Digital Commons Network^™

The Impacts Of Lead Contamination On The Community Of Herculaneum, Missouri, Jill Mcnew-Birren

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Lead contamination in Herculaneum, Missouri presents a complex context where the long history of a large lead processing plant has created an environmental health hazard. Local residents have been forced to balance their interest in promoting a clean and healthy local environment against their desire to preserve community identity and honor the history of their city and its most prominent industry. Additionally, contamination and related controversy has substantively impacted this community and its citizens on multiple levels--e. g., education, health, and financial well-being. The study presented in this dissertation explores not only the impact of contamination upon the community, but …

The Effect Of Sensory Experience And Movement Observation On Motor Adaptation To Novel Force Perturbations, Paul Wanda

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

On a daily basis, humans capably and effortlessly interact with their surrounding environment through the performance of accurate movements. Movements are often perturbed through the physical influence of the surrounding environment, interaction with objects, or injury, yet adaptation is both rapid and flexible. When adapting, humans are informed by their direct trial-and-error movement experience, incrementally updating predictive control on the next movement; how the brain processes sensed errors into adaptation is not fully known. We may also learn to move through the observation of the movements of others, as visually observed movement information may be transformed into motor memories that …

Dynamic Pion Studies In Nuclear Matter, Jonathan Morris

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

A framework is developed which allows the extension of current realistic Nucleon-Nucleon interactions to include pionic degrees of freedom. A prescription for transforming any static pion model to one containing explicit energy dependence is provided. We show that adding energy dependence to the pionic component of the Nucleon-Nucleon interaction reduces the component of D-state wave function in the deuteron while adding a non-negligible chance of finding the deuteron in an NNπ state. Retrofitting the static pion Reid soft-core potential with dynamic pions entailed a necessary refit of the parameters in the central and tensor parts of the potential to phase …

Grief Among Dementia Caregivers: A Comparison Of Two Assessment Systems, Elizabeth Mulligan

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Research suggests that family caregivers of people with dementia may experience grief prior to the death of their care recipients, in part because of the series of losses they experience and the chronic nature of caregiving. Methods for assessing predeath grief, however, are just beginning to be developed, and basic questions about measurement remain. The purpose of the current study was to identify areas of overlap and disjunction in two self-report measures of predeath grief, one adapted from the postdeath literature: the Prolonged Grief Disorder Inventory) and one designed specifically for use with dementia caregivers: the Marwit-Meuser Caregiver Grief Inventory-Short …

Likely Old Or Likely New? Taking Memory Advice During Recognition Decisions, Diana Selmeczy

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

We examined the influence of external recommendations on recognition memory decisions. In contrast to prior literature that primarily focuses on the negative impacts of external influences during memory judgments, we investigated whether participants can capitalize on explicit reliable recommendations in order to improve their performance. In the first experiment, participants were given explicit external recommendations: “Likely Old” or “Likely New”) that were 75% accurate for deeply and shallowly encoded test items. In the second experiment, participants were given varying levels of recommendations: 65% and 85% accurate). Across both experiments we found that participants improved their performance when given external recommendations …

Often Wrong But Never In Doubt: Categorized Lists Produce Confident False Memories, Kurt Desoto

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

In the categorized list procedure, subjects study words from semantic categories, then take a recognition test on those items. Subjects are likely to recognize common: high output dominance) category members even when they are not studied. Across three experiments, we sought to extend the categorized list procedure, further develop an explanation of why false recognition of category members occurs in this procedure, and modulate false recognition of category members by manipulating encoding and retrieval phases. Experiment 1 extended previous categorized list research, showing that subjects are likely to false alarm with high confidence to high output dominance category members that …

Re-Framing The Doni Tondo: Patronage, Politics And Family In Michelangelo's Florence, Eric Hupe

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

Efficient Automated Planning With New Formulations, Ruoyun Huang

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Problem solving usually strongly relies on how the problem is formulated. This fact also applies to automated planning, a key field in artificial intelligence research. Classical planning used to be dominated by STRIPS formulation, a simple model based on propositional logic. In the recently introduced SAS+ formulation, the multi-valued variables naturally depict certain invariants that are missed in STRIPS, make SAS+ have many favorable features. Because of its rich structural information SAS+ begins to attract lots of research interest. Existing works, however, are mostly limited to one single thing: to improve heuristic functions. This is in sharp contrast with the …

Structural And Thermophysical Property Studies Of Metallic Liquids And Glasses Using The Beamline Electrostatic Levitation Technique, Nicholas Mauro

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

An accurate description of atomic structures is at the heart of an improved understanding of the properties of condensed solids. By correlating structural information from high energy synchrotron X-ray diffraction with thermophysical properties important insights have been gained into the role of local structural evolution in undercooling and glass formation. Here, the results of a number of investigations into the structures and properties of some amorphous phases will be presented and analyzed. Phase separation in Al88Y7Fe5 is identified prior to devitrification and is proposed as an explanation for extremely high observed nucleation rates. The development and construction of the Beamline …

The Relationship Of Financial Performance, Quality Indicators, And The Role Of Nurse Executives In Virginia Nursing Homes, Jeany V. Murphy

Health Services Research Dissertations

Problem statement. The dynamic nature of the healthcare industry has triggered changes in nurse executive functions. The job has expanded into entrepreneurial roles to be able to provide the most cost effective services while maintaining good quality outcomes for the residents. The new responsibility requires a different set of knowledge and competencies that is usually achieved through advanced education. It is not known whether nurse executives in long term care in Virginia possess the skills to influence both the financial and quality outcomes of the facility.

Methods. This descriptive research study examined the relationship of the nurse executives' technical, human, …

Computational Methods For Accelerated Discovery And Characterization Of Genes In Emerging Model Organisms, Alan Kwan

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Cilia are evolutionarily conserved, complex, microtubule-based structures that protrude from many eukaryotic cells. In humans, cilia can be found on almost all cell types. The effect of abnormal or absent cilia has been established as the common underlying cause of a recently emerging class of genetic diseases collectively referred to as ciliopathies. The function and structure of cilia are conserved across all organisms with cilia. One of the most influential model systems used to study ciliopathies has been the ciliated green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, an organism for which there is a sequenced genome with relatively few experimentally validated whole-gene annotations …

Single-Molecule Imaging Studies Of Protein Dynamics, Shannon Kian Zareh

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Single-molecule fluorescence imaging is a powerful method for studying biological events. The work of this thesis primarily focuses on single molecule studies of the dynamics of Green Fluorescent Protein: GFP) and other fluorescent-labeled proteins by utilizing Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence: TIRF) microscopy and imaging. The single molecule experiments of this thesis covered three broad topics. First, the adsorption mechanisms of proteins onto hydrophobic and hydrophilic fused silica surfaces were imaged and reversible and irreversible adsorption mechanisms were observed. The second topic covered a new technique for measuring the diffusion coefficient of Brownian diffusing proteins, in particular GFP, in solution via …

Targeting And Activity Of The Aaa+ Atpase Torsina Within The Endoplasmic Reticulum, Abigail Vander Heyden

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

AAA+ ATPase enzymes couple ATP hydrolysis to the exertion of conformational change on a substrate. TorsinA is one of the few AAA+ ATPases that resides within the lumen of the mammalian endoplasmic reticulum: ER). A glutamic acid deletion in the catalytic domain of torsinA causes DYT1 dystonia, but torsinA's function and the basis for disease remain unclear. I show that torsinA is dynamically targeted from the bulk ER to nuclear envelope: NE) upon coexpression with a cofactor protein, LULL1, and that torsinA's movement into the NE is concomitant with displacement of select linker of the nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton: LINC) complex …

Examination Of Uv-Cross-Linkable Di-Block Copolymer Strategy For Functionalized Reaction Surface On Microelectrode Arrays, Libo Hu

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Microarrays are powerful tools for high-throughput screening of small molecule libraries. Our group is using a microelectrode array variant on these efforts that allows us to construct and screen the libraries in a rapid, cost effective fashion. In this approach, the small molecules are attached to polymer-coated microelectrodes, which can be used to detect ligand-receptor interactions as they happen by means of impedance. Impedance experiment work by monitoring the current associated with a redox couple in solution. When a protein binds a ligand on the array, it sterically prevents the redox couple from reaching the electrode surface and thus causes …

Accelerated Reader And Sustained Silent Reading's Impact On Students' Motivation To Read, Amy Benedict

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to determine if students' motivation to read is influenced by the use of Accelerated Reader or SSR in their school. Fourth grade students had been selecting books to read based on Accelerated Reader levels. After reading each book the students took a quiz. SSR was implemented for two weeks to determine if students' attitudes towards reading would improve.

A mixed-methods approach was used in this research design. Quantitative data were collected through the MRP survey, administered both before the introduction of SSR and after implementing SSR. Qualitative data were collected through an individual conversational …

Family Policy, Family Resources, And Children's Educational Achievement: A Comparative Study Of 18 Rich Countries, Yung Soo Lee

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Educational achievement among children is one of the most important concerns for most contemporary societies. While numerous studies have explored factors associated with children's educational achievement, little research fully incorporated multi-level, multi-faceted contexts of child education. More specifically, less attention has been paid to the role of macro-level, policy contexts and their interactions with various aspects of family-level resources. To help fill the gap in the literature, this study investigates: 1) the role of various aspects of family-level resources, that is family financial, human, and social capital, in children's educational achievement,: 2) mediating pathways among those family-level resources, and: 3) …

Cooperative Learning And Peer Tutoring To Improve Third-Grade Students’ Test Scores On Grade-Level Assessment, Francina Y. Thurston

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to utilize learning strategies that emphasized small-group instructions where students work together cooperatively and with peers to achieve mastery. Traditionally, the classroom practices used in this school lent themselves primarily to whole-class instructions that emphasized competitive and individualistic goals rather than small groups and cooperative practices. The multistrategy used in this study sought to shift the focus of classroom instructions away from what was traditional. However, the introduction of the multistrategy that called for small group teaching required training for teachers and students.

The writer developed several solution strategies that trained students and teachers in …

Leishmania Persistence And Host Cell Interactions, Michael Mandell

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Leishmania parasites are the causative agent of leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease. An important aspect of Leishmania biology is asymptomatic parasite persistence, which typically occurs after clinical cure. Persistent parasites remain enigmatic despite their importance as reservoirs for transmission, having roles in maintaining protective immunity, and posing the risk of reactivation. I developed methods for assessing parasite replication by BrdU labeling and showed that persistently infected mice harbor two sub-populations of L. major, one labeling similarly to acute-phase parasites, with the other showing much less labeling. That persistent parasite replication occurs without a commensurate increase in parasite number implies parasite …

The Forms And Limits Of Religious Accommodation: The Case Of Rluipa, Ira C. Lupu, Robert W. Tuttle

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

This paper, prepared for a Symposium at the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law to mark the 20th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Employment Division v. Smith, focuses on the constitutionally appropriate forms for, and limits on, government protection of religious freedom. Part I articulates in general terms the primary constitutional strategy of mandatory accommodations – protection of religion and its secular analogues in matters of speech, association, and equality – and the limits on such accommodations, with an emphasis on a jurisdictional limit to the state’s capacity to decide questions of religious significance. Part II extends this concept …

Visa As Property, Visa As Collateral, Eleanor Marie Brown

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

Although the "tragic choice" framework has not been applied in the context of U.S. immigration law, current immigration policy is rife with tragic choices, defined as a commitment by policy elites to maintaining certain illusions which shield from public view tough policy choices that offend deeply held values. Take, for example, the issue of commodification of visas. Policy makers remain committed to maintaining the historical illusion that U.S. visas are open to well-deserving migrants, and are not being "sold" Yet U.S. immigration practice has long made concessions to commodification at the margins. Indeed, some migrants “pay” very high prices to …

How Can Robots Adapt To A Social Human World? A Study Into The Role Gestures Can Play In Human-Robot Relations, Bradley Matherne

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

There is no doubt that robots are now starting to increasingly be integrated into mainstream society, and as they do the amount of contact and the number of interactions they have with humans will increase at a similar rate. These interactions open a new set of issues for robot designers and programmers. What is the best way for robots to interact with humans? This study tested the importance of gestures in creating effective human-robot interactions. Conducted using the PR2, this study explored the role of gestures in two basic kinds of communications: the robot communicating a need: low power) to …

The Hydrology And Geochemistry Of Urban And Rural Watersheds In East-Central Missouri, Elizabeth Hasenmueller

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

This dissertation examines the physical hydrology and geochemistry of surface waters and shallow groundwaters in east-central Missouri, USA, to determine how runoff differs in flow and quality between urban and natural watersheds. The study employs high frequency in situ monitoring of relevant water quality parameters in tandem with lab analyses of major and minor elements and stable isotope concentrations to address degradation of watersheds by land development and other human activities. Chapter 3 of this dissertation compares three watersheds and their tributaries, each with differing levels of urban land use, which were monitored for more than one year to document …

Quantitative Assessment Of Lung Microstructure In Healthy Mice Using An Mr-Based 3he Lung Morphometry Technique, Emir Osmanagic

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Recently developed in our laboratory the MRI-based technique - 3He Lung Morphometry - is a unique tool allowing in vivo measurements of lung microstructural parameters such as alveolar volume, surface-to-volume ratio and alveolar density. These parameters are commonly used by lung physiologists and pathologists but were previously available only from invasive biopsy studies. 3He Lung Morphometry was originally developed for human studies but there is a need to expand it for studies of small animals like mice and rats that are used to advance our knowledge of lung physiology in health and disease and for development of drugs. Such an …

Low-Impact Profiling Of Streaming, Heterogeneous Applications, Joseph Lancaster

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Computer engineers are continually faced with the task of translating improvements in fabrication process technology: i.e., Moore's Law) into architectures that allow computer scientists to accelerate application performance. As feature-size continues to shrink, architects of commodity processors are designing increasingly more cores on a chip. While additional cores can operate independently with some tasks: e.g. the OS and user tasks), many applications see little to no improvement from adding more processor cores alone. For many applications, heterogeneous systems offer a path toward higher performance. Significant performance and power gains have been realized by combining specialized processors: e.g., Field-Programmable Gate Arrays, …

Aerosol Synthesis Of Cathode Materials For Li-Ion Batteries, Xiaofeng Zhang

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Rapid advancement of technologies for production of next-generation Li-ion batteries will be critical to address the Nation's need for clean, efficient and secure transportation system and renewable energy storage system. Advancements in materials are believed to be essential to meet the growing demand of high-performance materials for Li-ion batteries, as well as to bring down the battery cost: material cost) to a reasonable level. In the past decade, the primary focus in the Li-ion battery research has been to develop new materials, which are essential to improve the performance of the electrodes in terms of energy density, power density and …

Clinical Interpretation Of Novel Copy Number Variations, Clifton Carey

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Copy Number Variations: CNVs) are a significant source of human genetic diversity and are believed to be responsible for a wide variety of phenotypic variation. Recent advances in microarray-based genomic hybridization techniques have facilitated CNV analysis as a viable diagnostic technique in the clinic, and several public databases of well-characterized CNVs are being compiled, but a standard for interpreting uncharacterized CNVs has yet to emerge. This thesis examines the clinical interpretation of uncharacterized CNVs as a multiple instance binary classification problem. We analyze the current state of clinical techniques, then present and test several novel statistical approaches to the problem.

Ns-3 Simulation Of Wimax Networks, Christopher Thomas

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Simulation is a powerful tool for analysis and improvement of networking technologies, and many simulation packages are available. One that is growing in popularity is NS-3, the successor to the popular NS-2. It is a significant departure from NS-2, and offers many advantages and disadvantages. In this thesis, we translate and update a sophisticated WiMAX simulation model from NS-2 to NS-3, and use this experience to investigate the major differences between NS-2 and NS-3, and the relative strengths of each package. We then use the NS-3 simulation model to provide analysis on a new WiMAX OFDMA downlink subframe mapping algorithm.

Optimal Control In Gene Mutation, Juanyi Yu

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Gene mutations are the radical causes of many diseases, including inheritance diseases and cancers. Current medical treatments usually focus on changing the concentrations of related chemicals or mRNAs at the cellular level to stop protein productions or cell duplications, which can only control the diseases under certain circumstances but cannot cure them. Little research work has been done at the molecular level, the fundamental of inheritance, to search possible ways to cure those severe diseases. In this dissertation, we propose a molecular level control system view of the gene mutations in DNA replication from the finite field concept. By treating …

Evaluation Of Response To Intervention As A Method Of Improving Student Achievement, Ronald Bruce Farquharson

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate if implementation of the Response to Intervention (RTI) model had an effect on student academic gains at the target school. The problem that prompted this study was that information on the effectiveness of the RTI model had not yet been determined. The reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act allowed the use of the RTI model as a viable alternative for identifying students who may be experiencing academic difficulties rather than the traditional wait-and-fail model. Data and state assessment scores for sixth-grade students indicated that remediation was necessary. The RTI model allows …

Examining The Effectiveness Of Multiple Imputation: A Case Study On Hiv Risk Behaviors In Women Receiving Treatment For Substance Use Disorders, Raphiel Murden

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Women in the United States are becoming infected with HIV more quickly now than ever before; many of whom are at higher risk because of their substance use habits or that of their partners.: CDC, 2010) This study analyzes cross sectional data regarding the risk behaviors and addiction severity of a sample of women receiving treatment for substance use disorders: SUDs). The data was gathered between 2006 and 2010 at a women's substance use treatment center in St. Louis, Missouri: MO), the name of which cannot be disclosed. We develop a scale, the HIV Risk Scale: HRS), to quantify a …