Areas In Gove County, Kansas, Justin Vern Hamilton

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Great Plains grasslands were once one of the largest ecosystems in North America. However, farming, ranching, urban development, widespread fire suppression, and numerous other factors have created a great loss of this habitat in central North America. Organisms that depend on that habitat, such as grassland nesting birds, also have declined. The Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which was established in 1985, paid landowners to remove land with highly erodible soils from production and plant it with perennial vegetation. Increases in CRP acreages brought about increases in numbers of several bird species that were in decline before the program existed. Prescribed …

Spatial Analysis Of A Bioterrorist Attack On Four Major United States Cities Using An Aerosolized Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Kathryn Prinslow

Master's Theses or Doctor of Nursing Practice

Before the attack on September 11,2001, the United States was very vulnerable to a biological attack. Since then, those responsible for the security of the United States Homeland Security have become more aware of the country's vulnerability. Biological agents have the potential to give small groups of people unprecedented power to terrorize, as indicate by the "Amerithrax" attack in 2001, and of all of these agents, none have more potential for destruction than Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever (EHF). This research uses one of the deadliest viruses that have not been eradicated to identify the number of fatalities in an outbreak affecting …

Nebline, May 2011

NEBLINE Newsletter Archive from Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Feature: Nature, Gardening & Science Come Together in the Butterfly Garden

Farm Views

Horticulture

Food & Fitness

Home & Family Living

Environmental Focus

Urban Agriculture

4-H & Youth

Community Focus

Extension Calendar

Nutrition Education Program

Family and Community Education (FCE) Clubs

and other extension news and events

Blarina Hylophaga (Sorciomorpha: Soricidae), Cody W. Thompson, Jerry R. Choate, Hugh H. Genoways, Elmer J. Finck

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Blarina hylophaga (Elliot, 1899) is a soricid commonly called Elliot’s short-tailed shrew. A short-legged, robust shrew with a long, pointed snout and a short tail; it is 1 of 4 species in the genus Blarina. It occurs throughout most of the Great Plains of the United States, where it inhabits moist, well-drained grassland and riparian areas with deep leaf litter. It is listed as a species of greatest conservation need in Iowa and at possible risk in Texas, which might be due to the limited knowledge of the species throughout its geographic range.

Mrs. Mcintyre's Persona: Brining Privacy Theory To Election Law, William Mcgeveran

William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal

No abstract provided.

Clemson Commencement Program, May 2011, Clemson University

Clemson Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Repair Versus Rejuvenation: The Condition Of Vaginas As A Proxy For The Societal Status Of Women, Patricia A. Broussard

Seattle Journal for Social Justice

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Professional Development And Teacher Change In The Implementation Of Instructional Strategies That Support Elementary Students' Science Textbook Reading, Virginia J. Laughridge

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Theses and Other Student Research

This study examined the relationship between a series of professional development workshops and change in three rural elementary teachers’ science textbook reading instructional strategies. The analysis of the qualitative data indicates the degree of teacher change was related to several inner-related factors:  (a) teaching experience, (b) teacher perceptions of self, (c) mode of content delivery, and (d) teacher beliefs. Two teachers with the greatest longevity of teaching experience had previously established instructional strategies and modes of content delivery which did not emphasize student textbook reading skills. Their modes of content delivery were related to their self- perceptions as “science teachers” …

Ecotourism In Costa Rica: Environmental Impacts And Management, Emily Mckeone

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Globally we are witnessing growing environmental destruction, particularly to the natural resource bases of underdeveloped countries. If ecotourism can generate profits for local economies, while protecting and conserving the natural resource base of that community, it could be a strong alternative for numerous countries. Evidence suggests that the ecotourism industry has been expanding at a rapid rate in recent decades (Dasenbrock 2002). It is important to understand the positive and negative ecological impacts of the industry as this rapid growth rate continues.

The main objective of this study is to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the ecotourism industry in …

Archaeoparasitology Of Chaco Canyon, Rachel Paseka

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Ancient cultures of the Colorado Plateau have been a focus of archaeoparasitology since its inception, and a vast parasitological history is recorded in coprolites preserved in this arid region. The inhabitants of Chaco Canyon dominated Ancestral Puebloan culture between 1050 and 1120 AD and were responsible for the construction of great towns, road systems, and early agriculture. Analysis of the parasites preserved in fecal remains contributes to an increased knowledge of ancient Chacoan health and culture. Nineteen coprolites from four sites in Chaco Canyon were rehydrated and analyzed microscopically for parasite remains. Rhabditiform and filariform nematode larvae were found from …

21rst Century Educational Farmstead, Trevis Carmichael

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

When Europeans began settling in the United States, farmsteads were built across the Great Plains. Out of necessity, these had to function in a self-sufficient manner; meaning the people had to produce their own food, use local materials, and be energy efficient for their transportation. Parents had to teach their children how to do all of the practical work it took to maintain their lives. This was the foundation that America was built upon. Having completed the first decade of the 21st century, the time seems right for a mental re-settlement that follows some of those same principles. Teaching our …

An Assessment Of Stable Hydrogen-Isotope Analysis Methods To Assign Geographic Origin To Migratory Red-Tailed Hawks (Buteo Jamaicensis), Carla Marie Ahlschwede

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Stable-hydrogen isotopes are becoming an increasingly popular method of studying migratory birds, though sample preparation methods may affect results.  In this study I examined feathers from red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) to determine the relationship between measure of δD due to inter-feather variation or drying methods, assessed the accuracy of results by using two birds of known-origin and estimated possible natal origins of migratory red-tailed hawks.  Two feathers per individual were taken from 81 wild hawks caught at Hitchcock Nature Center near Crescent IA and from 2 rescued red-tailed hawks, Raptor Recovery Nebraska near Eagle, NE. 119 of the …

Assessing Anglers Identification Of Common Fish Species Of Nebraska, Jason Reed

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Creel surveys, also known as angler surveys, entail individual interviews with anglers.  The interviews include a variety of questions pertaining to their fishing trip on that particular day. The interviewer asks the angler questions that include, but are not limited to what species they caught that day, the size of the fish, how many hours they spent fishing that day, what bait they were using, etc. If the angler does not know the species caught or misidentifies the species there is the potential for the recorded data to negatively impact management techniques that rely on the creel survey data.                                                                                                        One …

Protein Structure-Based Method For Identification Of Horizontal Gene Transfer In Bacteria, Swetha Billa

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Horizontal Gene Transfer is defined as the movement of genetic material from one strain of species to another. Bacteria, being an asexual organism were always believed to transfer genes vertically. But recent studies provide evidence that shows bacteria can also transfer genes horizontally.

HGT plays a major role in evolution and medicine. It is the major contributor in bacterial evolution, enabling species to acquire genes to adapt to the new environments. Bacteria are also believed to develop drug resistance to antibiotics through the phenomenon of HGT. Therefore further study of HGT and its implications is necessary to understand the effects …

Assessing Seasonal Features Of Tropical Forests Using Remote Sensing, Roberto Bonifaz-Alfonzo

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Tropical forests are key components of the biogeochemical cycles, complex in structure, diversity and dynamics, also, tropical regions have been deforested and modified by human activities particularly for agriculture. Understanding the inter-annual and intra-annual variation dynamics of tropical regions could give valuable information on temporal characteristics of ecosystems behavior which is important for mapping and monitoring. This dissertation assesses seasonal and inter-annual changes in the tropical land cover that may be related to changes in the natural environment and/or human activities. Research was focused on the Mayan forest located in southern Mexico and Northwest Guatemala, one of the northern-most important …

An Iphone In A Haystack: The Uses And Gratifications Behind Farmers Using Twitter, Sarah Van Dalsem

College of Journalism and Mass Communications: Theses

The fast-growing social media site, Twitter, is growing in popularity among Americans from all walks of life, including farmers who are using it to share information with other farmers and consumers. This thesis expands on Uses and Gratifications Theory by looking at how farmers are using the social media site to promote agriculture and reach out to others. Based on a qualitative analysis completed on 22 interviews with farmers, four major purposes for using Twitter came to light: (1) Farmers are using Twitter to seek information; (2) they are using it as a tool to lead others within the agricultural …

Assessing The Stability, Biological Transfer And Developmental Impact Of Environmentally Relevant Nitrosamines Using A Chicken Egg Model, Nikita Joshi

Environmental Health, Occupational Health, and Toxicology: Dissertations and Student Research

Nitrosamines comprise a large group of potentially toxic compounds occurring in the environment as by-products of various manufacturing, agricultural and natural processes. Nitrosamines are produced from reaction of nitrite with a suitable secondary amine in an acidic matrix; these acidic conditions can occur in environmental media and in the mammalian gastrointestinal (GI) tract. This research focused on the stability, transfer, and impacts of the environmentally relevant nitrosamines, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosmorpholine (NMOR), and N-nitrosoatrazine (NNAT) (formed from reaction of nitrite with dimethylamine, morpholine, and atrazine), using the chicken egg and embryo model systems. Chicken eggs were used to …

Self-Conscious, Aidan Badinger

A Midwestern Review: A Magazine of the Arts and Issues at DePauw University

No abstract provided.

Sandcanvas: A Multi-Touch Art Medium Inspired By Sand Animation, Rubaiat Habib Kazi, Kien-Chuan Chua, Shengdong Zhao, Richard Christopher Davis, Kok-Lim Low

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Sand animation is a performance art technique in which an artist tells stories by creating animated images with sand. Inspired by this medium, we have developed a new multitouch digital artistic medium named SandCanvas that simplifies the creation of sand animations. SandCanvas also goes beyond traditional sand animation with tools for mixing sand animation with video and replicating recorded free-form hand gestures. In this paper, we analyze common sand animation hand gestures, present SandCanvas’s intuitive UI, and describe implementation challenges we encountered. We also present an evaluation with professional and novice artists that shows the importance and unique affordances of …

Animal Law Developments, Virginia C. Thomas

Library Scholarly Publications

No abstract provided.