Digital Commons Network^™

Growing The Urban Ecosystem In Detroit, Michigan, Sean Basalyga

Social Sciences

Many views of the future are seen as bleak and devoid of the life where once stood beauty and abundance. However, the Living Cities Design Competition challenges these views and calls for a vision of the future that inspires hope, biodiversity, and a healthy interaction between human and natural systems. We chose to redesign the city of Detroit, Michigan to be a living city by the year 2035. As the earth scientist on an interdisciplinary team, I acted as an ecological consultant. By developing the urban ecosystem of Detroit, a number of social, economical, and environmental problems can be solved. …

Organic And Conventional Milk Consumers In San Luis Obispo County, Brian Gleason Boaz

Agribusiness

No abstract provided.

2011 Literary Review (No. 24), Sigma Tau Delta

The Greenleaf Review

No abstract provided.

Skunk Hammock, Britton Cody Lumpkin

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Skunk Hammock: Poems, a poetry collection by Cody Lumpkin, explores the confluence of man-made objects with the natural world. Lumpkin’s subject matter varies widely. From poems derived from the detritus of popular culture like Spam and Mr. Snuffleupagus to poems where prairie dogs and egging houses are the focus, Lumpkin works to render material poetic that is typically not seen as poetic. A number of his poems concern themselves with the perception of animals. Influenced by the poetry of Elizabeth Bishop, David Bottoms, Robert Hayden, and Claudia Emerson, Lumpkin seeks to show animals not as mere symbolic vessels, but …

Reboot, Nick Lejeune

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

I am an artist that works with technologically obsolete materials in order to elevate them to have purely aesthetic, sublime qualities. Creating my art this way has led me to profile and understand hoarders; those who collect materials that are otherwise socially useless. They collect these objects to the point where the collection act becomes an obsessive psychological disorder. This thesis will prove that while I identify with those who struggle with this disorder, my own collection tendencies lend themselves to being more related to the processes of contemporary artists and their need to reconfigure the original use of objects …

Development Of A Real-Time High-Resolution 3d Ultrasound Imaging System, Cesar Augusto Sandoval Leon

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In this work a real-time high-resolution 3D ultrasound imaging system is developed, allowing the 3D acquisition and imaging of high-resolution ultrasound data for biomedical applications. The system uses ultrasound transducers in the ranges of 30 to 100 MHz, and allows full access of the radiofrequency (RF) ultrasound data for the 3D image reconstruction. This work includes the development of two graphical user interfaces in C++ to interact with a high-resolution ultrasound system and to image the high-resolution ultrasound data. In addition, a methodology is described and implemented in the system for 3D ultrasound reconstruction and visualization. The development of these …

Functional Analysis And Post-Transcriptional Regulation Of Oocyte-Specific Transcription Factors During Early Embryogenesis In Cattle, Swamy Krishna Tripurani

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Newborn ovary homeobox (NOBOX) is an oocyte-specific transcription factor essential for folliculogenesis and expression of many germ-cell specific genes in mice. However, the temporal and cell specific expression of NOBOX in bovine oocytes and potential function and regulation of NOBOX in early embryogenesis have not been described previously. Messenger RNA for bovine NOBOX is preferentially expressed in ovaries and undetectable by RT-PCR in somatic tissues examined. NOBOX protein is present in oocytes throughout folliculogenesis and is stage-specifically expressed during oocyte maturation and early embryonic development. Depletion of NOBOX in early embryos demonstrated that NOBOX is an essential maternal derived transcription …

A Chemical Neural Network And Collective Behavior In Globally Coupled Oscillators, Fang Wang

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The nervous system controls almost all actions in the body, and understanding its detailed structure and mechanism is one of the great challenges of science. Artificial neural networks have been modeled computationally to solve specific problems such as robot motion; however, few experimental studies have been designed to simulate biological neural networks because of the lack of experimental media with neural-like properties. An experimental network based on the photosensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction has been developed, in which the local excitability is controlled by light intensity. The spatiotemporal dynamics of these networks has been characterized, including sustained oscillations and collapse to the …

What Makes Good Climbing Rock? A Petrographic, Structural, And Mechanical Investigation Of The Lower Nuttall Sandstone In The New River Gorge, West Virginia, Katelyn A. Huffman Olcott

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The New River Gorge National River (NERI) consists of 300 km2 of public land including an 85 km length of the New River, covering parts of Summers, Raleigh, and Fayette counties in West Virginia (National Park Service, 2006). NERI is known for world class rock climbing because the Pennsylvanian lower Nuttall Sandstone of the Pottsville Group forms 15 to 30 m high cliffs along the gorge walls, containing more than 1500 documented climbing routes. This project investigates why the lower Nuttall Sandstone in NERI creates one of the premiere climbing areas in the Eastern United States, and why the lower …

Rate Of Response-Independent Events As Discriminative Stimuli, Andres Garcia Penagos

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The study of stimulus rates is relevant to understanding how discrete events integrated in time come to function as a single molar unit that can be discriminated from other comparable units. Two experiments examined the roles of stimulus rates as discriminative stimuli in a conditional discrimination paradigm. Pigeons responding according to a fixed interval (FI) schedule of reinforcement were presented concurrently with pairs of stimulus rates (response-independent blackouts of the operant boxes), so that access to food was granted if the pigeons pecked a comparison key associated to each stimulus rate. One-blackout versus two-blackouts stimulus rates were used on the …

Properties Of Polyvinyl Alcohol Nanocomposites Reinforced With Cellulose Nanocrystals Of Red Oak Residues, Peter Michael Jacobson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Cellulose is an abundant, low cost, and robust biopolymer that is possible to implement in reinforcement of composite materials. Utilizing cellulosic nanocrystals, which can be isolated from cellulose fibers, nanocomposite biofilms are currently of interest to the packaging, medical, and pharmaceutical industries. At this time, hardwood cellulosic nanocrystals and nanocomposites are understudied. Therefore, this research characterized and examined the possibility of using hardwood residues for nanocomposite formation and implementation. Red oak (Quercus rubra) heartwood and sapwood residues were collected from 2005, 2006, and 2007 harvest sites located within West Virginia and were de-lignified by acidified sodium chlorite. Cellulosic nanocrystals were …

Novel Excerpt, Kathy Hoormann

Arrow Rock

No abstract provided.

Arrow Rock, 2010-2011, Full Issue

Arrow Rock

No abstract provided.

The Structure Of Equine Personality, Rachel Etta Kristiansen

Dissertations

The current study was designed to investigate the structure of equine personality. Two personality questionnaires were replicated from previous studies and implemented simultaneously to test the theory that different questionnaires may extract different personality structures. Breed and sex differences were also hypothesized to be significantly different for some personality dimensions. A total of 827 horses were rated on a 90-item personality questionnaire. Participants were recruited online via email and completed the survey at their own convenience. An additional 121 respondents rated a horse that had already been rated; these results were used to calculate inter-rater reliability.

After data collection was …

The Oddity As Commodity: Television And The Modern Day Freak Show, Robin Marie Cecala

Dissertations

A new genre of documentary and reality program has appeared on cable television in recent years. Suddenly, little people, conjoined twins, the morbidly obese, Treeman and Mermaid Girl are the new stars of cable. This latest genre features people with medical conditions once exhibited in the turn of the century freak shows.

The goal of this dissertation is to argue that documentary programming on cable is becoming a modern version of the P.T. Barnum-style freak shows. The analysis uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to examine representations of race, culture and disability. The dissertation also discusses the history of the …

Microarray Data Mining And Gene Regulatory Network Analysis, Ying Li

Dissertations

The novel molecular biological technology, microarray, makes it feasible to obtain quantitative measurements of expression of thousands of genes present in a biological sample simultaneously. Genome-wide expression data generated from this technology are promising to uncover the implicit, previously unknown biological knowledge. In this study, several problems about microarray data mining techniques were investigated, including feature(gene) selection, classifier genes identification, generation of reference genetic interaction network for non-model organisms and gene regulatory network reconstruction using time-series gene expression data. The limitations of most of the existing computational models employed to infer gene regulatory network lie in that they either suffer …

How To Remain Childlike, Billy Ray Middleton

Dissertations

How to Remain Childlike examines themes of place and identity, focusing on how regionalism impacts the individual’s perception of self. The stories herein, set in the post-millennial South, focus on characters with a worldly recognition of prevailing misconceptions that cast Southerners as unsophisticated and anti-intellectual. Though these characters recognize the beauty of the South, they possess ambivalence toward the region, a desire to be less insular and more cosmopolitan. This ambivalence, a love for the South coupled with a longing to escape it, highlights the importance of place in the process of self-definition.

Examining Dietary Acculturation In Hispanic Males Residing In South Mississippi, Diana Katherine Cuy Castellanos

Dissertations

This study explored dietary behavior in terms of dietary intake, dietary intake change and dietary contributing factors in a sample of Hispanic males residing in southern Mississippi that are at various stages of the acculturation process. Grounded theory and the bidimensional acculturation model were incorporated to identify the dietary factors and assess acculturation in each participant. Qualitative and quantitative measures were used in data collection. Qualitative measurements included Semistructured interviews, a focus group, and photovoice with group interviews. The ARSMA-II, Marginality Scale, Fruit/Vegetable and Fat Food Screeners, a psychosocial dietary questionnaire, and the New Vital Signs Food Label for Health …

The Role Of Attachment And Language In Analogical Reasoning, Tamra Elizabeth Beckman

Dissertations

The present study examined the relationships between attachment and analogical reasoning within two domains: social reasoning and physical reasoning. Verbal reasoning was assessed as a possible mediator of these relationships. This study was conducted with 67 typically-developed children between the ages of nine to 11 years of age who were recruited from The University of Southern Mississippi's student population and from schools in Hattiesburg, MS and Ocean Springs, MS. Attachment security was assessed using the Kerns Security Scale (Kerns, Klepac, & Cole, 1996), and verbal reasoning was assessed with the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children-3rd edition (Weschler, 1991). Analogical reasoning …

Assessing The Validity Of The Communalism Scale Using Cultural Groups, Lashawn Thompson

Dissertations

Communalism has become a very important variable for research investigation recently because the field of cultural psychology has been searching for new models to foster a clear understanding of culture or for ways to improve current models. This study investigated the validity of using The Communalism Scale to assess the communal (group focus rather than individual focus) aspect of culture in specific ethnic groups. Until now, the scale was used only with African Americans; however, the current study assessed the validity of the scale with several cultural groups. Results from previous studies have demonstrated clear internal consistency for The Communalism …

An Exploratory Investigation On The Effects Of An Electronic Recording System For Repeated Reading, Seajae Calvin Hartness

Dissertations

Repeated Reading is a common reading intervention that has been used to help students read fluently since 1979. There are many variations of Repeated Reading that have been investigated and found to be effective. However, there is a relative research deficit on the effectiveness of software programs for administering Repeated Reading. This exploratory research project examined the effectiveness of Repeated Reading with an electronic recording system. The performance of the electronic Repeated Reading group was compared to the performance of participants who received traditionally administered Early Intervention Program services. The results suggest that electronically scored Repeated Reading is as effective …

Bank Street And Teach For America: Process And Preparation, Paul Shirk

Graduate Student Independent Studies

In this paper I analyze the goals and practices of education that are implied in the mission statements and literature of Bank Street College of Education (Bank Street) and Teach for America (TFA). I noticed and struggled to understand the tension between the mission statements of the two organizations that I was a part of during my master's program. While analyzing the readings and my experiences, I began to see differences between these two organizations' theories and beliefs about child development. I considered how my experiences with children supported or refuted these beliefs. From Bank Street, I recognized many beliefs …

Impact Of Information Computer Technology On Primary Health Care Services To Rural Communities In Niger Delta Region Of Nigeria, Sylvester O. Anie

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This is the empirical study of 4 communities under survey in Niger-Delta. This article examines the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on primary health care services to rural communities in Niger Delta. Questionnaire, interview and personal observation methods were employed to elicit information on the impact of ICT on primary health care services in rural communities in Niger Delta. The study reveals the personal characteristics of the respondents. The findings also reveal that rural dwellers need to be encouraged by providing them with relevant information and communication technology gadgets in order to enhance effective retrieval and dissemination of …

Origin Of English “Strafe”: Overwrought Anti-British Hatred In Wwi Germany And The Ridiculing Reaction It Evoked, Gerald Leonard Cohen

Arts, Languages and Philosophy Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

The Grotesque Menagerie, Merin Leigh Tigert

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

The Grotesque Menagerie is an exploration of domestic and gender roles of the American West. The burlesque and the grotesque are used as the dissection tools throughout this manuscript to examine these roles, and in so doing pervert both the ideal and the abject. As the author, these poetic explorations and dissections leave me stuck in an odd androgyny: I am suspect of my own feminist preclusions and oddly obliged to interact with the established patriarchal tropes of the western poetic cannon. I do not reject the canon as a symbol of patriarchal power; I do not request the role …

Walk-Run Transition Speed And The Relevance Of Loading, Muscular Fatigue, And Human Kinematics: A Comparison Of Human Gait Patterns, Callie Elizabeth Gunderson

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: The walk-to-run transition (WRT) typically occurs at a preferred transition speed (PTS) of 1.9-2.1ms^-1. Previous research has focused on potential triggers for this transition such as leg length, muscular fatigue, loading rates (LR), and vertical ground reaction forces (VGRFs). Rather than focus on mechanisms responsible for the transition, the purpose of the current study was to determine if basic anthropometrics or gait characteristics are predictive of the WRT. METHODS: Thirty participants were recruited for the current study (n = 13 male, 17 female; n = 11 normal weight, n = 10 overweight, n = …

Progression Of Breast Cancer Metastatic Disease And Subsequent Osteolytic Bone Degradation Mediated By Oncostatin M, Ken Tawara

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women and is the second most common cancer-related death for women worldwide. While the primary tumor itself is not lethal, the metastases that disrupt vital organ functions pose a significant clinical challenge. Seventy percent of women with metastatic breast cancer have metastases to the bone, which is the most significant cause of morbidity for these patients. Oncostatin M (OSM) is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays a role in the immune system, wound repair, and haematopoiesis. OSM was previously considered for anticancer therapy due to its anti-proliferative effects against breast cancer cells in …

Trophic Ecology Of Burrowing Owls In Natural And Agricultural Habitats And An Analysis Of Predator Communities Using Stable Isotopes Of Carbon And Nitrogen, Kathlyn Jean Mcvey

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen can provide powerful tools for estimating the trophic positions of animals and determining the source or the primary producer of a food web. I used stable isotopes analysis of carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) to investigate the trophic position of burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) in agricultural and natural habitats and trophic relationships of a community of vertebrate predators in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area (NCA), located in southern Idaho.

Burrowing owl populations have declined across much of North America owing to loss …

Recent Archaeological Investigations At Three Island Crossing: Insights Regarding Late Archaic Diet Breadth And Mobility, Meghan Kim Eastman

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In 1986 and 1987, an important Late Archaic period site was excavated at Three Island Crossing (10-EL-294), near Glenns Ferry, Idaho. As ethnographic reports depict extensive reliance upon salmon for winter consumption (Steward, 1938; Murphy and Murphy, 1960) the recovery of 19,000 fish remains was significant. Analysis of this assemblage demonstrated that the minimum number of individual fish recovered was around 300. Equally important were radiocarbon analyses that identified three distinct Late Archaic occupations. Of note was the recovery of a structure and storage suggesting semi-permanent residence. A subsequent excavation was undertaken at Three Island Crossing in 2008 to determine …

Youth At The Nexus: Ideology In Hiv Prevention In Nairobi, Kenya, Zohra Ahmed

Scholarly Works

In the fight against HIV/AIDS, the Behavior Change Communication (BCC) model stands as international best practice in preventive education. Ideally, a BCC intervention aims to changes behaviors and attitudes by facilitating group negotiation and introspection, with a resultant improvement in health. However, introducing this best practice model to a group of youth in Nairobi resulted in suboptimal outcomes: they were unaccustomed to expressing themselves in the ways prescribed by the class. To explain this failure, I examine how local discourses produced by parents and teachers communicate agency, sexuality and health, and highlight the diverging practices invoked at home, school and …