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Swosu One Hundred And Eighth Annual Spring Convocation, Southwestern Oklahoma State University

Graduation Programs

This is the program for the SWOSU One Hundred and Eighth Annual Spring Convocation Exercises, held at the Milam Stadium on Saturday, May 12, 2012, 10:00 am. Opening Remarks were presented by President Randy L. Beutler.

2012 Commencement - Undergraduate - Farquhar College Of Arts And Sciences, Abraham S. Fischler School Of Education And Human Services And H. Wayne Huizenga School Of Business And Entrepreneurship, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Pattern Classification And Reconstruction For Hyperspectral Imagery, Wei Li

Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, novel techniques for hyperspectral classification and signal reconstruction from random projections are presented. A classification paradigm designed to exploit the rich statistical structure of hyperspectral data is proposed. The proposed framework employs the local Fisher’s discriminant analysis to reduce the dimensionality of the data while preserving its multimodal structure, followed by a subsequent Gaussianmixture- model or support-vector-machine classifier. An extension of this framework in a kernel induced space is also studied. This classification approach employs a maximum likelihood classifier and dimensionality reduction based on a kernel local Fisher’s discriminant analysis. The technique imposes an additional constraint on …

San Antonio High School Food Justice Program: A Handbook And Evaluation Of Edible Education, Katherine B. Tenneson

Pitzer Senior Theses

This senior environmental studies thesis explains and analyzes edible education through a food and gardening program at a continuation high school in Claremont, California. The first chapter situates the program-specific analysis by providing background information of the edible education movement, a history of the Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley, California, and an explanation of why food is a powerful teaching tool. The second chapter delineates the program by describing all of its components and compiling essential resources and teaching documents. The third chapter is based on interviews with 9 of 12 involved students and 7 teachers, and thoroughly explains the outcomes …

Conversion Theory Through The Cognitive Science Of Religion Lense In A Christian-Muslim Context, Jennifer A. Garcia

Scripps Senior Theses

The Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR) in recent years is beginning to become more popular. This project evolves around the development of the field as well as critiques of the field. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of CSR, it lends an interesting way to understand religion as well as religious experiences. One of those religious experiences, conversion, is examined and explored through the use of conversion narratives from western women who were formally Christian but converted to Islam. Many themes arise out of this research that paves the way for trying to understand religious experiences. Overall, the project focuses on …

University Of Mississippi Commencement, 2012, University Of Mississippi, Daniel W. Jones, Morris H. Stocks, Roger F. Wicker

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Expressed Emotion And Attitudes Toward Body Image And Food, Toni Marie Maraldo

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

In numerous studies over the years, body image and dysfunctional attitudes toward food have shown to be related to the genesis of eating disorders. Recent research has particularly focused on the influence that families have on both the development of eating disorders as well as their impact on their child's body image and eating attitudes. In general, higher levels of expressed emotion are often found in families with children who have either anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. However, there is a lack of research on sub-clinical populations. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the influence that expressed …

Sleep Deprivation And Delusion Proneness: Influence On Dream Bizarreness, Anna Leigh Lezon

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

While evidence for many types of psychotic experience exists in the general population, dreams have been a particularly prominent model for hallucinations and delusions in otherwise healthy individuals. This definition of "bizarreness" in dreams mirrors the description of psychosis in schizophrenia patients when their psychosis remits (Colace, 2003). Babkoff et al, (1989) found a linear association - less sleep caused more waking-state hallucinations. While the relationship between psychotic symptoms and sleep deprivation is well established, most existing data regard waking-state psychotic symptomology. The relationship between sleep deprivation and dream-state psychotic symptomology has not been investigated. Further, no sleep deprivation study …

New Life: Negotiating Indigenous Women's Identity In The Context Of Globalization, Angela K. Miller

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Two years ago, I began researching where I wanted to study abroad. I desired a country that spoke Spanish, which I had studied since the age of six, and that would be relevant to my life in the United States. For these reasons, I chose Mexico, a place that, because of it' s geographical proximity and economy, has strong relations with my own nation. As a student of International Studies and Anthropology, I also sought a program that would allow me to interact with locals outside of a classroom setting. I decided on SIT World Learning and its program "Sustainable …

Conservative Feminism And Its Potential To Interact With, Influence, And Transform Traditional Feminist Identity, Aja Cacan

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The recent emergence of conservative female public figures has posed a challenge to the traditional notion of feminist thought. Although they define their particular form of success in terms of conservative ideology, many of these women operate according to feminist paradigms, and would not even have the opportunity to assume such a public role if it were not for the past feminist breakthroughs that have cleared the way. Their association with feminist logic and adoption of the feminist moniker notwithstanding, these conservative women most often speak out in reaction and opposition to traditional liberal feminist views and activism. Regardless of …

Latvian Folk Dance: Sustaining Cultural Heritage In The Context Of Christianity And Communism, Emilija Karina Grinvalds

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

In times of chaos and violence, brutality and oppression, one would not think of the arts as a guiding light for maintaining cultural identity and establishing peace and independence. However, the small country of Latvia serves as a prime example of how the arts, specifically folk dance, helped to maintain Latvian culture through centuries of oppression and war. As Swedish and German missionaries sought to spread Christianity throughout the pagan tribes in the 11th century, dance helped to sustain the cultural and religious beliefs of the ancient Latvians. Folk dance created a sense of unity within their communities, and the …

Teaching Old Buildings New Tricks: Benefits Of Retrofitting Indianapolis Buildings With Green Roofs, Sarah Elizabeth Strobl

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Not your basic rooftop garden, green roofs contain growing media and are planted with various types of vegetation. Green roofs can be either intensive, with soil depths above 6 inches and increased size and attractiveness of vegetation, such as trees and shrubs, or extensive, with soil depths between 2-6 inches and low, moss or grass-like plants that require little care (Getter et al. 2009, Indianapolis DPW 2008, Obemdorfer et al. 2007, US DOE 2004).

Although green roofs are initially more expensive than traditional roofing techniques due to the cost of additional materials, the long-term cost savings are high and can …

Synthesis Of Fluorogenic Substrates For The Enzymatic Characterization Of Rv0045c From M. Tuberculosis, Kelly Jo Mckenna

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the pathogenic bacterial agent commonly responsible for tuberculosis, or TB. Although treatment exists for the active form of tuberculosis, no method has been developed for eliminating M tuberculosis in its dormant state. One hypothesized method for the elimination of dormant TB is to develop an inhibitor specific for M tuberculosis esterases and lipases, as these esterases and lipases are essential to the survival of dormant TB infection. In this research, the substrate specificity of the Rv0045c esterase from M tuberculosis was studied due to the essential role of Rv0045c in TB metabolism and its dissimilarity to other …

Chiral Recognition In Amino Acid And Peptide Based Chiral Ionic Liquids, Daniel Mccray Kroupa

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

In this study, amino acid and peptide based chiral ionic liquids (ILs) were prepared and their chiral recognition ability probed using circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) spectroscopy. Potential applications of amino acid and peptide based chiral ILs include asymmetric synthesis and chiral resolution. The amino acid based chiral ILs under study were prepared from amino acid methyl ester cations and bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonamide ([TF2ND anions, specifically L-alanine methyl ester, D-alanine methyl ester, L-Ieucine methyl ester, and L-proline methyl ester. Cationic peptide ILs were prepared from L-alanyl glycine methyl ester cations and [TF2Nr anions and anionic peptide based ILs were prepared from tetrabutylammonium ([TBAt) …

Various Gaits Of African Elephant Calves, Elizabeth Anne Jennings

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

It is commonly believed that elephants exhibit only one gait, a lateral sequence walk. However, recently there have been several interesting studies on the footfall patterns of adult African elephants (Loxodonta africana). Scientists have recognized that elephants actually exhibit two patterns of locomotion: a lateral sequence walk and an amble. The amble is a slight modification of the lateral sequence gait. The present study extends this work by examining the relationship between gait and speed in African elephant calves at the Indianapolis Zoo. I collected frame-by-frame observational video data from a newborn calf born at the Indianapolis Zoo across a …

The Vegetarian Question, Mary Elizabeth Sekela

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

I wasn't raised in a vegetarian household. As a matter of fact, I have spent the majority of my life on a horse and cattle farm in central Kentucky. As a child, the process of raising our cattle for slaughter didn't strike me as a disgusting or unholy activity-my parents participated, after all, and they didn't seem to be adversely affected. Even when I became aware that some of the animals I had seen wandering the fields were slaughtered just down the road from our kitchen table, it never bothered me beyond an initial instant of discomfort. It wasn't until …

Personality Traits And Desire For Social Distance From Individuals With Mental Illnesses, Emily Lazar

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The current study sought to examine the relationship between personality traits and desire for social distance from an individual perceived as having a mental illness. Each participant received information about a confederate's (person pretending to be a participant) past mental illness diagnoses before interacting with them. This information was presented in the form of a demographic questionnaire completed by the confederate and, among other details, mentioned that the confederate had been previously diagnosed with schizophrenia. Participants' desire for social distance from the confederate was measured both by videotaped behavioral reactions and by attitudinal reactions reported on a social distance questionnaire …

The Legal And Social Repercussions Of The Media On The Sleepy Lagoon Trial And The Zoot Suit Riots, Lori Romero

Scripps Senior Theses

People v. Zamora was a case that was decided on January 12, 1943, which led to the conviction and sentencing of five defendants guilty of assault, nine guilty of second degree murder, and three of first degree murder. This equals a total of seventeen convictions for the murder of one man, out of twenty two who were arrested. Along with those convictions, five women were arrested and, due mainly to their refusal to cooperate were sent to a woman’s reformatory (Barajas, 36). Yet there emerged many different problems that were relevant in this trial, which were brought about by both …

Delivering Quality Care: The Roles And Future Of Midwives In Southern California, Abigail Jones

Scripps Senior Theses

The United States is ranked 27^th in the world for maternal mortality, yet spends twice as much on maternity care services as countries with better maternal health indicators. Stuck in a technocratic and physician-dominated maternity care system, the U.S. depends on expensive technologies to control birth out of fear of pain and litigation, costing Americans billions of dollars and depriving women of the opportunity to have a transformative birth experience. Through an analysis of the medicalization of birth and the current biomedical model in birth, in conjunction with open-ended interviews with 5 hospital midwives and 3 homebirth midwives, the …

Protecting The Last Tree: Environmental Education In The United States, 1990-2012, Liza R. Baskir

Pitzer Senior Theses

Having already been hired as an environmental organizer, I reflect on how my childhood experiences impacted me. I embark upon this vocational journey with youthful optimism, a good dose of realism, and just a touch of cynicism. An environmental organizer is someone who works mobilizing individuals around targeted environmental issues. They create policy changes that are environmentally positive… generally for little pay. What has motivated me, and scores of others, to willingly take on this seemingly impossible task? For me: was it the summer vacations to Yellowstone and The Rocky Mountains with my brothers and parents? Maybe it was being …

Bird, Plant, And Herpetofaunal Associations In Cove Forests And Pine Plantations In Mississippi, Aaron Weston Posner

Theses and Dissertations

I investigated plant and animal community characteristics on 14 forest stands in north central Mississippi. Study sites included 9 pine plantations, 3 streamside management zones, and 2 hardwood cove forests. I estimated relationships between faunal metrics and habitat characteristics. I measured vegetation characteristics within quadrant and nested plot designs to estimate understory, midstory, and overstory species composition and structure. I inventoried breeding birds using point count surveys and sampled herpetofauna diversity using area-constrained searches within belt transects during 2008 and 2009. I detected 39 species of birds in 2008, 43 species of birds in 2009, 11 species of amphibians, and …

Measures Of Social Cognition In The Laboratory And Real World: Towards Temporal Dynamics Of Implicit Other-Regard, Danielle Tucci

Scripps Senior Theses

Social cognition is a fundamental aspect of human experience that enables us to have relationships with and understanding of other people. Social relationships have been shown to mitigate cognitive decline in old age and benefit cognitive functioning, and the social interaction on which these relationships rely requires an extensive network of cognitive processes, and by extension neural systems, that have not, as of yet, been widely studied in older adults. Nor has the function of these systems been tied to social relationships in the real world. Here, I will compare self-reports of real-world quality and extent of social networks with …

Three Dimensional Elasticity Analyses For Isotropic And Orthotropic Composite Cylinders, Wenchao Wang

Theses and Dissertations

The demand for using shell theories comes from its efficiency in computational and analytical cost. On another side, new materials that are orthotropic and/or anisotropic in nature are discovered and broadly used in many fields. Many advanced shell theories are developed for these new materials, particularly in the recent decades. A study about the accuracy of these shell theories is very meaningful to build confidence in them for further applications. This study requires a precise benchmark against which shell theories can be tested. This is the main research subjective in this dissertation: to build a set of solutions using the …

University Of Montana Commencement Program, 2012, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of The Registrar

University of Montana Commencement Programs, 1898-2020

Commencement program from the University of Montana.

If You're Happy And You Know It: Concentrate!, Kristi Michelle Summers

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The phenomenon of mind wandering involves a situation in which a person's executive control switches from the current task to unrelated thoughts (Smallwood & Schooler, 2006). Previous research has indicated that individuals mind wander more often when they are in negative moods than when they are happier (Killingsworth & Gilbert, 2010; Smallwood, 2009). One theory of mind wandering, the Working Memory Capacity Theory, claims that participants with a lower working memory capacity (WMC) experience more mind wandering during a challenging primary task than participants with a higher WMC because those with higher WMC can better use their executive control to …

Devil In A Hula Skirt: Comparative Conservation Efforts Between The United States And Australia Using Two Endemic Species As Case Studies, Sarah Catherine Kuchinsky

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

There is a biodiversity crisis in our midst. An abundance of technology and innovation in the last 200 years has revamped our world but at the cost of pushing many species to extinction. Since the passing of the Endangered Species Act by Congress in 1973, more than 100 species in the United States have disappeared (Wilson 2006). The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) stats that "19,265 species out of the 59,507 so far assessed as threatened with extinction," (IUCN 2011). Extinction is the result of a combination of factors caused by human environmental disturbance. Disturbances in the …

Spring Commencement: May 12, 2012, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

UND Spring Commencement program from May 12, 2012.

Studies In Applied Materials Science: Drug-Biofluid Interactions And Light-Emitting Polymer Films, Ashley Lynn Cornell

Theses and Dissertations

Interactions of Asthma Drugs with Artificial Saliva and Mucus. Modeling pulmonary particulate transport requires related biofluid physicochemical properties. Aims included measuring the effects of common aerosol drugs on artificial saliva and diffusivities of asthma medications in mucus. Artificial saliva solutions doped with asthma medications were characterized by pH, interfacial tension, and rheology. To measure diffusion, drug concentration was monitored by time-dependent FTIR spectra, and diffusivity obtained using Fick¡¦s second law. Measured theophylline and albuterol diffusivities were ca. 10-6 cm2/s. Surface Modification of Polymer Films with Light-Emitting Chemicals. To develop a polymer film system that changed color in response to radiation, …

P-Glycoprotein Functional Studies To Evaluate The Effect Of Cyclosporine Emulsion Formulations On Reversal Of Resistance In The Multidrug Resistant Cancer Cell Line Mes-Sa-Dx5, Katherine E. Cich

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

Background: The overexpression of an efflux protein, p-glycoprotein (P-gp), is a leading cause of multi drug resistance (MDR). This research project is based on designing emulsions containing optimal doses of cyclosporine (CyA) and Pluronic® P-85 (P85), two agents found to be effective in inhibiting P-gp. Study

Objective: To investigate whether CyA exposure affects the quantity or functionality of P-gp in vitro.

Methods: To study the functionality of P-gp, MDR cells were incubated with CyA solutions containing the P-gp substrate and fluorescent dye Rhodamine 123 (RI23). P-gp inhibition was measured by fluorescence spectrophotometry, which indicates the accumulation of R123 inside the …

Implications Of Land Development On Nomadic Pastoralism: Ecological Relaxation And Biosocial Diversity In Human Populations, Hannah R. Bradley

Scripps Senior Theses

Nomadic pastoralism is an ancient subsistence strategy, historically balanced and in continuity with sedentary societies. Sedentarization of nomads occurs normally because of ecological disasters, economic opportunities, urbanization, and government policy. In this paper, I examine the effect of changing land use patterns on nomadic pastoral populations in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, using biogeographic methodology to further explore the contemporary relationship between humans and their environments. Nomadic population information gleaned from diverse ethnographic studies, and GIS data on anthropogenic biome distributions, were used to calculate changes in nomadic population, area of developed land, and nomadic/sedentary population density over the …