Digital Commons Network^™

Correlation Between The Tcap Test And Thinklink Learnings Predictive Assessment Series Test In Reading Math And Science In A Tennessee School System., Jared Edwin Day

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine if a correlation existed between the Predictive Assessment Series (PAS) Test, marketed by Discovery Education, and the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) Achievement Test in reading, math, and science for grade 4, grade 6, and grade 8. The study included 4^th-grade, 6^th-grade, and 8^th-grade students during the 2008-2009 school year who had taken the ThinkLink Predictive Assessment Series for reading, math, and science in February 2009 and had taken the TCAP reading, math, and science test in April 2009.

The approach of the study was quantitative …

Mesoporous Functionalized Materials For Post-Combustion Carbon Dioxide Capture., Kolade Omoniyi Ojo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Novel highly functionalized hybrid organic-inorganic materials were synthesized by polycondensation of bis[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]amine in presence of cationic and anionic surfactants. Reaction media strongly affected gelation time. Thus, in basic media gelation occurred immediately while acid increased gelation time. Material structures were studied by IR spectroscopy, porosimetry, XRD, and SAXS methods. In spite of the absence of an inorganic linker, obtained bridged silsesquioxanes had mesoporous structure. A material prepared in the presence of dodecylamine as a template had higher surface area and narrow pore size distribution while the use of sodium dodecylbenzene sulfate resulted in formation of mesopores with wide size ranges. …

Hydrodynamics Of Downstream Pointed Guidevanes: A Case Study Of The Hess Creek Meander Bend Realignment, Alexandre W. Lai

Engineering

The hydrodynamics of downstream pointed guidevanes installed to realign an eroding meander bend upstream of the Trans- Alaska Pipeline bridge is studied. The bridge is located at Hess Creek, 137 km north of Fairbanks, Alaska. Effect of the downstream pointed vanes on bed form, erosion, longitudinal and transverse slopes, three dimensional velocity profiles, flow patterns, and other hydraulic parameters for high and low flows are compared and analyzed. Six years after installation of the vanes the realigned thalweg remains in its original design location. The longitudinal bed profile changed from a dominant continuous pool typical of natural meander bends on …

Investigation Of A Landslide In Discontinuous Permafrost Near Chitina, Alaska, Kyle E. Obermiller

Engineering

Few studies have investigated landslides in frozen ground. As Alaska's population grows and climate warms, we can expect an increase in landslide frequency. This thesis presents mapping and subsurface analysis of a slide occurring in discontinuous permafrost near Chitina, Alaska. The active slide intersects the McCarthy Road and occurs within an underlying clayey glaciolacustrine diamicton deposit in an area previously used as a dump. The multifaceted investigation included landslide feature mapping, seismic surveys, tree-ring sampling, and a slope stability analysis to back-calculate residual soil strength properties. Mapping indicated that the overall landslide extent is larger than the active slide area. …

Fluid Characterization And Phase Behavior Studies Of Oil From The Frozen Reservoir Of Umiat Oil Field, Alaska, Chinmay Shukla

Engineering

Umiat oil field is the largest oil accumulation in National Petroleum Reserve (NPRA) No. 4 of Alaska. Shallow reservoir depths, low reservoir pressures, and low temperatures with most of the oil-producing zone in a continuous layer of permafrost are unique characteristics that make Umiat reservoir unconventional and difficult to produce. However, unavailability of fluid characterization and phase behavior data needed for reservoir simulation studies pose challenges in developing an effective production strategy. Given the conspicuous lack of complete fluid data on Umiat oils and the unavailability of live oil samples from Umiat, an experimental study was undertaken to characterize and …

Numerical Heat Transfer Model Of A Traditional Ice Cellar With Passive Cooling Methods, Kyle D. Wendler

Engineering

Permafrost ice cellars have been used for generations by Arctic communities for subsistence food storage. Many of these ice cellars have been recently reported to be difficult or impossible to maintain due to thawing and water accumulation inside the cellar. The thesis objective is to investigate the effectiveness of implementing passive techniques to lower the surrounding permafrost temperature, ideally to 0°F, the USDA recommended temperature, throughout the year. Numerical finite element modeling was used to investigate the effects on permafrost temperature with the addition of two-phase, closed thermosyphons and/or ground insulation. Thermosyphon condensers installed both above and below ground were …

The Digital Folklore Project: Tracking The Oral Tradition On The World Wide Web., Jasen Bacon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

I collected forty-two e-mail forwards over the course of four months, and from those I formulated a framework that adapts existing theory in collection and study of real-world folklore to the emerging folk communities that exist on the internet. Through this analysis I prove that the same genres of folklore that is routinely collected by folklorists have been adapted to fit the digital environment of the internet. I then use the framework that I lay out to perform a study of the e-mails themselves.

Synthesis Of N-(Substituted Phenyl) Acetamides., Landon Zink

Undergraduate Honors Theses

No abstract.

Reproductive Ecology And Morphometric Subspecies Comparisons Of Dunlin (Calidris Alpina), An Arctic Shorebird, Heather River Gates

Biological Sciences

The Arctic region provides globally important breeding and migratory habitat for abundant wildlife populations including migratory shorebirds. Due to their remote breeding locations, basic information on breeding ecology, annual productivity, and factors that regulate their populations are poorly studied. Wildlife biologists managing migratory bird populations require detailed information on avian breeding biology, in addition to information on migration ecology including connectivity of migratory stopover and wintering locations. To address information gaps in fecundity, I conducted an experimental study investigating the renesting ecology of Dunlin (Calidris alpina arcticola) by removing clutches at two stages of incubation and by following adults marked …

Communication In The Face Of Diversity: Towards A Training Model For U.S. Army Cadets, Nolan O. Lasiter

Communication

The purpose of this study was to explore the need for a communication and cultural diversity training program in a Northwestern university Reserve officer Training Corps (ROTC) department. A needs assessment was conducted identifying the need for a training program in both culture and communication. Research questions explored the need for a training program in communication and cultural diversity. Quantitative methods assessed the overall outcomes from the communication and cultural diversity workshops. Hypotheses predicted that Cadet's scores would increase from pretest to posttest as a result of the communication and cultural diversity workshop. Senior level cadets at a Northwestern university …

The Murray Ledger And Times, December 17, 2011, The Murray Ledger And Times

The Murray Ledger & Times

No abstract provided.

Characteristics Of The Sulukna River Spawning Population Of Inconnu, Yukon River Drainage, Alaska, David Andrews Esse

Fisheries

Inconnu Stenodus leucichthys are large migratory whitefish harvested in subsistence and sport fisheries in Alaska. Research on the Sulukna River spawning population of inconnu was conducted in September and early October from 2007 to 2009. Samples were collected to verify maturity and spawning readiness, and to determine age distributions of mature males and females. Spawning abundance was estimated and post-spawning migration timing was identified. Otoliths were analyzed optically to determine age and chemically to determine amphidromy. Maturity sampling indicated that all sampled fish were in spawning condition or had recently spawned. Abundance estimates were 2,079 and 3,531 inconnu in 2008 …

Illinois State University, One Hundred And Fifty-Second Annual Commencement, December 17, 2011, Illinois State University

Commencement Programs

Normal, Illinois
Illinois State University
One Hundred and Fifty-Second Annual Commencement
December 17, 2011

Statistical Spectral Parameter Estimation Of Acoustic Signals With Applications To Byzantine Music, Kyriakos Michael Tsiappoutas

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Digitized acoustical signals of Byzantine music performed by Iakovos Nafpliotis are used to extract the fundamental frequency of each note of the diatonic scale. These empirical results are then contrasted to the theoretical suggestions and previous empirical findings. Several parametric and non-parametric spectral parameter estimation methods are implemented. These include: (1) Phase vocoder method, (2) McAulay-Quatieri method, (3) Levinson-Durbin algorithm,(4) YIN, (5) Quinn & Fernandes Estimator, (6) Pisarenko Frequency Estimator, (7) MUltiple SIgnal Characterization (MUSIC) algorithm, (8) Periodogram method, (9) Quinn & Fernandes Filtered Periodogram, (10) Rife & Vincent Estimator, and (11) the Fourier transform. Algorithm performance was very precise. …

An Experimental Study Of Formation Of Circulation Patterns In Laminar Unsteady Driven Cavity Flows Using Particle Image Velocimeter (Piv) Techniques, Jon Farkas

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

An experimental study is conducted to determine the velocity fields, from development to steady state, in a square enclosure due to movement of a constant velocity lid using Particle Image Velocitmetry (PIV). Experiments were conducted with water, seeded with hollow glass sphere particles 10 microns in diameter, at three different lid velocities leading to Reynolds numbers in the high laminar to transitional range. Driven Cavity Flow is a classic fluid dynamics case often used for benchmarking of computational codes. Previous work has primarily focused on improving computational codes, experimental work is lacking and focused on obtaining steady state readings. …

A Dynamical Study Of The Evolution Of Pressure Waves Propagating Through A Semi-Infinite Region Of Homogeneous Gas Combustion Subject To A Time-Harmonic Signal At The Boundary, John Eslick

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, the evolution of a pressure wave driven by a harmonic signal on the boundary during gas combustion is studied. The problem is modeled by a nonlinear, hyperbolic partial differential equation. Steady-state behavior is investigated using the perturbation method to ensure that enough time has passed for any transient effects to have dissipated. The zeroth, first and second-order perturbation solutions are obtained and their moduli are plotted against frequency. It is seen that the first and second-order corrections have unique maxima that shift to the right as the frequency decreases and to the left as the frequency increases. …

Development Of A Novel Electron-Transfer Secondary Reaction Matrix, Characterization Of The Site–Specificity Of Novel Bilin-Lyase, And Fundulus Grandis Protein Expression Investigation Using Mass Spectrometry, Mohamed N. Boutaghou

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Reported in this dissertation are the results of investigations performed at the New Orleans Center for Mass Spectrometry at the University of New Orleans. The projects that are detailed in the coming pages take on a variety of subjects, but a common thread is that each employs matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry to solve a problem. Fundamental aspects of MALDI in-plume ionization are implicated in the introduction of a newly developed electron-transfer secondary ionization matrix. The remaining projects are related to the ever expanding field of proteomics. Mass spectrometry was used to investigate the site specificity of a newly …

Horizontal Violence In The Nursing Work Environment: Beyond Oppressed Group Behavior, Therese M. Mendez

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The United States has been experiencing a nursing shortage since the mid-1990s. The shortage is expected to deepen as the provisions of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are enacted. Horizontal violence is a negative phenomenon in the nursing workplace that contributes to difficulty in recruiting and retaining nurses in hospitals. Horizontal violence has been described as a form of mistreatment, spoken or unspoken, that is threatening, humiliating, disrespectful or accusatory towards a peer. The effects of this nurse on nurse aggression can be devastating for the nurse involved and also for the patients under the nurse's care. …

Self-Assemblies Driven By The Hydrophobic Effect, Haiying Gan

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Water is a simple molecule but is an essential part of life. One key aspect of the properties of water is the hydrophobic effect, and whilst there is an appreciation of this phenomenon at the macro-scale (raindrops falling off leaves) and the micro-scale (the structure of cellular systems), a complete understanding at the molecular level still eludes science. Addressing this issue, our studies involve synthetic supramolecular compounds that assemble in water via the hydrophobic effect.

First of all, a novel water-soluble deep-cavity cavitand was synthesized. It possesses four endo methyl groups on top rim of the cavitand, eight water-solubilizing carboxylic …

Exchange Flows In An Urban Water Body: Bayou St. John Responses To The Removal Of Flood Control Structures, Future Water Elevation Control, And Water Quality, Robin L. Schroeder

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Bayou St. John, an urban water body extending south from Lake Pontchartrain, has two anthropogenic structures that regulate flow from the Lake . The City of New Orleans has plans to remove the inner control structure to improve water quality. Field and numerical methods used in this study show removing this structure increased water elevations throughout the Bayou but resulted in lower water elevation signal amplitudes that caused a lower tidal flow exchange from north to south. Bulk Richardson numbers showed mixing was inversely related to flow and the Bayou generally remains stratified. Resuspension of contaminated sediment could negatively impact …

Synthesis And Biological Evaluation Of Aeruginosin Based Compounds And Self-Assembly Of Glucosamine Based Compounds, Navneet Goyal

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Aeruginosins are a family of marine natural products containing mostly non-proteogenic amino acids. These compounds contain a common 2-carboxy-6-hydroxy-octaindole (Choi) rigid bicyclic structure. Many aeruginosins are inhibitors for enzymes involved in the blood coagulation cascade, such as thrombin and Factor VIIa. In order to understand the structure activity relationship (SAR) of the aeruginosins and to discover novel anticoagulants with potentially improved inhibitory and pharmacokinetic properties, in the first part of my thesis I have discussed, synthesis of a series of novel analogs of aeruginosin 298-A, in which the Choi will be replaced with L-proline and oxygenated Choi analogs, and the …

Factors That Contribute To Susceptibility Of The Placebo/Nocebo Effect In Experimentally Induced Ischemic Arm Pain, Steve T. Brewer

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Placebo’s (positive expectancies producing positive outcomes) and nocebo’s (negative expectancies producing negative outcomes) are real and measurable effects. Real as these effects may be, predicting individuals that may be susceptible to placebo/nocebo effects has been inconsistent. The present study examined whether measures designed to assess somatization (MSPQ), catastrophizing (PCS) and childhood trauma (CTQ) would predict placebo and nocebo membership. In addition, measures designed to assess anxiety (ASI) anxiety about pain (PASS) and depression (BDI) were evaluated to determine whether anxiety or depression mediates responsiveness. The Hargreaves Thermal Withdrawal test and the submaximal effort tourniquet technique were employed as pain vehicles …

Investigating The Thermal Stability And Cation Ordering In Layered Cathode Lixmo2 (X ≤ 1; M = Co, Mn, Ni) Materials For Li-Ion Rechargeable Batteries And Studying The Ferroelectric Properties Of Linbo3 Nanoparticles, Debasish Mohanty

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, transition metal oxides have drawn extensive attention because of their wide application in electronic, memory, battery, informatics, and optoelectronics devices. In this dissertation, we have studied two different types of oxide materials which are technologically important: LiMO 2 (M = Co, Mn, Ni), has served as cathode materials in the rechargeable battery, and LiNbO3, has wide application in ferroelectric devices such as electronics, non-volatile memories, and thin film capacitors. LiMO2 was synthesized and characterized to understand the correlation between capacity fading and thermal stability relating to the microstructures. Our results showed that delithiated (charged) LiCoO2, forms a …

Animal Companionship And Identity Construction In The Middle English "Ywain And Gawain", Robert E. Byers

English

As a relatively recent field within literary cultural studies, "animal studies" has the potential to ask sophisticated new questions about the central and privileged place of the humanist "cogito." Through an examination of the human-animal companionship found in the Middle English romance "Ywain and Gawain", this thesis aims to contribute to the project of animal studies by tracing how questions about humanity and animality both construct and deconstruct a subject's identity. In the poem, Ywain, a knight in Arthur's court, is exiled from society and befriends a lion, who travels and fights alongside him. The dynamics of their bond highlight …

Refined Liquid Smoke: A Potential Antilisterial Supplement To Cold-Smoked Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus Nerka), Naim Montazeri Djouybari

Fisheries

Listeria monocytogenes, the causative agent of listeriosis can contaminate cold smoked salmon (CSS) and make it a high-risk ready-to-eat food product. Due to the lack of a critical control point in the cold-smoking process, a post-process elimination is essential to ensure product safety. The goal of this project was to improve safety of vacuum-packaged CSS supplemented with commercially refined liquid smoke (LS). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometric analysis showed the LS were high in carbonyl containing compounds and low in phenol derivatives. The LS (AM-10 and AM-3) producing the greatest inhibition against L. innocua in a paper disk diffusion assay were applied …

The Use Of Aerial Imagery To Map In-Stream Physical Habitat Related To Summer Distribution Of Juvenile Salmonids In A Southcentral Alaskan Stream, Jeff Perschbacher

Fisheries

Airborne remote sensing (3-band multispectral imagery) was used to assess in-stream physical habitat related to summer distributions of juvenile salmonids in a Southcentral Alaskan stream. The objectives of this study were to test the accuracy of using remote sensing spectral and spatial classification techniques to map in-stream physical habitat, and test hypotheses of spatial segregation of ranked densities of juvenile chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tschwytscha, coho salmon O. kisutch, and rainbow trout O. mykiss, related to stream order and drainage. To relate habitat measured with remote sensing to fish densities, a supervised classification technique based on spectral signature was used to …

Use Of Hurst And Renyi Analysis To Detect And Characterize Pacific Decadal Oscillation Impacts On Climate Variability In Alaska, Jean K. Talbot

Atmospheric Sciences

While climate systems are known be nonlinear, most statistical tools used to study climate are linear. Two nonlinear analyses are introduced for indicating predictability in climate studies: Hurst analysis and Renyi analysis, the advantages of which are illustrated by applying both to characterize Alaska climate time series 'dynamics' or temporal evolution. These methods are also applied to reanalysis and model data to compare with the observational analysis. Hurst analysis is used to calculate long term predictability in data on a scale of five to 15 years; Renyi analysis is used to quantify the degree of order on a time scale …

Mesoscale Modeling Study Of A Polar Low In The Chukchi And Beaufort Seas, Paula Doubrawa Moreira

Atmospheric Sciences

Polar lows are intense mesoscale maritime cyclones, often associated with strong winds that can damage high-latitude coastal environments and infrastructure. These systems have been historically infrequent in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas, but this behavior is expected to change along with the amplified changes in Arctic climate. This study investigates the unusual occurrence of a polar low in this region on October 9-10, 2009. Sensitivity experiments with the Weather Research and Forecasting model indicate that using ERA-Interim as large-scale forcing and performing spectral nudging at all simulation hours yield the most realistic simulation. The simulations are highly sensitive to physical …

Effects Of Climate Variability And Fishing On Gadid-Crustacean Interactions In Subarctic Ecosystems, Laurinda Marcello

Fisheries

Snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) are a vital economic and biotic resource to many subarctic ecosystems. Their abundance varies greatly, but what causes large changes in production and early life survival is unknown. My overall goal is to improve our understanding of snow crab population dynamics during early life history stages. Chapter 1 provides background information on subarctic ecosystems, addresses possible mechanisms of population control and potential drivers of variability, describes snow crab life history, and reviews recent population trends in snow crab and their major cod predators. Chapter 2 details a regression study examining the effects of snow crab spawning …

Determination Of Select Metal Ions In Commercially Available Conventional And Organic Baby Foods., Neva S. Winters

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this study is to determine whether or not there is an appreciable difference between concentrations of various metal ions present in conventionally grown and processed and organically grown and processed baby foods. Two prominent, commercially available brands were chosen to undergo comparative studies between both their own conventional and organic varieties of second stage green beans and carrots. Samples were tested for cadmium, calcium, iron, lead, nickel, and zinc. Two containers of each variety of baby food were sampled in triplicate, with purchases of foods being made in separate areas to ensure that each set came from …