Digital Commons Network^™

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 …

Spontaneous Recognition Memory Measured By Performance In A Memory Stroop Paradigm, Benjamin Anderson

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Studies of recognition memory have generally involved tests in which the participant's memory is directly questioned. There are occasions, however, in which memory is more spontaneous in nature: e.g., recognizing an acquaintance out of context). The current studies investigated spontaneous recognition memory through the use of a memory Stroop paradigm, which involved study of pictures and words followed by recognition memory decisions on either the picture or word component of stimuli with an old or new word superimposed over an old or new picture. Spontaneous recognition was measured by comparing the influence of old as compared to new distracters on …

De Ornanda Instruendaque Urbe, Anne Truetzel

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

No abstract provided.

Mass Spectrometry For Determination Of Conformation And Dynamics Of Proteins And Structure And Biosynthesis Of Bacterial Peptidoglycan, Jiawei Chen

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Mass spectrometry: MS) has emerged as an important tool for analyzing and characterizing large biomolecules. In this dissertation, two aspects of the development and application of MS-based approaches are presented; they include: 1) protein conformation and folding dynamics: in Chapters 2 to 5) and bacterial peptidoglycan: PG) structure and biosynthesis: Chapters 6 to 8). Chapter 1 serves as the introduction for both aspects. Part I of the dissertation focuses on the development of analytical methods combining fast photochemical oxidation of proteins: FPOP) and mass spectrometry analysis. In chapter 2 to 4, we discuss protein folding with sub-millisecond time resolution by …

Joachim Du Bellay's Occasional Poetry: The Poetics Of Female Patronage, Elizabeth Landers

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

This study seeks to demonstrate that female patrons at the Valois court--particularly Marguerite de France, and, to a lesser extent Diane de Poitiers--had a defining influence on both the career and the aesthetic choices of the sixteenth-century French poet Joachim Du Bellay. Although it has often been acknowledged that Du Bellay and Marguerite enjoyed a special relationship, the current study reveals the extent to which Marguerite served as an organizing principal for Du Bellay's entire writing life. As an admired patron, she provided moral support and networking opportunities that encouraged and rewarded Du Bellay's poetic production; her erudition and literary …

Strategic Management In Nonprofit Mental Health Service Organizations: Understanding Processes And Impact On Performance, Jennifer Schurer Coldiron

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Managing the performance of social service-providing nonprofit organizations: NPOs) has become more and more complex in the past few decades as executives have had to cope with increasing competition, demands from a diversified set of stakeholders, rapidly changing technologies, and mounting scrutiny from funders and consumers. To help reduce the complexity of strategic management, organizations have been encouraged to adopt formal strategy formation processes, such as highly-structured strategic planning models. However, there are no demonstrated "best practices" or conclusive evidence of the utility of formal strategy formation within the nonprofit sector. The stakes of mismanagement are high for the organizations …

Essays On Consumer Shopping Behavior And Price Dispersion, Aleksandr Yankelevich

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Essay 1: "Price-Matching in a Sequential Search Duopoly" While substantial research has tried to determine if price-matching guarantees are anti-competitive, most previous studies have overlooked the effect that these policies have on consumer search behavior. This essay examines how price-matching guarantees affect consumer behavior and prices in a model of sequential price search. By endogenizing consumers' acquisition of price information, I find that price-matching may raise prices in three new ways. First, price-matching diminishes firms' incentives to lower prices to attract consumers who have no cost of search. Second, for consumers with positive search costs, price-matching lowers the marginal benefit …

Building Better Bailouts: The Case For A Long-Term Investment Approach, Jeffrey Manns

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

The Article seeks to fill a crucial gap in the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act: the failure to create a framework for dealing with future financial bailouts. It argues that the federal government’s ad hoc, “break even” approach to the recent bailouts not only shortchanged taxpayers, but more importantly failed to provide deterrence against the type of reckless risk-taking that led to the financial crisis. This Article argues that the key to legitimizing future bailouts and limiting moral hazard is to institutionalize a long-term investment-oriented approach that delineates clear contours and conditions for aid. It calls for …

Fixing The Flaws In The Federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, Peter H. Meyers

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

The Federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program was a pioneering no-fault federal tort reform innovation when it was created two decades ago, but it is no longer the fast, generous, and less adversarial program that Congress originally created or that the Supreme Court recently described in Bruesewitz v. Wyeth. This article describes the serious problems that exist in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program today, and proposes several legislative and other suggestions to fix these problems. Important lessons on how to improve the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program can be learned from several other recent federal compensation programs, including the Smallpox Compensation Program …

Calling Law A 'Profession' Only Confuses Thinking About The Challenges Lawyers Face, Thomas D. Morgan

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

It is appropriate to want lawyers to be mature, moral people and to help legal education reinforce those qualities. It is also appropriate to be sure students understand lawyers’ fiduciary responsibilities and the ways lawyers fall short of meeting them. It only confuses work on those issues, however, to call them part of teaching "professionalism." Law is not a "profession" as that term has traditionally been used. Calling law a profession does not help understanding the challenges lawyers face.

The Changing Face Of Legal Education: Its Impact On What It Means To Be A Lawyer, Thomas D. Morgan

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

In recent years, it has become less clear what it means to be a lawyer. Current efforts by the ABA to change accreditation standards for U.S. law schools make it important to think about the ways in which lawyers have common qualities. This paper considers both the changes in law practice and what they are likely to mean for U.S. law schools as they try to equip lawyers for the new reality.

A Primer On Demand Response And A Critique Of Ferc Order 745, Richard J. Pierce Jr

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

This essay is a contribution to the Second Annual Demand Response Conference sponsored by George Washington University and the law firm of Husch Blackwell. Demand response is a term that is used in debates about potential ways of reforming regulation of electricity to provide consumers with the proper incentives to conserve electricity. In this essay, Professor Pierce attempts to describe the basic economic and legal principles that are implicated in the debate in terms that make the debate more accessible to participants, policy makers, and the general public.

Theorizing Systemic Disparate Treatment Law, Michael Selmi

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

The pattern or practice cause of action is the most potent, but least understood, of the causes of action recognized by Title VII. The massive sex discrimination case filed against Wal-Mart has renewed scrutiny on the nature of the pattern or practice claim, and this essay seeks to explain under what circumstances statistics can prove intentional discrimination. This essay first explores the history of the pattern or practice claim, noting that the primary case law is now three decades old and was developed around issues of overt race discrimination. Claims of gender discrimination are more complicated because the regression analyses …

The Pii Problem: Privacy And A New Concept Of Personally Identifiable Information, Daniel J. Solove, Paul M. Schwartz

GW Law Faculty Publications & Other Works

Personally identifiable information (PII) is one of the most central concepts in information privacy regulation. The scope of privacy laws typically turns on whether PII is involved. The basic assumption behind the applicable laws is that if PII is not involved, then there can be no privacy harm. At the same time, there is no uniform definition of PII in information privacy law. Moreover, computer science has shown that in many circumstances non-PII can be linked to individuals, and that de-identified data can be re-identified. PII and non-PII are thus not immutable categories, and there is a risk that information …

Relationship Between Fundamental Motor Skills And Physical Activity, Sara Marrone

Graduate Research Papers

Objectives. An important component in reducing the obesity of today's children is increasing the level of participation in physical activity. One factor that might increase physical activity is the level of object control fundamental motor skill proficiency. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether object control fundamental motor skills are associated with moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Methods. 40 second grade students (23 boys and 17 girls) were studied. Children's physical activity was assessed by the Polar Active® activity monitor, and their motor proficiency was determined using a battery of assessment to test 4 object control skills (throwing, …