Digital Commons Network^™

Nostalgia In Oral Histories Of Israeli Women, Yael Zilberman

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In her article "Nostalgia in Oral Histories of Israeli Women" Yael Zilberman explores the narration of nostalgia of elderly women about the city of Be'er Sheva. In their narration, the subjects of the study create textual and spatial practices which are engendered and create analogies between the city, their maturing/ed bodies, and by-gone youth. Further, the grief owing to the perceived condition of the city intensifies the idealized description of the city and the longing for its past. Zilberman's study brakes new ground in that the study of urban experience within folklore is a lesser explored field as the urban …

Victims Of The City In Novels Of Zola And Dostoevsky, Marta L. Wilkinson

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In her article "Victims of the City in Novels of Zola and Dostoevsky" Marta Wilkinson argues that urbanity in its nineteenth-century setting functioned as the culpable agent in criminal behavior found in Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment and in several of Zola's Rougon-Macquart novels. Wilkinson an analysis of the novels based on Merlin Coverly's concept of psychogeography which supports the extension of the cityscape as an integral part of the novels' characters. Further, Wilkinson illustrates how in Zola's and Dostoevsky's novels the city reigns triumphant as characters fall victim to disease, drink, or are left with desperate choices: in Dostoevsky's novel …

Characterisation Of Pharmaceutical Grade Horse Chestnut Waste, Joanna Przyborska

Theses

Horse chestnut residue was made available by a local pharmaceutical company. The residue was subjected to compositional analysis and studied to determine potential for residual biological activity, including prebiotic, antimicrobial, anti-hyaluronidase and anti-elastase effects.

The residue had 52 % total solids, including 2.97% ash, 6.93% protein, 1.89% crude fat. Oleic acid (74.7%) was the main fatty acid components in the crude lipid component. The major ash components were potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium.

Prebiotic potential of aqueous extract (HCE) from horse chestnut residue was confirmed. A new formula for calculation of prebiotic index (PI) was developed. PI for probiotics (Lactobacillus …

An Investigation Of Corporate Identification And Disidentification, Wijnand Hendrik Rijkenberg

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the taken-for-granted processes of both identification and disidentification with corporate messages. Theories of identity and identification aided as a starting place in developing a focus for this study and Bakhtin’s dialogism perspective provided a lens for understanding how people’s word choices in their interviews worked as performances of identification and disidentification in the world of the Mokum Corporation, a nationwide company operating in the financial industry. The findings from this study challenge the idea that a corporation controls employee identification. Rather, while the messages from a corporate office can influence what meanings are out for employees to …

An Instructional Framework For Tier 2 Intervention In Mathematics, Catherine Didio Beals

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated the effectiveness of an instructional framework for Tier 2 intervention in mathematics. The framework suggests intervention teachers utilize instructional practices shown to be effective for students with disabilities while assessing students strengths and weaknesses in skills that are strong indicators of an MLD. This study used a mixed methods design to determine whether tutoring based on this framework led to changes in understanding of multiplication and division for four low achieving fourth graders. It also evaluated the usefulness of the instructional framework in determining whether a student had patterns of deficit related to a mathematics learning disability. …

Successful Aging In Hispanic Elders: A Narrative Inquiry, Julie Kay Carr

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this narrative study was to describe and provide an understanding of the unique cultural factors that are associated with successful aging in the elder Hispanic population.

Background: The number of aging Hispanic in Americans is on the rise. The Center for Disease Control recently released data showing the life expectancy for the Hispanic population is 80.6 years — a 2.5 year advantage over the non-Hispanic white population and 7.7 years over the non-Hispanic black population. With longer life spans resulting in an increased number of Hispanic older adults, we are presented with a difference that – …

Looking Back And Looking Ahead: A Narrative Inquiry Of Practice Related To Reading Programs In An Accountability-Based Reform Context, Amanda Villagómez

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Teaching in an era of standards and accountability-based teaching has a direct impact on teachers and students. Narrative inquiry methodology was used to better examine the impact on the participant researcher and her students in the context of teaching adolescent literacy (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; Montero & Washington, 2011; Schaafsma & Vinz, 2011). Over a three year period, adolescent literacy teaching methodology was examined through contrasting classroom contexts through the eyes of the teacher researcher and her students.

The following questions guided the inquiry: How has policy impacted me as a literacy teacher and the decisions I make, as well …

The Power Of Stories: A Communicative Investigation Of Dancehall Narratives And Caribbean Culture, Marlon Emmanuel Douglas

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the power of stories told within Caribbean dancehall music and culture that present “good reasons” that are adopted by members of that culture. In addition, these “good reasons” were further investigated through participants’ communicative cultural performances at two dancehall related events. I adopted a qualitative interpretive approach to data collection and employed Walter Fisher’s narrative paradigm theory to engage in narrative analysis of collected Caribbean dancehall stories. My findings show that dancehall stories reveal powerful ideological frames that “naturalize” ways of being within Caribbean dancehall culture. Moreover, various relationships between “good reasons” presented in lyrical stories and …

Christina Of Markyate, Manly Woman Of God: Mysticism, Monasticism, And Masculinity In Twelfth-Century England, Angela Ruth Bolen

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Christina of Markyate, a little-known twelfth-century mystic, challenged the secular masculinity of medieval England. Christina abandoned her home and family to search for a greater understanding of Christ, and her search led her away from the will of her father, her husband, and her king. Unlike other female religious of the time, she lived in an all-male monastery. Male religious figures from throughout England regularly sought her out for her wisdom and insight. This examination of Christina’s life reveals the complex relationship of sex, gender, and religion in the Middle Ages, because in her search to understand Christ, and by …

Eusebius Of Caesarea’S Oration In Praise Of Constantine As The Political Philosophy Of The Christian Empire, Benjamin David Brandon

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Eusebius of Caesarea delivered a panegyric in the thirtieth year of Constantine’s reign, 335 AD, celebrating the piety and faith of the emperor. This panegyric, the Oratio de Laudibus Constantini, or Oration in Praise of Constantine, provides a political theology for the divine sanction of the Christian monarch by linking the emperor’s rule to the rule of God. Much of the Oratio is an account of the pious deeds and divine victories of Constantine’s reign, suggesting that the emperor had in fact achieved the ideal of a Christian monarch. Through the Logos (Word or Reason) of God, the …

Leading Transformational Change In A Large Urban School District, Leslie Jean Brinks

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This abstract reflects the findings of the understanding of the skills necessary to lead transformative change in a non-affluent neighborhood in a large urban district. Current research and understandings of transformative leadership has been limited to traits and organizational concepts rather than the work associated with transforming schools. Studies seldom addressed if leaders even valued the actions central to transformative work or if they have the capacity and expertise to do the task. The purpose of this study was to understand the kinds of knowledge, skills, and dispositions that support what is viewed as transformative leading. Additionally the inquiry probed …

Adaptive Local And Global Synchronization And Phase Control Of Inferior Olive Neurons (Ions), Srujan Kumar Chalike

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Clusters of inferior olive neurons (IONs) in the olive-cerebellar system play an important role in providing synchronized motor control signals for the activation of large number of muscles. However, the dynamics of IONs are highly nonlinear and the system parameters are assumed to be unknowm. The IONs evolving from arbitrary initial conditions are not synchronized. However the application of IONs for control of BAUV's requires that IONs oscillate in unison. The objective is to design control laws such that the controlled ION tracks the trajectories of the reference ION. The two control laws are derived based on tuning functions adaptive …

Nitrite Oxidation In Geothermal Springs: Evidence Of An Upper Temperature Limit For Thermophilic Nitrite-Oxidizing Bacteria Of 60 - 65 °C, Tara Edwards

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Despite growing evidence of the importance of nitrification in terrestrial geothermal environments, little is known about nitrite oxidation in these environments. In order to further our knowledge, this study combined cultivation-dependent and -independent approaches with measurements of nitrogen speciation along the outflow channels of two Great Basin geothermal springs. Enrichment cultures were inoculated with sediment slurries from sites ranging in temperature from 42 - 87 °C at the sources and along the outflows of >15 hot springs. While attempts to enrich nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) from sites greater than or equal to 61 °C were unsuccessful, NOB were enriched from five …

Sociosexuality, Mate Preferences, And Sex Steroid Hormone Levels Among Breastfeeding Women In Manila, Michelle Escasa

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This project investigates the influence of lactation on female sociosexuality and mate preferences in urban Manila, a population with long-term breastfeeding, low contraceptive use, and quick return to ovulatory cycling. Physiological and evolutionary considerations suggest that lactating women face important life history allocation trade-offs between mating and parenting effort that may be manifest in their sociosexual behavior and mate preferences. Breastfeeding (n=155) and control (n=105) women were recruited to provide a saliva sample (for testosterone and estradiol analyses), complete a questionnaire, and complete a face and voice preference task to determine preferences for masculinity. Breastfeeding women reported differences in commitment …

Timeliness Of Electronic And Traditional Laboratory Reporting In Southern Nevada, 1999-2012, Jennifer Anne Lucas

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study compares the timeliness of Electronic Laboratory Reporting (ELR) with traditional reporting. ELR has been implemented in parts of the United States, and is perceived to be faster than traditional reporting. Faster reporting leads to faster public health response to prevent outbreaks, and to reduce the burden of infectious disease in communities. Nevada State law requires that diseases be reported within certain time frames. Timeliness of laboratory reporting at the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) from 1999-2012 was assessed by analyzing cases of four common diseases in this retrospective secondary analysis of extant data.

The difference in timeliness regarding …

Innovators And Laggards? Faculty Adoption Of Online Distance Education, Thomas Tailor Scott

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Over the past decade, institutions of higher education have seen enrollments in distance education, especially in the form of online learning, proliferate in striking numbers. In fact, some traditional colleges and universities are only experiencing real institutional growth in the areas of online learning. Even though a major push to increase the availability of distance education technology has occurred, effective adoption has not always followed suit. In hopes of speeding up the diffusion process, many colleges and universities have begun to contemplate the increased integration and institutional adoption of online learning. One of the most critical factors administrators must consider …

Molecular Forensic Science Analysis Of Nuclear Materials, Dallas Reilly

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Concerns over the proliferation and instances of nuclear material in the environment have increased interest in the expansion of nuclear forensics analysis and attribution programs. A new related field, molecular forensic science (MFS) has helped meet this expansion by applying common scientific analyses to nuclear forensics scenarios. In this work, MFS was applied to three scenarios related to nuclear forensics analysis. In the first, uranium dioxide was synthesized and aged at four sets of static environmental conditions and studied for changes in chemical speciation. The second highlighted the importance of bulk versus particle characterizations by analyzing a heterogeneous industrially prepared …

An Infusion Of Eastern And Western Music Styles Into Art Song: Introducing Two Sets Of Art Song For Mezzo-Soprano By Chen Yi, Wen Zhang

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Chinese-American composer Chen Yi has been praised as "the most internationally renowned female Asian composer of contemporary music today," and she "has in particular become a prominent figure in music circles in the United States and China." Besides her successes in writing orchestral and chamber music, Chen Yi has also written numerous vocal compositions including some art songs. This document aims to introduce two sets of Chen's art songs written for mezzo-soprano voice, Meditation and Bright Moonlight, and study the features of these compositions that represent the unique style of her music, which is influenced by Chinese folk music idioms …

N200 And P300 Evoked By Stimuli Straddling Category Boundary In Lexical Context, Ji Young Lee

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Background and Objectives: Event-related potentials (ERPs) like N200 and P300 have been reported to reflect the categorical perception of speech. The purpose of the present study is to explore whether these ERP components reflect the influence of lexical context on categorical perception. Findings may provide evidence for bottom-up or top-down processing of speech. Methods: On a seven step series of the /bi/-/pi/ continuum, a two-forced choice labeling test was administered in two conditions: /bi/ context (e.g. bee sting) and /pi/ context (e.g. pea soup). From the labeling results, Stimulus 1which is a prototypical /bi/ was selected for standard stimuli, and …

Using The Greet Model To Analyze Algae As A Feedstock For Biodiesel Production, Christopher Tatum

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

There is a growing interest in renewable, carbon-neutral biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. A life-cycle analysis is conducted in this study to determine the viability of using algae as a feedstock for biodiesel. The method involves assessing energy use, fossil fuel use, greenhouse gas emissions, and criteria pollutant emissions using a simulation developed by Argonne National Laboratory. The energy and emissions of algae-derived biodiesel are compared to those of soybean biodiesel, corn ethanol, conventional gasoline, and low-sulfur diesel. Results show that there are sizeable greenhouse gas emission benefits attributed to the production of both types of biodiesel as compared …

An Undergraduate Seminar On Irish Musical Culture In Ireland And The Irish Diaspora In America, Including The Influence Of Irish Music On Appalachian Folk Music Culture, Frieda Eakins

Masters Theses

The following project establishes a concise, yet multifaceted design for a seminar on Irish musical culture. While it was initially developed as a course for its author to teach in the undergraduate, on-ground classroom, this project provides a framework adaptable enough for use by other instructors and/or for additional music seminars. This project is unique in its two-fold purpose in that the design and resources are directed to assist the instructor with streamlining course curriculum preparation, while the course content specific to the project when utilized offers students in the undergraduate college classroom a better understanding of Irish musical culture …

The Effect Of Itgd Sensitivity And Contact On Attitudes Towards Burqas, Sophie Augarde

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The presented research investigates whether intergroup disgust sensitivity (affect-laden construct reflecting individual differences to experience revulsion towards outgroups) predicts greater prejudicial attitudes towards burqas. In addition to investigating the effect of ITGD sensitivity on prejudicial attitudes, types of contact (no contact, imagined contact and physical contact) between participants and an outgroup member were investigated to assess the efficacy of reducing prejudice towards women who wear burqas. ITGD sensitivity along with attitude towards burqas was measured over two sessions. Results indicated that there was no statistically significant effect of ITGD sensitivity or contact type on attitudes towards burqas. However, mean score …

Facies Analysis And Diagenesis Of Late Pleistocene Shoreline Sands, Saunton, North Devon, Sophie Young

The Plymouth Student Scientist

The succession at Saunton is composed of all the major elements of Pleistocene coastal stratigraphy from across north Devon. The aim of this study is to analyse and interpret the depositional environment of the laterally variable late Pleistocene sedimentary succession at Saunton, using facies analysis. This knowledge is used to infer local relative sea level changes from patterns of transgressions, normal, and forced regressions and an attempt is made, using sequence stratigraphy, to constrain the relative ages of the deposits based on marine oxygen isotope stages. Petrographic observations of the different facies and grain types are used to evidence the …

The Use Of Errorless Learning In The Rehabilitation Of Action Disorganisation Syndrome: A Case Study, Blaize Dymond

The Plymouth Student Scientist

This case study investigates the use of errorless learning in the rehabilitation of action disorganisation syndrome (ADS). Case DL suffered 2 traumatic brain injuries to the frontal lobes (2002 and 2010) and presents with a clear case of ADS. DL displays high levels of disorganisation when engaging in sequential tasks. Errorless learning was used in an attempt to rehabilitate abilities in two everyday routine sequential actions; making a cup of tea and making toast with butter and jam. Errorless learning involves the deliberate prevention of errors using both verbal and physical prompts. The intervention resulted in a significant decline in …

Mood Affective Outcomes From Alternate Learning Strategies: Cognitive Flexibility And Dyslexic Education, Dylan Williams

The Plymouth Student Scientist

It is theorized that persons with dyslexia and associated conditions may be vulnerable to negative wellbeing, alongside academic deficiency, which has been focused on more widely. This study aims to investigate this theory in teenagers, and to draw relationships with teaching methods. Participants were interviewed, and completed the PANAS (Positive and Negative Affect) scale for children, the Matson Evaluation of Social Skills for Youngsters, and the Educational Environment Survey (an assessment of perceptions on education and ability). Participants with dyslexia and associated conditions showed reduced wellbeing compared to controls, and identified distinct experiential differences of education. This study was successful …

Exploration Of The Effectiveness Of Apple Ios Devices And Bluetooth Low-Energy Nodes In The Evaulation Of Stroke Patient Rehabilitation And Recovery, Robert Derveloy

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The goal of this study is to help establish a foundation for cost effective stroke patient telerehabilitation by examining the efficacy of off-the-shelf consumer motion sensors. This paper examines the practical implications of utilizing Apple iOS mobile devices and Variable Technology KORE NODE devices in the evaluation of stroke patient recovery. Several algorithms are proposed to handle the user positioning and cheating detection requirements of the Functional Reach Test (FRT), efficient scoring of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) motor arm exams, and real-time fall detection monitoring.

Impact Of Large Mammal Herbivory On The Federally Threatened Plant, Scutellaria Montana Chapm (Large-Flowered Skullcap) At A Millitary Training Site, Catoosa County, Georgia, Andrea Renee Benson

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Scutellaria montana Chapm. (Large-flowered skullcap) is a federally listed species endemic to a few counties in northwestern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee. A large population of this species is housed within the Tennessee Army National Guard Volunteer Training Site (VTS) in Catoosa County, GA. To investigate the impacts of large mammal herbivores on this species at the VTS, an exclosure experiment was conducted in the field during 2011 and 2012. Results indicate that deer are not negatively impacting S. montana at the individual or population levels, but and after the second season, it was apparent that the white PVC pipe used …

Economic Analysis Of Solar Assisted Absorption Chiller For A Commercial Building, Gnananesan Antonyraj

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Dwindling fossil fuels coupled with changes in global climate intensified the drive to make use of renewable energy resources that have negligible impact on the environment. In this attempt, the industrial community produced various devices and systems to make use of solar energy for heating and cooling of building space as well as generate electric power. The most common components employed for collection of solar energy are the flat plate and evacuated tube collectors that produce hot water that can be employed for heating the building space. In order to cool the building, the absorption chiller is commonly employed that …

Conservation Genetics Of A Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma Maculatum (Shaw 1802)) Local Population In Southeast Tennessee, Daniel Scott Armstrong

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Currently there is a worldwide amphibian decline with numerous causes. Because of this, it is important to understand how genetic variation in local amphibian populations is affected by disturbance. The goal of this study was to assess the genetic impacts of past chemical and ammunition storage and present industrialization on a local population of Ambystoma maculatum (Shaw 1802) using thirteen microsatellite markers. Most loci exhibited no loss of heterozygosity but the low effective population size may indicate vulnerability to future declines. No population substructure or sex-biased dispersal was detected. Possible explanations for the reduction in genetic diversity at four loci …

From Future Homemaker Of America To The Lesbian Continuum: The Queering Of Mary Ann Singletone In Armistead Maupin's Tales, Sara Katherine White

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City is a turning point in homosexual literature in twentieth century America. This paper mainly examines the character of Mary Ann Singleton and the "queering" of her character. The writings of Michael Foucault, Judith Butlter, Adrienne Rich, Eve K. Sedgewich, and Simone de Beauvoir are vital in understanding how a straight woman journeys onto the lesbian continuum as a revolt against gender roles (defined by Butler and Beauvoir) and as a result of her friendship with Michael Tolliver. Michael's character provides a discourse (as defined by Foucault) on homosexuality and through this discourse, he provides …