Digital Commons Network^™

School Change: Adolescents Transitioning From Conventional Schooling To Home-Based Online Education, Harvey Klamm

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This hermeneutic phenomenological research explored the lived experiences of six recently graduated adolescents to extrapolate the valued essence of their transitional encounters in changing from conventional school to home-based online schooling. The homeschool research shifted the emphasis from the outcome-based academic achievement studies prevalent during the past 20 years to a focus on internal and external factors impacting student learning within this technological instructional process. Findings produced from analysis and interpretation of reflective adolescent lived experiences revealed rich truth regarding the internal emotions, environmental adaptations, academic ramifications, and social adaptations encountered when changing from conventional schooling to home-based online school. …

Forest Grazing: Managing Your Land For Trees, Forage, And Livestock, Olivia Salmon, Chad Reid, Darren Mcavoy

All Current Publications

This fact sheet gives an overview of the relationships between trees and forage and provides suggestions on managing your land for forest grazing.

Depleted Uranium. Is It Potentially Involved In The Recent Upsurge Of Malignancies In Populations Exposed To War Dust?, Hamdi H. Shelleh

Saudi Medical Journal

Due to its extreme density, depleted Uranium (DU) has recently entered the warfare industry and became a major pollutant to the biosphere. Although DU is less radioactive than natural Uranium, it still retains all its chemical toxicity. Limited data exists regarding the long-term hazards of DU on humans, however, it is suspected to be a major toxic and mutagenic agent. Literature review reveals the scarcity of the World Health Organization9s knowledge regarding related DU-malignancies. Battlefield reports documented a steady rise of malignancies and newborn malformations after war, that is, leukemia in the Balkans, and congenital anomalies and Kaposi sarcoma (KS) …

Association Of Cluster Of Differentiation 36 Gene Variant Rs1761667 (G>A) With Metabolic Syndrome In Egyptian Adults, Nervana M. Bayoumy, Mohamed M. El-Shabrawi, Hamdi H. Hassan

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between cluster of differentiation (CD)36 gene variant rs1761667 (G>A) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in Egyptian patients. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted on MetS patients attending Suez Canal University Hospital, Egypt from November 2010 to October 2011. Peripheral blood was collected from 100 patients and 100 healthy controls for DNA extraction. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) CD36 gene rs1761667 (G>A) was genotyped using real-time polymerase chain reaction, and allele discrimination technique. RESULTS: Distribution of CD36 genotypes in the patient group was AA (n=25), AG (n=70), and GG (n=5) while in …

The Mechanism Of Lipid Raft Mediating Chemoresistance Of Cervical Cancer, Yan-Xiang Cheng, Min Hu, Liao Chen, Jin-Ling Huang, Liang-Bin Xia, Bin-Shu Li, Li-Mei Zhou, Li Hong

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanism of lipid raft mediating chemotherapy resistance in cervical cancer. METHODS: This experiment was carried out in the Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China from June 2010 to February 2011. Hela cells were divided into 6 groups: control group (Ctrl), cisplatin group (Cis), lipid raft interference agent group (MCD), NADPH oxidase inhibitor group (Apo), lipid raft interference agent combined with cisplatin group (MCD+Cis), and NADPH oxidase inhibitor combined with cisplatin group (Apo+Cis). After the cervical cancer cells were treated with a correspondent agent for 24 hours, the number of surviving cells …

Vitamin D Deficiency In Rheumatoid Arthritis. Prevalence And Association With Disease Activity In Western Saudi Arabia, Suzan M. Attar

Saudi Medical Journal

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of low serum vitamin D level (25[OH]D) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with healthy controls, and to analyze the association between 25(OH)D and disease activity. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included 100 RA patients (85% women) and 100 controls, not on vitamin D supplements from January 2010 to December 2011 at a tertiary care center at the Department of Internal Medicine, King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Disease activity was measured using the disease activity score index (DAS28). According to the DAS28 score, RA patients were divided into 3 groups …

Determining Compost Carryover For Optimal Use In An Organic Corn Squash Rotation, Davey J.R. Olsen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In 2008–2011 a graduate project was undertaken by Davey Olsen under the supervision of Utah State University (USU) Plant, Soils and Climate professors, Drs. Jennifer Reeve, Dan Drost, and Astrid Jacobson. The project investigated a new way of measuring the benefits of applying compost to organically certified horticultural crops. In particular, the carryover of these benefits in the three years following a one-time application was studied. A field trial at the USU Organic Farm modeled the carryover of nitrogen and phosphorus in a corn and squash rotation, while laboratory analysis investigated aspects of nitrogen availability and compost decomposition over time. …

The Relationship Between Salinity And Drought Tolerance In Turfgrasses And Woody Species, Nisa Leksungnoen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Both salt and water deficit make it difficult for plants to uptake water from soil. Thus, plants under those conditions may respond and deal with them similarly. The overall objectives of this study were to 1) determine visual appearance and physiological responses, and mechanisms to deal with salt and water deficit of turfgrasses and woody species, and 2) determine the relationship between salt and water deficit tolerance ability in those species.

Five turfgrass entries, ‘Gazelle’ and ‘Matador’ tall fescue (TF), ‘Midnight’ Kentucky bluegrass (KBG), PI368233 (Tolerant KBG), and PI372742 (Susceptible KBG), and three woody species, bigtooth maple (xeric-non saline), bigleaf …

A Baseline Study Of Biofuel Feedstock Growth On Non-Traditional Agronomic Land In Utah, Dallas A. Hanks

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Nearly all highway, airport, and military areas in Utah cost money to maintain and are often safe harbor for noxious weeds and pests. This project hypothesized that money could be saved and biofuel feedstocks could be grown in these areas, improving sustainability. Agronomic conditions and growth methods were tested to determine if biofuel feedstock production could occur on these marginal, non-traditional plots of land. Models developed illustrate that maintenance costs for these areas can be nullified if oilseed crops grown yield 600 pounds/acre and are used for biodiesel production. This feedstock yield would result in approximately 25 gallons of biodiesel …

Mass Spectrometry Based Free Radical Induced Fragmentation Study Of Chemically Modified Cysteine Containing Peptides, Veronika Vitalyevna Dubniakova

Master's Theses

Modification of cysteine containing peptides by the thiol group of cysteine with radical precursors allows a simple and localized generation of radical species in the collision cell of mass spectrometer. The proof of principle and the analysis of the radical derived fragments of a set of different model peptides are described further in the manuscript as well as the importance and potential applications of the method.

Comparative Research Performance Analyses Of The Departments Of Botany And Zoology Of The University Of Burdwan From 1960-2000, Amitava Nandi, Amit Kumar Bandyopadhyay

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Introduction

India invests a huge amount of money and time for the production of doctorates to meet its R&D needs. Evaluation of research institutions is very important for their ranking, proper funding, grant releasing etc. Very few studies have been made to compare and evaluate the research output of the universities and R&D organizations of West Bengal. In recent past NAAC started evaluation of overall activities of the universities of our country. In a 5 to 1 star ranking by NAAC, The University of Burdwan received four-star status, which is later revised to B+. The University of Burdwan was established …

India's Efforts In Open Access Publishing, Bhaskar Mukherjee, Bidyut Kumar Mal

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Introduction

For a long time, India has been generating a great deal of scholarly resources in all disciplines. After independence, there was a lot of investment in science and technology, and S&T were used to leverage development efforts and to improve the standard of living. However, one in four Indians still lives below the poverty line. There is a considerable research effort in a wide variety of areas including science, technology, medicine, humanities and social sciences. Research is performed essentially in three sectors: (1) higher educational institutions, such as universities and deemed universities (2) laboratories under different government agencies such …

Root-Knot Nematodes In Golf Course Greens Of The Western United States, Claudia Nischwitz

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Host Plant Use By Competing Acacia-Ants: Mutualists Monopolize While Parasites Share Hosts, Stefanie Kautz, Daniel J. Ballhorn, Johannes Kroiss, Steffen U. Pauls, Corrie S. Moreau, Sascha Eilmus, Erhard Strohm, Martin Heil

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Protective ant-plant mutualisms that are exploited by non-defending parasitic ants represent prominent model systems for ecology and evolutionary biology. The mutualist Pseudomyrmex ferrugineus is an obligate plant-ant and fully depends on acacias for nesting space and food. The parasite Pseudomyrmex gracilis facultatively nests on acacias and uses host-derived food rewards but also external food sources. Integrative analyses of genetic microsatellite data, cuticular hydrocarbons and behavioral assays showed that an individual acacia might be inhabited by the workers of several P. gracilis queens, whereas one P. ferrugineus colony monopolizes one or more host trees. Despite these differences in social organization, neither …

Remote Detection Of Ephemeral Wetlands In Mid- Atlantic Coastal Plain Ecoregions: Lidar And High-Throughput Computing, Paul Leonard

All Theses

Ephemeral wetlands are ecologically important freshwater ecosystems that occur frequently throughout the Atlantic coastal plain ecoregions of North America. Despite the growing consensus of their importance and imperilment, these systems historically have not been a national conservation priority. They are often cryptic on the landscape and methods to detect ephemeral wetlands remotely have been ineffective at the landscape scales necessary for conservation planning and resource management. Therefore, this study fills information gaps by employing high-resolution light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data to create local relief models that elucidate small localized changes in concavity. Relief models were then processed with local …

Enabling Marker-Assisted Breeding (Mab) For Blush In Peach [Prunus Persica (L.) Batsch], Terrence Frett

All Theses

ABSTRACT
Phenotyping is a crucial component for using DNA-based tools in gene discovery and marker development. Phenotypic and genotypic data are essential for linking genetic variation with biological function, thus documenting gene function. However, phenotypic data gathering is not keeping pace with the immensely increasing amount of available genomic information, brought forth by current Next Generation Sequencing technologies. Standardized phenotyping protocols for peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] have been developed for 6 productivity traits (on the tree) and 16 fruit quality traits. Documentation of fruit quality phenotypes has been performed applying developed standardized phenotyping protocol in two seasons, at nine …

Hydrodynamic Evaluation And Characterization Of Capillary Channeled Polymer (C-Cp) Fibers As A Stationary Phase In Hplc Of Macromolecules, Kelum Randunu Pathirannahalage

All Theses

High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is the most used analytical technique for the separation of samples in solution. HPLC of has progressed with successive use of new supports such as silica, polysaccharides, monoliths, and organic polymers. Although porous silica phases are very effective in small molecule separations, they suffer from certain drawbacks including pH stability, chemical robustness, high backpressure, and slow mass transfer for macromolecule separations. Thus, the most protein separations are carried out using nonporous, partially porous, and superficially porous phases to overcome mass transfer limitations. As a competing methodology, fiber based polymer support/stationary phases are also developed for …

Treatment Of Oilfield Produced Water Using A Pilot-Scale Constructed Wetland Treatment System, Michael Pardue

All Theses

In recent years production of oil in sub-Saharan Africa has generated thousands of barrels of oilfield produced water (OPW). If water produced from oilfields in sub-Saharan Africa can be treated, this large volume of water has the potential for use in irrigation, which could decrease demand on existing water resources. In this investigation a pilot-scale constructed wetland treatment system (CWTS) consisting of three series: a free water surface flow (FWS) series, a subsurface flow (SSF) series, and a hybrid SSF series preceded by an oil-water separator (OWS), was utilized to treat OPW. Two major objectives were to: 1) assess treatment …

Quantitative Workload, Physical Activity, And Quality Of Sleep: An Investigation Of Nurses Working The Night Shift And 10 Hour Or Longer Shifts, Kyle Stanyar

All Theses

Approximately 30% to 40% of adults suffer from some form of insomnia in any given year. Insomnia-related productivity losses for organizations are estimated at $5 billion dollars annually. Long work weeks, shift work, and high workload have been linked to poor sleep quality. Currently, there is a gap in research on how physical activity affects quality of sleep among nurses who work long hours and nurses who work the night shift. Therefore two samples of nurses were examined; nurses who work 10 hour or longer shifts (N = 222) and nurses who work the night shift (N = 97). This …

Assessment Of The Rainfall Response On Headwater Streams In Lower Coastal Plain South Carolina, Thomas Epps

All Theses

Toward the goal of the assessment of the rainfall response on forested headwater catchments in the Lower Coastal Plain (LCP) of South Carolina, rainfall, streamflow, and groundwater elevation were monitored on two similar streams. Upper Debidue Creek (UDC) in coastal Georgetown County, South Carolina is slated for development and Watershed 80 (WS80) in the Francis Marion National Forest serves as an undeveloped reference watershed. Spatial rainfall variability was assessed at UDC and it was concluded that a single gage was sufficient to accurately measure rainfall for this watershed. Throughfall measurements at UDC indicate a seasonal difference that may influence seasonal …

Avian Communities And Landscape Characteristics Of Golf Courses Within The Beaufort County Sea Island Complex, Jessica Gorzo

All Theses

The native breeding bird community of Beaufort County, South Carolina is experiencing landscape alteration in several forms. A prevalent human land use in the coastal zone is golf course development. This study explored the relationship between golf course land cover (n=23) and avian community metrics. Each study site consisted of the in-play area of the golf course, surrounded by a 400 m zone. Landscape metrics were calculated for each study site, and served as independent variables. The dependent variables were the following avian community metrics: species richness, neotropical migrant richness, abundance, diversity, evenness, and mean Partners in Flight (PIF) score. …

Effects Of Immersion On Spatial Updating In Virtual Panoramas, Phillip Napieralski

All Theses

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of immersion on a common spatial knowledge acquisition task in a virtual panoramic environment. A virtual panorama, such as Google Streetview, is an environment that is comprised of 3D (spherical) images taken at regular intervals in a real world setting. Participants navigated the National Mall area of Washington DC in Google Streetview panoramas using either a keyboard and mouse or a head-mounted display (HMD) with a head orientation tracker. In an exploration phase, participants were asked to navigate and observe landmarks. Then, in a testing phase, participants were asked to look in …

Numerical Study For A Viscoelastic Fluid-Structure Interaction Problem, Shuhan Xu

All Theses

In this thesis, we consider a viscoelastic flow in a moving domain, which has significant applications in biology and industry. Numerical approximation schemes are developed based on the Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) formulation of the flow equations. A spatial discretization is accomplished by the finite element method, and the time descritization is carried by either the implicit Euler method or the Crank-Nicolson method. Numerical results are presented for a fluid in a moving domain, where the boundary movement is specified by a given function. Then, we extend our work to a fluid-structure interaction problem. This system consists of a two-dimensional viscoelastic …

Extraction And Identification Of Volatile Constituents Of Oplopanax Horridus , Gregory Jones

All Theses

O. horridus is an important medicinal and spiritual plant for native peoples where it natively grows. Secondary volatile metabolites which compose the essential oil were isolated by atmospheric simultaneous distillation-solvent extraction (SDE) and headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) from the bark and leaves of Oplopanax horridus. The differences between the two extraction methods was investigated for their sensitivity, precision and use in separating volatile compounds from sample matrices.The extracts were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. Compounds were identified according to their non-isothermal Kovats indexes, mass spectra, or by comparison with analytical standard substances. The bark essential …

The Evolving Philosophy Of Climate Control For Historic House Museums In Subtropical Climates: Recommendations For The Aiken-Rhett House, Charleston, South Carolina, Mariah C. Schwartz

All Theses

This study was designed to determine the most appropriate type of climate control system for the Aiken-Rhett House (1820-22), a historic house museum located in Charleston, South Carolina. The Aiken-Rhett property is unique in that it has never been restored and the current stewards of the museum have taken a conservation philosophy to the interpretation of the house. This house museum is rare because it is one of the few remaining unrestored antebellum structures in the South. Although grand mansions were never intended to exist in a state of decline, as the Aiken-Rhett does now, the preserved layers of time …

The Application Of Food Landscape In Johns De La Howe School, Shuowei Qin

All Theses

Recently, food landscape has been put forward under ecological urbanism. Most of our food in the plate comes from miles away and transporting them consumes large amount non-renewable energy in earth. At the same time, our existing landscape suffers from the land degrading because of old ecological paradigm. Food landscape encourages combining edible plants in our landscape and works under new ecological paradigm which could best address those two main problems. Food landscape is a newly coined word and does not have a specific definition. From intensive literature review, the origin, the rationale, and the benefits of food landscape will …

Sassafras Tea: Using A Traditional Method Of Preparation To Reduce The Carcinogenic Compound Safrole, Kate Cummings

All Theses

The purpose of this research is to quantify the carcinogenic compound safrole in the traditional preparation method of making sassafras tea from the root of Sassafras albidum. The traditional method investigated was typical of preparation by members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and other Appalachian peoples. Sassafras is a tree common to the eastern coast of the United States, especially in the mountainous regions. Historically and continuing until today, roots of the tree are used to prepare fragrant teas and syrups. These traditional uses can be found across cultures throughout its range. Products made from sassafras are banned …

To Live, To Love, To Labor: Challenging The Rigidity Of The Public And Private Spheres, Mallory Neil

All Theses

JŸrgen Habermas's bourgeois public sphere theory led many historians to adopt new categories of social divisions. More specifically, gender historians utilized the theory in order to explain the exclusion of women from the political realm. Imparting male and female classifications onto the public and private spheres, in turn, led to the claim of complete social immobility for women. In the 1990s and 2000s, however, gender historians began to question the rigidity of the gendered spheres. This study adopts this line of argument by looking at the lives of Madame de Sta‘l, George Sand, and Lucie Aubrac. These women present three …

Effects Of Different Microenvironmental Conditions On The Growth And Differentiation Of Dental Pulp Stem Cells, Matthew Cupelli

All Theses

Human teeth are very complex structures that are susceptible to many different pathologies due to poor dental health. Currently, there are many restorative methods to reestablish some of the function that teeth have, but the materials used in these methods all have drawbacks and cannot fully mimic the native teeth. Tissue engineering research groups have begun to explore regenerating bone or dental tissue using mesenchymal stem cells derived from the bone marrow. However, our group focuses on regenerating dental tissues using multipotent stem cells from dental pulp.
Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) have shown similarities to bone marrow stem cells …

Cooking And Menu Planning Confidence Of Children Participating In A Cooking Camp, Elizabeth Dixon

All Theses

Childhood obesity has been steadily increasing in recent decades. This study was conducted at cooking camp to analyze the cooking and menu planning self-efficacy of children and to determine if these skills could influence healthier eating habits. Four surveys were used to evaluate the participants. The Let's Eat Healthy Questionnaire observed significant increases in MyPlate and food group knowledge (p-valueCooking Skills and Food and Nutrition Skills Questionnaire reported significant increases in the ability to sautŽ (p-value=0.0026) and how to stir fry (p-value=0.0015), and significant increases in agreement for actions like limiting fat intake, limiting sugar intake, and eating more fiber …